Teaching is incredibly fulfilling in many ways, and e-learning has made it more accessible than ever before. However, as with any new business, success does not come easily. To turn an online course business into a profitable success, you must not only have good online course ideas but also know how to execute them properly.
If you want to be a successful online course creator, you need to have a unique idea, know how to turn it into a reality, and how to attract an audience.
Whether you are a professional educator, a hobbyist, or just someone who wants to share their interests and knowledge with the world, this article is for you. We’ll talk about the value and popularity of niche online courses, how to come up with online course ideas, and ideas for unique, profitable, and fun online courses.
The value of niche online course ideas
In today’s digital world, online learning has overtaken traditional classroom learning. That’s not to say that online courses are better, but they are becoming increasingly popular as they are much more accessible to a wide range of learners.
Traditional classroom settings are still necessary, especially for those who are young and need more of a structured learning environment. But what about those who want to continue their education outside of the classroom?
E-learning makes learning just about any discipline accessible to anyone at any stage in their life. Furthermore, online learning allows people to learn unique and interesting things that are generally not offered in traditional classrooms.
Online courses can also offer valuable information that should be taught in the classroom but often is not. For example, life skills courses can be fun and incredibly useful but are often passed over for more traditional courses, like data science, math and language.
However, life skills courses can be just as beneficial — if not more so. Learning how to survive in the wilderness, for instance, or even learning better financial habits can make a huge difference in someone’s life, depending on the circumstances.
Of course, online course ideas don’t just have to be practical. They can also be purely for fun or a hobby, such as learning how to knit or make a birdhouse. The sky is the limit when it comes to online course ideas.
The key, however, is to find a niche online course idea that will help you turn a profit. Almost anyone today can become a course creator, and there are already tons of courses available online. Thus, you want to come up with an idea that is fun, useful, and unique if you want to be successful.
How to come up with profitable online course ideas
There are some things you should know before designing your online course. Just because you think you have a good idea doesn’t mean everyone else will also think it is a good idea.
The more niche and unique your idea is, the better. Niche online course ideas tend to have higher rates of engagement. This is because they are unique and something that people can’t easily find or learn somewhere else, which puts these courses in high demand.
Marketing is also essential. The internet is a vast place. If you don’t market your course to the right audience, then how do you expect people to find it?
Personality and authenticity are also key. Today’s online users are pretty fed up with corporate pomp and circumstance. Instead, they want real people who are honest and simply share what they love. Be authentic. People love to see the content creators' unique personalities coming out in the process.
Additional tips for creating a successful online course include:
- Researching your idea to ensure it has high market demand;
- Creating course content that is compelling and yields useful and valuable outcome;
- Developing a structured and easy-to-understand course plan;
- Using the most effective and engaging delivery method for each lesson;
- Making sure you have the right tools and equipment to film, record, and edit your content — high quality is essential;
- Setting your course up on the right platform for your target audience;
- Pricing your course accordingly;
- Launching an ongoing marketing campaign for your course.
A good tip is to reach out to influencers. Influencers can help market your online course in ways that you can’t. Their job is to attract and influence audiences using their already-established personal brand. If you are struggling to market your course on your own, niche influencers could be a great tool.
The best niche online course ideas that can generate high revenue
There are countless ideas you could use to create an online course, so it may be hard to narrow your focus. First, figure out the most profitable ideas that will attract audiences and help you generate high revenue.
While there is no one right answer to this — as different people find different topics useful — courses that teach life skills tend to be some of the best and most engaging online courses. They are ideas people want to learn or even need to learn but likely can’t find a course that offers this information anywhere else, except online.
Some of the best ideas for life skills online courses include:
1. Financial and budgeting courses
People often say they wish they had learned more about how to handle their finances better in school. Thus, financial online courses are often very popular. This can include topics like:
- How to save money on your taxes;
- Finances 101;
- How to make money with a blog;
- How to save on a tight budget;
- Investing for beginners;
- How to get rid of credit card debt;
- How to create a budget for your family.
A very specific topic, for example, could be teaching people how to better manage medical bills. Medical debt is common these days, but most people have no idea how to handle it. A course that educates people on negotiating and lowering medical bills could be incredibly useful.
2. Life coaching courses
Other areas people often need help with but don’t learn about in school are self-improvement, good communication, relationships, and overall how to live a life that is better for their mental health, well-being, and personal growth. Life coaching online course ideas can include:
- How to find a better work-life balance;
- How to stay positive and be a happier person;
- How to boost your emotional intelligence;
- How to increase confidence;
- How to be more self-aware;
- How to live more sustainably;
- How to build healthy relationships;
- How to be a better communicator (with friends, colleagues, family, partners, etc.);
- How to be more successful in life.
If you're already a life coach, going from coaching to e-learning just makes sense.
3. Creative skills courses
Courses that teach more niche, creative skills are also incredibly popular. This can include a wide range of fun online course topics, such as:
- Interior design;
- Watercolor painting;
- Woodwork;
- Music;
- Gardening;
- Sewing;
- Knitting;
- Storytelling;
- Acting;
- Digital design.
Specific examples could include how to design a minimalist home, build a backyard gazebo, grow a butterfly garden, write a fantasy short story, or become an improv actor. Again, the sky's the limit. People love to learn all sorts of unique and interesting things.
What online course idea will you choose?
The bottom line is that creating a profitable online course is about finding that balance between choosing a topic that appeals to a wide range of people and also choosing something that is unique and niche.
Lots of people want to learn how to better their financial situation, for example. Still, the specific topic or title you choose for your course should be somewhat narrowed down to help you find a more niche audience. In this instance, you could narrow your focus on how to budget and plan for your future after graduating from college.
An online course idea that generates high revenue also requires a good module structure, quality delivery methods, solid marketing and is supported by a good online course platform. Coming up with the idea or topic is just the first step, but it can be the most important step that sets you on the right path to success.
Choose wisely, but have fun. If you enjoy and love what you are doing, your audience will be more likely to enjoy it as well.
