Now that your online course is live, it’s time to start receiving students. But before you begin inviting people to join your lessons, there are some things you need to do after launching your online course!
You will want to make sure your courses are easily accessible for all devices (mobile, computer, TV). You can also test out your lesson cover art, videos, and other components to ensure they look great and load quickly in as many different browsers and device formats as possible.
Once everything looks good, you can start promoting your course. There are several ways to spread the word about your new teaching career, but none of them matter if no one knows about it!
Getting more exposure means increasing your audience, which could mean writing article marketing posts or creating social media accounts to promote yourself and your lessons. It may even be adding links to your own website or those of related businesses so that your content gets found and shared by others.
Whatever method you choose, don’t forget to use relevant sources to increase the chances of people reading what you have to say.
Personalize and improve your online course launch
So now that you’ve got your course launched and going, it is time to personalize and optimize it.
There are several ways to do this. You can add new features, change the tone and style, and do A/B testing. All of these things will help shape how people interact with your online courses and deliver messages to yourself as an educator.
Add new features to keep the content fresh
This includes adding different levels or modules, giving students options for materials, changing the curriculum to focus more on skills related to teaching or education, etc.
By adding new features, you increase the value of your product for both students and teachers. Students get newer, better resources which they can use to learn more about educating kids, educators get additional tools to help them teach, and you make some money too!
You could also create free bonuses such as worksheets, lesson plans, or videos and add those to your course.
Held back by student timing, not everyone has access to technology at home so offering something like that free of cost adds value. If possible, offer your bonuses for no extra charge either.
That way you are still providing a valuable service while also making some income. It’s important to remember that educational products are expensive, even if you are just buying photocopies and putting up posters, someone paid for the initial production.
Make it easy for students to start and participate after launching your online course
The second way to make your course successful is by making it as accessible as possible. This means not only should you launch with a free, open-source platform, but you should also offer student accounts that do not require payment or an individual email address.
Many educational institutions have opted to use Google Classroom as their classroom management system. By using this software, teachers can easily create courses, assign assignments, and communicate with students all from within one space.
By using these resources, students do not need to spend money creating their accounts or finding the equipment needed to study. They will be able to access and collaborate on their education freely.
This removes a major barrier to entry because most people are accustomed to having free services where they come from. It also helps your community of learners find others in your field more quickly because there are no barriers to participation.
Tell your friends and family about the launch
Now that your online course is live, it’s time to tell others! You can use social media to advertise your new business, but don’t forget about some old fashioned ways as well.
Hold an open house or event at your place of work so people can come check out the courses you offer free of charge. This may be for colleagues, customers, or both.
You could also put up posters and flyers around the area, run ads in the paper, spread word through circles of acquaintances, and even start a group chat or discussion thread on social media to promote the courses.
Link your launch with other launches of online courses
One of the first things you should do after launching your online course is to link it with others in the field so that people can connect with each other through the connections you have made.
This is an effective way to use your new platform to inspire more students and create a community around learning how to improve their own skills or find additional lessons from someone else’s.
By linking your teaching to what has worked for others, you will legitimize your knowledge and help spread inspiration and motivation.
Connect with other online course creators
One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to connect with like-minded instructors and students. You should join some kind of teaching community on social media, but beyond that, there are many ways to come together.
Teachers can share their resources and lessons with each other (this is called lightning talk), they can chat about lesson plans, strategies and experiences, and they can exchange ideas and tips.
There are lots of different communities out there where teachers can find help and support for their courses. Some focus more on helping you launch your course, while others keep up with it longer term.
Whatever type of help and guidance you’re looking for, try searching for it on sites such as Udemy, Teachable, and Canvas.
Offer a reward for engaging with your launch
After launching your online course launch, one of the first things you should do is offer an incentive to people who spend time looking into it.
This can be as simple as offering a discount or free lesson for someone who reads about your product in the bestseller lists for two weeks. It can also be more substantial like giving away a prize!
The rewards don’t need to be expensive – something small will always win over something big. You could even just give everyone a high-quality eBook from your library if that sounds good to them!
The key thing to remember when offering these incentives is to make them clear and easy to access so that anyone can take advantage of them.
Offer help to students that get stuck
It’s hard to run an online course by yourself. You have to manage your time, handle student questions, and process all of the various materials you use to teach the courses.
That can become too much for any one person to bear alone. So, what do you do when someone asks a question that you don’t know the answer to? Or if they break down in tears because they are having trouble understanding something?
You offer them help!
Online courses bring together people from around the world so it is very likely there will be at least one other person like you in the community who knows the same thing as well. They may come back and say “I found solution in article X but I couldn’t figure out how to apply it properly” or maybe they just need moral support right now.
Give them a hand and see what happens.
Try new things with your launch
One of the trickier parts of launching an online course is figuring out what to do next! You have spent time developing your skills, business, and educational resources – now it’s time to apply them and see where all of this takes you.
Running an online education program comes with its own set of challenges that can be navigated through different strategies and tools. Some are more successful than others, but no matter which ones work for you, one thing is certain- you will need to invest in equipment and technology to succeed.
Here are some ideas to help get your feet moving.
Start a blog about the lessons you taught during the launch or something related to the field you teach. Create content targeted at your audience to draw in new students and generate income.
Add yourself as an instructor on courses like Udemy so that you can make money teaching while also earning rewards for being a student.
Create free lesson notes and tutorials to share your expertise and start building up your brand.
Form groups with other educators to connect, inspire each other, and provide feedback. This is especially important early on when you don’t know many people yet.
Keep looking forward by creating milestones and targets for success. Learning how to run an educational business isn’t quick, but there are ways to move forward effectively.