Lauren Lapointe and I met through Udemy after we both launched courses on yoga. Since then, Lauren has put out 4 courses on Udemy and experimented with Skillshare, as well as is in the process of transferring her courses on her own website. Lauren has been quite successful with her online courses and has over 12,000 students between her 4 courses.

Online courses are a great way to get your name out there, to learn a new skill, to expand your audience, and to make some passive income, but it’s a daunting task. There is so much to learn about microphones, lighting, what camera to use, what software to record with, and then how to market your course.

On this episode, Lauren shares how she created her courses and what she learned along the way. She shares the research that she did (and would recommend that you do as well) and what she’s learned through her course development. Finally, Lauren and I chat about the pros and cons to each platform and marekt place, and how to convert your course to sales through strategic marketing.

If you are even remotely interested in starting an online course, you don’t want to miss this episode!

Enjoy!

Business Lessons

• You shouldn’t make your first course biggest one, because your first one is your time to learn
• Microphones, sound and how to get the best lighting are the most important aspects of a course
• Be a student first
• Udemy is a great platform because it helps you market, but you do make less money
• If Lauren + I can do it, you can too!
• There is a learning curve to creating courses, but with each course you create you learn more
• Be niche, but not too niche
• Understanding the market on Udemy vs. other marketplaces like Skillshare
• Skillshare caters more to bite size classes and arts + crafts
• If the course you want to create doesn’t have a market on Udemy or Skillshare, you can host the courses yourself
• Facebook Ads, Instagram + Pinterest are great ways to promote your courses and your website
• You can use WordPress plugins to host your course on your own website
• You can also host your own courses through programs like Thinkific + Teachable
• Look at what each program + plugin offers and decide what will be best for you
• The get rich quick is more of the exception rather than the rule – approach it from the perspective of learning
• Audio is more important than video – make sure you pad the room to prevent echo
• Screenflow for Mac users, Camtasia for PC users
• Clamp lights are an affordable way to get your lighting set up
• Photography backdrop is a great way to make sure that you can record from anywhere and you don’t have to worry about what’s going on around you
• Batch recordings to save yourself the set up time!
• Share on your personal social media, including Facebook and Instagram
• Pick 1 or 2 social media platforms and do your marketing through those
• The Pomodoro Technique can be great so that you can get through everything
• And much more.. Here’s the episode!

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As well, I’m excited to announce that my boyfriend, Ryan and I have launched a new course on Udemy called Yoga for Men. This course teaches tight men and men that are new to yoga how to modify the most common yoga poses they will see in a flow class so that they can practice anywhere in a safe way.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this course, you can get it for only $25 using the promo code MBOM25 or clicking here!