How to make money selling digital courses and transform your passion into a profitable business? step by step guide

Currently, the selling online courses is a booming business and thanks in part to the massive increase in demand by people who want to improve their skills from the comfort of their homes.

Taking advantage of this boom, the number of people who have dedicated themselves to selling courses in this modality has increased exponentially, because it can represent a great profitability and one of the best ways to earn income online.

In the next few paragraphs, you will learn everything you need to enter this niche on your own, from the steps to create your own digital course, to the means to spread it massively and reach as many people as possible to maximize your potential income.

How much money can be earned by creating courses?

In the same way that it happens with many types of enterprises, there are many factors that determine the amount of income you can generate by creating and selling online courses. To get started, your target audience is a determining factor. It is very different to develop an entrepreneurship course for people with resources, than a crafts course to which few people will have access.

In general, the factors that determine how much you can generate with the sale of a digital course can be summarized in the following list:

• Number of courses on the platform: it is much more profitable to have several courses and thus generate a greater amount of income.
• Course quality: If your course is not of acceptable quality, meaning poor sound, outdated or incomprehensible information, and poor quality audio, it is unlikely that anyone will enroll.
• Course Topic: Currently, the ideal is to design a course focused on a topic of high demand, perfecting skills for income generation. There is a big difference between taking a Python programming course and a crochet course.
• Time frame: the sales of your courses fluctuate considerably depending on the time of year, it is very likely that you have more registrations at the beginning of each year than in months like August, in full summer vacation.
• Promotion and traffic: Most course sales platforms do not promote courses, except in very particular circumstances, so it is necessary for you to publicize your course, either through Facebook Ads, Google ads, email marketingor any means at your disposal.

Depending on all these factors, you can generate income that varies from €10 to €600 per monthand even, depending on the theme and demand of your course, you can even exceed those amounts.

Best niches to create courses

There is a large number of topics in which you can venture for the development of a course. You can develop sessions focused on such varied topics that they can range from digital marketing to cooking.

Among the most popular niches for which to develop a course, we can highlight the following:

Course in new technologies

in this theme we can find courses focused on digital skills, currently in high demand and through which you can generate income through the use of mobile devices and computers with internet.

These workshops include the following:

• Community Manager
• Digital marketing
• e-commerce specialist
• website development
• email marketing
• SEO
• Google AdSense

Art

The arts have taken on quite a digital role in the last decade, since we can find all kinds of modalities, from visuals to music, all on digital platforms, turning this niche into a very profitable source of income.

The most sought after courses of various arts are the following:

• Drawing and painting
• Photography
• writing and reaction

Languages

know several languages it has become an indispensable skill to thrive in the world of work, whether as an employee or an internet entrepreneur.

In particular, English, Korean and Japanese courses are in very high demand, among others mentioned below:

• German
• Arab
• Chinese
• Portuguese

Leisure

It is a theme that has gained great popularity since although generating income is essential, There’s no downplaying having a hobby that allows you to relax while developing a talent..

In this niche the most popular courses are listed below:

• singing course
• Cooking class
• Guitar
• Yoga
• Make up course

Learn how to create a digital course

Creating a course is a process that involves a considerable amount of effort, since it requires defining and structuring a large number of parameters to build an understandable didactic medium for those who register. Each type of course has its different ins and outs, but generally the most popular method of presentations It is through well-prepared and structured educational videos.

Here is a guide you can use to guide you through the process:

Define the theme of the course

The first step is to answer the most important of the questions: What will the course be about? The most recommended thing is that it be about a topic that you are passionate about, of which you have extensive knowledge and that you have the willingness to share it. Another factor to take into account is your target audience.

For this point, you can conduct online surveys, ask acquaintances about the topics that you can obtain this information from the following methods:

• individual consultation to trusted people.
• surveys on-line.
• Research about current trends.

Once you have the required information, you will be able to decide your course of action and if it is convenient to move away from the trends or follow them.

Collect up-to-date information

As soon as the topic of the course is decided, The next step is to review your current knowledge of that subject.. Regardless of your knowledge, most fields of knowledge are constantly updated, so it is necessary to refresh what you know.

In order to provide your subscribers with the best quality information possible, you can follow this list of tips to review and expand your knowledge of the subject matter of the course:

• write and annotate all the information memorized have on the subject.
• Make sure to be as comprehensive as possible, take the time you need.
• Once your knowledge is listed, conducts in-depth research on each pointin order to ensure that it is correct and that the information is up to date.
• you can go to professional websites, monographs, books and other specialists on the subject so that the information is as reliable as possible.

make the structure

When collecting the information, it is very likely that the amount available will be overwhelming for a student, so you will need to make a structure that makes all this knowledge actionable and of use for those who take your course. There are many methods to form a structure and they vary a lot depending on the target audience, the convenience of teaching the course or the topic to be discussed.

So now we present the most outstanding points to take into account when structuring your course:

• General information: course name, link and trainer information.
• Description: makes a general introduction to the theme of the course, summarized in broad strokes.
• Levels: a description of the prerequisites requested of the student. Courses are generally divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
• Goals: You must describe the skills that will be worked on throughout the course and what the student is expected to have learned. They are generally divided into general and specific objectives.
• Structure: list the topic content in blocks, making sure it relates to the objectives and format of the course.
• Methodology: describes the structure of the course, the format, the sessions and activities carried out in class. The most used methodologies are conferences, workshops, masterclasses or tutorials, depending on the theme and structure of the course.

create a script

This step helps us create a story line that will allow you to capture and hold the attention of the students.as well as making the information presented much more understandable.

In general, all text, including the script, is divided into three parts:

• Introduction: it is the first thing that students see and the factor that will make them decide if they want to continue with the course, so you must make an effort to integrate them. You can use any method, from a curious anecdote about the topic, to a question that they will only be able to answer with the knowledge they acquire from the course.
• Contents: In this section, the knowledge contained in the course is displayed through the approach of topics and subtopics in a clear and organized way, so that students acquire the knowledge and skills offered.
• Conclusion: You can use this section to go back to points made in the introduction with the new information acquired and make a summary of what you have learned throughout the course.

develop exercises

Exercises are crucial for a coursesince they allow you to measure the knowledge acquired by students both throughout the course and at the endas well as the effectiveness of the applied methodology.

There is a wide variety of applicable exercises that are modified depending on the structure and methodology of the course, but the most used are the following:

• Trainer explanations: It is the main basis of the course and can be verbal or supported with didactic material such as presentations and videos.
• Discussions: they are the simplest to carry out, although they offer excellent results thanks to the possibility of exploring different points of view on a subject.
• Individual exercises: students solve a task on their own by individually applying the knowledge acquired.
• Group dynamics: It works as a mixture between individual exercises and debates, since it brings together several participants, testing their points of view to solve a task of greater or lesser complexity.
• Surveys: They work both to test the knowledge acquired and to generate debates among students.

start recording

the best you can do it is an investment to get a good webcam and a quality desktop microphonesince these implements are not difficult to obtain and are of great help to give a touch of quality to your course.

To improve quality and ensure your course lives up to your expectations, follow these tips:

• Use good lighting: illuminate your station environment for the course using study spotlights or, if possible, natural lighting.
• Use a teleprompter: It will keep your speech concise and to the point, helping you stay on track.
• Use your voice: use changes of rhythm, pitch modulation, emphasis and other methods to keep your students’ attention. Avoid using a constant, robotic tone, as this will bore viewers.

upload your course

When you finish with the details of your course, you can upload it to the learning management system (LMS) of your choice. Each of these systems has its own characteristics, so it is best to try several to discover which one suits your needs.

Promote the course

This step is one of the most important as it can mean the difference between success and wasted effort. You have many ways to do it, from word of mouth to social media, using paid advertising or employing blog posts.

How to create a sales funnel for your online course?

To achieve maximum reception for your online course, The best thing you can do is apply the sales funnel technique adapted for this modality, in which you must spread the link to your course as much as you can and offer incentives to potential subscribers.

Following the guidelines mentioned below:

funnel stop

The first thing to do is maximize the dissemination of the course. For it, you can use unlimited social networks to make sure it reaches as many people as possible. If you have a blog or social network with a strong fan base, you can publish one or two articles that add value to the topic of the course, in order to interest potential subscribers.

It is advisable to publish your article with a link to the course in the blog of another specialist in the subjectin order to arouse interest by showing authority and credibility through the support of a second professional. Another excellent method is the creation of a Newsletter, which will serve to obtain the necessary leads to have enough contacts to form an email list to spread the course.

half of the funnel

At this point, it becomes necessary to devise a way to capture the interest of customers. This can be done through a technique called “lead magnet”. In this case, you can use a video in the free masterclass mode, through which you can give a sample of what will be seen in the course.

To access this masterclass, you can integrate a call to action in the articles published on social networks, urging readers to sign up for the masterclass. This will also be another method for capturing leads. For people who sign up in this masterclass, You must create a sequence of emails, which will be sent automatically providing valuable knowledge and extending an invitation to buy the course.

funnel bottom

For those who buy the course, it is advisable to offer them one or more benefits for taking advantage of the links offered by the advertising campaign. These benefits can be complementary sessions and personalized material. Finally, for people who enter the funnel by signing up for the masterclass but not buying the courseyou can create a sequence of emails that add value to leads, while nurturing them with information over time until they want to buy the course.

Learn how to make money with third-party courses

You may make money with affiliate marketing in conjunction with several platforms that teach online courses.

You can promote courses of various types on your social networks, for which the platforms pay you remuneration:

Crehana.com

The members of the Crehana affiliate program gives users the possibility of generating income from commissions, originating from the sale of courses and other content that are made through particular links, through which Crehana You can track the sales and movements.

To access the Crehana affiliate program you can follow the next steps:

• Accede to https://www.crehana.com/afiliado/#formSection.
• Login to Crehana and swipe until you see the option “Sign up as an affiliate”.
• Enter your name and email. After, just go to your mailboxlook for the email sent by Crehana and activate your account.
• You will access your affiliate panel in Crehanafrom where you will have access to the functions that will allow you to generate income.
• Go to the main page of Crehana and select the courses you want to share. You will see that the options have been enabled. “Download trailer” Y “Copy link”
• Take the corresponding actions and spread the course as much as you can.
• Every purchase made from the link you share will provide a percentage of the total cost of the course, from 5% to 20%.

coursera.org

The Coursera platform offers a very interesting affiliate program since It has more than 4,000 courses and specializations that you can promote, they generate between 10% and 45% commission earnings. To become a Coursera affiliateit is necessary to have a legal name available since only companies can access this platform as affiliatesin conjunction with professionally designed banners and newsletters.

hotmart.com

It is a very popular tool for the formation of online academies, sale of courses and digital products, in addition to the creation of memberships. It is a great platform to generate income with third-party courses thanks to its affiliate program.

For course creators, Hotmart.com does not charge for the creation of courses, but applies commissions to the sales of the course, so you will only pay what you sell. In addition, if what you are looking for is to be part of the affiliate program, You will be able to find products that offer up to 80% in sales commissions.

Best platforms to publish your online course

One of the most important decisions to maximize the benefits of your course is to choose the right platform to publish it. Each platform has different features and gives you different tools to manage your course.

Let’s see below:

Udemy.com

It is a recent and very popular online academy that has a wide range of excellent quality courses focused on various topics, from art topics like photography to in-demand courses like digital marketing. For trainers uploading their courses from the platform Udemy has quite interesting features for the dissemination of the courseplus an affiliate program that greatly boosts the reach of the courses.

Domestika.org

It is an online course platform accessible both from the browser and from its own application for mobile devices. It has a large number of courses of various types and modalities. Domestika has a rigorous selection process regarding the content that it exhibits and the courses that are taught on the platform.so it requires both information on the course proposal and data on the professional and training experience of the course facilitator.

venture.com

It is a platform that allows you to create and sell online courses. It is relatively little known, although with certain very interesting characteristicss that make it a great option to monetize your knowledge. To get started, this software allows you to create a wide variety of digital products, from online courses to membership sitesfor which it makes available its own applications such as coach rack either Memberfactory.

Tutellus.com

It is one of those that offers more facilities when creating online courses, since it offers quite very understandable and easy to use toolsin addition to having very similar dynamics to Udemy or Domestika It is quite popular, which translates into a lot of potential clients, just like in fierce competition with other professionals who use this platform to sell their courses.

Kajabi.com

Kajabi has become one of the most popular online learning platforms thanks to the large number of tools that it makes available to the user. This powerful platform is among your best options to turn the information you can provide into your way of life.

The tools that offers you the possibility of creating landing pages, web hosting and affiliate management program, among many other options. In summary, it is a very complete tool to manage your online courses, also offering great savings, since it will not be necessary to resort to external tools or even external domains.