Which online course platform should digital creators, online entrepreneurs, and influencers use?

There’s never been a better time to pick up a new skill. Whether you want to switch career paths or move up in your current job, there are hundreds of online courses you can take to learn coding, copywriting, graphic design, and more.

But with so many course platforms out there, how do you know which one to choose?

Today, we will be comparing Lynda, now LinkedIn Learning, and Skillshare, so you can make the best

Lynda (LinkedIn Learning) VS. Skillshare – Online Course Platform Comparisondecision for your future.

Lynda (LinkedInLearning)

What is Lynda?

Lynda was founded over 20 years ago as a skills platform meant to help teach professional and personal goals, such as business, software, and technology. Once acquired by LinkedIn, the company has helped over 10,000 organizations. 

Some of the organizations that have used Lynda are Adobe, NBC, Patagonia, and the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. 

How does Lynda work?

Whether you’re an individual wanting to learn how to code, or you run a business and want your employees to take a few business courses, Lynda has subscriber options for everyone.

For $39.99 USD a month, you have access to over 20,000 courses taught by industry professionals and experts. You will also earn a certificate of completion for every course you complete, which will be displayed on your LinkedIn profile. 

You will also have access to LinkedIn premium with this deal, which allows you access to salary and job insights, unlimited profile viewing, inMail credits, and more. 

If you already have a LinkedIn account, you can automatically sign up without any extra registration process. 

Picking A Course

You can begin to look through courses based on business, creative, technology, and certifications. From there, you will see all the categories the platform has to offer, and there is quite a few.

When you’re deciding on a course to take, it’s important to read the description, and reviews, and make sure this is a course you are ready to take. Some courses may be above your level, and that’s okay! Starting with beginner courses allows you to grow.

For example, the course below clearly states for beginners, and in the title explains that they will be covering the basics. You can also watch a preview of the course and read the lesson plan so that you have an idea of the type of work you will be doing in the course.

You can even see who the instructor is, read their reviews, and look up their profile on LinkedIn. This is great for connecting with your teachers after the course is over so earn more industry networking. 

All of your learning progress will be in your dashboard at the top of the screen.

This is where you can see your progress, courses you have saved, as well as previous courses. You can also make and complete goals for yourself to track your learning and see how far you’ve come.

Becoming an Instructor

What happens if you already know how to code or you’re an expert graphic designer? You can monetize these skills and become an instructor as well.

This process isn’t for everyone. To apply, there is a pretty rigorous application process in which you need to show off your portfolio, and experience, as well as a detailed explanation of what type of courses you would teach. You also need to provide a video sample of you teaching a course.

How much money will you make?

Your payout is determined by how many students watch your course. So the more following you have, the more money you will make.

Skillshare 

What is Skillshare?

Skillshare is an American online learning community founded in 2010.  The site was founded on the premise that it is never too late to learn a new skill, and with the rapid growth of the internet, what better way to learn than educational videos? 

The courses are not accredited and are only available to those who pay a subscription. 

The main course topics are arts, design, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and technology.  There have even been several notable course leaders, such as Marc Ecko, Susan Orlean, and Seth Godin.

How does Skillshare work?

Although Skillshare used to have a free plan, that was discontinued in 2022. As of 2023, you will have to subscribe to a premium plan in order to gain access to the courses.

Skillshare has two plans you can choose from, individual or team. 

If you run a business and want to connect your team to these online courses, you can get a discount of $159 USD a year. Otherwise, you can subscribe to the individual package, which is $13.75 USD a month.

This plan will give you access to Skillshare’s full catalog of over 35,000 courses. 

The platform divides its’ courses up into the following categories. 

Skillshare divides its courses into these categories:

• Advertising
• Business
• Design
• Entrepreneurship
• Fashion and style
• Film and video
• Food and drink
• Gaming
• Music
• Photography
• Social media
• Technology
• Writing and publishing

From there, you can choose to get even more specific, such as Instagram photo techniques, or editing Youtube videos.

Picking A Course

Just like with Lynda, it’s important to read the reviews, course descriptions, and preview the course if possible. This will help you make an informed decision before you jump into a course you may not be ready for. Remember, there’s a real instructor behind the screen who will be looking at your work, so you want to make sure you’re in the right place.

Courses will range from taking a few hours to a few months, depending on your speed. As you go through the class, you can join group discussion boards with peers from your class, as well as join workshops to communicate with other students about future projects and what you’re working on.

Becoming an Instructor 

Just like Lynda or LinkedIn Learning, you can become an instructor on Skillshare.  If you have never taught online before, there is no application process like there was with LinkedIn Learning.

So although it will be helpful to have as much experience as possible and a large following, this is not necessarily a requirement to become an instructor.

In fact, Skillshare even offers a step-by-step guide on how to create an engaging online course for the community, including ways to improve your video setup and ways to promote your course through SEO and marketing tools.

Below are a few of the tips and tricks they can offer to future instructors. 

Remember, the more people who take your course, the more money you will make from the platform. So by utilizing all your marketing tools and promoting your class to your following on social media, you are growing your chances of turning your courses into a career. 

Which online course platform will you use? 

Lynda’s LinkedIn integration has amazing career opportunities to allow you to connect immediately with your instructors and other members of the community on LinkedIn. However, 

Skillshare also has quite a few notable instructors that you could benefit from. It’s important to note that Skillshare’s courses are non-accredited, though, while many of LinkedIn’s courses are. So while it’s great to pick up new skills, you wouldn’t necessarily put completed courses on a portfolio or resume. 

Either way, both platforms offer great resources for inspiring online entrepreneurs, coaches, influencers, and more. 

Let us know which platform you use down below.