New class jitters are completely normal. We understand that it may feel a bit like stepping into the unknown when you publish your class on Skillshare, and that’s why we’ve mapped out 5 steps to take to help you see success.
Step 1: Reach Out to Family and Friends
Ask your closest community to support you by sharing your new class using your referral link or a free access link. Let them know that their support will go a long way in helping you establish credibility and kickstart your success as a teacher on Skillshare.
Not sure what to say? Here’s an example email you could send:
Hi friends, I’ve been working hard on my first class for Skillshare. If you’re not familiar, Skillshare is an online learning platform with thousands of classes on everything from business to graphic design (it’s like Netflix but for classes). My class is on film photography and I’d appreciate if you’d help me out and watch my class. You can get one free month when you sign up with this link AND you can access all classes on Skillshare. Your signup will help my class to get discovered on the site. If you know of any folks that’d be interested to learn 35mm basics, feel free to send the link their way too. Thanks so much!
Step 2: Market Your Class on Social Media
Regardless of whether you have a large online following, sharing your class on your social media channels will help you reach a wide audience of potential students. Announce your new class on all of your social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, etc.) using your class referral link or a free access link. The more places you can share your class, the better.
Not sure what to post? Share a colorful, engaging image of your class project or use a clip from one of your class videos. Follow up with another post a few days later to remind your followers to watch your class.
Step 3: Gut Check – Are You Seeing The Traction You’d Like?
If you’re not seeing as many students watching your class as you’d like, try a few of these tactics:
Consider making your class temporarily free to anyone on Skillshare, regardless of whether they have a Membership. You can switch your class to Free in the “More Details” section of the class creator.
Tweak your class merchandising. Updating your class title, tags and cover image can optimize your class for discovery. A few small details have a huge impact on student enrollments. Try making your title more straightforward and be sure to select tags that have a lot of followers on Skillshare. Check out the Teacher Handbook for more merchandising tips.
Remind family and friends to help out. If you’ve already sent a free access link to friends and family, send them a casual reminder.
Step 4: Add Links To Your Class on Your Website and Other Channels
Adding information about your class to your blog or website is one of the easiest ways to continually drive new students to your class. Check out a great example of how top teacher Teela Cunningham features her classes on her website.
If you don’t have your own website or if you’ve already added a link to your class, try adding your class referral link to your email signature, LinkedIn profile and other sites where people may stumble upon your information.
Step 5: Welcome Students to Class
The Community section of your class is an area for students to interact with you and other students. The more students collaborate with one another, the more enriching their class experience, and the more likely they are to encourage others to watch your class.
One of the best ways to encourage your students to leave a positive review for your class is to show that you’re an active, engaged teacher. We suggest posting a simple welcome message to thank students for joining the class and let them know that you’re available to answer any questions. Positive reviews from students is a strong social signal.
These are just some of the ways that you can kickstart your success on Skillshare. When in doubt, refer to our Teacher Handbook for all of our best practices and join the Teach Center to ask fellow teachers for their help and advice. Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight; the effort you put into getting the word out about your class will help you see success over time.
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