So you want to launch your own online course?

Online learning has become a popular option in an increasingly busy world. Few people have the time (or money) to sit down in a classroom and learn. This has led to an explosion of platforms like Coursera, Udemy, Podia, Skillshare, Educadium and Ruzuku, and as a result, users can learn almost anything online. Locally, we have sites like Maisha Skills, Kytabu, Zydii and SM3.

This interest means you can also make money teaching people what you know. Udemy, for instance, has more than 20,000 instructors who earn an average Sh800,000 a year.

We spoke with Ian Jege, the founder of Social Media Marketing Mentorship (SM3), an online platform offering lessons on digital marketing, for tips on starting an online course.

What you’ll need

1. Passion

The first thing you need to do is identify a subject you’re knowledgeable about and have passion for.

“I genuinely believe anyone who has solid working experience in any industry can put together a course,” Ian says.

And you don’t have to pick something academic – you can borrow from your life experiences to formulate a course, and teach anything from meditation to parenting. However, keep in mind you’ll earn more money offering lessons that are in high demand. According to Udemy, the most popular online courses are design, IT, marketing and parenting.

2. Pick a platform

You could either choose an already established platform to host your course or build your own infrastructure from scratch.

“Going with an already existing platform is cheaper and faster. All you need to do is sign up as a tutor, develop a curriculum, and upload content subject to the approval of the site’s administrators. The downside is you’ll have to compete for students with other tutors or experts, especially if you are offering the same courses,” says Ian.

Having your own platform, though pricey, comes with benefits such as customisation and full control.

3. Develop a curriculum

After identifying the platform, the next step is developing a curriculum. This includes coming up with course goals and outlines, in line with the requirements of site administrators.

The curriculum you develop will need to include the topics your course will have.

“The real challenge, in my experience, is knowing what to include and breaking the information down into easy-to-consume lessons,” says Ian.

Look up similar courses uploaded by your competitors to differentiate and improve on what’s already been published.

4. Test your curriculum

You’ll want to test your curriculum to ensure that it meets your learners’ needs. Platforms like Udemy allow you to test videos to see if they meet their standards.

“At SM3, we’ve made it customary to put together focus groups that comprise a course’s target audience. We then spend time taking them through the curriculum. It’s essential that the curriculum makes sense.”

5. Upload content

At this stage, you get to decide the content format your course will take. It could be purely text based, audio based, video based or a hybrid of all of these.

6. Submit your course for review

Site administrators must review your course to ensure it meets their platform’s required standards. Your course won’t be approved if the videos, pictures or audio are of low quality, or if what you’re teaching isn’t clear.

7. Set the cost

This part will require some thought and research. You want to ensure that your costs of development and marketing are covered, while at the same time making the course affordable for your target audience.

Ian, who charges $100 (Sh10,000) for his SM3 courses, says the value students get should guide you on pricing.

8. Market your course

There are many instructors competing for learners, and only the best or the well-marketed courses attract learners.

“The more you can do to make your course stand out, the better for your sales and overall success,” says Ian.

You can market your course through video previews, or run webinars, workshops or live streams to let people know what you’re offering.

Also, ask learners to leave reviews, which you can share on social media. You can generate many leads from the reviews you share on social media and blogs.