Want to know a little secret? Creating my very first online course completely transformed my business. I launched the first iteration of The Influencer Bootcamp back in 2018, and my business has transformed drastically since. Creating and launching my online courses allowed me to scale my income without the requirement of trading time for money. And if you’re strapped for time with brand collaborations or one-on-one clients, then it’s time for you to package your knowledge into an online course. This will allow you to scale your business, free up some time, and extend your impact to reach more people. Don’t know where to start? Then this post is for you! Here are 7 steps to choosing a profitable topic for your first online course.
7 Steps to Choosing a Profitable Topic for Your First Online Course
Coming up with the topic of your first online course might seem like an obvious process. But so many influencers, bloggers, and service providers don’t know where to begin when it comes to narrowing down their search. For example, a travel content creator who specializes in budget travel has lots of expertise that covers many areas. A potential online course topic could be how to use credit card points and airline miles to score cheap flights. Or if they run a YouTube channel and create beautiful videos, they could launch their first online course on travel videography and editing. Another topic idea could even be a course on how to become a travel YouTuber.
In my case, I was a travel content creator who launched a course on becoming an Influencer and blogger. Although I’ve gained my expertise in the travel niche, the knowledge and strategies I teach in these courses apply to anyone who wants to become an influencer/blogger. Coming up with a profitable topic for your first online course can be confusing, especially if your expertise covers many different topics and areas. To help you out, here’s my exact process for coming up with the topic of your first (or any future) online course.
1) Start with Brainstorming
Whenever you’re on the brink of a big decision, starting with a little brainstorming is a great way to go. Make a list of potential course topics that you’ll feel absolutely confident about creating a curriculum for. For example, imagine you’re in the fashion niche and you’re an expert on minimalist and capsule wardrobes. You also happen to be great at landing press coverage in fashion magazines. Some course topics for you can include:
- How to build a capsule wardrobe that works for any season
- Build a sustainable wardrobe without breaking the bank
- How to pitch your fashion blog to magazines
On the other hand, service providers who specialize in specific areas can package their knowledge into an online course as well. A virtual assistant who specializes in community management and inbox/calendar management could create a course on:
- How to start your virtual assistant business
- Building and maintaining an engaged online community
- How to manage your inbox and calendar on autopilot
2) Look at the Transformations You’ve Created for Yourself
I mentioned this in my previous blog post, but creating a transformation for yourself is one of the telltale signs that you’re more than ready to launch your very first online course. For example, if you’ve successfully quit your corporate 9-5 job and started a successful business as a freelance graphic designer, a great course topic would be “how to become a fully booked out freelance graphic designer.” Or if you’ve lost weight and you’re an expert in either nutrition or working out, potential course topics for you could either involve losing weight through nutritional intake, losing weight through exercising, or both!
Personally, I created both the Influencer and Blogger Bootcamps because I’ve successfully created a 6-figure income from brand collaborations through Instagram and my blog. This transformation became the focal point of two different courses in my product suite and it teaches my students how to achieve the same transformation that I have.
Ready to create, launch, and sell your online course
within the next 90 days?
…even if you have a small audience or no clue what your course topic would be
Join the waitlist and get first access to enrollment &
and an early bird discount for…
3) Have You Created Transformations for Other People?
If you haven’t created a transformation for yourself, another great place to find your course topic will be in the transformations you’ve created for other people. This is a great method if you happen to be a service provider. Maybe you’re a professional organizer and you help your clients organize their homes efficiently so they can avoid clutter. Packaging your knowledge of organization and creating systems for cleaning would be a profitable course topic for your first online course. Or if you’re a money coach who helps women pay off their credit card debt and grow their savings, you could create a course on both of those topics.
4) What Are You an Expert In?
Considering your area of expertise is one of the best ways to narrow down your search for a profitable topic for your first online course. Do you have a degree in nutrition? Are you a great photographer? What about a travel expert? Knowing what it is you’re great at is the perfect starting point for figuring out your course topic, so don’t skip it.
5) What Questions is Your Audience Asking You?
If you use social media or email marketing as a part of your business, take a look at your inbox or DMs. Chances are you’ve received several messages from your audience asking you questions. And if you do, take note of the most frequently asked questions that make a common appearance in your inbox. This is a great way to discover the most profitable topic for your online course.
One of the reasons why I chose to create and launch The Influencer Bootcamp was because I was receiving a ton of messages from my audience about how to grow an audience on Instagram and make a full-time income from brand collaborations.
The most frequently asked question that you receive from your audience is not only the key to finding your first course topic, but it’s also a major component to the success of your course.
6) Take a Look at Your Highest Performing Content
If you’re an influencer, blogger, or business owner who uses social media on a daily basis in your business, don’t ignore your analytics. Examining your content’s analytics will give you insight into the topics that your audience is most interested in. This will give you an indication of what it is your audience is eager to learn from you, which is a great way to gauge the earning potential of your course topic.
7) Survey Your Audience
Surveying your audience is a great way to find a fail-proof course topic. Not only are you getting direct feedback from your hottest leads and most engaged audience, but you’re getting this information in real time.
If you have an audience on Instagram, your email list, YouTube, or other social media channels – all you need to do is post a question and ask your audience to respond. Instagram stories is a great outlet for this because you can include a poll, slider, and other interactive stickers that’ll make it easy for your audience to respond.
If you’re reaching out through another channel (such as YouTube, TikTok, or your email list), you could either ask your audience to leave a comment with their thoughts, or create a survey through TypeForm or Google Forms if you want more information.
Finding the Perfect Topic for Your First Online Course
There has never been a better time for influencers, bloggers, coaches, service providers, and small business owners to launch an online course. And the first step of the process is to pick a profitable course topic.
Choosing the perfect topic for your first online course really boils down to what your audience’s needs, wants, and desires are. Making sure that there’s a demand for your course topic will not only save you time, but it’ll help ensure that your course is on the right track to making sales. However, it’s also important to check in with yourself on whether you’re an expert on the course topic, and if you enjoy teaching it. You’ll initially be spending a lot of time creating the curriculum and course material before it becomes a source of passive income. So making sure that you thoroughly enjoy teaching on the topic will help make the course creation process much more enjoyable.
Now that you have my 7 steps to choosing a profitable topic for your first online course, I want to know… what potential course topics do you think your audience will be interested in?
Ready to create, launch, and sell your online course
within the next 90 days?
…even if you have a small audience or no clue what your course topic would be
Join the waitlist and get first access to enrollment &
and an early bird discount for…
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