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Successful course creation is like an Oreo cookie. Most creators spend all their time perfecting their online course content – that’s the creamy filling. But without the cookies – a deep understanding of your audience on one side and a solid marketing strategy on the other – it’s just going to be a sweet, sticky, and not very satisfying mess.
Now that I have your attention, here’s the truth about online courses. You’re not actually selling the online course. You’re selling the promise of transformation. Your online course? It’s the bridge that takes your students across the valley to the other side – from where they are today to what they can see in the distance but can’t reach on their own.
Are you ready to build that bridge?
Let’s break down exactly how to create an online course that transforms lives and generates real value for your potential customers and your business.
By following these takeaways, you can create and sell profitable online courses that truly transform your students’ lives and establish a successful online course business.
An online course is a structured learning program conducted entirely over the Internet. A well-defined course outline is crucial for organizing and structuring the course material, serving as a roadmap that guides learners through the content.
It typically consists of pre-recorded or live lectures, discussions, assignments, and assessments.
Online courses offer unparalleled flexibility and convenience, allowing learners to access the material at their own pace and from anywhere with an internet connection. Whether youโre looking to advance your professional skills, pursue academic education, or simply enrich your knowledge, online courses provide a versatile solution to meet your needs.
Creating and selling online courses can be a highly rewarding experience, both financially and personally. By sharing your knowledge and expertise with others, you can establish yourself as an authority in your field, build a loyal following, and generate a passive income stream. Online courses offer a flexible and convenient way to learn, making them an attractive option for students who prefer to learn at their own pace.
Some of the key benefits of creating and selling online courses include:
But don’t get too excitedโit’s not magic. Actually, creating the course is, relatively speaking, the easy part. What’s hard? Marketing the course is the hard part. And marketing is the key to a successful and profitable online course business. Let’s talk about that.
Want to know the secret weapon of a successful course creator? They obsess over understanding their target audienceโnot in a creepy wayโin an โI want to help you winโ way. This gives online course creators the insights they need to create a transformational course. It also gives them the strategic foundation they need to develop a marketing plan for the course.
Hereโs what you, as a course creator, need to nail down about your target audience:
The avatar gives course creators a deeper understanding of their best prospects. But that’s not all they need to understand. While the avatar is vital, it’s more powerful when paired with a buyer’s journey map, which describes the path your customers take to solve their problems.
Here are the things to focus on for the journey map:
Conversations with existing clients are a great way to develop an avatar and journey map.
Keyword research can also be used for the journey map, specifically keyword search intent. Find keywords with informational search intent and review the content that is being featured on page one of the results page. The content themes and the People Also Ask section will give you insights into what your best prospect is investigating in the research stage. Do the same thing with keywords with commercial intent. These are people in the prospecting stage. Keywords with transactional intent will help you understand the questions and obstacles to be addressed in the decision stage.
Reddit is another fantastic source for creating the journey map. Find a subreddit where your audience is likely to be found. Search the subreddit using informational, commercial, and transactional keywords. Analyze the conversations.
Pro Tip: Jump on calls with potential students and record them (with permission). Their exact phrases will become your online course marketing goldmine.
Hereโs a hard truth – passion isnโt enough. You want to create online courses that solve real problems and have people pull out their credit cards, so let’s get practical about how to create online courses:
Think about itโwhen buying an online course, would you rather pay $497 for a course that saves you $5,000 or $47 for an online course teaching basic skills? This isnโt hard.
Skip the guesswork with these street-smart tactics:
Defining your learning outcomes is crucial when creating a course that will sell. These outcomes summarize what learners will gain from taking your course and play a key role in marketing it to potential students. Learners must understand precisely what they will achieve by the end of the course.
Pro Tip: Learning outcomes are clear statements that define what learners will know, be able to do, or demonstrate by the end of a course or module.
To write effective learning outcomes, focus on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes your learners will gain. Basically, describe how they will achieve the transformation they seek.
Aim to write at least nine learning outcomes to outline your course’s benefits clearly.
Start at the finish line and work backward:
When you create an online course, it is crucial to plan and structure the course outline to ensure it meets the needs of your students and achieves the desired outcomes.
Recognize that your students will have different learning styles. Use a formula like VERB: Visual, Experiential, Reflective, and Behavioral to create online courses that bring value to every student.
These components represent different types of learning activities or experiences that can be incorporated into an online course to enhance engagement and learning:
Incorporating all these elements into your course outline ensures a rounded and effective learning experience that addresses various learning styles and preferences.
Pro Tip: Your students donโt need more information – they need transformation. Less really is more.
An instructional design storyboard visually represents your online course content and flow. It helps you organize and structure your course material logically and coherently, ensuring that your students learn effectively and efficiently.
Don’t skip this step. An efficient and effective course is more likely to be completed and deliver value to the learner. Completed courses that deliver value result in learners who spread the word and give you five-star reviews.
To create an instructional design storyboard, follow these steps:
By planning your online course with an instructional design storyboard, your course will be well-structured, engaging, and effective in achieving its learning objectives.
When youโre confident in your online course structure, plan, and delivery methods, itโs time to start creating your course content. Filming, recording, and editing are crucial steps in this process.
Popular recording styles for online course content include video, audio, and interactive content. Even a smartphone can be used to record high-quality video content.
Ensure clear audio by using a good microphone, and consider investing in a tripod for stable footage.
Edit your content to make it engaging and easy to follow. This will ensure that your learners stay captivated and easily absorb the material.
Pro Tip: Use Canva to create engaging course slides and video content. Its templates and intuitive design tools make producing professional visuals a breeze, even if youโre not a design expert!
Letโs talk numbers. Most course creators underprice their online courses. Lowering a price is easy; raising it is harder.
Price is also a surrogate for value. A low-cost online course will not be perceived as a high-value solution.
“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” ~ Malcolm Forbes
And the effort needed to generate revenue for your online course business is also a factor to consider when determining the price.
Check this out:
Plus, higher-paying students usually take action and get better results, which leads to testimonials and positive online reviews.
Price based on:
You donโt need expensive online course platforms to get started. Save yourself months of wasted time with this MVP approach to pre-sell your first online course:
“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” ~ Reid Hoffman
Prove the idea before investing a bunch of time and money into your online course business. It’s crucial to validate market demand by distinguishing between interest in a free course and a paid one. Testing will ensure your potential students are willing to pay for the course.
Choosing the right online course platform is a critical decision that can impact its success. Many options are available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
There are three main course platform options for your online course:
When selecting a platform, consider the following factors:
Once youโve proven people love your course and youโre ready to create an evergreen online course:
Get their attention:
Use email marketing to build relationships and trust:
Measure and track big things:
Creating and selling online courses doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, simplicity is often the best way to sell them. Having a simple marketing plan helps a lot!
Fostering engagement and support is essential for creating a successful online course. Encourage learners to interact with each other and with you, the instructor. Use discussion forums, live sessions, and social media groups to facilitate communication and build a sense of community. Celebrate the wins.
“People donโt buy products, they buy relationships, stories, and magic.” ~ Seth Godin
Provide support through email, phone, or live chat to help learners overcome challenges and stay motivated.
Consider offering additional resources, such as eBooks, webinars, or one-on-one coaching, to enhance the learning experience and ensure your students feel supported throughout their journey.
Itโs essential to have a solid marketing and promotion strategy in place. Here are some pre-launch, launch, and post-launch strategies to consider:
Collecting feedback from students is essential for improving your online course. Use surveys, quizzes, and discussions to gather feedback and understand what learners like and dislike about the course. Ask specific questions about the course content, structure, and delivery to identify areas for improvement. Analyze the feedback and make necessary changes to enhance the learning experience. Consider offering incentives, such as discounts or free resources, to encourage learners to provide valuable feedback.
This ongoing process will help you refine your online course and ensure it meets the needs of your learners.
Pro Tip: Pick up the phone and call them. Ask them what they think. They’ll tell you if you ask.
Sell the destination not the road.
~ James’ism
Want to know what really makes a course profitable online?
Itโs not fancy video production or complicated marketing funnels. Itโs:
As you reflect on creating a profitable online course, remember that the actual value lies not in the content itself but in the transformation it promises. You’re not just selling an online course; you’re offering a bridge to a better future for your students. Focus on how your course can change their lives, solve their pressing problems, and deliver tangible results. By centering your course creation and marketing efforts on these transformative outcomes, you ensure your course is profitable and impactful.
Master these basics, and you will be ahead of 90% of course creators out there.
Finally, for a profitable online course business, start small, learn fast, listen hard, and let your studentsโ success guide your growth.
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Since 2010, James Hipkin has built his clientsโ businesses with digital marketing. Today, James is passionate about websites and helping the rest of us understand online marketing. His customers value his jargon-free, common-sense approach. โJames explains the ins and outs of digital marketing in ways that make sense.โ
Use this link to book a meeting time with James.