The E-Course Industry Is Booming—Here’s How to Get Started:
E-learning is a multi-billion-dollar industry—and growing fast. If you’ve got a great idea for a course, don’t wait! I’ve created my own and helped produce courses ranging from 8 to over 500 lessons. Now, I’m sharing what I’ve learned, broken down into three key phases: Planning, Production, and Selling.
Let’s dive into Planning—the foundation of a successful course.
1. Start with the End in Mind
Visualize your finished course. Will it feature slides, screen recordings, live video, or animations? Will you be on camera or behind the scenes? Take inspiration from courses you’ve enjoyed and use that vision to guide your process. This will all Influence Step 2: Production
2. Know Your Platform
Your course platform affects layout, lesson flow, file sizes, and resource integration. Choose it early so you can tailor your content to its capabilities and limitations. Some popular platforms are:
Kajabi
Udemy
Coursera (Geared towards corporate trainings)
Skillshare
3. Outline Everything
Create a detailed course outline and a project timeline. Even a small course takes time—budget 6 to 12 weeks from start to finish.
(Bonus tip: prospective students LOVE to see a course outline before buying! 2 birds, 1 stone.)
4. Script It
Don’t wing it. Write a full script to maintain consistency in tone and flow. This is also where you plan on-screen elements like visuals, graphics, or callouts. If you haven’t been introduced to ChatGPT yet, this is the time to get familiar! Read more about how ChatGPT can help you optimize your e-course script.
5. Plan Resources
Will your course include downloadable materials, worksheets, or live sessions? Identify them early so you can reference them naturally in your script.
6. Think Ahead to Sales
Marketing should start before production. Email campaigns are still king, followed by paid ads. Begin nurturing your audience now so you’re ready to promote when the time comes.
Next up: Step 2: Production
Need help creating your e-course? I offer full e-course production services from scripting to delivery. Send me a message to get started!
More from this series:
Planning (1/2)
Production (2/3)
Selling (3/3)
Bonus: Using ChatGPT to Create Your E-Course
