Crafting an Online Course: Your Comprehensive Handbook

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{There are countless ways to make money online, and I feel like I’ve tried almost all of them. I’ve created digital products, run a blog that’s made me millions, and I’m also a YouTuber with over 370,000 subscribers on my Wealth Hacker channel. From years of experience, I’ve learned that most online income strategies can work if you’re prepared to fail a few times before succeeding.

Interestingly, I also offer an online course for financial advisors looking to expand their online presence. I was once a financial advisor wearing a suit daily and meeting clients in person. Thanks to the internet, I sold my financial planning practice and shifted my focus to blogging and other online ventures.

Why did I create an online course? I got the idea from Ramit Sethi, a personal finance expert and best-selling author. Inspired by his success with various courses, I decided to build my own. Financial advisors across the country started asking how I broke into the online space. Initially, I gave away my advice for free, but I noticed that many people didn’t take action. So, I started charging for consultations, realizing people were willing to pay for valuable information and were more likely to implement my strategies.

That’s how my first successful course, The Online Advisor Growth Formula, was born. It helps financial advisors build an online brand and new revenue streams. I began with a beta version at $500 and eventually charged up to $2,500. Over two years, I made more than $200,000 from this course and learned a lot along the way.

Creating an online course is still a viable opportunity. The global e-learning market is projected to be worth $374.3 billion by 2026. Even a small piece of that pie could change your financial situation dramatically and maybe even mean you never have to work a regular job again.

Here are the nine steps I believe you need to take to create a successful online course:

1. Pick a Topic: Decide what your course will cover based on your expertise and passion. Think about hobbies, professional credentials, or unique skills you can teach.

2. Market Research: Validate your idea by checking if people are willing to pay for it. You can use Google Forms for surveys, research existing courses, or ask for feedback from people you know.

3. Outline the Course: Create a basic structure for your course. Think about the main lessons, the order they should go in, and the ultimate goal of the course.

4. Decide on Delivery Methods: Choose a platform like Teachable, Kajabi, or Thinkific to host your course. These platforms handle payments and track students for you.

5. Validate the Course: Test your course idea with a beta version. Gather feedback to refine your content before the full launch.

6. Create the Course: Use feedback to fill in any gaps. Decide if your course will have video lessons, audio lessons, or slideshow presentations.

7. Get Testimonials: Ask successful beta testers for testimonials and use them to build credibility on your sales page.

8. Launch the Course: Promote your course by sharing on social media, posting on LinkedIn, emailing your list, using Facebook ads, collaborating with other creators, hosting webinars, and more.

9. Ongoing Marketing: Keep promoting your course through various channels like Facebook ads, free mini-courses, webinars, sales, blogger reviews, affiliate programs, Facebook groups, and YouTube ads.

Remember, creating and marketing a successful course takes time and effort. The key is persistence and adaptability. With commitment, you can turn your online course into a significant income stream.