Before starting your online tutoring service, you need to first find out all the facts, pros and cons, requirements and advantages of this new business. Study and analyze various niches prior to paving your way to online tutoring services. You must have clear and precise knowledge of your field before offering your services to online students. Your online business will be a success only if you are well versed with the subject and have mastered all the required tactics to cater to students. So, study well and prepare yourself for a career in tutoring.
Once you know the details about the subject and the niche you would like to deal with, you can look for potential students who require tutoring. There are many ways to advertise your online tutoring services. You can join discussion boards, forums, blogs, discussion groups and email newsletters. You can also put up your personal website to reach out to more potential students.
The next step is to set up your teaching platform where you will teach and mentor online. These platforms can be in the form of software programs or websites. In the software programs, you can create lesson plans, assignments and study materials that can be downloaded and used by your students. In websites, you can create your own lesson plans, interact with your students and grade them. Video conferencing and online tutoring platforms enable you to make presentations for students in group sessions.
Once you are ready with your online platform, it is time to market your service and explain your services to prospective students. Posting your free video on YouTube is an excellent idea. It can be easily embedded on your website and serves as a link to your site that connects your tutor and prospective students. You can also put up your fees and terms and conditions. If you find any area that needs clarification, you can add content in that area so that your prospected clients can have the chance to ask you questions.
To take advantage of your online platform, you need to connect your website to your virtual classroom. This is achieved by using social media platforms, online social bookmarking and video conferencing. One such service that allows you to do this is Slide, which has become very popular. You can create an online platform using Slide. You can then connect it to your tutor, who can in turn present lectures live to his or her students.
Tutors usually communicate via instant messaging systems, Skype, Yahoo Messenger and Blackboard. For those who prefer to remain anonymous, they can create a nickname for themselves. Others can follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Once your prospected client finds out about your nickname, he or she can contact you through that nickname. It is important to keep your online platform private until you are asked for one, as some people may try to send harmful viruses. In addition to your own nickname, you should also use a fake name.
When you create your online platform, it should provide all the resources needed by your prospects. You can give instructions, videos and PDFs for easy reference. You can also include your contact details, which would make it easier for a learner to reach you on the platform, if he or she chooses to do so. It should allow learners to leave feedback. Most platforms for tutoring provide the option of creating a feedback form. However, some of them offer their services without providing a feedback form.
The most effective online tutoring software should be able to integrate itself with all the systems that the users have at their disposal. This way, all the information provided by the user – his email address for example – will be passed on to the tutor. Furthermore, the tutor will receive instructions from the platform, through email. The platforms must be well organised, with all the necessary help files, and a good navigation system. All in all, the platform must satisfy all the users’ needs, in order to provide a high-quality service for all the learners who will access it.
