3 Tips for Creating an Online Course Quickly

By: Justin Ferriman • January 18, 2018
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When it comes to online courses sometimes time is money. The longer it takes, the more money you lose (or lose out on).

The good news is that there are things you can do to you can get your course released in a timely fashion. However, I should mention that you should never sacrifice the quality of your course simply so that you can “get something out there”.  A thorough course that arrives later to the market is better than a poorly done one that is available early.

But there are some natural advantages to being early. There will be less competition. You establish yourself as one of the first providers (which can bring some nice benefits), and you start earning revenue quicker.

With that in mind, consider these three tips to speed-up your course creation process:

Tip #1: Re-Use Existing Content

Leveraging existing content is by far the quickest way to get material for your course. You can reference old “cheat sheets”, webinars, and even other courses. A handful of learning management systems will let you re-use your lessons from one course to another. No need to reinvent the wheel. If an existing lesson you have created makes sense in your new course then by all means you should use it.

Tip #2: Purchase Content (and Make Modifications)

In some scenarios it makes sense to purchase existing content. Specifically, you’re looking for content with private label rights so that you can repackage it into your own course.

Try not to use the content verbatim and instead modify it for your own course. Take one of the lessons and create a micro-video for it so that it is presented in a different manner. Add your content into the purchased content so that it is relevant to your audience.

Tip #3: Use Templates

Templates in the traditional e-learning sense often refers to pre-made visuals for programs like Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate. If you’re using these then by all means you should look into using templates. If you are not using a program like that then you have other options.

With micro-content on the rise you could consider using a program like PowToon to create miniature videos for your various lessons. You don’t need to be a video professional to use PowToon. It comes with pre-made characters, scenarios, animations and more. All you have to do is fill in the blanks with your own content and you’re done!

Be Creative, but Don’t Cut Corners

When you have to create your course quickly then you will be tempted to cut corners. Don’t do this. It will impact the quality of your course and that isn’t a reputation that you want about your company or content. These tips are meant to save you some time but they won’t work any miracles. Creating a good course takes time, there is no way around it.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter