Selling an Online Course: A Guide for Creators

Learn how to monetize your expertise by setting up an online course

Taking the leap to launch an online course is a smart move for creators eager to share knowledge, monetize their skills, and build a loyal community. With the online world making it easy to reach people everywhere, online education has become a big deal.

This guide will help creators get a clear picture of launching an online course, covering what topics you can teach, ideas for different creator niches, and where you can host your course.

After Reading This Article, You'll Understand:

• Why launching an online course is a great idea for a creator.
• The variety of topics you can teach in your course.
• Examples of creator niches and matching course ideas.
• Places to host and share your online course.

Why Online Courses Are a Good Idea

Scalable Income Stream:
Crafting an online course requires some upfront effort—designing the curriculum, creating the content, and setting it up on a platform. However, once it's live, it acts as a scalable revenue stream. Your course becomes a product that's available for purchase anytime, anywhere. This "create once, sell many" model allows you to earn money even while you sleep, with the potential for earnings to grow as your course gains more traction and popularity over time.

Build a Community:
Online courses often come with community forums or groups where learners can interact, share their experiences, and learn from each other. As a creator, you can foster a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about the same topics as you.

What Can You Teach?

The topics you can cover are endless. Your course should be a natural progression from the content you regularly post, offering extended and more in-depth value than you can fit in your regular content. Whether it's photography, painting, coding, or starting a business, there’s a lot you can share.

Niche Examples and Course Ideas

Photography: Courses on different styles, editing tricks, or smartphone photography.
Cooking: Courses on various cuisines, baking, meal prep, or special diets.
Fitness: Courses on workout plans, yoga, or nutrition.
Writing: Courses on creative writing, copywriting, or getting published.
Music: Courses on playing instruments, music theory, or making music.

Which Platform Should I Sell My Course On?

There are several platforms with easy-to-use tools to host and manage your course. Here are some picks:

utobo: A comprehensive platform for hosting and selling courses, digital products, and blogs, with tools to integrate with your existing online presence.
Udemy: A popular choice with a large audience.
Teachable: Known for easy course creation tools.
Skillshare: Great for short, fun classes.
Thinkific: A good mix of simple use and strong course management features.
Podia: Simplifies selling online courses, memberships, and digital downloads.

Most of these platforms come packed with all the resources you need for the development of your course, including a digital ‘storefront’ to share with your audience and educational material for you as you develop your curriculum.

Adding Your Course to Linktree

One of the best ways to share your course with your audience is by adding it to Linktree! Here are some tips for when you add your course link to your Linktree:

Catchy Call to Action (CTA): Create a compelling CTA like “Jumpstart Your Photography Skills Now!” to grab attention.
Launch Promotion: When you launch your course, place the link at the top of your Linktree to catch your audience’s eye. A lot of people will want to see what you’re offering, make it easy for them!
Reviews: As your audience takes your course, consider asking them for reviews and testimonials and adding that as a second link! You could even compile these into a video and include an embedded video on your Linktree.

Launching an online course is a solid step towards sharing your knowledge, earning from it, and building a community. Pick a topic you’re passionate about, find the right niche, choose a good platform, and you're on the right track to offering a great learning experience.