Now you’ve got your platform...then what? Sometimes traffic can be lost because of downtime, viruses and poor planning. You’ll learn how to reduce your downtime by doing regular data backups. ByBlacks.com co-founder Roger Dundas will teach critical skills around how to maintain the kind of website that keeps readers coming back for more.

You are now the head of your own media empire (no pressure!) The business of media isn’t something often taught in school, so we’ll give you a crash course on how to monetize your business. This course will help content creators tackle the tough questions, including how to set up the business (incorporation vs. nonprofit vs. sole proprietorship, etc). ByBlacks.com co-founder Roger Dundas will also share the tools needed to run the business: an accounting package, social media management and a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Content creators will also learn the sales side of the business at a basic level.

Keeping your startup operation afloat means you’ll have to learn how to tap into different revenue streams, which include grants. It might seem as though you can never find all of the grant opportunities or, even if you do know where to find them, time is never on your side when it comes to completing the application! Through this course, grant-writing guru Stachen Naomi Frederick will provide individuals with the tools needed to find grants, submit applications for various projects and complete reports for funders. The workshop will showcase real life examples of the Do's and Don'ts when it comes to grant writing and will also provide ways to win with words to make a grant stand out to funders. This lecture was created with Canadian funding bodies in mind.

Stepping into this new world also means stepping into a new role: Editor-in-Chief. In this course, Camille Dundas will teach students how to manage expectations and budgets, finding the balance between their editorial desires and realities. With limited capital, it’s likely new startups will be relying on unpaid content from freelancers until they raise enough revenue to pay for content. The tone in your “newsroom” depends a lot on how writers are treated. Sharing her experience of transitioning from mainstream media to her own platform, Dundas will also speak about the kind of editor people want to write for. This course will also cover best practices for working with writers who are early in their careers. Finally, the course will examine the ins and outs of writing opinion pieces when you’re a small publication, without a large editorial team.

Once you have your site and are armed with SEO skills, it’s time to leverage social media to build your audience. In this course, we’ll teach you how to capture an audience, and show you how that looks on each platform. You’ll learn how to stick to your mission and develop effective, unique content. This course will break down the real truth: the early days of your platform will involve some sacrifice and a lot of trial and error, something ByBlacks co-founder Camille Dundas will speak to in detail. Tapping into what your audience craves is part of your journey, but you first have to know your audience and what they want. All social media platforms will be covered, including Reddit and Quora, two often-overlooked digital avenues.

An attractive website and great content means nothing if people can’t find it. In this course, we will teach content creators the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) based on tried-and-true techniques. The truth is, most people overestimate the quality of their site, causing them to miss out on clicks. Award-winning ByBlacks.com co-founder Roger Dundas will help content creators by getting them to think critically about the look and feel of their platform, with a focus on site optimization. You’ll learn the secrets of tapping into the psyche of your audience and ensuring the content that they’re searching for gets onto your site.

Survival for many media startups depends on the strength of their web presence. In fact, this is why many don’t survive. In this course, we’ll teach content creators how to build an effective website by guiding them through best practices. From elaborate to everyday websites, BASHY Magazine founder and SquareSpace developer Sharine Taylor will help startup founders navigate this crucial stage. Sharine is passionate about helping content creators improve digital literacy, writing proper headlines and decks and developing a better understanding of the science and etiquette behind digital publishing. This course will also provide a basic introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).