How to successfully design online courses: A guide for beginners

Do you want to broaden your reach with your art, but are unsure whether online courses are right for you? Then this article will certainly make your decision easier.

Before the pandemic changed all our lives, I regularly gave live, in-person courses in my studio. With the pandemic, that came to an abrupt end. Switching to online courses initially seemed like a considerable risk. But I had to offer the first course three times because of the overwhelming demand. This year, I was actually able to double my revenue!

Current statistics show that e-learning has a future . Growth rates of up to 10% are expected.

Certainly, with the end of the pandemic, people's interests have become more diverse again, which I've noticed in the declining number of course bookings. However, in principle, I would only offer live courses in the studio in exceptional cases these days. Online courses have a number of undeniable advantages, which I'll list for you here:

The advantages of online courses

• You don't have to pay rent for course space if your studio isn't suitable for courses. For my online courses, a well-lit 80 x 60 cm table is sufficient as a work surface. Instead of room rentals, which now easily reach €150.00, I pay a one-time fee to the provider I use for the course – currently around €180.00 per year.
• Once you've set up the camera and microphone (which, given the small space required, could even be done in your studio), you'll hardly need any more time to prepare a course. Live courses are a completely different story: getting all the workstations ready can easily take an hour – and considerably longer if you've rented a space, since you have to transport all the materials there, set them up, and then take them down again.
• Which brings me to my next point: online courses are much cheaper than live courses. You only need your own materials and don't have to keep half a dozen extra tubes of paint, brush sets, or canvases on hand. And you can also save on drinks and snacks for the participants.
• One advantage that will bring you significantly more customers: You can market your courses worldwide and are no longer dependent on regional customers. Furthermore, participants no longer have to travel long distances.
• And there's another advantage that many people don't consider: During the course, you can all the data on your PC. This allows you to respond spontaneously to questions and offer helpful examples at any time.

Disadvantages

However, these advantages are also offset by some disadvantages:

• you'll have higher investment costs for acquiring the equipment. However, you can deduct these as business expenses for tax purposes.
• The interaction between you and the participants, and among the participants themselves, is limited. However, I can say from my own experience that there's at least as much laughter in online courses as in live workshops. The key is to have a relaxed and authentic style of instruction; then the enthusiasm will quickly spread online as well.
• The lack of interaction with participants also includes the supportyou can offer when problems arise. However, after three years of leading courses, I have to say that this has actually proven to be an advantage. Participants often find their own creative solutions this way and thus develop their own style more quickly.
• The last problem is your internet connection: If the connection drops, the course cannot be completed. However, there are alternatives: You can offer a new date or free participation in another course. Perhaps you have already documented a previous course on the same topic on video and can offer this recording as a replacement. In the latter case, I recommend the simplest solution: upload the video to YouTube as "unlisted" and send the video link to the participants.

Equipment and furnishings

If I've now convinced you to include online courses in your creative portfolio, then I'd like to give you an overview of the technology you need for such workshops:

• You need your own website for marketing , because that's the only way to reach a global audience. Alternatively, you can build a social media presence on Instagram and other platforms. In both cases, the problem of limited reach always applies when you start offering your courses – nobody outside your local area knows you or your services.
• This brings me to the second important, and unfortunately very expensive, point: If you truly want to market your courses professionally and increase your visibility , you have no choice but to seek expert help. This ranges from improving your website's SEO to running ads via Google Ads or on Instagram. You can quickly reach four figures! So, you need to carefully consider whether this is the right path for you.
• As soon as you start receiving more course bookings, you'll need a management system for them. This should include things like registrations, an overview of paid and unpaid courses, a template for reply emails, scheduling of all course dates, and much more.
• As mentioned above, you need to choose a platform provider . Compare the offers and be sure to take advantage of the free trial period to make your decision. For example, there are still providers where participants can't blur their background and replace it with a photo – a lack of privacy can be a deterrent for customers.
• Technically, you'll need a PC or laptop with sufficient processing power and a stable, fast internet connection. I personally use a 50 Mbps plan, which is enough for my courses. You shouldn't go below that internet speed.
• To broadcast a course, I recommend purchasing two cameras. A high-quality webcam is sufficient for greeting participants. A digital camera, which can also be used as a webcam, is then used to broadcast the course content. This offers a more realistic color representation, which is, of course, essential for art courses. It's best to seek advice from a specialist retailer.
• For audio, I've found a wireless headset be the best option. It allows me to move freely around the room and quickly grab things from the corner without constantly tripping over the headphone cable.
• To ensure a high-quality course broadcast, you'll also need lighting that illuminates your workspace well. I strongly recommend LED panels , as their brightness and, in some cases, color temperature can be adjusted. Be sure to also get softboxes to diffuse the light – this will prevent harsh and overly dark shadows on your work surface.

This all sounds like quite high initial costs. But when you factor in the cost of renting a space, consider the significant time commitment for live courses mentioned above, and ultimately reach considerably more customers, online courses are definitely worthwhile.

And one last tip: If you already know what technical accessories you need, take a look in the classifieds; you can always find very inexpensive used devices there (I do this regularly!).

Any questions? Feel free to contact me: www.jannan-art.de. You can also find me on Instagram.

I wish you every success with your first online course!

JannanART

My name is Mustafa Jannan and I am an artist. I began writing and illustrating books at the age of eight, while also being active in various creative fields, including song composition and dance theatre. My artistic journey began in 2011 with acrylic painting.

Despite the challenges of starting art later in life, I discovered my untrained talent for painting and furthered my education autodidactically in techniques such as image composition and color theory. These experiences inspired me to create a German-language YouTube channel, write books for art beginners, and offer online courses.

www.jannan-art.de/

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