6 Ways to Find Unique Ideas for Your Online Course

Ready to offer an online course? The first major challenge is to come up with a topic. It’s the most important decision you’ll make, so you really need something good. How do you come up with unique ideas for courses people will love to take? Here are 6 ideas for finding unique topics.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What questions do people often ask you? What questions are people asking online? You can look at Q&A sites like Quora or social media and other online forums. 

 

Another idea is to check a similar company or site in your niche and see what questions are on their FAQ. If you can create a course that answers a question on everybody’s mind, you’ll have a great topic that people are interested in.

 

Identify Your Strengths

 

If you offer an online course in a topic where you’re truly an expert, it’s guaranteed to offer great value to your audience. Brainstorm a list of your greatest strengths. 

 

You can often say off the top of your head what you’re good at. You can also analyze your work history to see where you have the most experience. But the best way to find out is to reach out to people in your network and ask them. They know you well and can tell you objectively what you’re best at.

 

Channel Your Inner Nostradamus

 

Get clairvoyant and try to predict what’s coming in the future. It takes a few months to organize and promote an online course. If you can choose a topic that’s going to be trending in the coming months when you’re live, or in the months after that, you’ll really have a great topic on your hands.

 

The good news is that you don’t need to be psychic. You can find out about future trends through market research. Follow industry publications related to your niche. Use tools like Google Trends. Monitor the competition and see what they’re talking about. You can also hone your psychic abilities by knowing past trends and looking for patterns.

 

Look in Unexpected Places

 

Sometimes a great idea comes from somewhere else, not related at all to your business or niche. For example, you might turn on the TV and get a great idea from a news story. Something that comes along your Facebook feed might offer inspiration. Think back on a conversation you recently had with a friend.

 

Get into the mode of always looking for ideas and take notes on your phone whenever something strikes you.

 

Find Gaps in the Market

 

For a unique idea, look for gaps in the market. Look at courses being offered in your niche. You’ll see a few topics being covered by many businesses. Try to find a sub-topic within your niche that’s not being covered and you can make this the topic for your online course.

 

The great advantage here is that you’ll be the only one offering this topic. It may not be a big seller, but if there’s interest, you’ll dominate.

 

Check Analytics

 

People often won’t tell you honestly what they’re interested in even if you conduct surveys and ask them directly. But their actions don’t lie. This is why it’s good to look at analytics. Analytics show you your audience’s behavior.

 

Look at website and blog analytics. Run a newsletter and see which links your subscribers click or messages they open and engage with. Analyze reactions to your social media posts. Look for patterns and you’ll discover your audience’s real interests. 

 

Once you find one of the above ideas that works well for you, document it and refer to it whenever you need new ideas. Also, start an ideas list that you can carry around with you on your phone or in your pocket. Any time inspiration strikes, write it down. You never know when you might hit upon a profitable idea for your online course.

 

The First Hour of Your Day - How to Start Each Day for More Productivity and Focus

What’s the first thing you do when you get started each morning? For many of us, it’s a rush to the PC to check email, which leads to immediately getting bogged down in routine and “have to do” tasks. 

 

The problem with this is that the next thing you know, it’s lunch time and you don’t feel like you’ve gotten anything done. Each of us has our own morning routine and you should take some time to create your own so that it benefits you.

 

The first hour of your day is important as it sets the tone for everything that comes after. It’s a good time to deal with matters that most require our focused thinking and problem solving. Here are tips on how to make the best use of your first hour of the day.

 

Eat First

 

Coffee is great for waking you up and helping you focus, but your brain needs food. Even if it’s just a cup of yogurt or a banana, eat something before you even start thinking about work. You’ve gone 8+ hours without food. You’ll be unable to focus and think clearly on an empty stomach.

 

Don’t Start with the Inbox

 

Far too many people start with their email inbox. Do you know how many messages you respond to per day? It could be well over a hundred. Your email inbox is a clutter of different conversations going on at the same time. Starting by tackling all this chatter is likely to make you feel drained by the time your first hour of work is over.

 

Of course, emails need your response. But rather than going through and splitting your focus and attention on whatever comes next, a better strategy is to glance at emails and decide what needs to be done fast. Then, tackle each issue by issue, when you’re dealing with that particular issue.

 

Look at the Big Picture

 

The first hour of your day is a good time for looking at the big picture before you get started on the fine details. Look at your calendar and think about what’s happening in the coming weeks or months. Review what’s most important and touch on your values and goals. 

 

With the big picture in mind, it’s much easier to decide what needs to be done today and what should be done first. 

 

Make a To Do List 

 

If you really want to control your time for the day, create a to-do list with a time set for each item. Use a timer to stick to the times you set. Another way to manage your to-do list is to decide on a milestone for each task. You may have several projects going at the same time. 

 

Choose a reasonable and productive stopping point for each so that you make sure you get the other things done. 

 

Do Something Fun

 

You may want to start your day with something not at all work-related. For example, set aside 20 minutes to indulge in a hobby. This allows you to wake up and start the day in a good, relaxed mood. You may feel less harried than you would starting to work directly.

 

For the same reason, some people choose to start the day with some light exercise or a walk. 

 

What Works for Your First Hour?

 

Try out a few different ideas for the first hour of your day and take notice of how it affects you. You might want to keep a journal or jot down some notes. Notice how your energy levels feel throughout the day and whether you have any stress. Once you find a morning routine that works to get you started and productive, put it into practice.

 

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