Are you a trainer or coach and don’t know how to start your first online course? Or do you want to optimize your existing online courses? In both cases, the first content in the course is immensely important for your participants' motivation! In this article, we explain why this is the case and show you examples of a perfect course start.
"The first impression counts!" – This applies not only in personal contact and with physical products. The first impression is also crucial for online courses. The first few minutes in the course can have a strong influence on the learning motivation: Do I really want to watch the content? Am I interested in the topic? Is the overall presentation appealing to me?
Don’t: This is how the online course start should not look
To understand why the course start and motivation are linked, put yourself in the shoes of a participant: You enroll in an online course. You are more or less motivated and have certain expectations.
The course starts, and the first thing you see is a document on the topic. What you are supposed to do with it is not quite clear. You also wonder how the course will proceed and who your "digital counterpart" is. You are probably confused or even annoyed. Your motivation decreases before the online course has really begun. A good introduction looks different!
Do: This is how to succeed at the start of an online course
The example clearly shows why the first impression in the online course is immensely important. What should your participants learn in the first few minutes of the course to get a motivating first impression?
The following five points have proven effective for starting online training:
Personal addressing: Direct customer addressing is a "must do" in advertising and in speeches. This also applies to online courses: Speak directly to your participants. For example, use "You will learn in this course..." instead of "The participants will learn in this course...". A "you" or "you" addressing conveys a personal feel and builds familiarity. Furthermore, direct addressing increases your participants' attention.
Provide context: Address why your participants are in this course. Is it a purely online course for personal development? Or the online accompaniment to a face-to-face event in a blended learning format? Meet your participants exactly where they are to make it easier for them to get started.
Convey added value: The goals of a course are probably already clear to most participants when they begin. However, what is much more important for motivation than the goal is the personal added value: Explain what your participants will gain by following the course attentively. Example: "Throughout the course, you will learn to communicate more clearly. This will allow you to de-escalate conflicts more easily in the future and be more relaxed in everyday life."
Explain the process: For your online course, you have developed a concept for the process, for example, with a course template for day workshops. Share the process plan with your participants! How are the chapters structured? When can they expect which topic? Is there a final exam? – This way, your participants can prepare accordingly and always know the next step.
Call to action: Especially in online courses, where there is no direct personal contact, your participants need to know exactly what to do. Therefore, use concrete calls to action right from the start, for example, "Click 'continue' now to start with the first chapter".
Tip: Concrete examples for your learning content can be found in the article "Good Calls to Action in Online Courses".
Getting these five points across right at the beginning of your online course might initially seem like a lot of information for the participants. You shouldn’t overwhelm them. Make bullet points for yourself and try to clarify each point in one or at most two sentences. This will create a good foundation for the perfect course start. Now you just need to implement the first content.
Examples for the perfect start in an online course
If you use blink.it as a platform for your online courses, you have a variety of formats at your disposal. Which format you choose for starting your course is, of course, a matter of taste.
A short text on the points mentioned above is the simplest variant (see image). This way, you can quickly add a motivating introduction to existing courses.
For additional motivation, you can also create the same introduction for your online course as a video. Videos have many advantages in online courses: They convey content quickly and easily, add variety, and bring a personal touch to the course. You can create videos for online courses with your smartphone – quickly, easily, and without expensive studio equipment.
This is what a perfect start to an online course looks like as a video:
Check now with your notes and the examples how good the first content in your online course is! Do you want to create a motivating introductory video or helpful explanatory videos for your online course? Then download the free guide to filming with a smartphone now. In it, you will find tips, checklists, and more examples of videos that will excite your participants!
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Create good videos on your smartphone
Everything about video creation on a smartphone: From planning to filming to editing – get tips, checklists, and links to more information in a PDF!
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