Best Online Courses: Utilizing Udemy's Online Learning Marketplace
What is Udemy and why is it important to professionals?
Udemy.com is a free-to-access, web-based online learning platform and marketplace used by more than 6 Million students where you can access approximately 25 thousand online courses on all kinds of topics, including free online courses, covering everything from programming to marketing to photography.
It's both a fantastic online learning resource and a huge marketplace for online training courses. Essentially what I think is this... If you're a professional, by which I mean someone who sells a service based on their area of expertise, you should be looking at this online learning platform very closely!
Below you'll find an article I wrote about Udemy, highlighting the ways you can benefit if you're a Psychologist, HR Consultant or Trainer...
Udemy.com is a free-to-access, web-based online learning platform and marketplace used by more than 6 Million students where you can access approximately 25 thousand online courses on all kinds of topics, including free online courses, covering everything from programming to marketing to photography.
It's both a fantastic online learning resource and a huge marketplace for online training courses. Essentially what I think is this... If you're a professional, by which I mean someone who sells a service based on their area of expertise, you should be looking at this online learning platform very closely!
Below you'll find an article I wrote about Udemy, highlighting the ways you can benefit if you're a Psychologist, HR Consultant or Trainer...
How Psychologists, HR Consultants and Trainers can use Udemy for Business Development
Recently, I came across a great web tool for business development called Udemy. It's a wonderful resource and I intend to use it more and more. I'd urge anyone who sells a service based on their professional area expertise to take a close look at it, because of its business development potential. Udemy.com is a website where you can access all kinds of online, video-based training. There are more than 25,000 online courses, including both free and paid courses you can access.
There are 3 main ways you can benefit and I would urge you to look at all 3:
1. Using Udemy as an Online Learning resource
Firstly, it's great for online learning, especially for enhancing your marketing skills (although you can find courses around pretty much anything you might be interested in). For example, I am currently on a steep learning curve with YouTube, which has been transformed recently by Google. I found a great course on this, which has been incredibly helpful. I learned stuff about YouTube I had absolutely no idea about, which I'm certain will make a huge difference to my business. I'm guessing most of us would benefit enormously from improving our online marketing knowledge and skills.
So, if you need to brush up on your skills, the best thing is to head over to Udemy, use their search function and see what's available. From personal experience, the courses are very easy to use and work on pretty much any device. To get a feel for how it all works. try out a free online course first.
2. Becoming an Instructor
The second way you can benefit is by becoming an Instructor (which costs nothing). An Instructor on Udemy is simply an online course creator. Like most professionals, it's highly likely that you'll have niche knowledge and skills. You probably already make presentations or deliver training around those skills. That niche expertise definitely represents a business development opportunity.
In my case, I have a load of stress management training material and courses, which I intend to upload in the appropriate format (video and text). A bit of work obviously (well OK, quite a lot of work), but you only need to do it once per course and then you'll have an ongoing, additional income stream. Very useful for Business Psychologists (like me) - in fact anyone with niche expertise who develops and delivers training of any kind.
I've looked into developing online courses before. I've always liked the idea of being able to deliver training in multiple places where my physical presence was not required. What stopped me taking the plunge was that all the options were prohibitively expensive. It costs nothing to be an Instructor with this platform, which suddenly makes the delivery of online learning highly attractive.
Want some stats to get you thinking about the potential? Currently, Udemy has over 5 million students (and growing) searching for online courses and 13 million course enrollments, catering for all kind of business and professional niches.
So, are you an expert in your field? Do you have any training you could develop in this format? If so, please give some serious thought as to how you could exploit this free online learning platform. It will cost you nothing except your time.
Of course, once developed and uploaded, you can promote and sell your own online courses. If you do that, you keep all of the course fees with this platform. But, and this is the key thing, Udemy will promote your courses too and students can find your courses through their search engine. If they find you students, they take a cut, which seems fair enough to me. It's valuable income you wouldn't otherwise have had.
3. Becoming an Affiliate
The third way you can benefit is via their affiliate program, which is on the linkshare affiliate network. Once you're an affiliate, you can generate additional income from promoting other people's courses. Think about the potential of this for a minute. You know a lot of professionals (including for example your LinkedIn connections) who would benefit from improving their knowledge and skills, whether that be technical or business skills. If you find great courses that fit their needs exactly, you can let them know know. Then, if a contact buys a course, you can earn a substantial commission. (Please note: Other affiliates can make money too, from promoting your courses, so you'll benefit from their marketing.)
I'm trying to see a down side to this. I can't. I hope to benefit in all 3 ways. Udemy seems a perfect fit for psychologists and consultants, in fact for all kinds of professionals.
In conclusion, if you have any kind of niche skill, knowledge or expertise take a look at Udemy. It will benefit your business in multiple ways.
Alan Bradshaw, Business Psychologist
Recently, I came across a great web tool for business development called Udemy. It's a wonderful resource and I intend to use it more and more. I'd urge anyone who sells a service based on their professional area expertise to take a close look at it, because of its business development potential. Udemy.com is a website where you can access all kinds of online, video-based training. There are more than 25,000 online courses, including both free and paid courses you can access.
There are 3 main ways you can benefit and I would urge you to look at all 3:
- As an Online Learning Resource, especially for improving your marketing skills
- As an Instructor, by uploading your courses to Udemy's platform and promoting those courses
- As an Affiliate, by promoting other people's online courses
1. Using Udemy as an Online Learning resource
Firstly, it's great for online learning, especially for enhancing your marketing skills (although you can find courses around pretty much anything you might be interested in). For example, I am currently on a steep learning curve with YouTube, which has been transformed recently by Google. I found a great course on this, which has been incredibly helpful. I learned stuff about YouTube I had absolutely no idea about, which I'm certain will make a huge difference to my business. I'm guessing most of us would benefit enormously from improving our online marketing knowledge and skills.
So, if you need to brush up on your skills, the best thing is to head over to Udemy, use their search function and see what's available. From personal experience, the courses are very easy to use and work on pretty much any device. To get a feel for how it all works. try out a free online course first.
2. Becoming an Instructor
The second way you can benefit is by becoming an Instructor (which costs nothing). An Instructor on Udemy is simply an online course creator. Like most professionals, it's highly likely that you'll have niche knowledge and skills. You probably already make presentations or deliver training around those skills. That niche expertise definitely represents a business development opportunity.
In my case, I have a load of stress management training material and courses, which I intend to upload in the appropriate format (video and text). A bit of work obviously (well OK, quite a lot of work), but you only need to do it once per course and then you'll have an ongoing, additional income stream. Very useful for Business Psychologists (like me) - in fact anyone with niche expertise who develops and delivers training of any kind.
I've looked into developing online courses before. I've always liked the idea of being able to deliver training in multiple places where my physical presence was not required. What stopped me taking the plunge was that all the options were prohibitively expensive. It costs nothing to be an Instructor with this platform, which suddenly makes the delivery of online learning highly attractive.
Want some stats to get you thinking about the potential? Currently, Udemy has over 5 million students (and growing) searching for online courses and 13 million course enrollments, catering for all kind of business and professional niches.
So, are you an expert in your field? Do you have any training you could develop in this format? If so, please give some serious thought as to how you could exploit this free online learning platform. It will cost you nothing except your time.
Of course, once developed and uploaded, you can promote and sell your own online courses. If you do that, you keep all of the course fees with this platform. But, and this is the key thing, Udemy will promote your courses too and students can find your courses through their search engine. If they find you students, they take a cut, which seems fair enough to me. It's valuable income you wouldn't otherwise have had.
3. Becoming an Affiliate
The third way you can benefit is via their affiliate program, which is on the linkshare affiliate network. Once you're an affiliate, you can generate additional income from promoting other people's courses. Think about the potential of this for a minute. You know a lot of professionals (including for example your LinkedIn connections) who would benefit from improving their knowledge and skills, whether that be technical or business skills. If you find great courses that fit their needs exactly, you can let them know know. Then, if a contact buys a course, you can earn a substantial commission. (Please note: Other affiliates can make money too, from promoting your courses, so you'll benefit from their marketing.)
I'm trying to see a down side to this. I can't. I hope to benefit in all 3 ways. Udemy seems a perfect fit for psychologists and consultants, in fact for all kinds of professionals.
In conclusion, if you have any kind of niche skill, knowledge or expertise take a look at Udemy. It will benefit your business in multiple ways.
Alan Bradshaw, Business Psychologist