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1/ I see a lot of ppl starting education businesses these days, whether they want to or not, and whether they call it that or not
Here& #39;s the best 4x4 for thinking about the online education landscape I& #39;ve found so far
Here& #39;s the best 4x4 for thinking about the online education landscape I& #39;ve found so far
2/ I just made it and it& #39;s not self-explanatory, so let me explain
Most online courses until now have been performance-driven, as in "direct response performance marketing." This is the world of sales webinars, evergreen funnels, countdown timers, endless bonuses, etc.
Most online courses until now have been performance-driven, as in "direct response performance marketing." This is the world of sales webinars, evergreen funnels, countdown timers, endless bonuses, etc.
3/ This is mostly where online courses get their bad reputation from
It& #39;s an inherently scammy culture because the only thing that matters is endless optimizing around short-term sales, not the long-term customer relationship
It& #39;s an inherently scammy culture because the only thing that matters is endless optimizing around short-term sales, not the long-term customer relationship
4/ @wes_kao explains the difference between "perf-driven" and "brand-driven" courses in this excellent post:
https://www.weskao.com/blog/brand-marketing-vs-performance-marketing
"In">https://www.weskao.com/blog/bran... general, a performance-driven approach means better short-term conversion, but worse long-term brand equity"
https://www.weskao.com/blog/brand-marketing-vs-performance-marketing
"In">https://www.weskao.com/blog/bran... general, a performance-driven approach means better short-term conversion, but worse long-term brand equity"
5/ Wes worked with Seth Godin to create one of the first truly brand-driven courses, the @alt_MBA
They avoided tactics like these that would have brought in a windfall in the short term, because they wanted to build a long-term reputation
They avoided tactics like these that would have brought in a windfall in the short term, because they wanted to build a long-term reputation
6/ AltMBA explicitly positioned itself against MBAs, which was a very bold move. No discounts, no special sales, no false urgency. Everything was centered on creating a world-class brand, with the very best students, and a powerful community network on par with Ive Leagues
7/ We& #39;re now seeing a whole group of brand-driven courses. B-School from Marie Forleo was another one, and that is the kind of online school we are trying to build at Forte Academy
8/ Now for "skill-building" vs "edutainment"
Skill-building is like vocational or trade school – you have a problem, you need a skill to solve it. It& #39;s factual, how-to, practical, measurable
Skill-building is like vocational or trade school – you have a problem, you need a skill to solve it. It& #39;s factual, how-to, practical, measurable
9/ Whereas "edutainment" focuses on inspiring and entertaining learners
This word has often been used with derision, but it doesn& #39;t deserve it. It is JUST as important to inspire students to learn, otherwise all the how-to content in the world won& #39;t help
This word has often been used with derision, but it doesn& #39;t deserve it. It is JUST as important to inspire students to learn, otherwise all the how-to content in the world won& #39;t help
10/ As an example, I took Ken Burns& #39; class on documentary filmmaking on Masterclass, and was so inspired and moved that I committed to making one of my own
Once I had the motivation, all the how-to content could be found for free in abundance
Once I had the motivation, all the how-to content could be found for free in abundance
11/ As this post by @adam_keesling on the success of @masterclass explains, we think MOOCs "failed" because "only" 5% of students completed them
But "completion" only makes sense for skill-building courses, not edutainment
But "completion" only makes sense for skill-building courses, not edutainment
12/ We& #39;re now seeing online courses split into the 4 quadrants, to better match the needs students are seeking to fulfill, and the time horizon of the business teaching them
This is a really good thing for everyone involved
This is a really good thing for everyone involved
13/ Skill-building, Brand-driven: Teachable/Thinkific, AltMBA, SPI, Udacity
Skill-building, Performance-driven: Udemy, online certification courses
Edutainment, Brand-driven: Masterclass, B-School, Coursera
Edutainment: Performance-driven: Skillshare, Mindvalley
Skill-building, Performance-driven: Udemy, online certification courses
Edutainment, Brand-driven: Masterclass, B-School, Coursera
Edutainment: Performance-driven: Skillshare, Mindvalley
