Why eLearning?
eLearning courses have become increasingly popular in just about every industry from health and fitness to business, finance and training.
They save time for students and businesses whilst making it possible for you to deliver your product to a much wider global audience.
So if you have a specialist skill or product that can be delivered via eLearning, you could have an excellent business opportunity on your hands.
There are two basic forms of e-learning products you could deliver; one-off instructional ebooks or courses; or, subscriptions where students get access to a course of content.
Prices for products or subscriptions vary depending on the value, quality or reputation of the teaching you provide. But overheads on an eLearning business are low, it doesn’t cost much to build a course, and maintenance is relatively straightforward.
You can also make additional profit from website pop ups for eLearning companies , to supplement your income from subscriptions and courses.
Choose The Right Industry
You may already be in an industry that fits perfectly to the eLearning model. Business advice, training, computers and IT, retail and ecommerce are all great starting points for an eLearning business.
But if you are a music or language teacher, chef, copywriter, professional poker player, personal trainer, health specialist, or work in any other industry that provides advice and guidance to professionals and non-professionals alike, then there will be a way to deliver your skills and make some money via eLearning.
So it’s worth looking at your competition and thinking outside the box. What you can offer that others can’t, and what big problems can you solve?
Designing Your Course
The Beauty of eLearning is the range of tools and delivery systems available to you – both free and hosted by other companies.
You are not just limited to the written word. You can also create video or audio content, use images, provide feedback and guidance via social media, and bring in content producers for extra support.
For free, you could use a tool like WordPress, Coggno (for compliance, safety, and business management courses) iTunes U (which supports course authoring, homework and assignment distribution, grading, and course forums) or Moodle (for managing virtual classrooms, generating certificates, and measuring the success of training programs via analytics).
For hosted platforms, there are a range of companies including Udemy, WizIQ, Ruzuku, Teachable and Skillshare, on which you can set yourself up as a tutor or teacher and make use of their existing eLearning systems.
These platforms will make it easier to deliver your skills, but it’s worth remembering that many of them will take a cut of your earnings (sometimes as much as 50%), and take control of some, if not all of your branding and marketing.
Marketing
Speaking of marketing – if you are setting your eLearning company up independently, then you are going to need about generating leads and selling your brand.
One of the best ways to do this is via social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
These platforms give you a space to define your brand, offer content testers, interact with your audience, get feedback and advertise to the right people.
Remember, make your content clear and personable. Because if there’s one thing that might be off-putting about eLearning as a way to develop new skills and absorb information, it is the lack of that human connection.
Social media can help your eLearning business feel just a little more personal.
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