Time is money. So even if you're not asking people to pay for your course, you're asking them to spend a good chunk of their precious time and mental effort. For most people this will take some intentional, careful persuasion.
The course "About" page is a one-stop page where you can pitch your course and learners can register by clicking the "Take course" button. This article guides you through creating an About page that helps you persuade people to sign up and feel motivated to start learning.
Your course About page
The "About" page on your course has room for everything your learners and potential learners need to know before they commit to taking your course. It includes...
A brief summary
A longer course description
Course author name, picture, and bio information
Features of each cohort that they can select to register in
Information about availability and price for each cohort
A course trailer video (optional)
How to make a persuasive pitch
Make a short elevator pitch
Click "Add a course description." Under "Summary," use one sentence to describe why someone should take this course.
You will have more room below, so make this an attention-getting statement and keep it short and sweet.
Write an effective description
Under "Description," add all the information you want someone to know before taking this course. You can include images and hyperlinks as well as text.
Here are some ideas about what to include....
What the student will learn and how this will benefit him
Objectives for the course
How long the course takes most people to complete
What is included in the course - video, audio, discussion, live sessions, etc.
Prerequisites - if learners should enroll in another course before taking this one, consider linking to the required course
Do you offer a scholarship? A certificate? CEUs? Include that here!
Describe what they'll get when they join
Cohorts are listed on the right side of the screen. To edit the displayed description for this cohort, click the gear-shaped Settings icon. Select "Edit cohort description" and you'll have a place to enter a description of this cohort. You can include images and hyperlinks here as well as text.
Here are some ideas about what to include...
Consider using a bulleted list
Include features or benefits unique to this cohort
Is the course self-paced or scheduled?
Does the course come with active moderators who are available to discuss and offer feedback?
Who else is taking the course? (Is it a worldwide audience or a specific group?)
Increase value by introducing the Authors (optional)
Select "Add author" to add or remove authors. Use the Author Manager (accessible via the gear-shaped "Settings" icon) to create a new author.
Full instructions are available under "Add authors to your course About page."
Upload a course cover
Don't forget the aesthetics. Upload a beautiful, brand-appropriate cover image. Find instructions for customizing your course cover here.
Make a video pitch (optional)
To embed a course trailer, click on "Course Settings" just below the course title at the top of the About page and then select "Advanced." You'll see a place to paste the embed code. Please use the full embed code and not just a URL. The video will need to come from a video hosting service that uses https, such as YouTube or Vimeo.
A few examples of effective About pages
Auto-fill elements
Some elements that you see will fill automatically or when you adjust certain settings. These include...
Registration count - the number of people enrolled in the course displays automatically
Price - appears when you change the price of the course (optional)
Start date/end date - appears when you add a start and/or end date for the course (optional)
Registration window dates and seats remaining - editable in the cohort settings (optional)