Member+ is a new way of building engaging content for your clients and customers. If you’re looking for a way to build an online course or membership site or if you’re looking for exciting ways to engage your community while preserving your brand, Member+ is it!
We start with techniques of instructional design and product development used by Apple and Google:
There are several parties involved with developing an online course or training module
- The subject matter expert – This is the person who has the content and knowledge about the subject being taught
- The curriculum developer – This is the person who works with the subject matter expert to break down the content into a logical organization and structure for learning. This can include lesson planning, content editing, and new content production.
- The instructional designer – This is the person who works with the curriculum developer to plan out the construction of the materials into a finished product – a course or set of courses. This person thinks through things like user experience and assessments (quizzes, certificates, gamification for engagement etc.)
- The content producer – Works with the subject matter expert and the curriculum developer in order to organize existing content and identifies gaps in content that need to be built. This person also does quality assurance (QA) on the finished module to ensure things are functioning according to the specifications of the instructional designer.
- The developer – This is the person responsible for the technology that underlies the course. Their job is to ensure that the platform chosen meets the needs set out by the instructional designer and to built it.
- The visual designer – This person is responsible for the look and feel of the course or learning platform according to the specifications of the Instructional designer. They work closely with the developer and content producers in order to oversee the visual look and uphold the brand equity of the project.
There are a plethora of diy solutions — Teachable, Udemy, etc making it easy for anyone to design an online course. This makes online course development easier than ever which is great! However, it means that a lot of people are putting together courses without thinking through the full range of work needed leading to lack luster learning experiences for the student and ultimately lower engagement and potentially lost sales and revenue. It’s never been easier to put together an online course in a weekend or in a few hours, yet so many produce courses that never get used or see the light of day.
As an educator I find this troubling. Did you know for example that nearly 80% of students never finish online courses that they sign up for? If you are building educational modules as a function of your business what does that say about the lifetime value of your customers? How much potential revenue are you missing out on if a client takes one class from you and has a poor experience?
Too many people throw up inferior quality courses thinking it’s a great way to make a quick buck or to gain prospects without consider the lifetime value (ltv) of their clients. Worse still, if you’re using an online course or training module as part of your business you can potentially dilute your brand by having low engagement with the content you produce. If you plan on incorporating training into your business model, please consider the consequences of doing so halfheartedly.
Done well, training modules can fit perfectly into an existing business model. One way is that it allows you to offer services at a lower price point without increasing time spent. You can send clients in the earlier stage of your sales cycle to a free or low cost training in order to nurture their interest in your brand or service.
Once you have a wealth of content and are able to foster a group of clients, you should consider a recurring revenue model like a membership site. Membership sites are all the rage these days but they require a lot of effort to maintain and a keen eye on quality content. If a client is expected to pay you on a monthly basis, you should really through their user experience and deliver on high quality engagement.
A functioning and healthy content delivery platform that supports your business is always built on the back of quality content. What do you want your online course or membership stie to say about you?