Decide On Your Course Idea
1. I tell my coaching folks that there are 3 simple criteria that I look at in deciding what target audience I want to focus upon…A target audience accustomed to spending money.
2. A target audience that can be presented with a variety of offers.
3. 3) A target audience that you are personally attracted to. (Optional)
Take Note of What I am Going To Say Next
Now, what I am going to say next will be worth to you N75,000 in consultation fee. I am giving it out FREE, but not because I am Santa Claus
There are many, many “markets” that you can choose from. We call them Evergreen Markets (that is there will always be money in those markets). These include:
- Beauty, Business, Careers, Computers and Technology, Cooking
- Dating & Relationship
- Disease and Illness, Health and Fitness
- Leadership, Motivational, Parenting, Public Speaking
- Fashion, Sex and Romance
- Religion, Success, Self-Help, Sports, Time Management, and Writing
Focus on any one of those, give it your personal twist, and bingo
How much should I know before creating an online course?
You must be very familiar with your chosen topic. Either by skill, training or experience. You might not be a guru or a professor, but you are expected to know more than those you are targeting to teach.
You can be the expert
You can rent the expert’s knowledge (by interviewing the expert, or doing a collaborative work with the expert)
You can buy the expert’s knowledge (you can ask the expert to write the content for you, or do the video for you)
Whatsoever you want to focus on, you want to be seen as an expert who knows what he is talking about, not a scammer.
Why Do People Buy Online Courses?
People buy online courses because:
- They want to learn from an actual person with experience
- The information is put together in an easily digestible step by step system or format
- The course can produce a clear outcome that they desire
How To Choose An Online Course Topic That Sells
Choosing the right online course idea is a very important step which will prevent you from spending time creating a course nobody wants.
Instead, it can help you understand exactly what to cover in the course, and even get a load of people lined up ready and waiting for the day you launch.
You should now have a general list of ideas, and it’s time to get specific.
There are 2 things you need to be very-specific on:
1. Who is the course for?
2. What is the ‘one big outcome’ that the course will teach?
For example:
Building a website: This is too general.
If you are targeting everybody, you are actually targeting nobody. It’s much better to define exactly who your course will serve, so that when the right people come across it, they’ll know it’s for them.
Better: “How To Create Your Own Website Using WordPress” – a little better, but still too broad as it doesn’t give any idea exactly who it’s for.
The best option is: “How to Create A Website For Your Local Food Business”
Another Example
Initial Idea: “Pregnancy 101” – too vague
Niche it down: “Pregnancy 101 For New Parents?” – nice and specific.
Have a go at a similar process for your own course ideas. It might take a few attempts but it’s really good practice to think it through like this.
The more specific your target audience is, the better you can create a course that serves that particular group well, and the more likely they are to take your course.
How to Validate Your Course Idea
The aim of idea validation is to make sure there is a paying audience for what you want to teach.
Step 1. Research what’s already out there
Google is your friend. Search for: “(your course subject area) online course”
You will get to find a lot of results relating to your subject. Don’t be put off if there’s a similar online course already out there as this is often a good sign of demand.
Step 2. Communicate with your existing audience
If you already have an online audience or perhaps already work freelance with existing clients you are in a great spot for this.
You want to ask your audience or clients what they would like to learn more about or what problems they need help with solving.
Create a quick and simple survey.
Use online forums based on your topic area
Check discussions at the bottom of relevant blog posts
Join relevant Facebook groups
Use Quora questions on your subject
Even better is to see evidence of people already paying to get help with these things.
Find a pain, problem or desire and design an online course that offers the solution
Carrying out this step should help to confirm that there is a need for what you want to offer and will help you to decide which of your potential course ideas to focus on.
Final Step: Finalize Your Course Topic. Write down the following:
1: Course Title
2: Course Audience
3: Course Price
You will Sell a Million
I am Pope Bukola Odedeyi
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN THE BUSINESS SIDE OF YOUR ONLINE SCHOOL? Get these stuffs …
