Today a client and fellow trainer asked me what kind of microphone I use for recording my online training. Was it the Yeti pro? And.. I replied her, “Yep and ..don’t forget about the good lighting!!!”.
So maybe you are a trainer or a coach, thinking about getting online with your lessons. Let me help you a little on the way here.
This is what tools I use currently and which I highly recommend.
When you plan to go online with your career, then.. you need your own website. I recommend to build your own in WordPress. WordPress (the .org version) is the standard and has the biggest possibilities at this moment when you want to build your own website (as a non tech person I mean). You can download the free wordpress plugin here. And get your own domainname via Bluehost.com or (when you’re dutch /from belgium) at hostnet.nl.
Once your website is up and running. You want to get some traction from all the people visiting your site. I use and highly recommend Ambition Ally’s PopupAlly. The free version is great to start with.
With the popup you need a tool to store your email addresses from your clients safe. And… the start of your holy grail automation and crm. The free version of Mailchimp is great to start with. I used it for several years. But there will come a time (as where I am now) that you long for a marketing tool that is more refined. Enter Active Campaign.
When you find yourself outgrown the facilities of Mailchimp (and have also outgrown Wishlist Membership Sites) I use and recommend the lean, stable and refined Active Campaign as the tool to service your clients needs best and keep them motivated according to their preferences and their e-learning behavior.
When you are starting to give your trainings online and you have an Apple Macbook Pro. You’re pretty much settled with the basic necessities. You have a camera that’s ok. You have a build in Microphone. And recording tools like Photo Boot and Movie. If you plan to step a level up and record a real professional lesson or two. Or start your personal podcast journal. Then people need to hear you with great ease. I have used several microphones. And I recommend the Yeti USB Mice by Blue. You can get it via Amazon.com.
Don’t worry too much about looking pretty. Good light will do miracles to your recordings! I have a Falcon Eyes 8x 40 W lightset (so 2 lights) and an ‘elevant ear’ for backlight effect. That baby has prooven it’s quality over the years and has never let me down. So I recommend that set highly. But I am sure when you talk to experts in video lighting that they would recommend you to buy 3 lights. Like the Falcon Eyes 3 x 55 W, like the one in the picture. If you follow my tip, the two lamps, you can get the 8 x 40 W via Amazon.com.
When you want to make a living of your content, your blogs, your lessons, your podcast even, then it is time make an effort to add a membership plugin to your website. Wishlist Membership is one of the best compatible and stable membership plugins out there. And it integrates well with Woocommerce (a shopping plugin for your website) and Mailchimp (your eamil marketing and automation).