11.2 Creating & Managing Courses (Products): Structuring Training/Content

In the context of Close Master Memberships, a "Product" represents your actual course, training program, or resource library. This is where you organize and upload your content.

Accessing:

Navigate to Memberships → Products tab.

Creating a New Product (Your Course/Hub):

  1. Click the + Create Product button.
  2. Choose a Blueprint: Select a starting structure:
    • Build your own: Provides a blank structure (recommended for custom content).
    • Sprint Course / Marathon Course / Membership: Pre-defined templates with sample structures you can adapt.
  3. Enter Basic Details:
    • Product Title: Enter the main name for your course or resource hub (e.g., "New Agent Onboarding Program - 2024", "Exclusive Buyer Client Resource Center", "Mastering Close Master for Agents"). This is visible to members.
    • Description: Write a brief summary of the product's content and purpose.
  4. Click Create Product. You'll be taken to the product editor.

Building the Outline (Structure Panel - Usually Left Side):

This panel is where you organize your content hierarchically, much like chapters and lessons in a book.

  1. Add Categories (Modules/Sections): These are the main high-level topics or modules. Click + Create Category. Name them logically (e.g., "Module 1: Welcome & Agency Policies", "Module 2: Using Close Master CRM", "Section 1: The Home Buying Process", "Seller Document Library").
  2. Add Lessons (Posts/Pages): These are the individual content pages within each Category. Select a Category, then click + Add Lesson (or sometimes + Add Post). Name the lesson clearly (e.g., "Lesson 1.1: Compliance Overview", "Lesson 2.1: Managing Contacts & Tags", "Step 1: Getting Pre-Approved", "Checklist: Preparing Your Home for Photos").
  3. (Optional) Add Subcategories: If you need further nesting within a Category, use the + Add Subcategory option.
  4. Add Assessments (Quizzes/Assignments): To test knowledge or require submissions. Within a Category, click the + button → Add Assessment. Choose Quiz (auto-graded) or Assignment (manual review). (See 11.4 for details).
  5. Reorder Items: Simply click and drag Categories, Lessons, Subcategories, or Assessments up or down in the outline panel to change their sequence.
  6. Publish Status (Draft/Published): Each item (Category, Lesson, etc.) has a toggle switch or status indicator (Draft or Published). Content must be set to Published to be visible to members who have access. Keep items in Draft while working on them. Remember to publish the parent Category as well for its lessons to be visible.

Adding Content to Lessons:

  1. Select a Lesson in the outline panel on the left. The content editor for that lesson appears in the main area.
  2. Choose Content Type: Select the type of content for this lesson (you can often combine multiple types):
    • Video: Click Select Video. Choose Upload New Video (upload MP4, MOV, etc., directly to the integrated Media Library - recommended for tracking & security) or Select Uploaded Video. Choose the video file. Optionally set a Thumbnail image.
    • Audio: Select Audio type → Upload MP3/WAV files (e.g., recorded scripts, expert interviews, podcast-style lessons). Set Thumbnail.
    • Text: Use the rich text editor to type or paste instructional text, summaries, embed images within the text, create lists, add links to external resources, etc. You can use Custom Values here if needed.
    • Files / Downloads: Click Add Files. Upload downloadable resources like PDF checklists, scripts, worksheets, spreadsheets, or relevant documents. Members will see a download link.
    • Assessment: If this lesson *is* an assessment, the quiz/assignment builder appears here (See 11.4).
  3. Save Lesson: Click the Save button for the lesson content.

Configuring Course-Level Settings (Details & Customize Tabs):

While editing a Product, use the tabs at the top to configure overall settings:

  • Details Tab:
    • Edit the main Product Title and Description.
    • Upload a Product Thumbnail: This is the main cover image for your course/hub displayed in the Client Portal library. Choose an engaging image.
  • Customize Tab:
    • Theme: Choose a visual theme for the content player (e.g., Classic, New York, Neo - Neo often recommended).
    • Appearance: Customize Colors (Primary, Secondary) and Fonts to match your agency branding.
    • Header: Customize the appearance of the header within the course player (logo, background).
    • Hero Section: (If theme supports it) Configure the introductory banner section.
    • Instructor: Add details about the instructor(s) (e.g., Broker name, Trainer name, photo, title, bio).
    • Logo: Upload your agency logo to display within the course player.
    • Favicon: Upload the browser tab icon for the course player.
    • Certificates: Assign a default Certificate template (See 11.5) to be issued automatically upon completion of the entire product (alternative to workflow method).

Drip Content (Optional - Releasing Content Over Time):

  • Purpose: Gradually release course modules or content to members over a period of time after they enroll, rather than giving access to everything at once. Useful for pacing training or delivering time-sensitive content.
  • Setup (Two Parts):
    1. Enable on the Offer First: Go to Memberships → Offers → Edit the specific Offer that grants access to this Product. In the Offer settings, find the Access Type or similar option and change it from Full Access to Drip. Save the Offer.
    2. Set Drip Schedule in Product Structure: Go back to Memberships → Products → Edit your Product. In the outline panel (left), click on a Category or Subcategory that you want to drip. Look for Drip Settings. Set the release delay (e.g., release 7 Days After product purchase / After parent category is released). Configure this for each module you want to drip. Lessons within a dripped category become available when the category itself is released.