Developing an Online Course for a Predictable Income Stream

Theresa Ceniccola is here for the session Teaching Pays: How to Create a Predictable Income Stream by Developing an Online Course.

Why Teach an Online Course?

• You are smart!
• Creates an additional revenue stream
• Positions you as a thought leader in your space
• Provides an opportunity to monetize speaking engagements
• Makes the world a better place

What Should I Teach?

• Ask your people (What do they want to know, and what will they pay for?)
• Ask yourself
• Don’t worry about how much other information is out on the internet; you have a unique perspective and voice

How to Create Content

• This is where most of us get stuck; build your plane while you’re flying it
• Leverage content you’ve already created
  • Blog posts (people pay for convenience)
  • Presentations
  • Documented process
  • Recorded interviews
  • Videos and screencasts
  • Checklists, cheat sheets, worksheets

How Much Should I Charge?

• Value of content
  • What’s included? (Features)
  • How does it solve your customer’s problem? (Benefits)
• Your strategy
  • High traffic, low price?
  • Free mini course with higher price upsell?
  • Library of mid-priced online courses?
  • Annual signature offering? (B-School)

Example: Wedding Planner’s Guide – Blog Posts ($7)

6-month wedding planning online course ($97)

• How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Dress (eBook)
• Weekly video lessons (10 minutes each)
• Audio interview with Bridezilla Slayer
• Facebook group – community

Getting Paid

• Shopping cart solution
• Money back guarantee?
• Lifetime access?
• Affiliate sales?

Where to host/deliver the course?

• Accessally
• Wishlist
• Kajabi
• Moodle
• Thinkific
• Sensei
• LearnDash
• Udemy
• Teachable
• ZippyCourses

Consider:

• Integration with shopping cart and email
• Ease of use
• Cost
• Opportunity to upsell
• Engagement Factor

Promoting and Selling Your Course

• Treat it like a campaign

Lessons Learned

• Don’t give too much information (delivering all course content at once vs dripping)
• Don’t wait until it’s perfect or you’ll never publish it
• There’s no right way or wrong way to do it

Christina Gleason (976 Posts)

That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a professional copywriter, editor, and blogger. My company is called Phenomenal Content. (Hire me!) I'm a multiply disabled autistic woman doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and select types of gaming, including Twitch Sings and Plants vs Zombies 2. I hate vegetables. I have an intense phone phobia, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or IM instead.