Sharing your knowledge with the world is a noble pursuit. It can also be a profitable one. If you’re an expert in your field or your company is well-regarded in its industry, why not use that knowledge to teach others?
However, it’s important to remember that selling online courses is a business, not just a way to share your expertise. You need to approach it with the same discipline and strategy as any other type of product or service. Let's dive deeper into how to create courses that sell and our top tactics to drive profit.
Are online courses profitable for your eLearning business?
You can make money with online courses like you can with any other type of product or service.
The key to success is understanding your market, creating value for it, and positioning your offering to stand out from the competition.
The good news for those who plan to sell online courses? The market is ready for you. It’s growing year after year. By 2026, the global eLearning market is predicted to be worth $372 billion.1
Online learning has grown from being a niche market to having a mainstream presence, with more than half of all workers preferring to learn at their own pace.2
In addition, creating and selling online courses can provide you with several benefits to boost your income and stay ahead of your competitors such as:
● Build customer loyalty, drive sales, and increase repeat business
● Establish credibility and authority as a subject matter expert
● Support workplace skills and leadership development
Creating engaging course content step-by-step
To create a profitable online course, you must ensure that your content is engaging. This means that it’s interesting to read, easy to understand, and provides value for your customers.
Here are the steps we recommend to start creating your course:
1. Identify target learners
Before you can create an engaging course, you need to know who your target learners are. This will help you tailor your content and ensure it’s relevant to their needs.
2. Decide on a course subject
You can choose any topic, but make sure that it’s one that your target learners will find interesting. If possible, base your course on a real-world problem that your audience wants to solve.
For example, if you picked shop owners, you could teach about how to transition from retail to e-commerce as digital sales increase.
3. Research your topic
The next step is to do some research. Reference authority websites and industry news to start conducting your research. This will help you create an engaging, accurate, and up-to-date course.
4. Establish learning outcomes
Through research, you should have a clear idea of what knowledge and skills learners need to succeed after completing the course. As you structure your content, keeping your learning outcomes top of mind will help ensure that each lesson is relevant.
5. Create titles that drive clicks
Your title should include keywords related to your course’s content, but it should also be catchy and easy to understand.
How to price your online course
Pricing is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when launching an online course, but it can also be one of the most difficult.
Here are three key factors to help you determine what price point will work best for your audience and business goals:
- The length and depth of the course's material
- Your target audience's budget
- Your competitors' prices and course offerings
When setting a price, you might choose to use a tiered pricing strategy:
Free: Offering a free version of your course is a great way to build an audience initially and get people invested in learning more about what you have to offer.
One-time payment: For some people, a one-time payment is the best way to go. It’s straightforward — and there’s no recurring billing to worry about.
Subscription: If you have a lot of information to share or your course is updated regularly, then selling subscriptions may be the best option.
Premium: Some courses offer a premium version that includes additional materials, such as workbooks or access to an online community.
5 tactics to market and sell your online courses
You've created your online course; now what? The next step is marketing and selling it.
These are five tactics you can use to help make that happen:
1. Create an irresistible offer
A big part of selling is giving your potential customers a reason to buy. For example, they're more likely to hop on board if you offer them a limited-time discount or other special deals.
2. Leverage social media for further reach
Posting your course to social media platforms is a great way to get some free advertising, but you can also pay for targeted ads. Additionally, you can use your social media accounts as a resource for interacting with potential buyers in real time.
3. Focus on the value of your course
You don’t want to focus on the price when selling your course. Instead, talk about the value of what you offer and how it will help them achieve their goals.
4. Craft a compelling CTA
You should always have a call-to-action on your landing page and in your ads. Make sure it’s clear and concise so that people know exactly what you want them to do next.
Moreover, if you plan to work with external partners to increase your revenue, train them to craft a masterful sales pitch.
5. Put user experience first
If you're selling a course, your customers want to be able to sign up for and access it without any hassle. Make sure your platform is reliable and easy to use so that people can get the most out of your offer.
How Absorb LMS can help you sell online courses like a pro
Absorb LMS is a robust LMS that helps you build and sell online courses. It's user-friendly and has the features and flexibility you need to create promotions, deliver valuable content, and customize for your brand.
In addition, we support over 70 different payment gateways, allowing you to manage course bundles so you can sell faster.
If you request a demo, an Absorb LMS expert will walk you through the product and answer any questions you have.
1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130331/e-learning-market-size-segment-worldwide/
2. https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80
