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Have you ever gone onto YouTube to learn something specific but then found yourself stuck in a clickhole that eventually led you to watch 3 hours of cat videos and no real recollection of how you got there? Darn them and their super effective recommended videos! What is the trying-to-be-productive online learner to do?
Well dear adventurer, let me introduce you to Skillshare.
What is Skillshare
Skillshare is an online video platform that hosts over 25,000 classes in topics such as design, business, tech, and more. They have a free version with over 1,000 classes available (and the intro video for every class) and a Premier version that has access to all the classes and offline viewing for as little as 8.25 per month when paid annually.
What makes it different
Videos organized into classes and lists
Classes are cut down into manageable lesson chunks for viewing when you have a limited amount of time. Most classes I’ve seen are around 20-60 minutes with around 5-15 lessons.
One of the things I absolutely adore the Skillshare does is package groups of like classes together in recommended lists for viewing. Want to learn about Social Media Marketing? Here are 8 classes that work well together to cover everything you’d want to know.
Focused class projects for deeper learning
One of the main features of Skillshare is that the classes all come with class projects to help you develop the things you are learning in the videos. Upload your projects to the class and you’ll be able to get feedback from the instructor as well as other participants in the class. One of the coolest things ever is looking at what others have come up with, especially in the design classes!
A thriving community and access to teachers
For many of the classes, the instructor is active in the community tab and gives feedback on class projects. For some of the older classes you’ll get less engagement from the instructor but in many cases, the other STUDENTS are the ones giving the best encouragement and feedback.
Classes organized into workshops
If you are the type that thrives on community engagement, then you’ll love the regular workshops that Skillshare hosts. Workshops are like time limited lists where you complete a curated set of classes about a given topic with a group of like-minded students. They follow a set calendar and you’ll receive regular prompts to help you stay on track basically guaranteeing you can exchange feedback and improve your work with other students on the same timeline.
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Enough said.
What I’m currently learning on Skillshare
My current favorite class that I’m working through is “Going Viral: Write, Film & Make Content People Share” taught by comedian and social media influencer Matt Bellassai. The whole class is a little over 1 hour split up over 15 lessons and OMG, each lesson is PACKED with immediately implementable tips.
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Who I don’t recommend Skillshare for
As amazing as Skillshare is, I don’t recommend it for everyone. There are a couple of key groups that won’t get as much from Skillshare’s platforms as others and I want to make sure that you know about them before going in.
Text-based learners
Skillshare is completely video-based and most of the classes do not offer transcripts of their classes. Some teachers have basic outlines of key points from the course in their class projects tab but most do not.
If you are the type that learns and processes best from reading the material, you might struggle with Skillshare.
People looking for trades skills
Skillshare focuses on design, business, and tech. If you want to learn how to replumb your house or the basics of welding, YouTube would serve you much better.
Who I recommend Skillshare for
That being said, there are a couple of groups that would get THE MOST out of a Skillshare subscription!
Anyone trying to make it online
The primary categories of everything Skillshare offers could be translated into a career on the internet. From crafts and design to business basics and tech how-tos, Skillshare has the videos to learn just about anything you need to start and run your online business
Online Income Opportunity
Speaking of making it online, if you’ve read this far and have begun to think to yourself, I know stuff and could totally teach a class!
You’re in luck because Skillshare has an amazing community of educators ready and waiting to help you build a class of your own. You’ll even get a cut of the revenue based on how long students have spent watching your videos. Learn more about becoming an instructor on Skillshare.
Creatives or those looking to pick up a creative hobby
Better than anything else, Skillshare’s design and craft videos are the best on the internet. If you are a creative looking to hone or your skills or pick up a new one, or you’re a dabbler looking to find a new creative outlet, Skillshare will have a video for you.
What’s Next
Are you still with me and screaming Yes! Yes! Yes! at the screen?
That’s kind of excessive but I appreciate the enthusiasm. To get you even more pumped, did you know you can get EVERYTHING we just talked about for the next 2 MONTHS for FREE?!
That’s right. All the classes, workshops, class projects, and engaged teachers FOR FREE. Just sign up through this link here to start your 2 MONTH FREE TRIAL.
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