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If you’ve got skills people want to learn, you no longer have to study to become a college professor or deliver classes at night school. The internet has revolutionised online learning, with 21% of British people enrolling in an online course at some point in their life.
The pandemic positively impacted this thirst for knowledge, too, with nearly half of Brits saying the lockdown gave them more free time to focus on learning.
This increased appetite for learning brings opportunities for businesses, especially those with an expert team specialising in a niche skill. What can you teach your audience? You’ll be surprised at how transferable your skills are.
Modern marketing is all about providing value, so what better way to provide value than by educating your audience? Adding online courses to your repertoire will not only bring new eyes to your brand but it’ll also act as a stable source of passive income.
Considering creating an online course as part of a new side hustle or even a pathway to full-time self-employment?
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about making a profitable online learning service, including structuring your course, creating content, online course platforms and even marketing.
And remember, planning is one of the most important things to ensure you turn a profit with your online courses. Take the stress out of accounts with Crunch’s cloud accounting solutions, which not only help with bookkeeping and expenses but also offer intelligent forecasting tools so that you can plan for your online learning venture.
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Choosing a profitable course topic
There are so many types of online courses, covering everything from creative hobbies to academic degrees. According to a study by Oxford Colleges, the most popular online course categories are science and technology (21.8%), followed by business and marketing (10.7%) and healthcare and fitness (10.7%). There is also an “other” category, which is the second highest at 19.9% – this highlights the real variability of online course subjects.
Though these course categories are somewhat vague, you can tell that the two most popular groupings involve skills that are perceived as career-worthy or valuable – whether that’s things like software development within Science and Technology or Digital Marketing within the Business and Marketing group.
What can you teach?
What type of course you offer will depend on several factors:
Your qualifications
For many fields, there are no legal requirements for teaching an online course in terms of education or qualifications, but that doesn’t mean anyone can teach anything. For example, if you want to teach an online marketing course, you might benefit from a Chartered Institute of Marketing accreditation.
Your skillset
The best online courses are those delivered by experts in the field. You might not need a degree in your subject area, but you must be confident that you can teach an accurate and well-informed course that benefits your audience.
Your ability to provide accreditations
This varies hugely depending on your industry and the type of course you will provide. If you are making a hobby course, for example, you likely won’t need to worry about accreditations.
That being said, some professional online courses will expect accreditations upon completion, and for this to hold industry weight, you may need to apply to have your qualifications regulated by OfQual via the government website.
Your uniqueness
Technicalities aside, one of the biggest deciding factors for your online course is whether you can offer something different to what’s already on the market. That difference could be in your teaching style, course structure, course content or even just your unique personality. Whatever type of online course you choose to launch, this is vital to your success.
Potential for profitability
This one is tricky and depends on many factors, but it’s something you need to think about from the get-go. Is there a market for your course? And does this audience have money to spend?
Typically, personal hobby courses are much cheaper than professionally accredited courses, so the profitability potential lies in balancing the time you spend making and marketing the course and the price you intend to sell it for.
We’ll talk more about online course formats and pricing later on.
Still stuck for course topics?
Here are some of the top subjects for online learning:
- Academic: GCSEs, A-Levels, degrees and higher
- Beauty & Fashion: Colour analysis, make-up, skincare
- Coaching: Life or business coaching, mentoring
- Creative Skills: Photography, videography, editing, Photoshop skills
- Health & Wellness: Personal training, nutrition, mindfulness
- Hobbies: Painting, digital art, crafts, sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc.
- IT & Software: General digital skills, data privacy, specific software skills
- Marketing: Copywriting, social media, email marketing, platform-specific training
Now that you’ve got some ideas for online course subjects, let’s discuss the practicalities of creating and structuring the programme.
Structuring your course for success
Before you decide on the structure of your online course, you need to outline clear goals and work backwards from there.
For example, if you want to create a passive income stream with minimal day-to-day management, you can create a mini-course and host it on a third-party website like Skillshare or Udemy. This way, your course is available to thousands of users, with minimal marketing effort. But the price point will typically be lower, or you will receive payment based on the number of views while the platforms take a significant cut.
Alternatively, you may be considering a specialised professional course, such as software training, a mix of on-demand online material and group or 1-2-1 video calls. The price point would be higher for a course like this, but you’d have to market it yourself, relying on your industry reputation to attract cohorts.
Common course structures
On-demand course: Learners can access course material in their own time, so you don’t need to manage their progress or performance. You can split this by modules and give learners information about how long it should take. This is as close to passive income as you can get with online courses.
Hybrid, or blended, course: A programme with both on-demand and group or 1-2-1 learning elements.
Webinars: Delivered live and then available to re-watch at a later date, a webinar is a great way to dip your toe into the world of online learning without committing to creating a whole course.
Mastermind: A common professional course structure where a mentor supports a small group of people through group and individual learning, and coaching. This is typically a premium offering as it requires significant knowledge and input.
Creating engaging course content
Now you’ve decided on the topic and structure of your course, it’s time to think about the actual content. This is easier said than done – being an expert in something isn’t necessarily the same as being able to teach others.
How can you ensure your content is both informative and engaging? Here are a few tips:
Determine skill level from the outset
Each course will be different, so make sure your audience knows the entry level before they sign up. If you intend to offer multiple courses for different levels, clarify this from the course description.
Set firm foundations
Ensure learners know exactly what to expect from your course, how long it will take, and what they will achieve at the end—whether this is accreditation or simply improving their knowledge in a chosen field.
Explore different formats
Most online courses are videos that users can watch at any time or need to sign into to view live. That being said, you need to make sure your course is engaging, and not everyone will have the same learning style. Videos, quizzes, imagery, diagrams, and interviews all help ensure your learners retain the information you teach.
Bitesize chunks
Online courses are typically completed around a full-time job and an already busy lifestyle. Take this into account when structuring your course and make it easy for learners to learn at their own pace. Offer modules that take 30-45 minutes to complete rather than over an hour, as they are more likely to fit this in with your life.
Give AI a try
AI gets a bad rep, but there are so many features you can take advantage of for your online courses. From determining course structure to identifying keywords, AI tools can help you become more time-efficient and streamline complex processes.
Quality over quantity
While AI can help with some aspects of your course, ensuring all your content is original and high quality is vitally important – so don’t use Generative AI to cheat it. Any customer-facing content should be something you’ve created yourself. Put effort into coursework, any tests and quizzes and even feedback forms to make it personal. If your time and resources are limited, focus on delivering one highly valuable course rather than splitting your time across multiple efforts.
Test, test, test
Try out your course with peers, or offer a discounted rate for anyone willing to complete it and provide feedback or a review. Don’t be afraid to take criticism and make sure you address people’s concerns. Being as human as possible is vital here – people who take the time to give you feedback should see things change as a result.
Choosing the right platform to sell your course
Once you’ve done the hard work, it’s time to take your course to market. This is vital to your course’s success, as people need to be able to find and access it easily. There are a few options for online course hosting, let’s take a look at what they are, and the pros and cons of each.
Third-party subscription platform
Examples: Udemy, Skillshare, Teachable
These platforms allow users to create an account, and access the full course catalogue from different creators. The algorithm services users with courses that are more relevant to them.
On Skillshare, for example, you will create and upload the course, and all of the platform’s users can access it. You can also offer 1-2-1 services through Skillshare, which helps boost earning potential.
You earn through royalties calculated based on the number of minutes of your course watched, and the platform takes a cut before you receive your cheque.
Third-party hosting
Examples: Thinkific, Vimeo
With the likes of Thinkific, you can host your course on a third party but only make it accessible to your chosen user base– rather than the entire platform’s audience. You don’t get the benefits of the algorithm serving your course to new people, but you do get more control over who sees your course. And, as a result, your earning potential is better.
You can charge for people to access the course, and you receive 40% of the net sales. You can also use Thinkific, or similar, in partnership with your own website, giving members access to your courses via a paywall gateway.
Own website
Examples: WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace
Having your own website is the ultimate marketing tool if you have the time, expertise and budget to invest in development, design and SEO. With this option, you have the most control over who can access your courses, and you also have the best earning potential if you opt for an ecommerce solution built into your site.
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Pricing your course
Pricing your course can be tricky. You need to factor in the costs associated with creation and also navigate the payment options available through your chosen platform. As we’ve mentioned, some channels don’t allow creators to set their own pricing and instead offer royalty-based structures.
You also need to consider the overall market and what your competitors are doing. Courses for individuals, such as hobbies, will likely have a lower price point than professional courses. This is because your target audience may have a smaller budget and also due to the high competition in your field.
Browse classes by competitors and determine a comfortable pricing structure that will demonstrate the course’s value while turning a profit for your business.
To discount or not to discount?
Discount codes are one of the most popular sales tools for ecommerce businesses, but they should be used sparingly. You could offer an initial discount to the first 100 people to sign up, as this will provide an incentive but not devalue your product overall.
If you do choose to go down the discount route, be aware of your profit margins and make sure you don’t sacrifice revenue to get clicks.
Marketing your course
Marketing is paramount to your success online, so how can you ensure that your course reaches the right audience? Let’s examine marketing for online courses and how you can invest in reach while maintaining profitability.
Leverage your existing audience
This should be your first port of call. People already familiar with your brand are more likely to sign up for your course. Let your customer base know that you are launching a course, and consider giving them early access as a reward for their loyalty.
Social media
Promote your course across social media to draw new eyes. Consider where your audience spends their time: you’ll find business customers on LinkedIn, whereas hobbyists are more likely to be on Instagram or Pinterest.
Email marketing and automation
This is one of the most valuable platforms for selling your online course. Email allows you to stay in touch with loyal customers and show them what you’ve got to offer.
The huge benefit of email is that you can personalise your messaging, so if you have a customer purchase the course, you can create a funnel whereby they receive a series of emails throughout their studies This allows you to check in with learners, and provide any additional support as they go.
If your course is part of a new business venture, you might start from scratch with your email list. That’s okay because you don’t need thousands of subscribers to start seeing results. Make sure it’s easy to sign up for your email, and always send relevant and valuable emails to your audience. You will begin to see steady growth as your course gains traction in the target spaces.
PPC (Pay Per Click)
PPC is the umbrella term for digital advertising services like Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. These services offer highly targeted ads, so you create ads that appeal to your target audience. Ensuring you have the correct permissions and cookies, you can also create retargeting campaigns, so users who have visited your site but not bought your course will be served ads that remind them of what they’re missing.
Experiment with FOMO
FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a very powerful marketing tool - but it should be use sparingly. Consider a countdown timer on your website to build momentum for your course release, or only offer a certain number of places to give a sense of exclusivity. Whichever approach you choose, make sure you stick to your promises, otherwise your brand will lose the trust of your audience.
Start a blog
Content marketing reigns supreme, especially for marketers hoping to gain traction on Google Search. Build your SEO ranking with relevant and informative blogs, and use this opportunity to promote your course for those interested in learning more. Not sure what to write about? Try looking for ideas on Google Trends, or use Answer The Public, a third-party tool that lists common search terms relevant to your brand.
Create sales funnels
We touched on this in the email marketing segment, but it bears repeating. The sales process for online courses, especially those with a higher price point, can be quite slow. To purchase a course, your audience needs to really trust you. Engaging with your subscribers through regular emails and offering tasters of what to expect through videos and webinars is a fantastic way to build rapport and encourage people to take that next step with you.
Start selling your online course today
We’ve covered everything you need to know to launch a successful online course. The core of that success isn’t just in the quality and marketability of your course, but also in the profit potential.
However you choose to structure your course, you’ll need to keep your accounts in order. At Crunch, we work with businesses to take the stress out of accounting. Our cloud accounting software supports you with everything from managing expenses to projecting sales and even your annual Self Assessment. There are also expert accountants on hand to help you decipher your accounts and make sure your finances work for you.
When you're up and running and selling courses online, make sure that you're aware of any VAT that's applicable on your digital services. If you're unsure what applies, take advantage of our free consultations and book a call with Crunch today. Our expert advisors will be happy to chat about how we can help your online course business thrive.
