As you have worked on your book, have you ever wondered if a course would be a better way to present the material? Have your readers asked you to develop your book into an online course?
You probably know that online courses tend to sell at higher price points than books and that courses have higher margins. But you also know they are a lot of work, and you may have heard that most courses get very few and sometimes zero sales.
What should you do? Will it be worth it for you? For your readers?
I’ve been creating and teaching online courses for over a decade. I currently support my family with online courses and podcasts. When I started in 2013, creating and teaching online courses was a very new endeavor, and I had to learn many things the hard way.
So, how do you create an online course?
What follows is not a step-by-step guide on how to develop a course, although I may do that in the future. Think of this episode as a time capsule with some of my hardest-learned lessons. These are the things I wish I knew when I started making online courses in 2013.
Courses Sell Transformation
No one wants to buy a course, but they do want to buy a transformation. There is something they want to be able to do or become, and they need help to get to that transformative place.
As a course creator, you need to realize you’re not selling hours and hours of staring at a screen. There will always be something more interesting to stare at on that screen than you teaching something.
The only reason someone would watch your course for hours is to be transformed in some way.
Examples of Transformation I Sell
Obscure No More: Be transformed from obscurity to notoriety.
Obscure No More is for authors who feel like readers don’t know who they are. They have a small email list, and they feel like they’re talking, but no one is listening. In other words, they’re feeling obscure. This course teaches them how to become well-known.
Five-Year Plan: Learn to Write Like a Bestselling Author
By taking the Five-Year Plan, you will be transformed from a writer to a writer who knows how to write bestselling books.
Amazing Author Websites: Become Your Own Webmaster
With Amazing Author Websites, you’ll be transformed from a person who knows nothing about building effective websites to being your own webmaster. After this course, you’ll no longer be dependent on somebody else to update your website.
Features Vs. Benefits
When I talk about Obscure No More, I don’t mention all the things you’ll learn that will help you become famous because that would be selling the features. Instead, I’m selling (and customers are buying) the benefit of being well-known and being liked by readers.
When you’re talking about your course, it is easy to lose potential customers by talking about the features of the course rather than the benefits of the course.
For example, you never want to talk about how long your course is, as if longer is better. People would prefer to get the transformation in two hours rather than five. If you highlight the feature of the length or volume of the course by saying, “This course has over 20 hours of content,” it doesn’t have the impact you want it to.
Focus on the transformative effect of completing the course, and your course will be more focused and easier to sell. Even if you have a long course with hundreds of hours of material, do not focus on that. Focus on the transformation they will experience and how their life will be better, easier, or transformed for the good after taking your course.
Information Wants to Be Free & Education Wants to Be Expensive
The next piece of advice I would give my past self is to understand that information wants to be free, while education wants to be expensive. This is a fascinating paradox in the online world, and it’s crucial to grasp its significance.
Information Wants to be Free.
Books are information, so you can’t charge much for a book. Even if the information in that book could totally transform your life, people would not expect to have to pay $50 for the information.
It is really easy to share information. Information can be copied and pasted by anyone, so if you’re trying to sell information, you’re in a tricky spot.
In fact, if you want to turn your book into a course, you’ve probably already identified this problem.
For example, most of our podcast listeners consume the information here for free. They could become patrons, but most people don’t because they expect information to be free. Regardless of how much work and research I put into an episode, people expect to get the information for free.
The same is true for courses.
My students now teach my stuff at conferences and in their own courses. Some of them are even professional coaches teaching their own versions of the Novel Marketing method.
It is almost impossible to keep information secret. Someone always talks. In fact, some of you listening to this episode will go on to create courses that teach the same or similar topics that I teach.
Bottom Line
Information alone does not transform. This is why most accountants and financial advisors are broke. If your course is filled with information, people will expect it to be cheap.
If you really want your course to change lives, it needs to be more than just information. It needs to be education.
Education wants to be expensive.
College tuition outpaces inflation every year. In years when prices go up 2%, college tuition often goes up 7%. The only thing that outpaces the inflation of medical expenses is college tuition.
Most students prefer to spend more money to go to a four-year university to learn from graduate assistants and professors who would rather be researching than learning from professors who love teaching at a community college. Some of my best professors were at community college.
People believe that spending more money on education will make education better and that sending more money to schools will make those schools better. Does increased cost mean better education? Not necessarily. Every year, we give more money to public schools, and every year, the quality of education decreases.
However, online courses, when well executed, can help fight educational price inflation.
What is the difference between education and information?
The short answer is interaction and accountability.
Accountability
Most people need help getting and staying motivated. Cleaning the garage “at your own pace” means putting it off until tomorrow and forever having a cluttered garage. Most people grew up in the public school system and had high levels of external accountability and discipline. From Kindergarten through 12th grade, you had a teacher looking over your shoulder, testing, quizzing, and evaluating you to make sure you did the work.
Few people learned in school how to keep themselves accountable. As adults, they still need a boss or a teacher looking over their shoulder to help them do the work. When it comes to education, they are willing to pay for that accountability.
Interaction
The second thing that differentiates information from education is interaction.
Interaction takes many forms. Students interact with the instructor by asking questions, getting feedback, and receiving encouragement. They also get to interact with other students. Listening to the questions and answers of other students greatly enhances learning and facilitates more interaction. Students can also interact by collaborating with one another.
When I was in business school, I learned a lot from the other students as well as from the instructors.
Plus, now that you’re an adult and a professional, the friends you make in an educational environment become colleagues with whom you can network. Those friendships can be helpful to you for the rest of your career.
Synchronous (Live) vs. Asynchronous (Pre-Recorded)
So now let’s get specific and talk about live interactive versus pre-recorded content, or what those in the business call synchronous and asynchronous learning. These two types of learning don’t oppose each other, but there are times when you should use one instead of the other.
Synchronous Content
Synchronous learning is a type of online class where students and instructors interact in real-time. This means that participants attend live sessions at specific times, allowing for direct communication, immediate feedback, and real-time discussions. Synchronous courses often include live lectures, group activities, and Q&A sessions, typically conducted through video conferencing platforms.
Synchronous Pros:
Live Student-Instructor Interaction
In general, students love live interaction, and being able to interact directly with the instructor is highly valuable.
Increased Price Point
Offering live interaction dramatically increases how much students will pay for the course. The more live elements you offer, the more people will be willing to pay.
Questions Answered Quickly
Getting questions answered is valuable to students and helps them get unstuck.
Built-In Accountability
Synchronous content provides accountability.
Adaptable
Teachers can adapt the material to the specific live audience.
Synchronous learning is easiest to offer in person, but it can be accomplished in an online situation as well. However, there are some cons to live training.
Synchronous Cons:
Scheduling
Scheduling becomes a reason for students to say no to the course. Your schedule and the student’s must align in order for the course to work.
Time Zones
Time zones limit your market. It’s difficult for students on the other side of the world to attend a live training at 2:00 AM.
Exhausting
Live training is exhausting for the teacher. You’ll have to repeat yourself a lot as you answer the same questions live.
Dull Recordings
Replays of live events are super dull. No one wants to re-watch a two-hour recorded Zoom call to find one piece of information.
Lower Information Density
There is no conscience encapsulation of the topic. The information density is a bit lower when the teaching is live, although it’s not noticeable to those present. It’s only noticeable when students re-watch those live recordings.
Synchronous Tips
Offer it Live First
Before you offer any training presentation as a recording, present it live first. Teaching the session live allows you to get real-time feedback from your students and make tweaks and improvements. Then, when you record that high-quality asynchronous recording, you’ve already tested it on a live studio audience, so to speak. I now test every training I create on a live audience.
Offer Live Q&A
At the end of that first live training, I’ll often ask what I need to improve. If something doesn’t make sense, students can ask questions, and I’ll know which parts I need to work on.
I highly encourage you to offer a live question-and-answer session with your course. It’s a great format for encouraging students and answering their questions.
Offer Feedback on Homework
Students want to get the instructor’s impression of their work. They also want direction and guidance for the next assignment, so your feedback will be highly valuable to your students.
Asynchronous Content
Asynchronous content is pre-recorded or pre-written. Your book is 100% asynchronous. You write it, and people can continue to read your book hundreds of years after you die. Tour asynchronous work will outlive you. While the live work is here and gone, the asynchronous work can persist.
Asynchronous Pros:
Persists After You’re Gone
Asynchronous content is pre-recorded or pre-written. Your book is 100% asynchronous. You write it, and people can continue to read your book hundreds of years after you die. Tour asynchronous work will outlive you. While the live work is here and gone, the asynchronous work can persist.
Less Work for Instructor Long-Term
Asynchronous work also involves less work in the long run. Instead of having to repeat yourself every time you get the same question, you can record yourself saying it once, and you’re done. You can redirect people to that recorded answer.
My students often hear me say the phrase, “I have a podcast episode about that.” In fact, I’ve said it so much, a student bought me a mug with that saying on it. Instead of repeating myself in response to the same question, I direct people to a podcast episode I’ve recorded that answers their specific question.
High-Quality Pre-Recorded Videos Are Valuable
High-quality pre-recorded videos are dense with information and increase the value of the course. Brevity becomes easier when something is pre-written and pre-recorded. This allows for a tight encapsulation of the content, making it simple for students to review and grasp the main ideas quickly.
There should always be some asynchronous content in a course because the brevity and clarity it offers can be incredibly valuable. However, the approach is up to you. I strive to maintain a mix of both asynchronous and live interactions, but your balance might be different. I have colleagues in this field who take a wide range of approaches—some never interact directly with students, while others provide entirely bespoke, customized experiences. There are many ways to strike the right balance for your course.
Asynchronous Cons:
Risks Selling Information
If everything is pre-recorded, you risk falling into selling information rather than education. My course creator friends who offer only pre-recorded content with no live interaction from the instructor charge much less for their courses. They can’t charge as much for their courses because they’re offering information instead of education.
Risk Leaving Students Stuck
Sometimes, one unanswered question can hold a student back. If they don’t have the opportunity to get those questions answered, they may stay stuck and get frustrated.
Requires Technological Sophistication
Recording and editing audio and video requires technical sophistication and tools. Everyone knows how to go live on a Zoom call, but recording good video requires a bit more know-how.
Asynchronous Tips
Record Short Videos
I recommend recording videos that last anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes. Short videos are easier for students to digest, and as they work through each one, they get a sense of accomplishment and progress.
Short videos are also easier to update. If one piece of information changes, it’s easier to update, rerecord, and edit a five-minute video than to redo a 30-minute video.
If you have an hour-long training, split it into four to eight different sections.
Offer Text Companions
If your course module includes a video, offer a transcript of it. Many people prefer to read, and having access to the text of the video allows students to search for a particular word or topic.
Allow Comments
Even if your course doesn’t include any live elements, comments still allow you to interact with your students asynchronously. For example, a student might leave a comment at 2:00 AM, but you can respond the next day. This allows for some level of interaction between you and your students.
Create Companion Worksheets
Another helpful tool is to create a companion worksheet with plenty of fill-in-the-blank content. Even if you’re not interacting with students live, they can engage with the worksheet on their own. Once they’ve completed it, the worksheet becomes a valuable resource that enhances the transformational impact of what you’re teaching.
Bottom Line
Whether you offer synchronous or asynchronous content depends on how much time you want to put into the course and how much you want to charge. One-on-one coaching is very expensive for students and time-intensive for the instructor.
Pre-recorded sessions require a large time investment up front. However, they require little interaction on an ongoing basis from the instructor and are typically much cheaper for the student.
When I first started in this business, I didn’t understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning at all. I thought it was just about recording content, uploading it, and having people download it to absorb the information. Essentially, I was selling information rather than providing education, and I wasn’t seeing the kind of results with my students that I’m seeing now. Today, my students are going on to change the world, and that’s incredibly satisfying. This success is partly due to a better balance of synchronous and asynchronous content.
For best results, offer both kinds of content. With a mix of synchronous and asynchronous content, your students will get all the possible benefits.
Cohorts vs. Evergreen
An evergreen course is one that people can start whenever they want and complete at their own pace. A cohort class has a specified start and end date, such as a semester. While you can mix the synchronous and asynchronous content, you can’t really mix the cohort and evergreen models.
Which is better? It depends.
Pros of Evergreen:
Students Can Start Any Time
An evergreen class allows students to choose their own start date. Students may purchase and begin the course whenever it works for them.
Steady Passive Income
In theory, an evergreen course can provide a steady passive income, but I haven’t found this to be the case for most course creators. The income from courses often tends to be inconsistent and heavily influenced by the timing of your promotions. However, if you’re able to successfully advertise and attract new customers to buy your course, and you have a well-designed evergreen course that can be sold profitably through ads, then it can work. That’s a definite advantage if you can get it up and running.
Cons of Evergreen:
No Accountability
With a lack of accountability and deadlines, students rarely finish evergreen courses. If students don’t finish your course, they won’t experience the desired transformation, and they won’t tell others about it.
Sales Slump
Course sales tend to slump when you’re not actively promoting the course. You’ll need to be actively promoting your course or investing in advertising to keep it in front of potential students. Running a course is a business, and there are significant costs associated with hosting courses, which are much higher than those for writing books, particularly when it comes to ongoing expenses.
Procrastination
Procrastination is your enemy in both sales and teaching. People might say, “I’ll sign up for this course tomorrow,” but then they never do. Second, once they’ve signed up, they might think, “I’ll go through the next lesson tomorrow,” but tomorrow never comes.
So, how do you fight those issues? You create a cohort where all students begin and end on the same date, and they receive the modules on the same day.
The term “cohort” originates from ancient Rome, where it referred to a military unit. The Romans, like many other militaries, discovered that marching together allowed them to move much faster. While it’s uncertain whether the Romans were the first to beat drums to keep time, an army marching in lockstep can cover more ground with less fatigue. There’s something about moving in unison that is more effective and efficient than marching individually. Marching in step with others is surprisingly efficient.
Pros of Cohorts:
Better Student Outcomes
Cohorts result in better student outcomes. When students are working at the same pace and have the accountability of the people in their cohort, they’re more likely to finish the course because they’re keeping up with everyone else around them.
Real Deadlines
Real deadlines help motivate people to “buy now” and do the homework now. They are crucial because they motivate people to take action. For example, if you want to join a cohort, you need to sign up before it starts. I frequently receive emails from people wanting to join the Book Launch Blueprint, but I have to tell them they missed it—the last session is over, and we’re not offering it again. That’s an extreme case, but most cohorts are offered on a regular schedule, whether it’s once a year, once a quarter, or once a month. The frequency often depends on demand and the size of the cohorts. Regardless, the deadlines are real, which helps reduce procrastination both in terms of sales and in the learning process.
Procrastination
A cohort model largely removes the obstacle of procrastination with regard to sales and learning. Students feel the urgency to purchase before the opportunity is gone, and they’re less likely to procrastinate completing the course if the rest of the cohort is on track for the completion date.
Cons of Cohorts
Exhausting
A cohort model requires lots of time and availability on behalf of the instructor. It takes me months to fully recover from my Book Launch Blueprint cohort.
Schedule Conflicts
Every time I do a cohort, I get emails from folks who are traveling during the course and can’t make it. The Book Launch Blueprint conflicted with tax season almost every year.
The Wait Between Cohorts
People don’t like waiting for the next cohort to start. There’s a bit of friction when someone visits your landing page and can’t sign up immediately. It can be frustrating. However, that irritation might be worth it if it leads to a better outcome in the long run.
Bottom Line
I think evergreen works best for smaller courses that can be completed in a few hours and for courses that are meant to be companions to other things. Evergreen content can work really well, especially for someone who wants to dive in and learn at their own pace. If they don’t need much motivation or accountability and are already highly motivated by the topic, an evergreen format can be an excellent fit.
Start Small
Learn to be faithful in the little things.
Learn to be faithful in the little things before tackling the big ones. This was a major mistake I made early on. My first course was an entire series of courses with hundreds of hours of recorded material. It was exhausting and incredibly expensive. I spent tens of thousands of dollars developing my very first courses.
Create your landing page first.
Today, before I create a course or record any videos, the first thing I do is create the landing page for that course, even before I outline it. The very first step is to build the landing page that sells the course. This is where I make the promise of transformation to the student. Once the landing page is complete, I design the course to deliver on those promises. If there’s something I really want to teach simply because I enjoy it, but it doesn’t connect with the promises or the desired transformation, I leave it out. This approach keeps the course focused.
Additionally, this method helps me gauge whether there’s actual interest in the course. A common mistake I see is people spending dozens or even hundreds of hours outlining, recording, and editing a course only to discover that no one wants to go through it.
By starting with the landing page, you can avoid wasting time on parts of the course that don’t resonate with your audience.
Let’s say your readers were eager for you to turn your book into a course, and you got enough people to sign up. I’d recommend offering a special discount for this initial beta journey through the material. The first time you teach the course, I suggest doing it 100% live. This way, you can practice the teachings with a real audience. Even if you plan to create an asynchronous version later, always start with a live, synchronous session. This approach allows you to gather valuable feedback, make necessary tweaks to the recorded elements, and ultimately produce a much more polished final product. It also helps you refine the order and priority of the course content, ensuring it’s as effective as possible for your students.
Pick one small transformation.
What is something you could help your students within just a few hours of training?
Learn the art of online teaching.
Learn the art of online teaching on that initial small course. If you’re willing to start with a beta launch instead of jumping straight into recording lessons and outlining trainings, you’ll find it makes life much easier. It might even help you realize whether creating courses is truly for you. Teaching online courses isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay.
Learn the fundamentals of online teaching.
Wait to build your magnum opus until you’ve mastered the fundamentals of creating an online course. What you learn in creating your first small course will be a tremendous help when you go on to create a longer, more robust course.
Thomas’ Tech Stack Recommendations
The following is a list of tools I use for creating my courses.
- Course Platform: Teachable (Affiliate Link)
- Small Scale Live: Zoom
- Large Scale Live: Crowdcast (Affiliate Link)
- Webinars: Crowdcast (Affiliate Link)
- Email: Kit (Formerly ConvertKit) (Affiliate Link)
- Video Recording & Editing: Descript (Affiliate Link)
- Computer: Mac Laptop
- Camera: iPhone 14 or Newer Using Continuity Camera on a Mac
- Microphone: Rode Podmic USB (Affiliate Link)
Final Thoughts
Creating a course isn’t something you can just tack on or assume will be easy simply because you wrote a book on the topic. If you want to reap a harvest, you must first plant the seeds. If you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, but if you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. The more work, time, and effort you put into your courses, the greater the return you’ll see and the better results your students will achieve.
If you want to learn more, consider signing up for Teachable(Affiliate Link). As a paid Teachable user, you gain access to Teachable University, which offers excellent courses on the basics of creating and teaching online courses. These “Getting Started” courses provide valuable insights into the fundamentals of online education.
Featured Patron
Jenny Fratzke who is writing adventure, thrillers, and romantic suspense.
