Do you want to create an online course but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve started creating your course but hit a roadblock. In either case, this blog post is for you! We’ll walk you through the steps of creating an online course, from brainstorming and creating content to marketing and selling your course. Let’s get started!
In every startup or business venture, you need to create an MVP which stands for minimum viable product. This is the most basic version of your product that you can create and still have it be useful to your target market. When creating an online course, your MVP follows these steps:
Notice how we don’t create the course until the very end? This is because it’s the most time consuming part, we should figure out if people are going to buy it first before we create it.
Creating an online course takes months and months of hard work. The worst thing you can do is spend tons of time making the course and then when you launch get nothing but crickets.
The first step to creating an online course is validating your idea. Ask yourself:
If you can answer yes to these questions, then you’re on the right track.
There are a few ways to validate your idea:
First, focus on what the dream outcome is for potential buyers. What is it they really want? As Alex Hormozi says, sell them the vacation not the flight.
Their dream outcome is your headline. Boom done.
Next we need to list out all of our customers pain points. The more painful the better. If their pain point or problem is they think eating healthy cost too much money:
“You’ll learn how to eat healthy without hurting your wallet”
For every objection or pain point, you’ve got to deliver on a solution.
The next step is to presell the course. This means creating hype and anticipation for the course before it’s even created. The best way to do this is through email marketing.
You can do this by creating a landing page with an opt-in form and giving away a freebie course. For example, if you’re creating a course on social media marketing, you could give away mini-course that teaches them the basics but has a few hidden gems.
When people opt-in to your freebie, they are added to your email list. From there, you can start building a relationship with them and get them excited about your upcoming course.
Once they’re excited, send them on your landing page and give them the opportunity to purchase the course early for a massive discount. This helps validate your course before even creating it.
Once your idea has been validated you need to work like a madman to create the best course possible and fulfill the sales you just received.
You can use several course platforms to do this. My favorite is Thinkiffic because it allows you to create a beautiful landing page, has an easy to use interface, and is very affordable. No code is required to get up and running fast.
Creating an online course is a lot of work but it’s also a lot of fun. You get to be creative, share your knowledge with the world, and make some passive income in the process.
Everything is in place and you’ve proved that your MVP works. You’ve made your course detailed and it provides MASSIVE value to your target audience. The last thing to do is optimize for conversions.
Here are number of ways to do this:
Creating an online course can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It all depends on the length and complexity of the course.
If you’re just getting started, I recommend creating a shorter course (around 30 minutes to an hour) so you can get it done quickly and see if there’s demand for your topic. Once you’ve validated your idea, it’s time to double down on your hours.
Creating something so valuable that people rave about it and tells their friends takes time. You’ll need to put in way more work to accomplish this.
The cost of creating an online course varies depending on the production value. A simple course with just audio and slides will cost you less than a course with video, graphics, and animations.
To get started, I recommend investing in a good microphone and recording software. You can find both of these for under $100. Next you’ll want to use an online course platform that takes care of the website and delivery of the content.
Creating an online course is a great way to share your knowledge with the world and make some passive income in the process. Course validation is so important so make sure you really nail that first. By following the steps in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful online course.