Many people don't think they know enough about the topic to teach, but actually, you don't have to be an expert to create and sell online courses. You just need to know more.
Topics you can cover include art or photography, personal development, music, gardening, gardening, cooking, marketing, technology, languages, and more. Many people have made thousands of dollars a month with online courses teaching things like guitars, how to use special software, or how to bake bread.
Before you dive in and start creating your own online course, help to look at the pros and cons to see if this is the right path for you to pursue.
Pros
- Platform-to-use has simplified the creation of online courses
- You can offer courses that complement your existing business
- Make passive income by reselling the same online program constantly
- Use online courses to lead customers to your other product offerings
- Online availability brings clients from around the world
Several new online platforms are available to make preparing and selling your courses easier than ever before. In addition, as the technology keeps progressing, many of the tools and equipment needed to make the course very simple to use, with professional quality results.
You can create a program to sell in addition to your existing business. For example, if you're a blogger, you can offer a course that illustrates a deeper overview of something specific in your blog's topic area. If you offer a service, you can design and offer online courses for people who prefer to learn and do their own work instead of hiring you.
Creating and selling online courses can offer you a passive income stream. You just have to create the course once, and then you can sell it over and over. In addition, because your path is online, you can have students from all over the world, in any time zone, with no additional effort.
One creative way to use online courses for marketing purposes is to use them as part of a funnel system to lead students to a training program or another service. You can give them a small amount of information or teach them a basic level of service, and then redirect them to your paid victim if they want more of what you have to offer.
Cons
- Online courses may consume time to make
- Depending on the platform you choose, the product may not be hosted on your own website
- Courses usually only work if you target what is already selling
- Looking for a sweet spot that can be challenging
Online quality courses usually offer students a variety of content delivery methods such as text and video, which can take some time to create. Users hope to have a course in the format to access their phones or laptops, with videos and audio files so that they can watch or listen to their daily communication, for example.
When designing your online program, you should choose an online service to host your finished product. This could be your website, or it could be a service as Udemy. Keep in mind that if you choose Udemy or the same site, you do not "have " market or platform, Udemy do.
Like all other money making ventures, your success depends on your needs or desires for your course, and your ability to attract the target market. It's worth putting time to keyword and research trends to focus on what's trending now and what people want to buy.
It can be a challenge to correct your course prices to maximize your earnings while still making affordable for students. This section takes some experiments and mistakes and also involves looking at comparable online programs and getting an estimate of the market price will resist the amount you want to bear.
How to make Online courses
If you're ready to investigate the world of teaching online, follow the steps below.
1. Select a topic only
Make a list of things you know. Maybe that's something your friends and family are asking for your help. Maybe it's a skill related to your work (i.e., how to use Evernote or how to be productive at work at home). Do you have a hobby you can teach others about, like watercolor for beginners or how to lower your score in golf?
2. What is market research
You don't want to spend a lot of time creating courses that no one will buy. Many people may want to know about your topic, but the question is, are they willing to pay to learn it? Before you invest your time, research the best buyers for it will, and whether they are ready or not, willing and able to afford it.
3. Paste your Goals
If you have determined there is a market willing to buy your course, the next step is in determining what you will put into the course. Of course, the content you provide should go deep into the topic and cover all the important aspects. The course is not like a blog post, which often just escapes the surface.
To help organize your courses, think in terms of modules and lessons. The module will be the whole subtopic, with the lesson providing details of that subject. For example, if you have a course on starting a home business, you may have a module on a business plan. Your lesson in the module will include "How to define your USP" and "How to identify your target market."
4. Decide the best method to give the lesson
There is hope that the online course will offer a variety of teaching methods, such as text, video, worksheet, check, abnormalities, audio, and anything else that provides information.
The trick is to determine what format is best for what you're trying to teach. In some cases, you may offer two methods for one lesson. For example, if you are teaching a course on how to use Quickbooks, you may have both a step-by-step instruction and a video tutorial on how to install and set up the software.
5. Make your lesson
This is the most time-consuming aspect of creating online courses. Consider creating a logo or color theme that appears on all subject matter. Reread your text lessons and watch your videos to make sure there are no errors or distractions.
6. Determine how you're going to sell your lessons
For most controls, create a website to host and give lessons. There are membership scripts sites and WordPress plugins that can help you create a system to sell and deliver your course.
For faster, less technical effort, you can use Internet services, such as Udemy or SkillShare. Paying from these sites varies. For example, Udemy instructors pay depending on how the sale is generated (through the market, affiliates, or directly from you).
The benefit to this resource is that you just upload your course and the site takes care of selling it to their members/market, including payment processing. The downside is that they have a market and a platform. Plus, you're competing with other providers, which could mean the need to reduce the price of course to compete.
Read: How to Create a Marketing Plan for a Home Based Business
The last option is a service that can be reached or Ruzuku, which both offer some self benefit with easy and speed Udemy. This option has easy creation and upload such as the service market only, but you can add your own domain, and customize your school like in a self-hosted option. Some offer their resources for free, with more bells and whistles with paid plans. Most integrated with PayPal, or you can use their payment services.
Most of the above options do not require exclusivity so you can sell your Program on more than one platform. However, be sure to read the terms of service before offering your course on multiple platforms.
7. Enter your Program Online
Once you have selected your platform, upload your course. If the platform allows you to customize your direction, such as adding a logo or color scheme, add them. This will help you create your unique brand.
8. Market your Course
Regardless of your platform, you need to promote your course. Even using services such as Udemy, where students can meet you using the Udemy market, you want to do your own marketing.
Start by creating a marketing plan that includes your market, where you can find them, and how you can persuade them to check out your course. Good marketing options include social media, PPC advertising, such as Facebook ads, and article marketing. There are many other free and cheap marketing options too.
9. Keep your course information Up-to-Date
Every few months or so, check that your path information is current and relevant. Outdated information doesn't help your students and can show bad reviews. Don't forget to check and fix broken links to resources.
10. Absorbent and repeat
There is no rule that you should stick with one course. If there are other courses you can teach related to your initials program, make them. You can then refer your students to another course. For example, if you offer a course on how to write a mystery, you can add a course on how to publish a book and/or How to market a book. You can also create new programs in a completely different area.
Read: How To Successfully Create A Marketing Plan Through Social Media
Creating and selling online courses can be quite profitable if you are able to provide a great course and reach your target marketing. Plus, with easier-to-use and more affordable resources to lead you, there's no reason to avoid becoming an online instructor. While it can take some time to make all the lessons in your course, once uploaded, it can be a profitable source of passive income for your existing business or as a business all by yourself.