Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 55: Planning your online course in 3 easy steps

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55: Planning your online course in 3 easy steps · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 55, and in today's episode, I'm going to talk about how to plan your online course in three easy steps.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me today.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: I am your host Karen and I really appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: In today's episode, I'm going to be talking about planning your online course and how you can do this in three really easy steps.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to walk you through what those steps are.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now the reason why I wanted to create this episode today is because the planning stage is one of the most important stages when it comes to creating your online course.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: But it's also one of those stages that can either be skipped over or not spent enough time on.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to just really dive into how to do this in three really easy steps so that you can get your course planned ready to create it so they can get it out in the world.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the way I see building an online course is you wouldn't build a house without laying the right foundations first.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Foundations are vital because they create stability and they give the structure integrity.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: So if you were to skip over this stage of the process, you would create something that wasn't solid, that probably wouldn't deliver the results that were being promised.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: And you may find that your students wouldn't necessarily complete your course because the pathway hasn't been thought out, it hasn't been considered, and decisions that would be made through the planning stage wouldn't be made if you were then to jump into creating your content straight away.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So the planning stage is really instrumental in you creating a successful course that sells.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, one of the things that the planning stage does, it gives you clear objectives, which is really important because it allows you to set goals for your course, which is going to help you to stay focused to ensure that you cover all the necessary topics and skills that you want to include in your online course.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: It also allows you to set out a clear structure for your content.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now, your students, when they purchase your online course, they're looking to get a result at the end of it.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: So they're not buying your online course because they're wanting to take another course.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: People are time poor and they have limited capacity and energy to really spend on doing courses that don't deliver.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: So when your student buys your course, they're buying it for the results and the transformation that you're promising.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really important that you structure your content so that you walk your students through a really clear pathway so that they get the result that they want at the end of the course.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: And the planning stage allows you the opportunity to do this because it helps you to organize your course content in a logical and structural manner that supports your course, and this is going to make it easier for your students to follow and understand the material.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really vital that you spend time structuring the content within your course.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: It also allows you to time manage as well.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: So you can start to plan out time for each topic or module that you include in your course.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: So you can create a schedule that enables you to sort of manage this time effectively.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: So as you create the content, you can then work out what that time is going to look like for your students completing that specific module or lesson.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, and also it will help you to stay on track with your teaching because you will know exactly what you're expecting your students to do and how long it's going to take them to achieve that goal, which is going to be easier when you market your course later on because you'll be able to be very specific about how much time it's going to take your students to complete your course.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: And the more specific you can be, the easier it is going to be to sell the thing that you're creating.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Planning your online course also allows you to incorporate different elements into your course because you can plan it out, and these elements can be interactive elements that helps your students to engage with your material.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: So you can create things like discussions and quizzes and assignments or create sort of multimedia assets that engage the learner at a deeper level because that's what they are.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your students are learners, they're there to learn, they're there to absorb, they're there to engage.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: So you can also plan out the different elements that you can include that's going to make your content so much more interesting, and then also planning enables you to create things that are going to enhance your students' learning experience.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: So you're going to be able to create things that perhaps help you to measure their progress so that you can really find how your students are engaging with your material because this will allow you to make adjustments when your students are in the course so that they get the best of what it is you have to offer.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you skipped over this planning stage, you wouldn't be able to do this because you would just be straight into your content, focusing specifically on just the content alone.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: So you'll you would miss vital aspects of what you can include that's going to help you develop your course in the future.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when we put our course out, we need to allow it time to evolve.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: So you might create something that you put out in the world, but then you may have to amend, adjust, tweak, and adapt over a period of time.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: But you can only do this if you get feedback from your students.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: So that's another thing that you can do in the planning stage.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: You can plan out how you're going to get that feedback at what stage you're going to ask for feedback when your students are in your course.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I do think this is something to plan out so that you know exactly what feedback you're looking to get.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: We don't always get everything right at the beginning.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we have to put a first draft out into the world, which we can then tweak going forward.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: You're never going to achieve a masterpiece straight away.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: And we have to understand that in the world of online business and digital products and just creating products in general, first time can often be what you need to lead you to the final product.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, what what I'm trying to say is I don't want you to spend ages creating an online course trying to perfect it when the best way you can perfect your course is by getting it out into the world and then perfect it as you go along.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: So get students in there, plan for feedback, and then make changes so that you can then create a final product or a product that will then be better as time goes on because you'll be able to use that feedback and insight to improve the thing that you've created.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the other thing that the planning stage allows you to do is it gives you time to anticipate potential challenges or obstacles that your students might face whilst they're taking your course.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: So you can then be flexible in the way you teach your content.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: So you can include teaching strategies to support the ways people learn.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: So your students are going to learn differently.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: Not everybody's the same.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: Some people like audio, some people like visual, some people like long form text, some people like to watch videos.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: So you can plan for that, you can be so flexible in the way you teach that you can provide a smooth learning experience for your students by including different teaching strategies.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that's another thing to think about when you're in the planning stages of your course.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so hopefully, that's given you some reasons why planning is really important.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: As I said, I think it is the most important part of the entire course creation process, and I think you can tell a course that has not had the time spent on it at the beginning because these foundations that we're laying are going to be the basis in which you're going to create your course on.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: So you want to have a lot of your answers planned out at the beginning so that by the time you jump into creating your content, you know exactly what content it is, you know exactly what type of content you're going to be creating, you have a really good idea on who your students are and the way they like to learn, so you can implement those learning strategies, and you can also be mindful of the amount of time that you are creating your content for, so not to create long form content if actually what you're planning to do is create short, sharp videos.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: So when it comes to your online course, spend the time and plan out your course because you'll never regret putting that time into the planning stage.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: But at the end of the course, if you haven't planned it all out and you get to the end and it's not as effective as what you wanted, then you will regret not spending that time at the beginning planning your course.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so let's just dive into how to get started with planning your course.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, step one is about setting clear intentions and goals.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: We need to determine what our goals are and what our objectives are.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I recommend you start here.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Start by identifying the purpose of your course.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: What knowledge or skills do you want your students to gain?
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: What is that outcome?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: What is the ultimate objective?
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, understanding your goals will give you the direction that you need to help you stay focused during the planning process.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: When we set really clear intentions and goals, we set ourselves specific targets, and this is what's going to help us stay motivated during this stage of the process.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it's going to help you to channel your time, energy, and resources into getting this stage done.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: So think about what your goals are, think about what you want to achieve and where you want to be at the end of the planning stage.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: Get really clear on what that looks like.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to be accountable as well.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: So when you set your goals, be accountable to yourself in achieving those goals.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: So put a time frame on it.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Give yourself a period of time where you're going to work on the planning stage of your online course because this is really going to focus your mind so that you get it done.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: So holding yourself accountable is going to help you increase the chances of you achieving success.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the second step in planning your course is about mapping out your ideas.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now you need to start mapping out your thoughts and your ideas so you can organize them.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Often we've got so much running around in our head, so many ideas, so many topics and things that we can teach on, but actually, what we need to be doing is getting it down on paper so we can organize all of our thoughts.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: Because when we have too many thoughts in our head, it can often lead to analysis paralysis, and that then leads to no action being taken, and we need to take action.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: So, in order to get our ideas out into the world, we need to be very specific with the action that we take.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: So we need to overcome the overwhelm that can start to creep in at the beginning.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: Once you know your goals and what you want to achieve, then you can start spending time on brainstorming topics.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: Take a piece of paper and mind map all of your ideas.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: So write it down on paper, do little bubbles with your ideas in and just get it all out on paper.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Braind dump all of your ideas.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what subjects that you feel passionate about, what areas that you want to explore, and any expertise that you want your students to develop that you can then help with.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to spend time categorizing your topics, and once you have a list of potential topics, I want you to categorize them into broader themes because this is going to help you structure your course content and it's going to ensure that you have a logical flow of information.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then I want you to create a course outline.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is where you're going to develop a rough outline of your course, starting with your core modules.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, break down each of these sections further into specific lessons.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Lessons are micro topics, so they sit underneath your modules, and this is a great way to break down a big topic or a big theme into small bite-sized topics.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to help your students digest what you're teaching them much better because they can start and stop, they can take their time, and they can follow a flow that leads them to an outcome.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: So you do need to spend time creating a really strong framework, structuring your content so that you can see how everything is ordered.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: It needs to be logical and progressive.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's really important because you're leading your students to a result.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's also important that you have learning objectives for each of your lessons, and these need to be really clear and measurable.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, what is it that you want your students to accomplish by the end of each of your lessons?
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: And also consider the best way to deliver that content as well.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: So think about whether you're going to be using videos or quizzes, assignments, or are you going to do a combination of different elements?
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: And also think about how you can engage and interact with your students through your course.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, are you going to let them leave comments within the course area, or do you want them to reach out to you, or are they going to be part of a Facebook group where they can share their progress and engage with other students?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: Also, think about that as well.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, once you have a basic structure of your course, then you can start organizing your content and developing your content for each of your modules and lessons.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: But what I would recommend is that you don't do this until you have your framework mapped out because it's really important that you take the time to get this right so that you can create an effective course that leads through to a result.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then step three is about using the right tool for you to create your course framework on.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now I use a tool called Trello, it's super easy to use, it's visual and it's free.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been using Trello for years, and I find it one of the best project management tools that I would really struggle to live without because I use it for different things in my business.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: So think about how you can map out that structure and that framework that you've created using a tool.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now you can do pen and paper, that's absolutely fine, but you need to be thinking about what's going to support you as you move forward and create your content.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, why I do recommend Trello is it is because it's a visual organizer, which means that you can create a visual representation of your course framework, and you would do this through boards, through lists, and through cards, and this is going to make it easier for you to see the different components of your course and how it flows.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: And also, what I like about Trello is that it gives you flexibility so that you can customize your course framework as you go forward, so you can drag and drop and move things around really easily as well.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: So if you create a lesson for module one, but you actually want to put it in module two, you can just drag the lesson and pop it in module two, so it's super easy to do that, and also what I really like about it is that the tool gives you a bird's eye view on the thing that you're creating, and we need that because we need to see how our content is going to flow now.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because Trello has a Kanban style approach, so it's all done in columns, it helps you to really manage that workflow of your course development because as you create your course, you're going to be creating lots of different assets and lots of different things.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: So you want to be creating something that helps you keep on top of that workflow, so you can set due dates to help you stay on track, you can create task lists that help you to prioritize tasks.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, when I work within my trello board, I've I've got a tool that I have developed, and I use the workflow to help me keep on track of what it is I'm working on, what I have to do, and then what is outstanding, and that really helps to focus my thoughts and my mind to getting the things done that need to get done.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: So when you choose your tool, and it doesn't have to be Trello, it could be Click Up, it can be Monday, it could be Asana, it could be Notion.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many project management tools out there on the market, but choose one that is going to support you as you develop your course because what I do like about Trello is that everything related to the course can be in this one Trello board.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: So whilst you're creating the content and you're doing all the things around your course to bring it together, your Trello board is it's like the engine room of your course, it's what's going to help you stay organized, focused, and on track of everything that.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're doing.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: It is also really accessible to you.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are out and about and you have ideas, you can dump them on your trailer board because the app is absolutely brilliant.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: I love the app.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: I've been on the tube before in London, and I've been working through my thoughts and ideas, and I've been using the app version, and it's absolutely brilliant.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's just like the desktop.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: So accessibility is really easy, and it's one of those tools that has a really great app.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: So it doesn't matter whether you work on the desktop or whether on your phone, you can still access your boards.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: You can also collaborate with other people as well.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have a VA that is helping you, bring them into your Trello board and let them access your stuff because then they can see what it is you're trying to achieve and they can support you with that.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: And also, Trello is really great at integrating with other tools and apps as well.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want it connected to your Google Drive or your Dropbox or your calendar, then you can do it.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: It allows you to easily connect and organize resources, files, and important dates within your framework.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: So it's such a powerful tool, which is why I do use Trello for planning all of my digital products, whether it's online courses, my group programs, or my my digital um templates and resources that I create.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not an affiliate for Trello, this is based on my own personal experience.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: So they are the three steps that you need to take to plan your online course.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Just to recap, step one is about setting clear intentions and goals so that you get really focused on what you're looking to achieve.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: Step two is about really mapping out those ideas first and foremost.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: Create spider diagrams, outline notes in a notebook, do whatever you need to do, but get those thoughts and ideas out on paper and get them organized.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: And then step three, implement a tool that can help you to create your course framework.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: Your course framework is the thing that brings everything together, it's going to support your students, it's going to help you map out that learning pathway, and it's going to be the thing that enables you to create a really successful online course that you're going to be able to sell and make money from.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: So follow my three steps.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: Take the time, plan out your online course, and I promise you, you'll get a really great course at the end of it.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: And not just a course that your students will enjoy taking, but one that will actually be transformational for your students.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value, and of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 Steps to Digital Course Success, by visiting my website www.pink-lemondigital.com.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: So why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time!