Your first class is launched — congratulations! So what comes next? Turns out the best way to build your presence and success on Skillshare is to build your channel and regularly publish new classes to the platform.
In this article:
Learn tips for building your presence and growing your audience on Skillshare through stories from Top Teachers Amandine Thomas and Fred Trevino. From Teach on Skillshare: Plan, Publish, and Promote an Engaging Class.
The Impact of Building Your Channel
At Skillshare, it’s possible to teach thousands, even tens of thousands, of students around the world and turn teaching into a substantial part of your monthly income. But in order to build the kind of community that can sustain you on Skillshare, you need to keep at it. Building a channel of complementary classes can help you gain momentum on the platform and build a sustainable audience. We recommend publishing a new class once every 2-6 months so that each of your classes is able to reach maximum engagement within the Skillshare community.
With each new class you publish, you will:
- Engage your existing students and attract new ones.
- Build a following around your brand as a teacher and creative.
- Compound your monthly revenue. Multiple classes means more minutes watched per month and more income in your pocket.
- Get better at teaching! Practice makes perfect: the more you plan, film, and edit classes, the better your classes will be.
Choosing Your Next Class Topic
Sometimes the hardest part of teaching a second (or third) class is coming up with that next great topic. Here are some strategies to help you hone in on that next class idea:
Analyze What’s Working
Look at your existing classes, social media posts, and anywhere else you share your work. What topics or techniques have received the most engagement? Lean into topics that already resonate with your audience to engage your existing following and attract new students.
Conduct Research
Hit the books! Spend some time researching emerging trends or skills in your content area. What new topics or tools are emerging within your content area? What skills are your students, followers, or peers lacking?
Don’t Worry About Duplication
When looking for ideas on what to teach next, some teachers can be discouraged if their topic is already being offered on Skillshare. Don’t fret! Every teacher on Skillshare brings their own unique perspective to a topic, and there’s plenty of room for more diverse approaches and teaching styles within the community.
Create Classes That Integrate
Each of your classes should stand alone so any new student can join in, but try to find ways to connect new classes to what you’re already teaching on Skillshare. By referencing your other classes in each new class that you publish, you can inspire students to take other classes with you while building skills that easily integrate with one another.
Establish Your Expertise
It may seem counterintuitive, but teaching on a wide variety of topics can actually work against you when it comes to building and maintaining a following on Skillshare. When students associate you with a particular area of expertise or category, they’re more likely to come back to you when they’re ready to learn more.
If you are interested in teaching across disciplines, it’s a good idea to establish your expertise in one area with a few related classes first before transitioning to a new one. Then, you might consider teaching a class that bridges those two areas of expertise to ease your transition into the new topic area.
Go Further
- Choose Your Class Topic: This Help Center article is geared toward choosing an idea for your first class but provides a good review of strategies for subsequent classes too!
- Create Complementary Classes to Build an Engaged Audience: This post on the Skillshare Blog offers concrete tips and examples on how to build a set of complementary classes on Skillshare.