As a creative business owner, you’ve probably thought about teaching an online course at one point or another.
You might’ve only given it a few seconds of thought before deciding it’s not your thing.
Or, you might’ve wanted to teach an ecourse but you got lost along the way, not knowing where to start, what software to use or how to market it.
Maybe you’ve already launched your own online course but you were disappointed by the response from your followers.
Over the past four years, I’ve taught 17 online courses, most through my own website and three through CreativeLive.
Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, how to make the process easier and what to avoid. And, I’m going to share it all with you in a six part series that starts today.
Here’s the breakdown of what to expect and when:
Part 1: Intro to the Series and Picking a Topic (This post–keep reading!)
Part 2: The Tools and Software I Use When Teaching an Ecourse
Part 3: Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Course on Your Own Website
Part 4: Planning, Outlining and Naming Your Course
Part 5: Pricing Your Ecourse and Writing Your Sales Page
Part 6: Marketing and Selling Your Ecourse
Bonus: Watch the replay of the LIVE Q & A call!
And, the best part is this is all 100% free.
Through teaching my CreativeLive course, Create Digital Products that Sell While You Sleep, I realized that many of you have thought about designing and selling your own courses. This series is all about helping you avoid mistakes I’ve made and simplifying the process of producing an ecourse so that you feel confident you can do it.
The series will include videos, worksheets and of course, written material.
If you’re on the fence about creating your own online courses, here’s why I think they’re a great addition to your revenue stream and business model:
1. Online courses are one of those things that you can create once and sell over and over.
It’s always smart to have digital products in your business model, so that you can make money 24/7 without additional work. When you have to make every product you sell (like knitted mittens or original paintings), your income is limited because there are only so many hours in the day. And, burnout is real.
2. It gives you the chance to work with other creatives without trading time for money.
When you work with someone one-on-one, you’re trading time for money (example: you coach them for an hour and they give you a set amount of money for it). With an online course, you often generate content that can be consumed by any number of people at any point in time. Instead of only working with one person, 348 people (or more!) can watch the videos or read the content you’ve created.
It gives you the chance to work with more people, without putting in more hours. That usually means that your customers don’t have to pay as much to work with you. Instead of someone paying $495 to work with you one-on-one, she pays $95 to take your course. It’s a win for you and win for your customer.
3. Technology has made it easier than ever to create and sell your own course.
I love teaching at CreativeLive (so much so that I’m going back this fall!), but when you host and sell a course on your own website, you have control over everything and you keep all the profit. Teaching ecourses can be a great boost to your income. Last year, online courses made up over 60% of my income.
4. Students can join you from all over the world.
The beauty of selling an ecourse is that your students can learn 24/7 from the comfort of their own homes, in onesie pajamas if they wish. I love teaching and speaking in person, but it limits who can join and learn from me. When it’s an ecourse, anyone can take advantage. This means your customer base can grow and grow and grow instead of being limited by the local community.
5. People are already trying to figure out how you do what you do.
You might decide that selling ecourses isn’t for you, and that’s fine. But when you start to succeed at what you do, you’ll always have a group of people who check out your website and shop, not wanting to buy your products but wishing to do what you do. Most of those people have the best intentions and aren’t trying to copy you outright. They want to learn your skillset to apply to their own personalities and brand.
These people are the DIYers and the aspiring entrepreneurs. Maybe they want to learn how to embroider so that they can make Christmas presents for their friends and family. Or maybe they want to open their own Etsy shop and sell embroidery. You don’t have to sell to them, but it’s something to consider.
Are you in yet?
If so, this week we’re starting simple.
Your first step: pick your topic.
Before you can do anything else, you need to know what you want to teach.
For some of you, your subject is going to be obvious.
If you’re a knitter, you’re probably going to teach knitting. You’ll have to narrow it down a bit more, picking a project to work on or a set of skills you’ll teach.
If you’re a speaking coach, you’re probably going to teach a course on how to become a better public speaker. Again, you’ll probably have to focus a bit more than that, but your topic is pretty clear.
For some of you, your topic isn’t as obvious.
If you’re a life coach, it could range from helping 20-somethings pick a career to helping women become financially confident to helping couples with intimacy.
If you’re a mixed media artist, you could teach a course on creating backgrounds for paintings or art journaling or painting a specific subject.
Here’s the easy way to pick a topic:
1. Start by making a list of all the course subjects you have the skillset to teach. Jot it all down. Don’t worry, you’re not going to use them all your ideas.
2. Cross off any that won’t appeal to your current target market.
3. Circle the ones that you’re the most excited to develop and teach. (Your excitement will sell the course more than anything else.)
4. Narrow down the circled ideas to two to three choices.
5. If there isn’t an obvious choice among your ideas, ask your followers. You can either create a simple poll or ask them to comment (or reply depending on the platform) with the one they want the most. Ask on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and your blog. Go with the most popular choice.
Now that you’ve got your topic, I want you to do one more thing before next week: start to clarify who the target market is for your course.
You can’t finish this step until you’ve gotten down some more details, but you can start.
Here are the questions you’ll want to think about:
1. Who would benefit from this course?
2. What will most of the students have in common? (interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes)
3. Why will they choose your course over other similar courses? What makes your course different?
4. What are their biggest pain points? (example for a course on learning to budget: lots of debt, feeling overwhelmed financially, feeling like they’ll never get out of debt)
Start to brainstorm your answers to these questions. We’ll do more with this later, but it’ll help to get your ideas flowing.
In the next part of the series, I’m sharing all the tools and software I use when creating and selling an ecourse on my own website.
Even if you’re not ready to teach an online in the next few months, if you do the work during the next six weeks, you’ll be prepared when you want to get started.
If you know that teaching and selling online courses isn’t in your future, you could still get a lot out of: learning how to set up a membership site (because you can sell pretty much anything through a membership site—like monthly knitting patterns or downloadable prints), information on pricing (because we all have to do that no matter what we sell), and learning more about writing a sales page and marketing.
Once you know your topic for your first (or next) online course, leave it in the comments below.
Who knows…others who are reading this post might be interested in taking YOUR course once you’ve launched it.
Thank you April for offering this opportunity. I have been looking for a way to share my talents…and I think this might be it!!!! I am new to selling content. I am a former journalist who has reinvented herself as a social media manager. I’ve have several ideas which come from my journalistic background to give back and take the mystery about connecting with the media. My idea is targeted at business owners. I want to show them how to position themselves as a media expert in their community.
Looking forward to seeing this be revealed!!!
Mary Lu Saylor
Roanoke, VA
Hi, April!
This could not have come at a more perfect time and the fact that it is free makes me happy dance all over the place! Thank you!! I can’t wait!!
My topic: Cute and Creative Tabletop photography l How to set it up & Break it down in 10 Easy Steps!
xoxoxo
Nancy
Totally want to take that Nancy!!! 😀
You are in my “live brain” front row studio audience! 😉
xoxoxo
Oh man, April!
I just went through this process for the first (and second) time, and I gotta say – it’s a lot of fun! It’s a lot of work, and I did a lot of second guessing at EVERY point in the process, but I am SO happy that I did it. I’m sure I’ll do many more, so I’m thrilled to jump on board for this series!
xo
K
I totally need this right now, April! Thank you so much for putting all these together for FREE!!
Looking forward to see this in action.
xoxo,
jeanie
So where do I sign up for these free classes. Excited..
Thank you for teaching on this, April. I have several ideas for ecourses:
– 40 Day Prayer Dare- Dare to be who God says you are
– Princess Warrior Bootcamo – Be all you can be… in God’s army
– Pretty Power Prayers – a simple prayer strategy that can transform you from a worrier to a warrior
– How to create your own Pretty Power Prayer cards (paper edition) and (digital edition)
– How to do Bible Art Journaling (digital style) – Using free and low cost apps
– Simple strategies for hiding Hod’s Word in your heart – without adding extra minutes to your already busy daily routine
Is there a way to edit my comment? I noticed a couple of typos.
Hi, this is awesome, where do I sign up?
I’m a quilt artist and I’ve just done Bschool Bschool with you, April, and Mayi. All the time at Bschool while working on finding the right business idea I saw that my scenario should be online courses as I’ve been an educator for almost 20 years.
So I have several ideas, but the first online course I’d like to start on is How To Make Landscape Quilts.
My audience is quilters, of course 😉
Blessings
Sounds awesome, I’m so glad you’re doing this series!
I’m most interested in the technical bits.
Can’t wait for the next installment.
I assume it’s going to we WordPress specific so I can’t do it on my own domain, sadly, but I could use a separate domain for each course with a WP installation.
Excited about this. While I’m looking at ebooks and similar eproducts at the moment to start selling, an e course down the track would be pretty amazing. Not sure on topic or theme just yet. 48 hours after having my 2nd baby has left me a little distracted by my cute little bundle but keen to start the planning process.
Congratulations, Holly!
Rest, girl, rest! 🙂
xoxoxo
Thanks Nancy. Doing my best to take it easy x
Yay!! I am excited about this too, thank you! I am really interested in the technical/what software to use, how to get started pieces, but the marketing and pricing will be a huge help too.
I have a few ideas and will need to figure out which one to focus on to begin, but it will be something related to making art: book binding, mixed media art, watercolor techniques…maybe even working through an entire painting.
April, This is such a terrific series! I’ve designed two photography e-courses to help creatives define their visual photographic style. I’m currently designing a photography course that focuses on the art of storytelling through pictures. I could have used your tutorials when I first started out and had to figure the whole process out myself. Thanks for putting this together and I’m most interested in learning about the technical and marketing bits.
Painted with dyes on fabric is what I am interested in teaching online.
omg this is so awesome!! Yay! of course, i am in. I would love to teach an e-course about how to enjoy life more. Because after it’s all said and done, i do believe that’s the thing i do best.
Can’t wait for the live hangout!!
xo,
rs
Richelle, LOVE the topic to your e-course! I could totally give that kind of course, too, only I never thought of it! LOL You go, girl!
Thanks, April for this! I am looking forward to this class.
I’ll stick to sewing patterns. Even though there are plenty out there, I’ll infuse my own personality into them. Since I already have a webpage with my ready made handmade products, I may try to sell the first patterns on other platforms, etsy and indie sewing webs.
Of interest to me would be to teach a watercolour workshop for beginners.
I just finished leading a facilitated course on watercolor nature journaling last week and am almost finished with one on color theory and paint mixing using watercolors! Mine are all centered around nature journling though.
Way to go Kelly!
I think a lot of people struggle with time management. It would be nice to figure out a strategy for this, encompassing home management, business, and homeschooling. I really enjoyed listening to you speak at the Movers and Makers Summit in Charleston, SC. Every one of your courses has been truly helpful!
I just finished up my first facilitated online course, Draw Yourself Back to Nature, last week and it was awesome. As of now, I have 1 self paced and the 1 facilitated, but I am going to make a self paced version of “Draw.” Out of questions that arose during that course, I am almost done with a 3rd self paced mini course on beginning color theory for nature journalers which includes 5 tutorials, like watercolor paint mixing, color schemes, etc. And I have a few self paced nature journaling mini courses in line to make this summer and an advanced version of “Draw” to host facilitated in 2016!
So I would love to learn more about making ecourses and streamlining what i am doing as well as finding the best way to host multiple course and make my offerings the best they can be!
April, you’ve done it again! I’m going to share this free series with my #MentorMasterclass sisters and all my mastermind groups!
Oh Wow! This is exciting. I’ve always like your community.
The thought of going through this magical experience together is fantastic.
I’ve had an online course inside me for the last year.
This is the push I needed.
Thank you
My Topic: Get More Clarity On Where Your Business Is Going in 7 Easy Steps.
Don’t Just Build a Brand: Start a Business
Hi April, perfect timing!! I’m just looking for that kind of content to help me create my course about Kid’s Party Decoration. I work making beautiful parties since 2011 and now I wanna teach how I do it. And one of my big concerns, everybody says that good testimonials are the key to sell. How can I get testimonials for selling my first course, since no one has taken my lessons yet? I have awesome testimonials about my parties but not about my teaching. Any thoughts about it?
I love the idea of creating some sewing or toymaking courses. I’m also really interested in helping parents develop story-telling play with children rather than relying on scripted commercial toys (movie and TV characters for example). I can’t wait to see how this develops into an ecourse.
But I am also wondering about the technical side. I’m super low tech, no cell phone, no printer even. I’m concerned about not being able to price well enough because my videos are rather home movie quality and documents are made in Open Office and very basic.
Can you teach something about being able to be low tech (which suits my life and budget) and still create valuable and desirable ecourses?
Hi! Thank you for this. I am working on a short online course as well as a longer one, and it helps to brainstorm not only who my target customer is (and what their source of pain is–that one was great), but also brainstorm what are some other online courses I can offer down the road.
My short course is: 7 Days to Finding More Time.
My long course is: Moms – Have you lost yourself? Rekindle your dreams, your relationships, and your identity.
Hi April, I’m so excited to finally get my bag patterns out into the world and to me sewing and being creative is meditative and doesn’t have to be scary. So my sewing patterns include a positive spin and affirmations to make sewing fun while improving your mood.
I love it, Yolanda! I also find sewing to be meditative and therapeutic. 🙂
I’m beside myself I’m that excited by this course…I love your teaching style and content…I bought your CreativeLive course and am working my way through it and currently my biggest problem is I don’t have a live site or following but course in the works and two small digital products completed (patterns) and a shopify site in the works so I’m trying to figure out how to make this happen if your starting at zero. So anything you could add specific to that would be great.
Hey Heather! Thank you!!!
First, congrats on all the steps you’ve taken so far! That’s awesome!
You’ve got two choices: bite the bullet and set up a website (I recommend WordPress.org) and hosting a course through that OR teaching a course on another platform such as SkillShare or Atly. I talk about both of these options in Part Two…so definitely check that out! 🙂
I’m also a Marie Forleo B-School grad and want to do E-Courses to teach Plant Based Cooking and a nutrition Classes. Do I focus in one specific aspect of it, with
a class series?
Kid friendly meals; Manly meals; Raw Deserts; The Vegan Thanksgiving Table; Disease Prevention and Reversal Recipes.
Hi fellow B-Schooler! It totally depends on what you think your target market will want and how much you want to include in each course.
If it’s super specific, then it’ll be obvious to your followers whether or not the course is for them. It’s easy to say to yes or no to “The Vegan Thanksgiving Table.” Either you’re looking for a vegan thanksgiving plan or not.
I’ve taught courses that are really specific like my course on creating digital products and I’ve taught courses that are more general like blogging for creatives. It really depends on what you think your customers want and what you want to offer.
Hey Friend!
How will the rest of this series be delivered?
TY
Hi Christine! It’s all via my blog. If you’re subscribed to my email list, you’ll get an email each week when the next part is available. If not, check back each week right here at blacksburgbelle.com and you’ll find the next part.
hi, i m looking for the next prt of the course – where i can find it. thanks. Jutta
At the time of your comment, it wasn’t yet available. But, now it is! You can find the link above where it says Part 2: The Tools and Software I Use When Teaching an Ecourse. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi April ~ I am working on a digital book focused on “Hosting a Stress Free DIY Baby Shower”. A video course would be a perfect companion! Eventually I would like to expand to specific themed baby showers and also move into bridal showers.
This is very timely and I’m just getting around to reading these lessons. I’m a photographer and graphic designer and often I come across other photographers who want to know how to create watermarks, do retouching, create a logo, or design a wedding album. I have had the ideal of doing e-courses to teach Adobe Photoshop and InDesign to other photographers and small biz owners who subscribe to the Creative Cloud packages but may not know how to use these software applications. I plan to teach some basic design principles, typography and how to create a simple layouts like: business cards, flyers, brochures, greeting cards, etc.
Thanks for this helpful information.
Great post! I’m excited to follow along your series!
I started jotting down my ideas for ecourses and really didn’t think I’d have so many!
Right now I’m leaning toward this topic: How to Teach Yourself Anything.
I think the topic sounds quite broad (specifically the “anything” part) so I might modify the title a bit, but I think I can provide some good tips to be a self-learner.
I just got really excited about the possibility of this being my first ecourse and had to express my gratitude to you for taking the time to make this awesome series and sharing your knowledge. Thank you!
xo, Tiffany
Hey y’all! The topic of my first course will be dating violence prevention and intervention. April thanks so much for sharing these wonderful tips!
I was blown away at all the information you were willing to share on this blog! I had to bookmark this page so that I could come back to it again and again. Thanks so much for the report.
I have only created one digital product though and it was an e-book, but I am looking forward to learn more about digital products & make some money
Possible topics: “Start Strong and Profit”! and “Deduct, Distress, and Get Growing. Simple Steps to take the stress out of taxes and get your business to true profitability”.
I just discovered your site courtesy of “The Economy of You,” by Kimberly Palmer, and I can already tell I’m going to love it! I’ve been waffling back and forth on the issue of e-courses for a couple of years now, not thinking I had anything to teach, and definitely overwhelmed on how to get started. This series is going to be so helpful! Thank you for sharing this, and thank you for being a bright spot to us creative women!