Courses

Courses

When I talk about courses, I usually mean those on video.

My friend Rodney teaches people to create text courses (basically mini books packaged as a course) which is really awesome, but I believe most people expect a course they can watch. (if you want to check out his course on creating text courses head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneydaut/, it it absolutely worth the investment)

It can feel overwhelming to learn the technology behind video, audio, and course creation. I’ve created over thirty courses, and some of my most popular ones were the easiest to make.

I’ll walk you through my process.

Content

You can outline your course following the same steps as for a mini book. But I recommend adding a “Demonstrations” section to each chapter. If you’re explaining how to write an email, you should also show it. This way, you give your course added value.

Create an outline, and you have the intellectual spine for your course.

Gear

You can spend thousands of dollars on your equipment, and though it might pump your ego, you don’t need all that stuff.

But there are things you can’t do without:

• Camera (webcam works)

• Mic (built-in computer mic may work)

• Slideshow

You simply create a slideshow with your outline and record your presentation with your face in the corner of the screen.

PowerPoint does all of this and makes it super simple.

I’d build my slideshows like this:

• 1 slide for the chapter title

• 1 slide breaking down what’s in the chapter (3 points)

• 1 slide for each point broken down (3 subpoints)

• 1 slide of anything else you need to explain

Each chapter would be at least seven slides.

In time, you can get fancier: mix head-and-shoulder shots with screen recordings, and apply heavy video editing. Just be careful not to overwhelm yourself.

Start SIMPLE.

To amp up your production, consider these options:

• Camera – webcam (good); 4K webcam (better); DSLR camera (best)

• Mic – Blue Yeti (good); Rode Wireless Go 2 (better); Shure SM7B (best)

• Slideshow – Powerpoint (good); Beautiful.ai (better); Prezi (Zoom with Slides in Background (best)

• Lighting – The single most underrated and overlooked thing about recording a quality course is lighting.

At least get some light rings or other soft lights.

Whatever you choose, make sure you are lighter than your background.

Distribution

What good are your videos if nobody gets to watch them? You’ll need to store them on the internet for distribution so people can easily access them.

The three most popular options are:

• YouTube (private video)

• Vimeo

• Voomly

These platforms allow you to embed or display your video on any webpage.

You can also use a learning management system like Thinkific, Kajabi, or Teachable. But if you want to keep your expenses low, YouTube, Voomly, or Vimeo embedded on your website will do just fine.

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