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How to Create the Perfect Masterclass

Oct 19, 2023

If you have knowledge you want that you would like to share, then a masterclass can be a perfect approach to get in front of your intended audience and get people talking.

What's the best thing? Masterclasses can be as quick or lengthy as you want, so you can give your best advice and provide maximum impact in a less time than an ordinary class.

At , we know a thing or two about masterclasses. We've also helped many creators to create, teach and even sell their own masterclasses online.

Here's our guide on how to make a great masterclass, with insider advice and examples from the true masters of the masterclass.

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What's the format for a masterclass?

Masterclasses do not have any specific format. A masterclass could be anything between a single class or a whole video course.

But typically masterclasses include three main parts:

  • A clear understanding of the goal(s) The masterclass should have an aim or learning objective that attendees will learn or complete before the end of the course.
  • A skilled instructor Masterclasses are typically given by a professional person with expertise or education in the subject of the masterclass or field.
  • Assessment or an activity: Many masterclasses may also contain exercises or a form of assessment to help learners test and apply their understanding. Those who are successful could also earn a certificate upon completion of the masterclass.

  Are masterclasses just videos?

Yes but no. Masterclasses are educational content in which specific abilities are taught by a professional in their area. They are usually video-based, however they may also be live webinars, blogs, podcasts, and so on. Masterclasses that are the best also provide additional resources and educational opportunities such as quizzes, tasks, questions and answers, in addition to certificates and accreditations.

How to make your own masterclass in seven steps

If you're considering hosting your own masterclass, there are seven steps to take to ensure your product is structured to be marketable and useful to the people you intend to target.

This is how you can create an online masterclass (click for a skip more detail):

  1. Select a subject: Find your area of expertise and choose a topic for your masterclass which is interesting and relevant for the audience you want to reach.
  2. Create your masterclass: Carefully determine the format of your masterclass along with the contents and format - including writing an outline as well as a rough script.
  3. Create your Masterclass: Record and edit your masterclass in order to produce a professional-looking product buyers will be keen to purchase.
  4. Choose a platform for hosting Pick a platform hosting your masterclass on which you are able to publish, advertise your event, handle, and even sell your products all in the same place.
  5. Promote and market the masterclass: Get the public aware of the masterclass by using a variety of marketing channels, including emails, social media as well as targeted page landing.
  6. Review and edit the masterclass: Collect student feedback and revisit your masterclass materials to constantly edit and improve your product.
  7. Expand your business: Keep making digital items to grow your masterclass, build your reputation, and expand several income streams.

Are you ready to get started? Here's what you need to learn about creating an effective masterclass. It includes tips as well as examples and links for additional resources that will guide you through each step of the process.

How to create an online masterclass

Choose a topic

If you want to create masterclasses, you'll first must decide the topic you're planning to cover or what your niche will be. This method will differ dependent on whether you already have a established brand or if you're starting your business from scratch.

If you're just starting out your venture starting from scratch, you should begin by making a list of the things that you're proficient at, passionate about, and able to perform - then make sure that the subject is one you are comfortable teaching to other people. This helps you get clear about your specialization as well as the kinds of knowledge you're able to offer people around the globe.

If you have an existing company, you already have an concept of what your specialization or area of expertise is based. However, this can be beneficial to allow you space to generate innovative ideas and new opportunities should you wish.

In the next step, you must verify your ideas. Here's how:

Research on the audience

It's not enough to just have an idea for the topic, and then begin making a masterclass immediately. In the beginning, you must conduct research about the target audience and make sure there's a market for your masterclass as well as a specific group of people that are ready to view and pay for it.

  • The research of the public could comprise:Customer surveys
  • Interviews
  • Focus groups
Research on competitors

Alongside talking to your target audience You can also identify your area of expertise by conducting competitor studies. The process of conducting competitor research is to look at the services your competitors currently offering customers to help you see what you can do different - and even better - to gain over your customers.

Here are a few easy steps to help you with your competitor's research:

  • Conduct an Google Search: most efficient way to start with competitors research is to search for the idea you want to teach using a search engine such as Google. See which brands pop up first, and then see what they're offering - how similar is it to your idea? What is their strategy different? What are they not doing?
  • Look at their website If you've compiled your top contenders list take a deeper dive into your study and check out their websites and masterclass landing pages. What are the topics they're talking about? What are their target audiences? What are their main messages?
  • Take a look at social media. As well as looking at their presence on the internet, you should check out their social media channels as well as the kinds of posts they're engaging with. Browse through your competitors' users, followers, and comments. You can also examine the other brands they're collaborating with.
  • Read customer reviews: Customer reviews and testimonials can also be a wealth of knowledge about your competitors and their products. Review the main comments, complaints, and the types of products they are purchasing.

Examine your competitors by analyzing these important factors:

  1. Product: What do their masterclasses contain? What materials are they offering? Which features are beneficial or bad?
  2. Pricing: What is the price their masterclasses cost? Does their pricing vary according to the type of customer? Do they offer bundles and discounts?
  3. Promotion: What marketing tactics are they using today to reach out to their customers? What channels on social media do they use? What kinds of posts are they posting?
  4. The location: Where are they based? Which are their clients' locations?
  5. Positioning How do they position themselves? What is their distinctive selling proposition? How are they positioning themselves? What are their primary message? Who is their target audience?
  6. Reputation: What is the public talking about their products and services? What problems are customers encountering?

When you conduct your competitor research You'll want to be able to answer the following questions:

  • Who are my best opponents?
  • What are their advantages and disadvantages?
  • What is the opportunities and risks in this marketplace?
  • What would be the features of my ideal customer versus my competition's ideal customers?

Keep track of all your research using a spreadsheet that will help to analyze your research and then use it to develop the perfect strategy to teach your class.

You should ask yourself: "What do I excel at when compared with my competitors and what am I looking to concentrate in?"

Plan your masterclass

If you've conducted the necessary research, you'll have a clear idea of your topic for masterclasses and the niche - including who your target audience is and what you'll do to distinguish your product from other products available.

Next up, it's time to plan your class.

Selecting your preferred style

Depending on your masterclass topic and the target audience it is necessary to pick the appropriate format to present the masterclass. As an example, the format of the masterclass you choose to give could include:

  • Video tutorials
  • Audio
  • Live or recorded webinars
  • blog posts, ebooks or other publications
  • Slideshows

Select the presentation (or combination) you think is most efficient for the presentation of your material for your target audience. Ensure that you keep your masterclass entertaining and informative to clients. Who is the audience you want to reach likely to be most interested in?

The process of creating an outline

Focus your masterclass by writing an elaborate outline based around your key learning objectives and goals. The outline you write should contain:

  • What are the topics you'll be covering
  • How long your masterclass will be
  • What activities you'll add
  • Additional resources and materials you'll provide
  • What tests or certificates learners need to complete

By breaking your masterclass session down into specific subjects, tasks and assessments, you can develop your content according to a predetermined format. This will help you ensure that you have everything you want and deliver the promises you made to your students.

Making a script, or plan

When you're got the outline you need, then get to work on making a thorough program or script for the masterclass. To make sure your content is natural and flow well, you'll want to avoid writing a script word for word Instead, write down what you'd like to convey as well as the main points you'll cover to make sure you don't miss anything.

Make your own masterclass

Now it's time to write the material of your masterclass using your outline and plan.

The precise steps to follow for the creation of masterclasses will be determined by the type of masterclass you're planning to make and the format you choose and design.

The majority of masterclasses are recorded video tutorials. These usually take the form of talking-head style videos with the expert or instructor talking to the camera assisted by diagrams, images, prompts, and animations to assist in explaining the key ideas.

To create this type of masterclass, you'll need the basics of equipment, which includes:

  • A camera or other video recording equipment
  • Lighting equipment
  • Equipment for audio recording
  • Editing software

This kind of masterclass is based on the enthusiasm of the instructor or expert - including how engaging they can be, how clear they're able to explain the subject matter, as well as how they convey their personality when they're on camera. Make sure to smile!

It's an excellent idea to have multiple takes of your masterclass in order to assist you cut and edit the content to create the best possible resource for your audience.

For more help with how to create a masterclass using various formats, check out these tutorials:

It is also important to develop any extra resources and assessments at this stage. Here are some resources to aid you in making masterclass material to add value for your audience:

And when editing your masterclass, make sure to check for these guidelines to the most effective software as well as top tricks to master your editing:

Find a hosting platform

When you've successfully created a masterclass that you're happy with and are ready to promote, you'll need to choose a platform for hosting to help you deliver the information directly to your target audience.

Here are three suggestions to help you choose the appropriate hosting platform you:

Learn about your payment structure

Knowing the type of payment method you're planning to utilize prior to time will help you ensure that the platform supports and accepts your preferred payment format.

This could include:

  • Memberships, subscriptions or subscriptions
  • One-time payment with limited access time to content
  • One-time payment with lifetime access to the content
  • Free access to use as a lead magnet

If you are planning to develop masterclasses on the same subject, using the subscription or membership structure will let you make recurring profits by selling your services. Users pay a monthly or annual subscription fee for access to your material.

If you are only looking to make one or two masterclasses for this moment, it's best to charge the customers one time to use your material. It is possible to grant your customers only a limited amount of access to your masterclass, or charge more and provide lifetime access so they can return to your content and expertise whenever they want to.

Certain platforms don't accept subscription-style payment, for example, so ensure that the platform you choose to use offers the ability to charge customers using the kind of payment system you prefer.

Consider your marketing strategy

In addition to thinking about your business model It's equally important to consider your marketing strategy in selecting a web hosting service. Why? because different hosting platforms have tools designed to assist you market and promote your masterclass as well as other digital products.

If you've got some specific strategy for marketing you are thinking of implementing - like live webinars, email marketing and events, or dedicated landing pages - make sure your hosting platform supports your plans and offers additional features that can help you.

Review customer comments

If you are looking to select a hosting platform product for your company, existing clients are the best.

Marketing and promoting your masterclass

Once you've signed-up to a hosting service and uploaded your masterclass material, it's time to start advertising and marketing your content in order to start getting your first sales coming into.

Here are a few effective methods to advertise your masterclass

Social media

If you're planning to market masterclasses by 2023, it's essential to be on social media.

Choose the best social media channels for marketing your masterclass according to your desired audience. If, for instance, you're selling a B2B-focused masterclass, consider promoting your product via LinkedIn. If the class is on something that is a lifestyle subject, Instagram and Pinterest are likely to be better in attracting your ideal client.

If you're starting out, opt for 2-3 social media channels to begin promoting your masterclass.

Develop content that is targeted to your intended audience, including:

  • How-to posts
  • Tips and techniques
  • Behind-the-scenes
  • Interviews with experts from other fields
Email marketing

In addition to establishing an online following on social media for your class or master class. You may make use of email marketing to get additional marketing.

If you don't have one, start building your email list to aid in addressing your intended audience, and to build closer connections with potential customers.

Email marketing can include:

  • Weekly newsletter
  • New product launches and updates
  • Round-ups and suggestions
  • News from the industry
  • Mini how-to guide

The number one principle for marketing via email is to make sure that every piece of email material you write is useful to the people who read it No one wants to receive spam email, so ensure that your content is providing value every time it drops in your email subscribers' inbox.

Landing pages

Naturally, you'll need a way to guide your clients to an area where they can learn more about the masterclass. This is where the dedicated landing pages can help.

Landing pages - or sales pages, tell the audience you are targeting exactly what they need to know so that they can convert from viewers to paid customers.

The best landing pages include:

  • An attention-grabbing headline
  • Enticing overview of your masterclass
  • A bit about your instructor
  • Highlights or important topics
  • Customer reviews
  • Call-To-Action (CTA) e.g. a sign-up button

Review and edit your masterclass

You've launched, created the product, and even started to sell your masterclass. Congrats! Now what happens following?

It's not over once you've launched your first launch. Businesses that are most successful remain in the process of refining and evolving their offerings to meet the needs of the needs of their audience, and then create the most impressive products.

For help with that, start collecting customer feedback following your masterclass including:

  • Post-attendance surveys
  • 1:1 customer interviews
  • Follow-up email messages

If you are able to gather as much feedback as you collect from former students, the more you can make your masterclass more effective and tailor it to your target group to improve satisfaction of customers and increased sales.

Feedback from customers can provide you with suggestions on the digital products to create next and also open opportunities to reconvert your existing customers into HTML0.

Grow your business

For many Creator Educators, the creation of a masterclass can be just the start. Masterclasses are a fantastic digital product to help you build your reputation as an authority in your field, and to build your brand, while also generating revenue for your business.

The trick is to expand upon your successes by introducing multiple revenue streams - for instance, you could decide to launch a long-running online course related to the masterclass, or create the possibility of a community-based membership for your existing customers.

Once you're ready to make the next step to grow your business, check out these guides to help you get started:

Masterclasses with top examples of masterclasses from Creator Educators

Take a look at these examples of top masterclasses from the most successful creator educators to provide inspiration and come up with concepts for your own masterclass.

George Pitts: the Money Management Masterclass

George Pitts was motivated to start his own personal finance business after having successfully gotten himself free of financial debt. In 2017, he was living paycheck to paycheck, and had no idea what he could do to improve his situation financially. So it was a week of work to learn exactly the steps he required to take in order to repair his credit and financial issues.

As a self-taught financial strategist, George became determined to help other people like him attain financial independence. Since the beginning of his venture, he has taught over 10,000 students through a series of masterclasses as well as online learning programmes, generating seven-figure annual income in the process.

Barclay XayLi: the Camera Confidence Masterclass

Content creation coach and expert XayLi Barclay specializes in helping entrepreneurs become the best version of themselves on the internet. This masterclass teaches creators to make their mark and create captivating videos and compelling content.

Since launching her company, XayLi has created multiple masterclasses that help to impart her expertise to more students. One of them is her Camera Confidence Masterclass, which will give creators the chance to have more confidence when in front of cameras.

Find out more information on the way she began here.

Make your own masterclass

Taking the first step to make your own masterclass be a bit daunting, but If you just take in a single step you can plan, produce, and deliver a masterclass you're happy with. Your responsibility is to your audience to create that masterclass that's hiding within your mind. Don't let imposter syndrome keep you down!

Are you willing to make the leap? Take a free trial and build your own masterclass today.