Ever wondered how to turn your knowledge into a profitable online course? I’ve been there, done that — and trust me, it’s easier than you think. Online courses are incredibly powerful. They’re one of the few businesses you could start tomorrow — on a super-tight budget — and do incredibly well with.
In this post, I’m going to teach you everything I know about launching a successful online course.
You’ve probably heard me mention it a few times on my podcast and blog, but online courses are one of the best ways to make money. The value you can provide in an online course, especially when you create one that solves a burning question people have, is simply unmatched.
But how can YOU create and sell them?
Now, I’m no stranger to online courses, some would even say I’m a veteran at it. And after years and years of creating online courses, from those that were hits to those that weren’t, I finally have the answers so you can create your own.
While I can’t cover all the details in this short blog post, I can give you an overview of the 3 most important steps to follow when creating and selling your first online course.
Step 1: Find out what people really want to buy
Before you start creating courses, it’s important to make sure that people actually want what you’re trying to teach. Focus on understanding your target audience and their pain points. What are they struggling with? What do they want to learn? You can do this by using surveys or simple market research to find out what people want most.
Many would-be course creators make the mistake of jumping into the technical details before validating their idea. They get caught up in the excitement of creating the course itself and forget the most important part: the audience. I know it’s easy to get caught up in the bells and whistles – how you’re going to film it, how much you’re going to charge, where you’re going to host it. But trust me, those details can come later.
You don’t need a Hollywood budget to get started. All you really need is a domain name and a way to build trust with your potential customers.
Take my blog for example. I’ve built an audience by consistently providing valuable content that addresses their needs. By consistently providing value and building trust through my blog, newsletters and other resources, I’ve cultivated an audience eager to learn from me through my courses.
Once you’ve identified what people are eager to buy, it’s time to shine a spotlight on your offerings. Here are some proven strategies to drive significant traffic to your site without breaking a sweat.
Step 2: Blue-Sky Brainstorm the perfect solution
Once you understand your readers’ biggest problems and pains, you can start brainstorming the perfect solution to address their needs.
We call this Blue-Sky Brainstorming. You get the chance to explore a ton of ideas and see what could work. No ideas are off the table. In fact, we encourage you to come up with crazy, ideal solutions. That’s where breakthroughs happen in the products you build.
To make it easier, let me break-down the Blue-Sky Brainstorming method:
- Unleash your creativity: No idea is too wild! Encourage unrestrained thinking to break free from conventional solutions and you’ll be surprised at what you come up with.
- Dream big: Envision the IDEAL solution, even if it seems impossible now. This sets the bar high for your final product.
- Empathy is key: Understand your customer’s deepest pain points and desires. I mention this a few times throughout this section but it really is one of the most important aspects to creating a course that people actually want to buy. Targeting your customer’s pain points is how you’re going to ensure your solution is truly valuable.
- Embrace the unexpected: Breakthroughs often come from exploring unconventional ideas. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries with your course.
- Clarity is power: Define the problem and the dream solution clearly. This puts you well on your way to success.
My team and I actually Blue-Sky Brainstormed our own perfect solution with a course we built called Earnable. This course was our solution to a huge problem our readers faced: Building and growing their business. The course includes everything we could conceivably think of as part of our dream solution. It has templates, word-for-word scripts, hands-on tactics, customer psychology insights, and more.
And guess what? That course went on to generate millions of dollars in sales and you can do the same.
Step 3: Nail your value proposition
As I mentioned earlier, the format is honestly the least important part of your course.
We have students who’ve taken simple approaches with their online courses and seen great success. Some have even used PowerPoint slides and added a voiceover to create their courses, which they sold for tens of thousands of dollars’ worth.
If you understand your audience’s desires, fears, and pain points, and then create compelling messages that resonate, you can attract attention and intrigue to your course. This can be as simple as creating an eye-catching LinkedIn post or writing a memorable Instagram story.
But what will define the success of your course is how well you convey your courses’ value to your audience. This is the art of copywriting, AKA, selling with words.
Copywriting is a big topic and I cover it in more depth here, but here’s a few tips for writing effective copy:
- Be conversational: Use a friendly, approachable tone as if you’re talking directly to the reader.
- Be engaging: Use what you know about your audience to hook your reader’s attention and keep them interested throughout.
- Reader-focused: Emphasize the benefits to the reader and how your course solves their problems.
- Addresses needs and wants: Speak directly to your reader’s desires and pain points, making them feel understood.
If you keep all the above steps in mind you’ll have your own course flying off the shelves in no time.
It’s one of the best things I’ve published (and 100% free), just tell me where to send it:
