Do you have these questions in your mind?
- Are you tired of your monotonous 9 to 5 job too?
- Just had enough of Sunday nights spent dreading over the work week?
- Want a passive income source?
- Want to start a business but for some reasons, keep talking yourself out of it?
Procrastinate no more, no more excuses, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s get started…
Table of Contents
Want to make & sell your online course?
You might be a working professional, a teacher, a student or you could be a blogger, a Youtuber… or maybe a homemaker, if you hold experience of a profession, have expertise in a subject or if you have specific skills, talents, or art.
You don’t need much to start your own business or worry about opportunities.
All you would need is to shape your expertise/ art into a course format and market it.
What? You don’t believe me.
Okay, let’s see,
How much do you think you would probably earn as a Piano teacher at an institute?
Whatever was your guess. I know, it wasn’t a five-figure monthly income, but you will be surprised to know there are people doing that!!
Meet Jacques Hopkins, creator of the “Piano in 21 Days” online course; he was still working as an engineer when he started online Piano courses. Today, this business makes him a five-figure monthly income.
How profitable is an online course business?
Online learning and training have become the new normal of the education industry; from cooking and painting to Python and UX/UI, the scope of business is infinite.
As the figures portray, selling courses online is a booming industry. So, it’s a safe bet if you are thinking of business here.
It’s a very flexible business; you can start it from home or the office, part-time / full-time for passive income.
Market insight:
• The global e-learning market will reach $325 billion by 2025.
• The industry has a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.5%, showing an increasing demand in the sector.
• More than 70% of people prefer online learning over classroom learning, including people from all sections and age groups.
How much can you earn through selling online courses
As per the research conducted by a prominent edtech industry, it was found that 40% tutors made around $50,000 annually, while top 8% made above $100,000.
Furthermore, the scope of income in this business, is not just limited to sales of your course; you can make money through various other streams such as affiliate marketing, eBooks, sponsorships, and advertisements.
Types of online courses
When it comes to online courses, we often think of just one format, Pre-recorded video courses; indeed, it’s a good option, but it’s not the only one.
4 different types of online classes are:
- Webinar
It is an excellent format for non-academic or non-technical coaching subjects such as time management, building powerful habits, the importance of discipline, or motivational lectures.One plus point with this option is that you can interact with members of the panel and the audience via Q&A.
- Live sessions / Interactive Multimedia Course
You don’t want your learners sleeping in your lectures.There are many reasons why you would opt for this type of course. One primary reason is learning only from video becomes monotonous at times.
Especially for technical skills, it could be challenging to understand everything as once told. Besides, interactive courses keep your audience engaged plus add to course credibility.
- e-books / PDFs
Now you may think, “Why… Why would anyone prefer written courses if video and interactive courses are options?”When we talk about studying, written texts are the first thing we think about; the text has this special connection or vibe that seems more credible than any other learning format.
They have a differentiated market; they are sold via platforms like TpT and Etsy.
Besides, some topics may be broader or more complex. Text shortens their explanations and divides them into pieces, making it easier to look for precisely what you need.
- Pre Recorded Sessions
One of the most popular formats of video courses is pre-recorded sessions.You can record all your lectures at once and offer a complete package for a particular topic, as you see on most platforms like Udemy, SkillShare, and Coursera.
Serving is more tempting than what's served.
Remember, people will pay for your classes, so you must ensure quality content. Therefore, your courses should be of better quality than what you'd get from an average YouTube Vlog.
Investment required to start your business
Well, investment is subjective here if you are just an enthusiast and wanna try your hands on the business or want a part-time business.
You can start your business with a basic setup, such as a good phone camera, ring light, microphones, and all, just for a Tiktok video.
But if you are planning a full-fledged business, here are some tips you should know:
1. Studio Rental
To record your lectures, you provide interactive sessions; you would need a professional studio. As per rental trends in the USA, the average rent for a good studio is around $1500 to $3000
2. Editing Software / Tools
You would need video and photo editing tools and software such as Final cut pro / Premiere Pro / Photoshop / Skylum Luminar
3. Website setup/all-in-one platform charges
It entirely depends upon the complexity and size of production.
If you need a long-term solution, do you need a studio? Then, you can consider purchasing your equipment:
- Good 4K DSLR + 2 Low Light Lenses ($2500)
- Zoom Audio Interface ($300)
- Professional Lights ($500)
- Green Screen ($100)
- Multiple Backup Drives ($300)
- Tele prompter ($300)
- Editing Laptop / Desktop with Dual Monitor ($3000)
5 Steps to Launch your course online
Step 1: Choose your Course Topic
To choose an appropriate topic for your course, let’s first understand why someone would want a training course.
- To Get certification to boost career opportunities
- To acquire knowledge to start a career or grow in careers.
- For academic preparation or to learn a new skill or subject
- To further continue their education.
The ultimate way to choose your course topic is to align your expertise or knowledge with learners’ interests and in-demand skills in the market.
10 Most Profitable and Trending Online Course Ideas are:
- Graphics Design
- Programming
- Digital Marketing
- Video Editing
- Business Entrepreneurship
- Education
- Content Writing
- Photography
- Affiliate Marketing
- DIY Arts & Craft
Step 2: Research Your Subject.
Once your course subject is selected, the next must-do step is to do extensive research (both online and offline), so you can make the content flow, main content sections, and headings.
To make your online study material, you can take the help of the Internet, Youtube, Professional books, and even Quora Answers on the subject.
Tip – Differentiate your content from what is already available in the market, and check out your competitors.
In case you are still confused, you can get a clear picture by asking these 3 questions to yourself:
• What makes your target market demand?
• What expertise do you have?
• What interests you the most?
Now that you have selected your course topic. Let’s look at the learning formats you can use to design your course.
Step 3: Plan & organize your Course content
Decide the content to deliver, structure the course content appropriately, and divide the course into topics and sub-topics wisely.
For Better Searchability and User Experience, you can choose an order for your content:
- Chronological order
- Difficulty level
- Topic flow
TIP: Repurpose your digital content if possible.
For example, You might have recorded your last Workshop, Screen Recording, or Social Media Live; you can reuse the Old Content as Bonus Material to interact with the audience, especially if this content hasn’t been seen yet by many eyes.
Step 4: Set up your studio
Since your course is your product, your studio is your factory where you are going to produce it. 5 must have(s) in your studio are –
a. Good 4K camera
You may pick any 4K camera within your budget
b. Lighting
Professional lighting are must, but in case professional lighting seem a bit costlier you can go with Lighting rings, these are effective as well as affordable to shoot for online course videos.
c. Editing software / Video Editing Software
You will need to invest a little on editing softwares to craft your content and make it, ready to serve the audience. Some softwares you might need are- Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe Photoshop/illustrator
- Blender
- Camtasia
- Descript
d. A Good script
Use a script if you need to like Teleprompter lite that you can use to turn a laptop or tablet into a teleprompter so you can read the script while looking into the camera.
e. A green screen
The green screen sets the perfect background for you. It makes adding images, graphics, b-roll footage etc easier while editing.
Invest in a professional set up because the quality of your content presentation is very much dependent on the equipment you will be using.
Step 5: Mention the course objective / learning outcome.
Apart from showing a vision of what your course has to offer, learning objectives also acts as a great sales pitches. It gives people the course outline and helps them decide whether it is worth the investment or not.
Here is a step by step guide to help you, create your first online course –
And the list goes on and on but…… you don’t need all of the services, what you need is to offer what you are good in.
The services you should offer depends upon factors like –
- Your specialization
- Clients you are targeting for
- Demand for the services
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How to launch your course online
Most likely you’ll want a hosting company that could take all your technical burden and lets you focus on the core course selling, you would want a platform that makes your course accessible, lets you customize it with your branding, and look professional.
When it comes to hosting your online course, two major options available are:
1. Create your own website
- You can launch your course online with your own website. It will help you establish yourself as a brand and give you complete power and freedom over your content.
- However, this method can be a little more technical and expensive than using ready to go platforms like Udemy, Kajabi etc.
Tip – this method is suitable for you if you are an academy planning to make your business online or a Youtuber or if you already have a website with significant traffic.
2. All in one platform
- There are some platforms that provide everything you need to create and sell courses from your own website.
- Features may include, course hosting, website builders, marketing automations and community management tools.
There are free online hosting platforms (like Kajabi) while other may charge to host your course.
Some Best platforms to launch your course online are:
• Udemy - best platform for launching your first course
• Skillshare – best platform for teaching creative skills
• Thinkific – best suited for building a course from scratch
• LearnWorlds – best recommended for creating an online school
• Pathwright – best suited for building action-oriented course
How to price your online course?
Deciding a course pricing is among the most IMPORTANT decisions you will have to take as a course creator.
But how do I decide the right price??
Consider the following points to decide the right price for your course.
- Amount you had to spend to create, market, and host your course.
- Competitor’s prices.
- Income level of the target audience.
After the price comes, deciding payment for your course. You can choose among the following:
- Monthly payments
- Multiple payments
- A lump-sum payment for lifetime access to the online course
Six ways Make Money by Selling Courses Online?
1. Use subscription model for recurring fees.
2. Charge up-front fees for courses.
3. Offer a tier payment system.
4. Charge separately for course certification.
5. Offer a free course and Sell your products and services through it.
6. You may charge for extra downloadable course materials.
FREE DOWNLOAD
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How to market your course online
It doesn’t matter how many hours you spend planning and creating the course – if you don’t have prospects, you are not going to make money!
Marketing your online course is a crucial part of your success.
Consider the following points to market your course the best possible way-
- Email List – build and expand your email list.
- Pre-launch your course on Social Media
- Give importance to your Product Launch
- Produce a Podcast course/mini course.
- Conduct free Webinars to Connect with Potential Students.
- Guest Post on Blogs/Podcasts
- Create a Teaser
Make use of trending social media platforms –
1. Promote your courses on Pinterest, people often look for eye-catching graphics and share pins on other platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn
2. Create a Facebook page and fill it with fun and interesting posts or memes
3. Create a sales funnel landing page to sell your course
4. Build up your Twitter followers by following people and retweeting
How to sell your course effectively
Five must-have Tools for your studio are:
a. Good 4K camera
You may pick any 4K camera within your budget
b. Lighting
Professional Lighting is a must, but if professional Lighting seems a bit costlier, you can go with Lighting rings; these are effective and affordable to shoot for online course videos.
c. Softwares
You will need to invest a little in editing software to craft your content and make it ready to serve the audience. Some software you might need are:
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe Photoshop/illustrator
- Blender
- Camtasia
- Descript
d. A Good script
Use a script if you need to, like Teleprompter lite, that you can use to turn a laptop or tablet into a teleprompter so you can read the script while looking into the camera.
e. A Green Screen
The green screen sets the perfect background for you. In addition, it makes adding images, graphics, and B-roll footage easier while editing.
Invest in a professional setup because the quality of your content presentation depends on the equipment you will be using.
Anything else you need to keep in mind?
• Keep updating your social media handles that let people know when your course's next edition is available.
• Consider offering a free trial to get a hint of what they will be paying for.
• Include testimonials of previous clients and details about what people may expect from your course.
• You may also consider starting a complimentary course at the beginning to build a following before you launch your paid course.
Conclusion
A suitable course serves people’s interests, can help them get ahead in their careers, or adds value to their resumes.
You can launch your course in two significant ways: choose an all-in-one platform or create your website.
And at last, the right marketing strategies are of utmost importance.
And don’t forget customer satisfaction is the key to success for any business, so value your customers, create a happy experience for them, and get them to recommend your course. Anything else you need to keep in mind?
Want to Save Time in your Business Launch?
- How to Create a Business Plan
- What is Market Research, USP, Niche & Positioning
- How to find a suitable name for your business
- How to create your brand image (Logo + Branding)
- How to Register Your Business
- How to Register for Taxes
- How to get Licenses / Permits
- How to Open a Business Bank Account
- How to Get Business Insurance
- Which Payment Processing Terminal (POS) to buy
- How to get Funds for your Business
- How to do Sales & Marketing – Offline & Online
- Why have a Website / Blog / Social Media
- How to build & train your Dream Team
- How to provide Excellent Customer Service
- Buying an Old Business Vs Franchisee Vs Own Brand from Scratch
Handpicked inspirational Youtube videos for you
How to create an online course THAT SELLS (from a 7 figure course creator) – YT Channel ‘Sunny Lenarduzzi’
How to Create an Online Course That SELLS (Step-by-Step Tutorial) – YT Channel ‘Learn with Shopify’
The EASIEST Way to Film & Edit Online Course Videos – YT Channel ‘Gillian Perkins’
A. Online education is increasingly gaining popularity. Today, people approach internet for any information they may need, from cooking, cleaning to Java, UI/UX there is a course on everything and people are making insane amount of money out of it. As per the latest data, you can make anywhere from $1000 to $100,000 or more per year with online course. Creating and selling online courses is a booming business trend that has seen a steady rise over the recent few years.
A. This is a very common question that any aspiring creator think of , well the answer is very subjective as the time depends mostly upon the type of course you are planning and the method you are going use to launch it your launch. However it generally takes anywhere between 200 to 500 hours to craft an online course.
A. There are many platforms to sell on line courses some of the recommended platforms are listed below –
• Digital Class – Educational Marketplace.
• Udemy
• Skillshare
• Thinkific
• Teachable
• Ruzuku
• LearnDash
• Podia
• Teacher Pay Teacher
A. You can boost your online course sales by following means:
- Identify your target audience
- Promote your course through Blogs.
- Sell your mini-courses for free and capture the potential buyers.
- Offer discounts and offers
- Expand your LinkedIn and email list
- Go Live through Webinars or conduct live sessions on various platforms.
- What is the best free online hosting platform.
You tube, on you tube you can host your course for free without any hassle. It is a free platform and recommended best if you are beginner. You may also consider selling course on Instagram and Meta (Facebook).
