Course Creation Guide
Creating an online course...
…can feel like a monumental task sometimes. There are so many moving parts, and so many questions involved.
- What platform should I put it on?
- How much content is too much content?
- How do I find the time to get it done?
And that feeling is completely normal.
So, I wanted to share my personal 7 Step Course Creation Framework with you.
This visual map has helped me create 100’s of courses for myself and for clients.
Using this Course Creation Guide...
Take a moment to work out which step of the course creation journey you are up to.
The information below will tell you some of the things you might be thinking or feeling at each stage, the importance of the stage, and what you can do to get unstuck.
Course Strategy
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- I want to make a course, but I’m not sure what or how
- I’ve got so many ideas and I don’t know where to start
- Will a course work for my business?
- Does my audience even want a course
Before you start building, it’s important to work out what kind of course you are building, who you are building it for, and if there is a need for it.
Working these things out before you jump into creating content is going to save you a mountain of time and effort in the long run.
If you are stuck at this stage:
- Take my 5 days to Course Clarity program
- Book in for a one on one strategy session
Course Mapping
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- I can’t get all of the ideas out of my head
- I don’t know which content to start with
- What if I’ve got too much content?
- What if I don’t have enough for a course?
- Does this even make any sense?
Course mapping is the process of getting all your thoughts and ideas out of your head, and turning them into a logical course structure. A good map will give you a complete outline of the modules and lessons you need to create, the key points you need to include, and the media you need to make.
If you are stuck at this stage:
- Take my “How to map your course content” course
- Book a Course Mapping Session. I can pull all of those golden ideas out of your head and create your course map for you.
Content Creation
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- How do I make video?
- What software do I need to edit and record?
- Do I need worksheets?
- What about graphics?
Now you can start making the content. In this phase it’s time to start developing all of the pieces of content you want your students to have access to. This will include, but is not limited to, videos, audio, pdfs, worksheets etc.
If you are stuck at this stage:
- While it should probably be you in face to camera videos, there are lots of parts of the content creation that you can outsource. Services I can support you with includes voice overs, creation of graphics, PowerPoint slides, worksheets and workbooks, and downloadable PDFs. Book in for a free consultation to see if we are a good fit.
The Tech
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- Which course platform is best?
- What is the difference between Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi, Membervault etc.
- What if I want to build the course on my website?
- Is it expensive to build an online course?
Here comes the fun part. It’s time to put all of your content into your chosen platform or plugin.
It’s important to make sure you’ve got the platform or plugin that does what you need, and fits within your budget. There is no right answer here, but it’s about finding the solution that suits you and your business.
If you are stuck at this stage:
- Download my free Course Platforms and Plugins guide
- Hire me and my team to take all of the work off your hands and build the course for you.
Course Review
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- Is my course finished/ready?
- How will I know if it’s done?
- What if it’s not good enough?
- Does it all work?
- Should I run a beta test for my online course?
A review should be so much more than a quick tick and flick before you hand it over to your students. This process is here to analyse your content flow, review the amount of content to reduce student overwhelm, look at your user experience, and double check that everything works.
A review is essential step before your content goes live, but is also a valuable reflection mechanism for a course that has been running for a while.
If you feel stuck at this stage:
- Use my Course checklist to make sure everything is in place
- Book in for a Done for you course review – by application only.
Selling your online course
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- How do I get people to buy my course?
- What should I say on my sales page?
- Do I need 1000’s of people on my email list?
- Do I need a huge social following?
- How do I create a launch?
Courses don’t magically sell themselves (unfortunately), so having a clean launch strategy and an ongoing marketing plan is an important part of your course development. There are lots of strategies you can consider at this point, the important thing is to have a logical process for people to get to know, like and trust you, and to learn about your program.
If you feel stuck at this stage:
- Take my Launch strategy mini course
- Reach out for a referral to great marketing services, including ads specialist, copywriters, email marketing experts etc.
Course Support
At this stage you might be thinking or feeling:
- How do I answer technical questions?
- How do I make time for all of the student support?
- Do I have to send all the emails and do all the things?
You’re good at what you do, let me do the rest.
If you’re running a live program you don’t have to do everything yourself. Upload your live classes to your platform, send out your student emails, or answer any tech support questions? Can do.
If you’re stuck at this stage:
- Done for you course support is available by application only. Book a consultation to find out if we are a good fit.