{"id":53049,"date":"2025-10-13T07:38:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T11:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com\/?p=47087"},"modified":"2025-10-28T18:19:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T22:19:18","slug":"how-to-create-an-online-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com\/how-to-create-an-online-course\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create an Online Course in 6 Steps (And Start Earning Passive Income)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Creating an online course<\/a> is an excellent way to build a solid passive income, especially because it\u2019s a business you can start tomorrow with very few startup costs. But to succeed, you need a great idea that people will pay you for, and all the right components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you should know about how to create an online course that\u2019s profitable and life-changing for your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to create an online course: 7 ingredients to consider<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you think you need expensive technology and a flashy website to sell a course, think again. While eye candy can get people interested, they won\u2019t stay engaged if the content and added services you provide are underwhelming.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you do<\/em> need is a good mix of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Written content<\/li>
  2. Coaching<\/li>
  3. Video<\/li>
  4. Audio<\/li>
  5. Worksheets<\/li>
  6. Email<\/li>
  7. Community<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s not to say you need all of it \u2014 overwhelming your buyers with too many options can also be a turn-off. But understanding why each element is important can help you determine which ones belong in your course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Written copy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Regardless of how you fashion your online course, having written copy is a must. If your course consists of just you in front of a camera or your voice, people may have a tough time keeping up with what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It can be an e-book, a short PDF summary, emails, or a PowerPoint presentation \u2014 anything that distills the most important information and enables your customers to look back to it when they need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even my business school professors saw the benefit of utilizing PowerPoint and handouts to help us focus on what mattered most for exams. Obviously, you don\u2019t want to put everything on paper; that would defeat the purpose of the rest of the course. But providing a readable summary can help your buyers remember what you\u2019ve taught them long after they complete the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re going to provide written copy, though, make sure it\u2019s good. Have at least two editors look it over before you publish to ensure you don\u2019t have any typos, grammatical errors, or subpar sentence structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We all know someone who skewers every person they meet online over minor writing errors, so it\u2019s worth the extra effort to prevent them from diverting from your true message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Coaching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s not easy fitting everything you know about a subject into an online course, so don\u2019t be surprised if your users are looking for more. To satisfy that need, consider offering coaching services<\/a> to add value and boost your profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Holly Johnson, who created the Earn More Writing<\/a> course, offers a one-hour coaching session for $150 more than her standard package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt gives course members the opportunity to get very direct feedback from me,\u201d Johnson says. \u201cHaving an hour to talk to me and ask questions can help people figure out their next course of action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Depending on the nature of your course, you can also offer to provide ongoing coaching, which can turn into a profitable revenue stream of its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Video<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Being on camera for at least part of the time can provide a personalized feel to your course. But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a good idea for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the mere thought of it makes you anxious, for instance, that anxiety will shine through in your videos and won\u2019t do you any favors. If, however, you\u2019ve had experience being on camera and you enjoy it, it can help your course members see your passion shine through you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even if you don\u2019t want to be the one in the video, you may still want to have video modules showing your presentation with you speaking in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re considering using video at all for your course, you\u2019ll need some tools to do it right. Camtasia<\/a> is a useful tool for recording your screen and voice at the same time. You\u2019ll also likely need a video hosting site \u2014 we recommend Wistia<\/a> \u2014 to have a place for your videos to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Audio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There\u2019s a reason podcasts<\/a> have become so popular. Whether it\u2019s on video with your screen or in MP3 format, audio allows you to literally share your unique voice with course users. It also lets your customers listen to your course on their commute or while they\u2019re doing stuff around the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Depending on your plans, you\u2019ll need some good tools for audio editing. Again, Camtasia is great for this if you\u2019re combining your voice with a screen. If you\u2019re going full audio, though, Audacity<\/a> is a decent free option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Worksheets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Reading your content or listening to you talk may not be enough for your customers. At least that\u2019s how Johnson sees it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWorksheets give course members a way to do some hands-on work,\u201d she says. \u201cThey can also help people visualize their goals. Some of my course members even print out their worksheets and keep them in a binder to look back on later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Worksheets can help your course users tailor your message to their individual situation and needs. For example, we talk a lot in blog posts about how to create a low-cost business. But without our Idea Mapping Checklist<\/a>, you may never have the system you need to decide which business idea is right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. Email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    An email list is essential to building and growing your audience. Above all other marketing channels, email is the most reliable way to communicate and sell to your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can even build your entire course around email<\/a>, though it should be used as a means to get people to buy your product rather than the end itself. Whatever you do, don\u2019t build an email list and then do nothing with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A good email service provider is crucial to your online course. One example is MailChimp<\/a>, which is free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. If you want unlimited emails, paid plans start at $10 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. Community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Johnson doesn\u2019t currently use email for her course, but that\u2019s because she has a strong community on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy Facebook group gives my members the opportunity to ask questions and get real responses,\u201d she says. \u201cI answer almost every question posed and plenty of other experienced writers do as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Johnson\u2019s community also provides a benefit you won\u2019t get with email: the opportunity for users to connect with each other. \u201cWe tell stories, share our frustrations about our clients, and share tips that have worked for us along with tips that haven’t worked,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And the best thing? Facebook is free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Hold off on starting your course<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Learning how to create an online course is a helpful step to making it happen. But don\u2019t break out the recording equipment and sign up for a Teachable account just yet. You need to invest time in establishing a foundation first, if you haven\u2019t already. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n