How to Think Like an Instructional Designer When You Are Creating Your Courses
Jul 19, 2021
In this episode of The Dreamer’s Lounge Podcast, we’re going to be talking about how you can think like an instructional designer without actually being one. We're going to be talking about this from two different angles, one being from the course lens and two being from the course creator. Stay tuned to hear all the details!
But before we dive right in, welcome! You’ve now entered into The Dreamer’s Lounge! I’m Ariel Schiffer, and I have made it my mission to take out the digital trash one bad course at a time. I am the creator of The Course Alchemist, Industrial Organizational Psychologist, and Curriculum and course design expert.
This podcast is for entrepreneurs who are looking to elevate their digital product suite so their offers speak for themselves. Nothing is worse than being oversold into something that under delivers just like an overpriced bottle of wine. So, if you’re ready to develop high quality offers, bring in consistent revenue, and have a business with long-term results for you AND your clients, grab your drink and join us inside…
And today, we’re discussing how you can think like an instructional designer without being one. For all the details, be sure to listen to the ENTIRE episode on your favorite streaming platform!
Knowing your goals as an instructional designer.
It can obviously be intimidating to create a course when you've never done it before, right?
This is why a lot of people abandon their program ideas or forfeit midway through their course creation. My job today is to empower you! Just because you're not an instructional designer does NOT mean you can't think and create like one. I never want anyone to feel intimidated like they can't create an amazing course on their own.
The first step to thinking like an instructional designer is to know your goal and align everything to that. I cannot stress this enough! How many programs have you seen that start in one place but end up in another? (A LOT)
Get hyper clear on what you're trying to accomplish and make sure that your content is aligned with that. Stay on track and know what everything in your course is supposed to be about.
Setting expectations in your business.
The second best thing you can do to start thinking like an instructional designer is to set expectations and make sure your ideal clients know what's in it for them.
Tell people where you're taking them, what they're going to learn, and what they can expect. Set the stage for your audience and be clear on what you're about to cover and share. The thing is, you educate in your courses, but you educate in your content as well so this goes for both.
People want to know why they should care about something so let them know all the details. Why should they put a halt in their life to take your course? Give them a clear reason to!
Applying your content to the right places.
The third step you can take to think like an instructional designer is to apply your content and learning to your audiences' experiences. Find ways to relate to your ideal client and go from there.
People want to know how they can dig deeper and be more engaged in your courses. If you pinpoint something that relates to them, you can call on their experiences and speak straight to their soul.
Everyone has a different perspective on how they see the world…
So if you're calling in a group of people within the same niche and share something in common, they probably have all experienced it to some level. The more you can relate and connect your content to your dream client, the more they are going to feel connected to that content.
The way you share your content matters.
Last but not least, you should be sharing your content in different ways. You want to appeal to different types of learners by providing different formats of your education. This will help you leverage your already existing content to engage with different learners.
Some people love YouTube, some people love podcasts, some people love IG posts, and some people love it all. Everyone has a different preference so you want to make sure you're reaching everyone you possibly can.
People consume content in different ways so I encourage you to think about your ideal client but also keep other types of learners in mind.
TIP: Design content that's going to fit into EVERYONE’S lives.
How to Think Like an Instructional Designer When You Are Creating Your Courses: The Bottomline
I hope reading this helps you think and act like a true instructional designer! Knowing how to think like an instructional designer is going to make you way more powerful and successful than you already are. These four ways will 100% help you get started and take your course creation to the next level.
Thanks so much for stopping by The Dreamer’s Lounge! If you enjoyed the episode please take a second to rate & review. Each review helps me fulfill my mission of improving the quality of learning in the online business industry. Don’t forget to take a screenshot, share it in your Instagram stories and tag me @dreamprocourses. See you next week!
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