Define your ideal learner audience

The first step in creating any kind of content is to know exactly whom you’re creating it for. Think about your future learners — who will be interested in taking your course? Are they looking for a quick tutorial or a comprehensive overview? Do they have existing expertise or are they a complete beginner? What other content is serving them today?

Having a clear idea of your audience will help you teach the right content at the right level, resulting in better learning outcomes and reviews. And it will help you market your course effectively — by listing your ideal learners on your course landing page, prospective learners will be able to better determine whether your course is the right fit for them. In this article, we’ll share some best practices to help you define your learners effectively.

Don’t teach for “everyone”

You’re more likely to have success with Udemy if you create a course with specific learners in mind, rather than catering to a broad audience.

For example:

DO try to be more specific: Entry-level employees who lack confidence in public speaking and want to grow their career by improving their public speaking skills.

DON’T be too open-ended: Anyone who wants to learn public speaking.

Ask questions to identify your ideal learner audience

To identify your ideal learner audience, you’ll need to answer questions about their motivations, knowledge, and interests. This will help you define learner personas and help you to create content specifically for them, which can lead to better ratings and reviews and help you build credibility as an instructor.

Get started by answering the questions below.

What goals, interests, or challenges are driving learners to take a course in your topic area? Answering this clearly will help you focus on your audience’s motivations for engaging with your course and align your content with the outcomes they are trying to achieve.
Who is your content suitable for? Who is it not suitable for? It can be tempting to say that your content is for everyone, but be honest: is it really for everyone? Being specific about whom your content is meant for is key to creating the best experience for your audience, and to helping your prospective audience discover and decide whether to enroll in your course.
What skills or knowledge should they already know about your topic? This will help you align your content to your audience’s specific level of experience. Think back to when you were first learning your topic. What terms did you need defined? What frameworks were new to you?
How will your audience use your content? Building real-world skills is what Udemy is all about. How your ideal learner will use what you’re teaching is important. Think about the setting (business, academic, etc) and the application (theoretical, practical). Maybe they’ll use it to train others or apply the skill themselves in their work environment.
How are others teaching your topic? What you bring to your topic is what can set your course apart from others. So eavesdrop on the competition, and see where you can offer up something different. It could be that your experience is in a different industry, or your technique offers up alternative solutions. Identify and play up what makes your course unique.

As you answer these questions, keep in mind the types of learners that take your courses. They may be taking your course on their own time or learning at work. Think about all the scenarios in which someone might be taking your course as you go through the questions.

Once you’ve identified your audience, think about them throughout the entire course creation process. Create your online course through the eyes and minds of those learners.