Viral learning can be a great strategy in online education. But what exactly does it mean?
When something is viral, it means it is “widely seen”. When a video, article, photo, or post is said to be viral, that means a lot of people have seen it. Not only that, a lot of people have reacted to it. They have either shared it, liked it, or commented on it. The more people are reacting to an online material, the more viral it is.
If you apply this in learning, that makes it very valuable. After all, a good content is for nothing if nobody can see it. The more visible a learning material is, the more people can benefit from it. If that happens, then the learning material becomes more valuable and thus successful.
Of course, there is one more challenge that you still have to face. How can you make your course material viral?
According to TED, a popular conference series that is short for Technology, Entertainment, Design, there is great value in using YouTube videos in providing educational content. Since they have used it for educational purposes, their YouTube channel has gained 673,000 subscribers and their videos have more than 56 million views.
So what does that reveal? It only shows that using social media for online education can help you implement viral learning. But how can this be done?
Tips to create viral learning
Here are some tips that you can use if you want to use viral learning in elearning.
Start by knowing the goal of the course.
Viral learning is not applicable to all types of online education materials. You have to check that the learning goals of the course are suited to the needs and targets of the course. Some learning materials are not meant to be put out there. The value of some lesson is in the exclusivity. And if you know that only a specific group can appreciate it, there is no need to make it viral.
Align it with the ideals of the organization
Every online education or course represents the ideals of the one who requested it – whether it is a company or educational institution. When you intend to make the course viral, you have to make sure that it will reflect the right ideals. A lot of people will get to see it. You want it to make the right impression. You need to keep that in mind while you are creating the course.
Identify your influencers
Getting the course viral will require the right influencers who will endorse it. You need to get in touch with the right people and accounts that have enough following. That will give you the exposure that you need. There are connectors and people-in-the-know who can influence their followers to give the online education a chance. Identifying the right influencers will be dependent on what the course is all about and the goals that you have in making it.
Understand who your learners are
If you want to make your online education material viral with the right market, you need to know who they are first. The purpose of this is to know where they “hang out” online. Is it Facebook? Is it YouTube? Or do they have a preference for LinkedIn? Maybe they are more inclined to use Snapchat? By understanding them, you will also get an idea about the form that the course has to take. It will be easier for you to complete the learning material.
As you can see, making your online education material viral is not just about choosing a social media network and making the course go live. You have to follow certain steps to make sure that you can find the learners online and get them interested in what you have to offer.