University Alumni Are Upskilling on YouTube: Is it Time to Deliver Your Own Programs?
September 15, 2022
Every day, more people are turning to online resources in order to learn new skills. From cooking to coding, online platforms provide access to education well after the average person graduates. In today’s world, there is a constant need to improve and be better, and online resources empower members of the modern workforce as they work to grow their skills.
While some resources are really useful, others waste a tremendous of user time because the quality simply isn’t there. The truth is that low-quality materials pose a big risk to modern workers. Fortunately, universities can step up and support alumni by delivering online educational content while generating revenue. Let’s explore this in more detail.
1. YouTube Wants Views, Not Value
Since its inception, YouTube content has had one primary goal: to obtain more views. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, YouTube users increased their time spent watching videos by a staggering 39%, which shows just how interested in online content people are–but what does this mean for educational institutions [1]?
YouTube content creators are interested in driving traffic to their content, and there is one simple reason for it – ad revenue. These online creators make money through ads, as well as paid support from viewers, even though not every creator is providing valuable information. While this can be great for making money, views don’t necessarily translate to engagement and retention – especially for content creators that focus on entertainment over education. Universities can bridge the gap and generate sustainable revenue with their own platforms by offering relevant, high-quality content that alumni really need.
2. You Can Use White-Label SaaS Solutions to Deliver Your Own Branded Content
While open platforms, like YouTube and social media, allow anyone to create content, there is a consistent concern about quality. Educational institutions want to see their alumni succeed, and that means providing them with the kind of high-quality information that will support their goals. Using white-label SaaS solutions can help you to keep learners engaged with evolving, real-time content. It can also help you to obtain sustainable revenue while offering content your alumni can trust.
Many organizations think that the solution is to build their own software, but this really isn’t effective. On average, one in six IT products overrun their costs by 300% and their schedules by 70% [2]. Worse, many companies are turning to SaaS without a clear focus. This leads to them repurposing the wrong solutions for SaaS, which has already resulted in companies using nearly 300 SaaS apps inefficiently on average [3]. You want solutions that work for you, not just generate more work.
3. The Best Solutions Come from Trusted SaaS Partners
To get the most out of these software solutions, it is important to work with a trusted SaaS partner. Before you can provide your alumni with a valuable educational platform, you need to know that they are getting the best products available from trusted industry leaders.
Already, more than 65% of companies choose to outsource software development, and this is likely to increase [4]. By 2030, the global tech shortage is expected to reach 85.2 million workers – making it very difficult to build systems in-house or find developers with the skills to make these platforms the right way [5]. Universities need SaaS partners that can help them to build custom business solutions that meet 100% of their business needs.
The Takeaway
As more educational institutions see the growing value of providing well-researched and accurate information to support ongoing education, the number of platforms available is likely to grow as well. Recently, we created the Connor Prairie Learning Portal, which offers high-quality educational content for one low subscription price for users–generating revenue for this esteemed organization. To learn how we can help you to support alumni with branded educational platforms that are easy to use and ready for launch right out of the box, contact us today!
