Build a Successful On Demand Offering: 5 Things to Get You Started

On demand learning sounds great for big universities or companies with the financial and technological resources needed to support it. It may not sound so great for the average church or non-profit, but you only need a few things to get started on your way to a successful on demand offering.

Creating videos and formatting paths of learning sounds like a lot more work than creating a presentation outline and talking in front of a gathering for 40 minutes. An on demand learning experience requires a lot of forethought and intentionality because you are not there to guide it in the moment.

One of the benefits of this extra effort on the front end is that your learning experience is available to anyone at any time. You can still reach the mom who couldn’t get her three boys to church that morning or the seasoned member who no longer drives at night.

So, you are ready to throw your doors open even wider, beyond those who are able to come to your onsite presentation at a particular time and place. How do you start building a successful on demand learning experience? Here are 5 tips!

1. Host your content on an accessible platform. Lack of confidence to access learning materials is the #1 deterrent for people. If they are unsure, they will not engage with the content. Determining the right tool to host your content is essential. It does not have to be on a fancy learning management system, but it needs to be reliable. It can even be as simple as a weekly email.
   
   
2. Introduction is key. Every video, concept, and discussion section should have an explanation. Participants do NOT like to be surprised. You will see better engagement if participants know what to expect.
   
   
3. Show your face. Humans like to look at other humans. When you are recording a video, record your face as you talk or take a picture of your facial expression to accompany a text block. This shows you as a relatable expert.
   
4. Over-explain directions. Besides content, there will be activities in your learning experience you want the participants to do, like clicking on a link to read a curated article or hovering over an image to open a block of text. Do not assume anything is self-explanatory. Think about writing your instructions like stage directions (i.e. “Click on the blue text link below to open a new article on the history of the street taco.” )
   
5. Aim for brief chunks of content. It is easy for a learner to get overwhelmed by on demand content. No one is there to notice if you are looking lost or unsure. Keep content blocks short - 4 sentences to a paragraph or videos under 8 mins. When participants encounter a huge uninterrupted block of text they can become overwhelmed and zone out.

If you are looking for simple ways to disseminate your on demand content, come to our Learning Live event on Tuesday, December 12, at 1:00 pm EST where I'll show you 3 free ways you can host an on demand learning experience!

written by Hannah Graham