I’m reading ‘Think Strategy Before Technology‘ by Robin Good and so far he brings up some really valid points, which are often forgotten in a tech-focused world. It started me thinking about the process of moving offline training content online and I came up with 3 points to ponder.

1. Plan, plan, plan
Before you jump in and start spending money on cool software to create online content, think hard about what the communication goals are for your online program. Too many people get caught up in all the cool technology that’s out there and are so excited by what they can build, that they forget about what they actually need to communicate. Map out your ideas and have a clear understanding of your goals.

2. Avoid a vicious cycle
Spend a little time researching your market, storyboard your course ideas and decide how the information will be best presented. Once you have a plan laid out, go looking for the technology and content creation tools that work for your idea. Without a plan you put yourself at risk of getting caught up in a vicious cycle of continually revising and re-doing your content, and in some cases never actually getting your course off the ground.

3. Get a rough draft out quickly
There’s nothing worse than spending weeks putting something together only to realize there was a fundamental flaw in it from the beginning and you’re back to square one. In an effort to avoid this happening, as soon as you’re up and running online, put a teaser of your course together and send it to some objective friends /colleagues. Not only will this get you moving faster, but it’s more likely to get you on the right track too.

Right now the market is moving fast. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, were all being encouraged just to get our ideas out there. Don’t be afraid to put an alpha or beta version of your course out for feedback, you’ll soon know what works and what doesn’t. There’s no need to give all your content away, but let your audience have some input. You don’t have to take all their ideas on-board, but connecting with these people is invaluable as they are the ones who will buy your courses and, if you get it right, be your biggest advocates on the social networks.

@Schnicker