It seems like the year 2023 will be remembered as the year of AI.
New and improved “writing assistants” are emerging every day. Content marketing and SEO is seeing its biggest disruption since the days of Ask Jeeves. Video is king, and there are even AI tools that create realistic videos of people talking. It is madness and fun.
I’m cautiously optimistic about what this means for us — those of us that create courses, write blog posts, and build businesses. But as content creation becomes faster, easier, and cheaper, we will inevitably all have more competition.
As the rules of the game are transformed by AI, one word sticks out to me above all else: differentiation.
It has never been more important to stand out, be unique, have a point of view, and pave your own path. Everyone else is going to sound more and more monotonous. Like a robot. Our users, learners, and site visitors will develop more and more blindspots and apathy to it all.
None of us know where this is all heading, but below I’ve collected some thoughts on how we can all differentiate ourselves in this brave new AI world.
By the way, I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t use tools like ChatGPT to create content, but we are going to have to be smarter than our competitors in how we use them to accomplish our goals.
The Instructor Matters
When it comes to online courses and training, now more than ever, the one creating the lessons and delivering the content is essential. It is the best way for you to differentiate yourself from the competition.
- Show your personality.
- Talk up your expertise.
- Tell stories and anecdotes.
Go Niche or Hyperlocal
Depending on your course topic, it may make sense to narrow your target audience as much as possible. Either by location or by focus.
For example, instead of a broad subject like “Intro to Photography”, create a course on “Lighting for Photographers.”
Or tailor and market your course to your local area or country.
Engaging Content
At least for now, most AI generated content is going to be blocks of text. Your courses should be made up of interactive elements that break up the text. This engagement will help with completion rates and motive your learners.
Community Connections
The best courses and learning experiences that I’ve had have always been more about the fellow learners I met. Fostering community and collaboration between learners and instructors is certainly something AI can’t do for us.
Choice and Personalization
We all know that people learn in different ways. If we can give multiple learning paths and choice in our courses, we’ll be able to cater to more students and achieve better outcomes.
Give Something Extra
I learned a new word recently. Lagniappe. The etymology is fascinating, but it means a small surprise gift to a customer. Offer extras (your time, a book, additional lessons, etc.) with your courses. These sorts of unexpected benefits may be the thing that keeps your students coming back or encourages them to recommend you to others.
Want More Ideas?
I share other examples of how to differentiate in Make Better Video Courses in 15 Minutes. (And yes, this is a lagniappe – it is free!).
Everything above is the framework for how we are working to improve Sensei LMS. You should see more tools for engagement, community, and personalization throughout 2023.
What did we miss? How do you think AI is going to impact course creation? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 👇
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