I know this is a question which goes through the minds of most course creators.
“How much content should I include in my online course?”
Should you build a 1 week intensive? An 8 week course? A 12 month program?
Should it have dozens of videos and workbooks, or just a select few?
It feels like a bit of a Goldilocks moment, you don’t want to much, you don’t want too little, you want it to be just right.
And it’s hard to know what “just right” is.
4 questions to help you determine how much content to put in your course.
Do your participants want to solve a single problem, or are they looking for a complete overhaul?
My standard advice is, don’t try to put all of your knowledge into one course, it just won’t fit.
So, one of the first things to work out, is if you are trying to create a small course which fixes one very specific issue (for example, how to write your about page) or if you are trying to create an all in one solution (for example, how to improve your copywriting skills).
As you can imagine, one of these courses is going to be much shorter than the other.
There isn’t a right or wrong here, but you need to make sure you are creating the solution your audience wants and that you are clear on what you are trying to build.
How quickly do your participants need a solution?
Urgency may dictate just how much content you can include and how long your course should be.
For example, if you want to study at university, you will probably be willing to put aside 3 – 4 years to complete your course and receive your outcome.
If you are trying to learn how to fix a small issue your website, I doubt you are willing to go through 3 – 4 years of content to find the answer. You want the solution, and you want it now. Probably within the day, or within the week.
(This might lead you to wanting to learn more about your website, and lead to a longer program… but that’s a next step, probably not a right now kinda thing).
There is no point trying to build a 12 month long, fully supportive program, if your participants are desperate to find a solution to their issue today.
So, should your course be a 1 week intensive, a 8 week course, or a 12 month program… well that depends on how quickly they think they need the answer.
How much time do your participants have?
When they sit down to start working through your course content, how long do they have?
Have they put aside 10 min in a crazy day to try and get something done?
Have they scheduled an hour or 2 into their calendar, and they have settled in to do the work?
I am a BIG fan of breaking things down into tiny bite sized chunks, but how big those chunks are depends on your audience.
The size of those chunks also impacts how much content you can include. If you are trying to deliver a big, meaty program, but your audience only has 10 min at a time, then it’s going to drag out into a REALLY long course.
If your audience puts an hour or 2 aside each week, then you can get through much more content over a shorter period.
What price point are you considering?
Where does this course fit in your business strategy? Is it going to be a low-priced offer to warm your audience? Or a high priced, fully supported program?
There isn’t a right or a wrong there either, but it will make a big difference to how much content you include.
Obviously, if it’s a low-priced offer, you want to make sure you’ve given them enough to solve their issue and provide the outcome they are looking for… but that’s it. No more.
If it’s a higher priced offer, then you can go much deeper into the content and make sure they have a full understanding of each aspect.
Ok, so there isn’t a clear, easy answer to how much content you should include… but remember:
- Are you solving a single problem, or building more of a broader solution?
- How quickly do they need the answer?
- How much time to they have each week to do the course?
- What price point will you be offering the course at?