This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Where should you host an online course? Let's say you've got an idea to make a course, you've done your research, you know what your learning outcomes are, you know who your ideal customer is, you have basically done all kinds of work to get ready for this online course, and you wanna put it out there and reach a bunch of people, make a lot of money, but where do you host it? That is what we're gonna talk about in this episode. Specifically, a history professor needs to decide how to launch his online course and therefore where to host it, or I guess you could say it the other way around, but the point is, should he use a big platform? He's thinking of Udemy, there are others, or should he host it independently?
And also, how can he attract an audience for such a niche topic? It is a history course, as noted. So let's talk about the pros and cons of going with one of those bigger platforms versus doing it on your own. And I think there might be a little confusion here, which I'm gonna clear up for this caller, but maybe somebody else out there as well. So if you want to start an online course this year, if you've thought about it, we're gonna help you make a decision here, at least give you some information so you can make the best possible decision.
It's all coming up in this short action-packed episode. Stay tuned. [Music]
Hi, I'm Ben, a history professor. I've been thinking about creating an online course on a historical topic I specialize in. But I'm not sure whether to use a platform like Udemy or host it on my own website.
Each has pros and cons, and I'm worried about giving up too much control if I go with a larger platform. So basically, what's the best way to build an audience for a topic that's not exactly mainstream? And how do I choose the right platform for launching my course? [Music]
All right, Ben, the online course sounds great. And I think if you've been listening to the show for a while, you know I'm a big fan of specialization.
So it sounds like you're on the right track. Now, here's the thing. I wanna clear up some confusion. When Ben says host it on my own website, I tend to think the question is between a platform like Udemy, there are others like that as well, or a platform like Thinkific or Kajabi, okay? The thing is Udemy is a distribution platform.
They have a lot of customers. They are trying to acquire courses and then sell them to their customer base. And so they pay a pretty low royalty to most creators, but the idea is you're gonna be able to reach people you wouldn't otherwise reach. Whereas if you host it with a platform like Kajabi or Thinkific or Teachable, there's probably some others, but those are three really big ones, then you actually keep pretty much all of the revenue, but you have to pay Kajabi or Thinkific or Teachable. You pay them a good amount to do that, right?
To like operate that system and such. So when you say host it on your own website, most likely you're thinking of using one of these services because even though you're paying them, they do a lot for you and they make it really easy. It is possible to completely host everything on your own, but that usually requires some programming skill. And also why would you do that? Like even if you have the programming skill, your programming skill could probably be better spent doing something else just 'cause these platforms do make things so, so easy.
So that's the first thing to note. But the case for using a platform like Udemy is that built-in audience. They've got millions of users. It can help you get in front of students who would not have any idea who you are otherwise. So that can be helpful, especially if you don't have any platform of your own.
Also a low barrier to entry. They just handle a lot of stuff for you. The con is lack of control. You have to adhere to their rules. You're giving over your intellectual property.
I mean, you may still own some of the IP. I don't know exactly how that part works, but the point is Udemy kind of does its own thing with its courses. So can be good in some cases, can be not good in other cases. And then the case for doing it the other way is the full control. You decide the pricing.
You decide the course structure, how you market the content. You have unlimited flexibility. And unlimited flexibility can be great or it can be overwhelming. So it just depends on what you're doing. A lot of people will start making courses with a platform like Udemy.
And then as they gain more skill and experience, perhaps as they gain more platform as well, and people start following them, then they switch to doing something like Thinkific where they can make more money and they have to do a bit more work, but it's usually worth it for them. So that's the decision you have to make. Do you go with one of those platforms or one of the others? Or I guess Ben could do it all himself, but that is a lot of work. So I tend to steer people towards using one of those ready-made platforms.
That's what I do myself. And I found it much easier than trying to do it all on my own. Ben, good luck with the course launch. Let us know how it goes. Listeners, thank you for being out there.
This is episode 2,974, if I'm not mistaken. Of course, much more is coming up. Really excited for all that is to come. New episodes go out every single day. Always completely free.
Subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to "Side Hustle School." [Music]
from the Onward Project.
