What sort of online beauty training actually is attractive for learners
Not all is intuitive…
Contrary to common perception, a significant portion of online training never witness substantial sales, and the anticipated profit remains a theoretical projection rather than a tangible bank deposit. The crux of the issue often isn't about pricing the training correctly, but rather hinges on whether there's a viable market of learners willing to invest in the course, to begin with.
“Contrary to common perception, a significant portion of online training never witness substantial sales, and the anticipated profit remains a theoretical projection rather than a tangible bank deposit. The crux of the issue often isn’t about pricing the training correctly, but rather hinges on whether there’s a viable market of learners willing to invest in the course, to begin with.”
Overall criteria
Here are some of the key aspects that the online training video program has to meet, in order that there was potentiality to that there were people who are actually willing to pay for it.
Relevance and timeliness of the content
The course should cover up-to-date techniques, trends, and technologies in the beauty industry. The subject matter should be relevant to what the student wishes to learn or what is currently in demand in the industry. Many do not realize that often the most important criterion why people are willing to learn online is related to the fact that this is the way people can learn a popular skill they wish to acquire fast due to its popularity. It is a fact that in the far majority of cases, no online training can be better when it comes to learning than actual interactive live training with dedicated training. However, when it comes to some novel procedures and techniques that are fresh and training there may not be such an option available. Then when having to choose between having to wait or start learning online immediately, many opt for online training and are willing to make a payment for it.
The expertise of the instructor
Students are often willing to pay for courses taught by renowned professionals or experts in the field. An instructor's credentials, experience, and reputation play a crucial role in attracting students. We have seen based on years of experience that is not about the actual skill but the personality of the trainer. Even if an unknown person with a shorter experience in the field acquires Hollywood-level equipment for recording and producing the program, it will not nearly have comparable traction to a video recorded with a phone by a well-known professional in the field who has the expertise and the experience.
Practical Skills and Hands-on Learning
In the beauty industry, practical skills are as important as theoretical knowledge. A course that provides hands-on learning opportunities, even in an online setting, can be quite appealing. This could be through live demonstrations, interactive virtual workshops, or tasks that students can perform at home. In other words, when it comes to theoretical knowledge, people often prefer to read it from a well-structured document because their pace of learning can be very different. However, when it comes to receiving a demonstration of how something is done, they prefer visual hands-on, and as real as possible material. Thus in most cases, it is a far-fetched hope that someone would pay for seeing a talking head for hours.
Comprehensive curriculum and structure
The course should offer a well-rounded curriculum that covers various aspects of the content. Many great artists are artists just for the reason that they have artistic skills. As a personality trait, we have seen (yet again based on the Big 5 personality traits analyses) time and time again that this does not always go hand in hand with the personality traits needed for the rigorous structuring of information. This concerns both - the initial sequencing and division of the material and the technical production. If the content is new for the student, it is yet more important that it is well-structured. The online training programs that people are willing to pay for work and the reason they work is often related to their well-thought-through structure.
Certification and Accreditation
Offering a certificate upon completion of the course could be a strong motivating factor. If the course is accredited by a recognized professional body, it adds credibility and can enhance a student's professional profile. We have seen time and time again that when completing a training the students wish to receive certification that matches the skill learned as precisely as possible. This means that when a student is offered a certification related to just the trainer or a field, in general, it is far less attractive than receiving a specific certificate referring to the concrete skill as precisely as possible when it comes to the exact same training.
Accessible learning material
Content should be readily accessible, easy to understand, and convenient to watch on different platforms. It is a rule of thumb that half the students use mobile devices and (only) half of laptops to watch beauty training online programs. If the whole program is optimized for laptop screens it may be a great obstacle for many students, for example, going for additional courses from the same trainer. They just want to have a more convenient way to experience the training program on the device they are used to using all the time anyway.
Interactive and engaging presentation
Emotions do matter. Incorporating interactive elements such as asking questions, telling stories, and expressing one's thoughts and feelings can make the learning experience more engaging. Students appreciate when the course is not just a series of professional lectures, but the material is delivered in an interactive manner (or at least in a form where the trainer is striving to be interactive and engaging, not just a strictly professional talking head).
Actual positive results from the training
Students are likely to pay for a course that has produced positive results in the lives of other students. For example, if they see, that their friend or competitor has managed to learn the skill as a result of some online training, half the sale is made already based on that. They feel from the psychological aspect that "I am surely not worse than she (he) is - I can acquire this skill even better based on this training program."
Technical aspects
As for the video content of the course, here are some crucial aspects to consider.
High-Quality Video and Audio. Videos should be professionally produced with clear visuals and audio. High-definition videos with good lighting allow students to observe details closely. It can be extremely disturbing if the material has no good audio or the camera is shaking and shivering too much.
Clear Demonstrations. Procedures and techniques should be shown clearly and from multiple angles when necessary. Close-ups are important for understanding intricate procedures. Nothing can be worse than the trainer apologizing to the online viewers that yet again they can not exactly see what she (he) is doing because her body, head, or hands are on the way. A more professional approach to recording is needed instead of funny or creative excuses.
Subtitles and Transcriptions. Often great transcriptions can fix bad language skills to a great extent. We have seen that making the content accessible to a broader audience can aid in understanding, especially for complex processes or for viewers whose first language is not the one used in the course. Thus they fix two problems at once: the slight restrictions on delivering the material and restrictions regarding receiving it.
Pacing. The video's pacing should allow the viewer to comfortably follow along. Too fast, and they might miss crucial details; too slow, and they might lose interest. Although it may sound counter-intuitive in most cases the pace should be higher. It is far more rewarding to watch a bit more emotional and technically well-produced content where the pace is higher than an obscure never-ending misery of a sad storyteller who seems clearly not to enjoy the whole process herself (himself).
Remember, online courses in the beauty industry are not just about transferring knowledge; they are about creating an engaging and interactive learning experience that prepares students for real-world application.