Embracing online learning
In the realm of annoying online business advice (of which there is a voluminous amount, most fictitious or major oversimplifications), one piece that I somewhat believed all along was that if you can come up with a good enough online course, it will just sell itself, becoming the mythical *~*~passive income~*~* that we all dream of.
I couldn't tell you why I believed such a fallacy, but now with a few online courses under my belt both as a builder/marketer and a learner, I’ve learned this couldn’t be further from the truth.
First off, not all online courses are built the same. One of my clients kindly gifted me a MasterClass subscription (one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten, which I wrote about previously), and another kindly shared two different courses on one topic we were researching. These have all taught me that there is certainly a spectrum in terms of quality, organization, style, and ease of use.
MasterClass was easy to use but a passive experience, something you watched and took away only what you wanted, which could easily be nothing more than a few hours with your favorite thought leader or teacher. The second online course was also easy to use, but much more thorough and interactive, testing my absorption of the material and constantly updating based on current trends; my third was very in-depth and deployed some great tricks, but again, didn’t engage the student as much.
As I’ve worked with two different clients to build various courses, I’ve learned that those with a coaching or teaching mindset really design their courses to help their students succeed, whether that be through workbooks, check-ins, quizzes, or a combination thereof. I’ve found I prefer courses like this, as they allow me to actually absorb what I’ve learned.
Unfortunately, the biggest fallacy is that courses easily become the mythical passive income. Passive income is a huge deal to a small business owner, something you can rely on that won’t take your time or energy away from other work or clients. But I’ve yet to find that to be true.
I haven’t seen a successful online course that doesn’t need regular marketing, whether it is only available in sessions or always for purchase. The level and amount of that marketing can vary, but people need to be reminded about what you offer, no matter how amazing your course is (and I’ve helped with some that I think are truly valuable).
In the meantime, you are sinking money into your online learning platform of choice, so you better hope that you at least make your breakeven number to cover that cost. It’s a slippery slope, and one I caution people to be very thoughtful about. If you are having a hard time finding clients, this may not be the path for you, but if you feel like you have plenty of clients and not enough time to see them all, well then, go for it! If it allows you to spread your good work and make it more accessible, more power to you.
So, when I think to myself that if only I had time to come up with and build some great online courses to sell, I can now remind myself to nurture my first baby (my core business and clients) before I look elsewhere to fill any holes.
Lesson Learned: Don’t get caught up in the marketing hype, but instead nurture the business in front of you. The more you put in, the more you get out.
