How do you turn your expertise into an online business that makes money? At Kartra, we’ve known many entrepreneurs who leveraged their knowledge to create profitable online learning experiences! This guide covers what it takes to achieve success as an online course creator.
Set specific, measurable goals
Making money from your course is the obvious goal, but think about what that looks like for you on a practical level.
In learning how to sell online courses, do you hope to create a lucrative side hustle? Drive brand awareness for an established business? Replace your full-time salary?
Whichever goal you choose, quantify it. Set a number. Create a target.
For example:
- revenue per month
- revenue per year
- number of sign-ups to grow your email list
You can always adjust the goal later, but having a clear target will keep you on track as you develop course content, set a price, and market your new product.
Choose a niche
Online courses are all over the internet today. That doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile business opportunity — it just means that you need to differentiate your course from the rest if you want to succeed.
Most course creators don’t realize how many sales they miss out on by trying to be everything to everyone!
To stand out from the competition, create a course that is mega-valuable for a specific audience. From the content of the course to the way it’s marketed, your ideal audience should be able to recognize immediately that this product was made for them.
Researching your competitors is a great way to understand what resources already exist and analyze how you can bring something new to the table. But let your audience research shape your course idea. Their questions and pain points will tell you what information they are willing to pay for — and for how much!
What if my course idea is valuable for a wide audience?
Even if that’s the case, you don’t need everyone to buy your course, just a certain number of people. And to convince those people that your course is worth it, they need to feel that it’s been created to meet their specific needs.
How to do audience research
The basic rule of audience research is to spend time where they spend time!
Discussion forums and online communities, for instance, can be goldmines. Read the discussions and pay attention to recurring questions, challenges, and the language used by participants. You can even engage in conversations, ask open-ended questions, and listen actively. This will help you identify common pain points and knowledge gaps.
In addition to forums, social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram offer valuable opportunities for audience research.
Join relevant groups and follow industry influencers to stay updated on trends and discussions. Analyze the content that garners the most engagement and take note of the topics that spark interest and debate.
If you already have a brand and an existing client base, use interviews, surveys, and quizzes to gather direct feedback. Your course isn’t just something that you’re selling — it’s the answer to someone’s question and they’ll be happy to know you’re working on a solution.
How to develop a clear value proposition
Your value proposition clearly states what your course does and for whom.
However you end up phrasing it, this summary sentence or two requires you to know exactly who you want to teach (your audience), what your course will cover (the solution to a problem), and why it will be worth your students’ investment (the results).
The value proposition is the selling point of your course. The best version of your value proposition should be central to your website, your course landing page, and your social media.
It’s what sets you apart from competitors and attracts your ideal clients.
Here’s a template for drafting the first version of your value proposition (it’ll likely go through many iterations!) While this particular template is in first person, feel free to mix it up and phrase what you do in the most compelling way for your audience.
Value proposition template
I teach [audience] [solution to a problem] so they can [results]
Example: I teach urbanites how to garden in small spaces so they can enjoy the mental and physical benefits of being close to nature.
Iteration: Yes, you can garden in your apartment! Learn how to grow happy, healthy plants in this course for busy urbanites.
Build a brand behind the course
Perhaps the most common misconception about selling an online course is that your revenue comes from the product itself.
Every sale is an act of trust —people don’t just buy products, they buy from a particular brand. This is especially true for online courses which aren’t consumable products. When someone signs up for an online course, they are investing valuable resources with the expectation that it will pay off!
The only way to make significant sales from an online course is to sell the brand behind the course. People need a reason to trust you.
What is a brand?
The word “brand” is often associated with logos, fonts, or business names — but it’s a much bigger concept than that. Your brand encompasses everything about how your business is perceived.
From your website and social media accounts to your course content, you should be sending the same message to your target audience about who you are and what you do.
And rest assured you don’t have to know how to design or code to create an online brand! Digital marketing tools like page builders and email software come with professionally designed templates to get your business up and running.
Building a compelling brand is also the only way to scale your business effectively. When you build a whole brand around your expertise, not just a particular course, a world of opportunities opens up.
Instead of a disengaged customer base, you’ll have a community that genuinely values your expertise. Previous students will want to stay on your mailing list to get your latest insights and will be the first to sign up for new courses. People who have signed up for your membership program will feel there is lasting value in their subscription and recommend it to others.
How far you want to scale your program is up to you. Just remember you’re ultimately selling your expertise and your unique perspective.
What if I don’t have a following yet?
For a first-time course creator, organically building a following from scratch can seem daunting, but this long-term strategy is the best way to sustainably grow your business. “Organic” content marketing — as opposed to paid marketing — involves creating valuable, relevant content that naturally attracts and engages your target audience.
By focusing on quality and consistency, you can build a loyal following of people who are invested in what you have to say. Specific examples of organic tactics include:
- Creating social media posts, videos, and reels
- Sending value-packed emails and newsletters
- Writing blog posts and guest articles
- Producing podcast episodes or making guest appearances
- Engaging in relevant discussions and forums
- Following search engine optimization (SEO) best practices
As more people discover and engage with your content, your credibility and influence will grow. Plus, there are marketing efforts you can implement in the short term to kickstart your business.
For instance, paid ads can boost visibility when you’re first getting started, and you can encourage referrals by beta-testing your course or running limited-time offers.
Learn more in our beginners’ guide to marketing your online course
Use a course pricing model that works for you
Online courses are versatile digital products that look very different from business to business. There are many ways to package an online learning experience!
Here are several pricing models to consider:
- Fixed Price — sell course materials for a convenient, one-time fee
- Subscription — charge a recurring fee for ongoing education
- Membership — give students an exclusive experience, not just a product
- Tiered Pricing — provide multiple course options with varied pricing packages
- Build-Your-Own — let students customize their course experience
- Freemium — introduce prospects to your brand with a free mini-course
There are pros and cons to each type of course package, so take time to identify what works best for your idea. To hone in on the right price and pricing model, go back to the course’s purpose. What do you need it to accomplish for your brand? What is it going to accomplish for your students?
For example, if you want a hands-off online course business that runs on autopilot, it probably makes more sense to offer your course for a fixed price. You’ll have to have a solid marketing strategy to generate new course sales, but you won’t need to continually release new materials like you would if you ran a membership program.
How much to charge for an online course
To settle on the price of the course itself, calculate your revenue goals and do in-depth audience research to judge how much students will be willing to pay for your course. These numbers may change but getting them on paper is a good start!
Pricing formula
[Revenue Goal] / [Number of Sales] = [Price of the Course]
Example: $2,000 / 10 sales = $200 course
Always remember that the price of your online course needs to accurately reflect its value. And while competitor analysis can help you understand the market, you don’t have to do what others are doing!
Want to avoid overpromising or underselling your course? Check out our step-by-step guide on How to Price an Online Course
Sell courses directly on your website
To make real money from an online course, the best place to sell it is your own website.
Selling courses on your website gives you exclusive ownership of your products and your audience — allowing you to take home the profits and build a scalable brand.
To do this, you will need an online course platform that lets you upload course content and gate it behind a paywall.
Why your course needs a landing page
An effective course sales page facilitates the sale, giving interested students the information they need to make a purchase decision. The page should walk potential customers through the benefits of your course, what to expect, and where to sign up.
Be sure to include social proof for added credibility — such as reviews, testimonials, or success stories.
Also consider providing a course outline to show potential students what they can expect to get out of each module. Your course landing page will be the foundation of your sales funnel!
The best platform for selling online courses
Kartra’s all-in-one software makes it easy to upload video tutorials, ebooks, downloadable PDFs, and any other materials. You can even set membership tiers where paying customers only get access to the course materials that belong to their plan.
Our platform was designed with everything you need to create, market, and scale your brand while providing a high-quality experience for your students:
Key Kartra features include…
- User-friendly website builder with professional templates
- Membership site software
- Video and webinar capabilities
- Email marketing automation
- Marketing and course analytics
Although you could find these features in individual programs, a comprehensive course platform keeps you from paying for multiple subscriptions and managing software integrations as your business grows.
Other ways to publish an online course
There are three main types of course publishing platforms in the e-learning world: independent membership sites, online course marketplaces, and learning management systems.
Membership websites give content creators the most control over their products, but it’s important to understand the purposes of alternative learning platforms:
A massive open online course (MOOC) is a course marketplace that educates large numbers of online students on a wide range of subjects. Not intended for independent course creators, a MOOC (such as Udemy or Skillshare) is its own platform with its own member base. Educators upload either paid or free courses to these platforms for online learners to access.
A learning management system (LMS) is used primarily by schools or businesses to facilitate online classwork and training programs. It integrates more administrative tools than an online course platform and is not intended for independent course creators. Popular learning management systems include Canvas, Google Classroom, and WordPress LMS plugins like Learndash.
Aim for progress, not perfection
Successful online course creators aren’t afraid to fail.
There’s a lot involved in producing and marketing an online course — and a lot of advice on the best way to do it — but the fastest way to success is to start with what you know!
You might even find that what works for you looks different than what other course creators are doing.
Focus on giving your students a valuable learning experience and then be willing to adapt your strategy as you learn and hone your skills. We’re excited to see where the journey takes you!
Next on your online course creation journey…
→ How to Create Your First Online Course
→ How to Price an Online Course: Steps and Strategies
→ How to Launch Your Online Course: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximize Revenue
→ How to Market Your Online Course: Successfully Grow Your Business