There's something wrong with the online education industry, and I'm not talking about the fact that most of it is a scam. I'm talking about the fact that people are actually paying for knowledge. And not just a little bit of money, either. Sometimes, we're talking about hundreds and even thousands of dollars! Now don't get me wrong – knowledge is important. But contrary to the popular phrase "knowledge is power," it really isn't. Like the bestselling authors of the book Switch sum up very nicely,

"Knowledge does not change behaviour. We have all encountered crazy shrinks and obese doctors and divorced marriage counselors." — Chip and Dan Heath

Information is a Commodity in Today's Age

If you're buying online courses - heck if you're paying coaches, consultants or even mentors to help you reach your goals and all they're giving you is information, frankly, you're being ripped off. Information is a commodity. And you can get it for free from PDF downloads, podcasts, webinars, social media groups etc. If all you needed was information, you’d already be achieving your goals. Knowledge isn’t power. Implementing knowledge with the guidance of wisdom is. Sadly, we don't see a lot of that.

The Brutal Truth about Most Online Courses Today (Post COVID-19)

Online courses have existed long before COVID-19, but what's been happening more and more since the COVID-19 pandemic is the appearance of more and more online courses. That's not surprising given the fact that many people found themselves jobless and isolated at home with nothing but their computer, their phone and an internet connection to keep themselves busy with. During this time many people realised a couple of things:

• The importance of having a secondary source of income independent from their main job or business
• That they didn't have to follow the long outdated model of having to physically go to work at an office in order to be productive
• Making money online and living a remote lifestyle was possible – and one of the many ways to do so was through starting an online business

As someone who's always valued having a work/life balance and had trouble convincing my more 'traditionally employed' friends, this was great news to hear. However, as part of this awareness and movement, there were also unscrupulous online marketers and "business coaches" who took advantage of this shift. One of the many messages being consistently preached through social media and online ads was the idea of generating passive income through the selling of online courses. There's nothing wrong with this in and of itself – but there are several problems that have arisen out of this trend.

Substandard Online Courses That Don't Actually Help

One of the major problems is that even if their clients succeed in creating an online course in that allotted time and generating those promised revenue numbers, the quality of their courses is subpar and doesn't add any real value to the people they're supposedly helping. With promises like:

• "Create an online course in less than 7 days and generate 5-figures in passive income!"
• "How to get to $10,000 a month in less than 30 days with your own online course."

The unfortunate reality is that most online courses today are complete garbage and offer no real value outside of providing information you can easily find through Google – usually as a result of rushed production in the hopes of generating quick passive income. Are those promises doable? And are those promised revenue numbers achievable? Absolutely. However, when it comes at the cost of quality and providing real value to the people who are trusting you with their time and money, it's nothing more than a get-rich-quick scheme. These people aren't great marketers and entrepreneurs – they're great snake oil salespeople that give online marketers and genuine, well-meaning business owners a bad rep. Like I always say:

"The mark of a truly great marketer isn't just the number of sales you can generate. It's the ability to tell the honest truth in an engaging and persuasive way while offering a fair exchange for quality products/services.

It's easy to lie and overpromise. It's much harder to form a genuine connection, and grow a business by telling the truth in a convincing way."

— Alan KJ Lu

The Solution: A Return to Quality and Value-Driven Online Courses

Now, this isn't to say that everyone who has a low-quality course is intentionally making it that way. Nor is it to say that there aren't any great quality online courses out there. In fact, there are plenty of them. The problem is that they're becoming increasingly difficult to find as the market becomes flooded with subpar offerings. The solution? A return to quality and value-driven online courses. This means creating an online course that's:

• Highly engaging and informative (preferably also entertaining)
• Easy to digest, understand and implement
• Based on a proven system backed up by proven results and testimonials
• Focused on empowering others to achieve results themselves rather than leaving them to fend for yourself without any real, hands-on guidance or support
• Delivered by experienced instructors – meaning you can admit where you lack expertise instead of pretending to be a 'guru' of something you're not great at
• Available in multiple formats (text, audio, video)
• Backed by a money-back guarantee

Sounds like a lot of work, right? That's because it is. Creating a quality online course takes time, effort, and expertise. But the good news is that it's still very much possible to create a quality online course in today's climate – you just have to be willing to put in the work OR willing to seek help from someone who specialises in this area (like Genuine Connection).

Are You Thinking About Creating an Online Course?

If you're thinking about creating an online course, ask yourself: "Am I willing to create a quality product that will actually help my students?" If the answer is yes, then you're on the right track. If not, then you might want to reconsider your motives. Creating an online course is a great way to generate passive income and help people achieve their goals. But only if it's done right. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a get-rich-quick scheme that doesn't serve to benefit anyone but yourself. So, if you're serious about creating an online course, make sure you do it the right way. Focus on quality and value, and your students will thank you for it. Alan