Both Jenn and I have taken a variety of e-courses relating to blogging and business, and some are more helpful than others. Overall, I think purchasing an e-course is always a risk. You don’t have the info until you buy. If you don’t get much out of it, that’s not necessarily because it’s a bad course, but perhaps it’s not right for you. Personally, I kind of operate with the mindset that there’s always more to learn! So even if there’s a subject I’m familiar with, I sometimes like to see what someone else has to say. Like I mentioned in this post, there are a variety of resources out there for online classes.
We actually just recently learned about a sweet new course that we’re hoping to spend some time with over the long weekend! So in honor of learning new tricks from our fellow bloggers + biz owners, I thought today would be a good day to talk courses. Which, by the way, wasn’t the easiest to come by! There’s much more on creating an e-course than there is on learning from them, so we’re extra thankful for these four bloggers!
1. Jess Creatives created a cute little video clip with three super practical (but easy to forget) tips on deciding on an e-course, plus a list of all her faves. She’s even launching one of her own!
2. The Work At Home Wife brought up some good points about when you should or shouldn’t buy an online course. After all, you are investing in your business, so you want to make sure you choose something that will ultimately help it.
3. Pretty sure you want to try an online course but aren’t sure where to start? Blondes and Bagels has a list of recommendations, plus a few tips for making the decision.
4. I thought Emily of The Daily Fashion Inspiration made an interesting point when she suggested not taking e-courses that relate to Pinterest. I think her point could be made for all of social media: what works for one person may not work for everyone else, and courses generally speak to the masses rather than the individual. That’s not to say they aren’t helpful, but that there are many ways to learn.
What do you think of these types of courses? Are you into them or do you prefer to dig for all the info on your own? We tend to take both approaches, but we have found some courses we really love! Find some of them on our resources page.
Anne says
Great timing for this post. I am in the process of fine tuning my web publishing skills for my current project and have been wondering. I actually got one as a bonus for buying an expensive piece of software so I want to start with that one and then see.
Maria Carolina says
Great post! I was even thinking of investing in these courses!
http://www.mcarolina.com.br
Annika says
I haven’t paid for any e-courses yet as I am relatively new to blogging, but I have taken some free email-type courses. I have to say I would be much more inclined to pay for a course from somebody I have already taken a free course from. To me, the free course gives me an insight into their style and views and what they can deliver. I would be less worried about being disappointed from someone who has proven themselves to me. A good example would be Dana Fox at Blog Beautician.
Interesting post! Thanks!
Annika
http://theseasonahead.com
Angela says
That’s a great point!
Jessica says
I’m debating whether I should sign up for an Etsy course I recently heard about, it’s one of the few things I don’t feel like teaching myself about! I agree on the not taking Pinterest e-courses thing, and any social media course really, because we have no control over any changes that are made to that platform (like the recent Facebook algorithm change) and all the info you learn from the course could quickly become irrelevant.
Emily says
Thank you, Jessica! I also mentioned that it is far more efficient if there is some sort of consultation, to see what fits for you. As you said, algorithms change so often. So maybe better investing in a cheaper general course and in a branding or profile analysis.
Emily says
I am so grateful to be featured here, it is so nice when your views are shared by someone else. I also like the other articles from the girls.
Elly says
I’m in the middle of an online blogging course now and so happy I did it! I think it is appropriate when your starting out because you will learn about the basics. Instead of trying to do it alone by researching online (which can be hard cause there is sooo much information available) you are steered in the direction of the most important stuff. It gives you a great fundamental understanding that you can build on by yourself later! Big thumbs up!!