By building relationships with students, you will get an audience of loyal students, who will associate your name with quality and recommend you to their friends and colleagues – and it’s a known fact that people tend to trust personal advice from their close ones much more than any promotion or advertisement.
As you can see, the importance of building relationships with students is immense. Now… How can BitDegree help you do that?
Encouraging audience engagement
We have already mentioned that word of mouth advertising is often the most effective way to spread awareness. Traditionally, the term used to refer to personal recommendations, shared among friends and relatives – however, the digital space brings us all way closer than before! Because of that (and a ton of promotions that surround us in virtually any website we go), a real opinion from an actual user carries incredible weight.
On BitDegree, students can rate any course using a clear five-star system and write reviews that are displayed on the landing page of the course. They can also review the platform itself – these comments will be presented on the landing page when the course has no reviews on its own. This is useful for both you as an educator getting to know your students, and the potential learners making their decision to enroll in your course.
High-rated courses that have user reviews often attract more students – therefore, building relationships with students can also help your marketing strategy. Because of that, it’s rather smart to offer some promo codes for free access or a significant discount in return for a review. A higher number of enrolls, reviews, and ratings will make your course easier to notice in the BitDegree’s marketplace.
Encourage learners to review your courses and pay close attention if they name any issues. If you can fix them (e.g., add an extra lecture or some downloadable materials to the course) – do it and make sure to mention you have updated the course having listened to your users. This will show how attentive and caring you are as an instructor!
Getting to know your students and their experience
When you teach classes on campus, you can communicate with students face to face – but how to get to know your students’ worries and give your undivided attention via video courses? Don’t worry – BitDegree has thought about that, too.
When the students take your course on the platform, they can participate in lecture-level forums. In them, they can discuss the information presented with other learners, share their experiences, talk about the issues they face and ask questions. For you as an instructor, it’s a great place for building relationships with students, as well: you can really show your expertise by consulting them, answering their questions, and explaining the points they find a bit unclear. This will make your students trust you more, and in turn, speak more openly about what you could do better. This is where the secret of creating great educational content lies!
In BitDegree Studio you also get a detailed table of all of your students, so you can check up on them any time: how much time they are spending in your courses, the average scores of their assessments and more.
Communication outside BitDegree
If you use various social media channels to promote your course, it can also be helpful in building relationships with students. By providing high-quality content and helping them further explore the subject you teach, you will shape your public image and present yourself as a true expert of the field. And that’s not all: you can engage in conversations with your students, organize live streaming sessions (e.g., a teaching webinar or a Q&A) or various contests.
When you create your instructor’s profile on BitDegree, make sure to include the links to your social media profiles so they can find you and follow you. You can also specify your personal blog or website. It’s great if they have an email opt-in feature: this way, you can communicate with your students using newsletters.
Never underestimate the importance of building relationships with students: they can be your best advisors and promoters. By listening to what they have to say and adjusting your material based on their feedback, you will gain a strong and loyal following!
