Udemy

Hi Girija,   Imagine you are a student. Would you enjoy enrolling into a course with watermarked videos?  Would you even enroll into that course (after watching a watermarked promo video), or maybe look around for a more mature course?  Your answer to these questions will help you answer your original question.   Look around for free software alternatives. Google around.    For recording, one example is OBS. And there are others. For editing, one example is iMovie (if you are on Mac). Not sure about Windows, but look around.   Cheers,   WIth kind regards, Vlad.     ... View more

Dear Jarrett,   Congratulations on publishing your first course!:)    While I don't have a specific marketing advice, let me share with you something that might help. I've met quite a few people who divide their projects into two categories: 1) "I want this to happen". And it is profitable. 2) "I want this to happen". It is not profitable. But I want to create this thing.   If the projects in "1)" are so profitable, that they cover their own costs plus the costs of "2)" - then the whole economy is working.  So projects from "1)" sponsor (fund) the projects from "2)".     Why discuss this?  Because it is quite possible that some very niche courses might not sell well (sell very slowly), simply because the audience is very small. But I hope that you will create the next courses anyway!! Even if the first few courses are not profitable straight away. Also, they might become profitable later - after a long period of time, when enough people enroll to cover all the costs to create the course.   And by the way - the programming courses are not as easy to market as it seems. The competition is fierce - any popular topic is already covered in depth by best-selling instructors.  So creating a niche course is really a good thing: small niche -> small competition -> larger market share.   Another aspect is COVID-19 - unfortunately, some people study new language when they prepare to travel to the specific country. When travel is postponed to next year, some people might postpone the language learning (i.e., why learn today - I'll travel next year, so I'll forget anything... I better learn next year, right before I travel).  Good news - even if this factor is affecting (maybe it's not), it will go away next year.:)   All the best!   With kind regards, Vlad.       ... View more

Hi Gavin,   these chat groups are very helpful in a few areas: - whenever you have a question about creating courses (video, audio, marketing, etc), you can search the existing community topics - there are a lot of questions already asked and answered/discussed.  - and, of course, you can ask your questions and start new discussions. - also, being part of the community can help you stay motivated when creating new courses. It is always hard work, and the community helps you realize that other instructors are also doing hard work.   Cheers,   With kind regards, Vlad.       ... View more

Ciao Caterina,   Congratulations on publishing your first course!!   I believe that a niche course is a very good thing. You can make a course in English, but there are lots of similar courses in English, so lots of competition. But in Italian, your course can be one of a very few, if not a unique one.    Yes, it will take some time to get the first students. Don't give up!  Give it some time.    Cheers, Vlad. ... View more

  Hi Abbie, At these times, many of us have all our family members at home all day, every day. If you have kids, the schools and the kindergartens don't function. So the kids make demands on your time. They want to play with you! My advice is counter-intuitive: play with your kids! Enjoy spending time with them; it is the best time you can have. And every once in a while, sit to work for 1-2 hours. Even for 30 minutes - don't think that 30 minutes is a small amount of time. It is not! At first glance, the overall productivity will be lower. But you will enjoy the work! And your productivity per hour will be higher, much higher because you use the best hours for the job. I know that this advice is not for everyone. Some people need time to get into the flow, so this scattered schedule will not work for them. There is a great article, "maker's schedule, manager's schedule" (see google to find it) about this. However, I firmly believe that the instructor's work is not merely a maker's work. It's a combination of a maker's work and an artist's work. And the artist's part of it needs inspiration. It needs time to rest, to sleep well, to think. To prepare to be ready to get into the flow.   Of course, this advice is specific to the instructor's work, where you don't have any deadlines other than you impose on yourself. It is very different from working a regular job remotely, where you work 8 hours a day from Monday to Friday, but remotely. As an instructor, it is you who decides how many hours per day you work. Use that choice wisely! Blessings and good health to everyone! Thanks, With kind regards, Vlad. ... View more