182: Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Crafting Your Perfect Online Course
Ever dreamed of sharing your knowledge with the world but felt overwhelmed by course creation? In my latest episode, 'Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Crafting Your Perfect Online Course,' I'm pulling back the curtain on the secrets to creating courses that resonate and sell!
🔥 In this episode, I'm breaking down the walls of traditional course design and unveiling a buffet of options you never knew existed. From bite-sized mini-courses to comprehensive signature programs, I'm dishing out all the secrets to help you find your perfect fit.
Here's a taste of what I'll share with you:
🏆 The pros and cons of different course types (mini-courses, anyone?)
💡 How to match your expertise with the ideal course format
💰 Pricing strategies that'll make your bank account smile
🌟 Tips to stand out in the bustling digital education marketplace
But wait, there's more! I'm also tackling those pesky doubts holding you back:
"I'm not expert enough!" (Spoiler: Yes, you are!)
"The market is too saturated!" (There's always room for your unique voice!)
"I don't have the tech skills!" (I've got you covered!)
Don't let another day pass without unlocking the potential of your knowledge. Your future students are waiting!
Key points with timestamps:
[00:02:30] The benefits of creating digital courses, including establishing authority and global reach
[00:04:55] Different types of digital courses, starting with mini-courses
[00:10:15] Quick win courses and workshops as an entry point for course creation
[00:12:43] Membership-based courses for recurring revenue and community building
[00:17:00] Addressing common hurdles and objections to creating courses
Mentioned In This Episode:
Idea Generator Workshop: Unlock Your Money-Making Course Idea with AI. Get free access here.
The Course Format Dilemma: Solved
Have you been sitting on a goldmine of knowledge, eager to share it with the world, but unsure how to package it? You're not alone. Many aspiring course creators find themselves stuck at the starting line, overwhelmed by the variety of course formats available. But fear not! Today, we're going to solve this dilemma once and for all.
Why Course Format Matters
Before we dive into the different types of courses, let's talk about why choosing the right format is crucial. The format you choose can:
Affect how well your students learn and engage with your content
Determine your course's price point and potential earnings
Impact the time and resources you need to create and maintain your course
Influence how you market and position yourself in the online education space
Now, let's explore the course formats that could be your ticket to online education success.
Mini-Courses: The Quick Win Champion
What it is: A short, focused program addressing a specific problem or teaching a particular skill.
Duration: Typically 1-3 hours
Price Range: $27-$97
Best for:
New course creators testing the waters
Established educators introducing a new topic
Creating low-cost entry points for potential students
Mini-courses are the sprinters of the online education world. They're quick to create, easy to consume, and perfect for giving students a taste of your teaching style. Use them to build trust, generate leads, or offer quick wins that leave students hungry for more.
Subject Matter Courses: The Deep Dive
What it is: A comprehensive exploration of a particular topic or skill set.
Duration: Usually 4-10 hours
Price Range: $97-$497
Best for:
Educators ready to showcase their expertise
Students seeking in-depth knowledge on a specific subject
Building authority in your niche
Subject matter courses allow you to flex your expert muscles. They're meaty enough to provide real value but not so long that they overwhelm students. This format positions you as a go-to resource in your field and can be a significant revenue generator.
Signature Courses: Your Flagship Offer
What it is: A flagship program representing the pinnacle of your expertise, often including personalized support.
Duration: 8-16 weeks or more
Price Range: $997 to $5,000+
Best for:
Established experts looking to create a high-ticket offer
Delivering transformative, comprehensive learning experiences
Students committed to mastering a complex subject or skill set
Signature courses are the heavy hitters of the online education world. They're your chance to go all out, offering the most comprehensive, supported learning experience possible. While they require significant time and effort to create, they also offer the highest revenue potential per student.
Quick Win Workshops: The Trust Builder
What it is: A short, live (or recorded) session focused on delivering immediate, actionable results.
Duration: 30-60 minutes
Price Range: Free to $97
Best for:
Building trust and credibility quickly
Giving potential students a taste of your teaching style
Creating buzz and momentum in your business
Workshops are the perfect way to showcase your expertise in a low-pressure environment. They're easy to create, can be repurposed as lead magnets, and often serve as stepping stones to your paid courses.
Membership-Based Courses: The Community Builder
What it is: An ongoing program offering regular updates and a library of content.
Duration: Continuous
Price Range: $19-$99 per month
Best for:
Creating predictable, recurring revenue
Building a loyal community around your expertise
Offering evolving, up-to-date content
Membership courses are the gift that keeps on giving - for both you and your students. They provide a steady income stream and allow you to build a vibrant community around your area of expertise.
Solving the Course Format Dilemma
Now that we've laid out the options, how do you choose? Here are some questions to guide your decision:
What's your goal? Quick cash injection, steady income, or positioning as a premium expert?
How much time can you invest in course creation?
What's the depth and breadth of your subject matter?
What format aligns best with your teaching style?
What do your potential students need most?
Remember, you're not locked into one format forever. Many successful educators start with mini-courses or workshops and gradually work their way up to signature courses or membership programs.
Your Next Step: Action Beats Perfection
The real secret to solving the course format dilemma? Taking action. Choose a format that feels right for now and start creating. You can always adjust and expand your offerings as you learn what works best for you and your students.
Remember, the online education world is waiting for your unique voice and expertise. Don't let format paralysis hold you back any longer. Choose your format, create your course, and start impacting lives today!
Pin this and save for later
Transcript:
Dr. Destini Copp [00:00:00]:
Hi there. Destini here. And today, we're talking about one of my most favorite topics, and that is digital courses. And I want you to imagine waking up to find that while you slept, dozens of people from across the globe invested in your expertise. They are learning, growing, and achieving their goals all through a course that you created once but can sell infinitely. Now this isn't just a pipe dream. It's the reality for thousands of students who I have helped to harness the power of digital courses. So think about what if you could share your expertise with the world, help others achieve their goals, and generate income all at the same time.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:00:56]:
Well welcome to my world of digital courses. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or you're just starting out in your online business journey, creating and selling digital courses can open up exciting new avenues for growth and income. Now what I want to mention is first that the global e learning market is experiencing growth with projections suggesting it will reach 325,000,000,000 by the year 2025. Now that is just around the corner. And I think all of this expansion is driven by several different factors. 1 is increasing Internet accessibility, and there's definitely a growing demand for flexible skill based learning where people can learn at their own pace anywhere that they want to. So for all of us who are interested in creating digital courses, this does represent a golden opportunity to share expertise, scale our impact, and create additional revenue streams. Now before I get into the types of courses that you can create, I wanna just mention that creating digital courses really does offer a multitude of benefits that go really beyond just generating revenue and income.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:02:30]:
Now one of the things that I love about online courses is that is that it gives you the opportunity to establish your authority. So with a digital course you can position yourself as a thought leader in your field which opens up doors to speaking engagements, collaborations, and also media opportunities. If you go to my website, you can go to destinycopdot comforward/media, and we'll put that link in the show notes. You can see about all the speaking engagements I've had over the years, the collaboration opportunities and all the media, opportunities that I have done. And I really do think that a lot of that has to do with what I have done with the digital courses. The other thing that a digital course allows you to do is have a global reach. So you can break geographical barriers and you can reach students worldwide 24 by 7. So your expertise is no longer limited by time zones or travel constraints.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:03:43]:
The other thing that digital courses give you is a scalable business model. So unlike 1 on 1 services, digital courses allow you to serve thousands of students all at the same time with without increasing your workload. The other thing that digital courses give you is that time freedom, which is one of my core values quite frankly. So once you create, your course can continue to generate revenue with minimal ongoing effort, which really does free up your time to focus on any high level business strategies or just, you know, pursue what you whatever you wanna pursue personally, maybe a hobby or something like that. The other thing that digital courses allow you to do is to diversify your income. So when you add a new revenue channel to your existing business, or you can even build out an entire empire around online education. So there you go. Those are the benefits or the extra benefits, I should say, for creating an online course.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:04:55]:
So what I wanna dive in now are the different types of digital courses that you can create, and also where I would suggest that you start. And the first is creating what I call is a mini course. Now a mini course are really short, focused programs that address a specific problem or teach a particular skill. And they are mini. Right? So the duration of them are gonna be short. Typically, a student is gonna be able to get through a mini course within, like, 1 to 3 hours. And these are best for when you want to introduce new customers to your brand or if you want to give them a quick win. So for instance, when you're selling a mini course generally you're gonna use this as in what we call like a tripwire.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:05:54]:
So when somebody signs up for your free lead magnet on the next page you're gonna have this special limited time offer. It's gonna be a low cost offer. Many courses are generally priced between, like, $27.97, so a really low cost offer that gives them a quick win. And you're gonna have this special offer saying, wait before you go. I have this special offer that I think you'll be interested in. So it's a low barrier to entry for students, and it's great for lead generation. So people sign up for your lead magnet, and then on the next page, you can, you know, offer your mini course. And I would say a con to this is that a lower price point means that you're gonna need higher volume for significant revenue.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:06:42]:
So that's, you know, one of the things that you'll have to think about, but I generally recommend that every online entrepreneur has in their back pocket a mini course and has it tied in to their lead magnet along with a, you know, a funnel that goes along with that. But somebody signs up for your lead magnet, your free lead magnet, and then on the next page, you have this tripwire offer, which is your mini course. So that's a really, really good place to start. The other benefit for a mini course is that they're generally easy to develop. Right? It's a short course, so you're only gonna have a few lessons in it and maybe some supplemental material. So it's something that you, as the entrepreneur, can create very quickly, unlike some of the other offers that I'm gonna be talking about next. Okay. So the next type of digital course that you can create is what we call a subject matter course.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:07:40]:
Now these courses are gonna dive just a little bit more deeper into a particular topic. So it's gonna give them more comprehensive coverage for those who are wanting to develop their skills a little further. So, generally, the duration of a mini course a student is gonna be able to complete it maybe, let's say, between, like, 4 and 10 hours. And the price range is gonna be a little bit higher. So, generally, you're gonna see these ranging anywhere from, like, $97 to $497. And these courses, these subject matter courses are best when you wanna dig a little bit more into that particular topic, providing a little bit more in-depth knowledge. And they are priced at a higher point than the many courses, and they do position you as an expert in that field. Now I would say from a con perspective, they're gonna require you to take a little bit more time and resources to create, but it's not overwhelming there.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:08:44]:
And you may need to have, you know, keep them updated regularly just to stay current depending on, you know, how quickly the information in your field changes. Now the next type of course that you can create is your flagship signature course. And this really represents the pinnacle of your expertise, and it may even include personalized support. Now the duration of these for a lot of people are gonna be like 8 to 16 weeks maybe even more than that depending on the price point and how much support you are giving your students. And from a price range perspective, you're gonna see these signature type courses ranging anywhere from, like, 997 to 2,000 or 25. I've even seen them go up to, like, $5,000 or more depending on how much support you have in there. And these courses are best for when you want to provide transformative results and really showcase your unique methodology. Okay? And these are gonna give you the highest revenue potential per student and gives you the opportunity to provide significant value and transformation for your student and absolutely establishes you as a top expert in your field.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:10:15]:
Now from a con perspective, they're gonna require more time to develop, to create, deliver, and to market. And they're also gonna require more hands on support for your students and personalization. So that just keep that in mind. Now the next type of course that this is another one that I absolutely love, and these are what I call quick win type courses or workshops. So this might be a 30 minute workshop or a 60 minute workshop, and these courses focus on providing and delivering immediate, actionable results for participants in a short amount of time frame. Now a lot of times, these are done live, and then you can record them and sell them later. You can sell the recording later, like, it may be in a funnel or as a trip wire, and this is another reason why I like these. And like a lot like what I said, a lot of these are gonna be anywhere from, like, 30 to 60 or 90 minutes.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:11:21]:
They're gonna be done live initially first, and then you can resell them. And these are best used for when you wanna build trust with your new audience and really create momentum. So if you're like, Destiny, I just really wanna dip my toes into creating courses. Creating a quick win course or workshop is one of the best ways to do that. And they're fast to create. They're easy to sell. They provide immediate value to your students. And like I said, they can be used later as a low cost offer in your business.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:11:58]:
The next type of course I wanna talk about is a membership based course. Now if you want a specific example of this, you can go to my newsletter profit club. So a membership course offers ongoing access to a library of content often with regular updates or additions. So every single month we're giving our members new content here. We also have a library of content in the newsletter profit club. So again, the duration of this is ongoing, so your students are paying a price point every single month. Generally, it's a low cost price point. It can range anywhere from, like, $19 a month or $9 a month to $99 a month.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:12:43]:
What I love about these membership based courses is they give you that predictable recurring revenue, and you can also build a community with it. So that is some of the pros related to it. I would say a con is it requires consistent content creation. But depending on your market, your audience, this may work very well for what you are delivering. Another con is you may have some higher churn rate than onetime purchases. So people are gonna come in the membership, and then, you know, at some point, they're gonna leave. So you really gotta manage that churn rate. The next type of course that you can create is what we call which does foster that peer to peer learning and network.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:13:37]:
Which does foster that peer to peer learning and networking. And, again, these are generally a duration, so you're gonna see them running anywhere from, like, 6 to 12 weeks, and the price range can run anywhere from, like, 4.97 to, you know, around $3,000. So example of this would be my digital product growth lab. So we're bringing together a group of students. They can, you know, go through the materials together. But in that particular case, they're gonna pick and choose what's best for their own particular journey. But, you know, they get a lot of hands on support there. It does have that peer to peer learning in there and that networking.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:14:20]:
So something like this is best for delivering high touch, transformative experience. So and some of the pros to this, you have that community, you have that accountability, you can combine command, I should say, higher prices due to the interactive nature of this cohort experience. And a lot of thing a lot of times, this does lead to higher completion rates and satisfaction rates because your students are getting that hands on type, help if you would. It does have limited scalability due to the high touch nature, and it will require more active involvement from you as the teacher and as the expert. I get very hands on in these type of, experiences with my students there. Another thing that you can create, and a lot of this will depend upon the industry, your expertise, and what you're bringing to the to the table, but that is a certification course. And I love certification course courses for the right niche. And with a certification course, you are offering a recognized credential upon completion, which does add a ton of extra value for your students.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:15:44]:
And, again, these are normally kinda cohort or they're going through it, you know, during a specific time. Normally, it's gonna be, like, 4 to 12 weeks. The price range can be anywhere from, like, 9.97 to $5, so you are definitely positioned yourself as an industry leader, and you are creating a network of certified practitioners. So this is a high perceived value due to the certification, definitely positions you as a standard setter in your industry. I would say a con for this may be that it requires a more rigorous content development and testing, and you may need you may need to meet some industry recognition or accreditation for maximum impact. So there you go. Those are the kind of courses that you can create, and I'm positive that every single person listening to this can, you know, point to at least one of these and say, you know what? That's for me. That is perfect for me, whether it's the mini course, whether it's the signature course, whether it's just starting with that workshop that we talked about.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:17:00]:
Okay? So next, I wanna talk about some common hurdles or things that you might be, like, thinking about or fears you might be thinking about or objections. And let's just address these head on. So a lot of times people come to me and they're like, Destiny, I don't feel like I'm expert enough. And I just want you to remember that you don't need to know everything. Your unique experiences and perspective are valuable. I want you to start with what you know and then grow from there. I can tell you, I actually had somebody ask me, and I've been teaching online for, oh, gosh, upwards of 25 years. And I had somebody ask me this summer.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:17:49]:
They're like, Destini, has anybody ever asked you a question in one of your classes that you didn't know the answer to? And I had to think about that for a second. I was like, you know what? I don't think that's ever happened. Not even once that that has happened from, a student I was working with in one of my courses through my personal brand, or at the university level, and I've taught hundreds of hundreds of classes classes there and thousands of students there too, or even in my 1 on 1 coaching. I've never had that happen. I've had people ask me specific questions about their niche, and, you know, I don't know all the ins and outs of people's niches. Right? I'd have to go research that to figure that out. So what I'll just say in that case is I don't know the answer to that for that specific niche, but here's where I would go to research that. But so I can tell you that you are expert enough.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:18:45]:
And people out there and your students who are learning from you, they're certainly not the expert that you are, so they want your knowledge. Something else that you might be thinking about or concerned with is that the market is saturated. And while there may be other courses in your niche, there's always room for quality content and fresh perspectives. I will say that your authentic voice and your unique approach to solving that for your students, to solving the pain point for your students is going to resonate with them. The other thing you might be worried about, you might be thinking, I don't have the tech skills that are needed to do this, and I don't want you to let technology intimidate you because all of these modern course platforms that we have out there have made it easier than ever to create and host professional looking courses. And I would say that your students aren't looking for a Hollywood based experience. They're just looking for your expertise. Okay? The other thing that you might be saying is, Destini, I don't have the time to do this.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:20:00]:
And creating a course does require an initial time investment. I would gather and suggest that it probably doesn't take as long as you think it does. And then and that's the case, if that's what you're worried about, I would start with that mini course or that workshop that we talked about today just to test the waters. Okay? So your next step and your action item is I want you to unlock your course idea, and I'm gonna help you do this with AI because I have put together a very, very short workshop. And if you are wondering what course should I create, this is where this idea generator workshop will help you. So in this very short workshop that I created, and it's free and you can sign up for it below, and I'll put the link for it below, you will be able to generate profitable course ideas using AI. You'll be able to figure out how to transform your expertise into revenue, and I will also walk you through how to streamline the course creation workshop. So definitely sign up for that.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:21:17]:
I'm gonna put the link in the show notes. If you have any questions whatsoever about, you know, Destiny, I'm interested in this, but I don't know what kind of course to create, or do you have any suggestions for me on where I should start? Respond back to any of the emails I have sent to you. You can also send questions in through your podcast app. I'm happy to answer any questions that you have. Have a great rest of your day, and bye for now.