Is teaching an online course part of your pandemic revenue plan? If you have a specific skill or expertise to share, online courses are trending, especially during this era of stay-at-home learners. Even before the pandemic, online courses were becoming a popular way to learn a new skill or hobby. While teaching an online course may not replace your full-time income it can become a means for supplemental income and as a marketing tool that drives people to your website or virtual store. This blog focuses on four different platforms to explore. Udemy offers a wide variety of video courses on everything from IT, finance, business and marketing to lifestyle, fitness, art and music. Camera shy? Don't be. Visit Udemy and view some of their free content and you'll see that these are real people simply sharing their passion. Udemy also offers support for getting started. Speaking of which, getting started is free, other than investing in basic videography equipment (tripod, microphone). Skillshare is a platform for creators, so if you are an illustrator, writer, photographer, or musician this is a great platform. However, they also offer class topics in leadership, freelance, marketing and productivity. It is also free to get started as a teacher and they have a handbook for those just starting out. LearnWorlds is for those individuals who want to start their own academy with their own content (or even add content others create), LearnWorlds is another option to consider. As with all the other platforms they offer step-by-step instructions and advice to create content and market your school. While they have a free trial period (no credit card required), there is a fee charged to operators/instructors that starts at about $30 a month. Lynda.com offers courses for primarily business learners with topics in marketing, finances and technology. This is for highly qualified instructors and getting started requires creating a lesson and submitting for their team to review. Many universities and colleges tap into Lynda.com for supplemental course videos. This is an opportunity to add credibility as an expert in your field. To learn about other platforms visit Learning Revolution. They offer a more in-depth review of numerous platforms and have their own take on those listed above.
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