You might feel discouraged from teaching again if your first class wasn’t a hit. But did you know that many of our top teachers did not have instant success either?
Success on Skillshare is found through sound planning and a commitment to publishing great, new classes on a regular basis. Hayden Aube, now a top teacher, only had 50 students in his first class. Fast forward to today, and Hayden has six classes and over 10,000 student followers. Christine Nishiyama, another top teacher on Skillshare, has a similar story. Even though her first class had 90 students, she decided to keep teaching. “My first class did okay [but] each class I’ve made after that has grown and grown from there,” Christine told us.
So how do you raise the bar for your next class? Read on for tips and strategies for making your next class even more successful than your last:
Research Your Next Class Topic
When brainstorming your next class topic, it’s also helpful to check out websites like Dribbble, Vimeo, YouTube, Pinterest, and even Skillshare to get some inspiration and see what’s relevant and trending. Even look at your own published works: Is there a post on Behance that received more like than others? Or an Instagram post that had more engagement than most? These are great indicators for what classes students will be most excited to take! We know it can be difficult to sustain a consistent publishing schedule when you don’t have a few topics in mind. Check out this quick post on creative strategies to help you pick your next class topic, and these five quick tips for developing your next class topic.
Thoughtfully Plan Your Content
As the quantity of your classes increases, it’s still important to consider the quality of your classes. Top teachers tell us that their most successful classes are the ones in which they put in the time to carefully outline and film. In short, the more you put into your class, the more you get out of it. Setting a clear schedule and a to-do list are great ways to help you create a high-quality class. Some teachers film their class in one day, edit another, and upload to Skillshare on another day. Find the workflow that works for you, and stick to it!
Create a Vision for Your Channel
As you grow your Skillshare channel, we encourage you to think about your long-term vision for teaching. What would you like your Skillshare channel to look like? What are the 2-3 themes and skillsets you’ll invest into this year? For example, do you want your channel to be fun and inspirational, a place for students to explore their creativity? Or is your channel meant to help students get serious about advancing a professional skillset? Whatever your vision is, write it out! This will help set the tone of your channel and help you choose the best class topics. If you need some fresh inspiration, check out five of our favorite channels here.
Market Your Channel
Once you’ve published your second class, focus on marketing your entire channel to your existing network. Every time you publish a new class you have an opportunity to market your channel and get more students to watch your class. The easiest way to start marketing to a relevant audience is to leverage your existing following: your social media followers, newsletter subscribers, and anyone else that is interested in your skills and creative process. Be creative and resourceful with your marketing tactics!
By following these best practices, you’ll be able to teach a stronger and more impactful second Skillshare class. Like any skill, teaching on Skillshare takes time and practice, and with commitment and thoughtful planning, you’ll see the success you want to see over time.
Written by:
