Google “online course” and you’ll be getting roughly 11 million results. That’s how popular online courses are – more people are signing up for one and more professionals are taking advantage of the demand.
If you are an expert in a certain field and are thinking of creating your own paid online course site to share your knowledge and skills, you might be interested to know the profitability prospects of having one, among others. Here are a few facts, tips, and tricks on how to create an online course and make money from it:
Potential Income from an Online Course
On average, a course instructor may earn $7000, depending on the course being offered. While this figure looks very enticing, keep in mind that this is the average figure. A course could only earn $60 a month while other elite courses can earn as high six figures in a year.
Length of Time Needed to Create an Online Course
This one really depends on what type of course you are creating and how much resource you already have. It can take as short as less than 5 hours if you already have the technical skills and materials on hand. But if this is something that you are creating from scratch, prepare to invest a good amount of time.
Technical Skills Required
Creating an online course will require video editing and website design skills. You may want to learn about these if you are planning to create your online course on your own. However, if you want to have your course available online much sooner, you can hire someone for these while you focus on the content and structure of your course.
Marketing an Online Course
You can promote your online course through social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn for free. If you want to boost your marketing, they also allow for paid ads. You might also want to advertise on Google. It would be advantageous if you already have a strong following online, so when you post about your online course, you have a good number of audience that will see your post. And since these people are already following your social media account, it means that they believe in your know-how, which makes it more likely for them to sign up and pay for your course. And once you already have students enrolled in your online course, you would benefit from their online reviews. Encourage them to share their experience and rating about your course. A lot of people research on the instructors and reputation of the courses they want to take and a good review will be helpful in making them decide in your favor. Good old fashioned flyering could also work. Participate in relevant events and distribute flyers to potential students.
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
– Albert Einstein
With these tidbits and tips, you are probably more certain by now whether sharing your skills through an online course is something that you would want to venture in or not. If you do decide to push through with this opportunity, keep in mind that success does not happen overnight. Take time in preparing for your online course, ensure quality design and structure, and be actively involved with your students.
About the Author
Michelle Rubio has been writing for SMEs across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK for the last five years. She is a highly-experienced blogger and SEO copywriter, writing business blogs for various industries such as marketing, law, health and wellness, beauty, and education, particularly on creating online courses such as those offered by CourseMinded.com.
Photo credit: Alan Levine
