I launched my first and only online course in July of last year. In just one year, I earned around $434,698 from it. This success came without any webinars, guest posts, or a launch period; it spread mainly through word-of-mouth as an evergreen course.
Creating this course, “Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing,” was nerve-wracking. It was my first product, and I was scared no one would be interested. I knew it would be a lot of work, and I was intimidated because creating a blogging course was new to me. Many people told me that first products often fail, and I didn’t want to waste my time on something that might flop.
Despite my fears, I was determined to create a course that would help others understand and benefit from affiliate marketing. I wanted to share my knowledge and reach a wider audience, rather than just helping bloggers one-on-one. Creating an online course seemed like the perfect way to do that and to generate a new income stream.
Online courses offer more than just an ebook. They can include workbooks, lessons, community groups, bonuses, and more. Encouraged by others and inspired by successful stories, I finally decided to create my course, which turned out to be one of my best business decisions.
Many students from my course have reached out to say how much it has helped them. Some saw their income skyrocket, like one student who went from making $272 to $4,400 per month and another who doubled their monthly affiliate income from $2,500 to $5,000. These success stories are gratifying and show the course’s impact.
Income from my online course now makes up about one-third of my business revenue, and I plan to create more products to help even more people. I see this as just the beginning.
I created “Making Sense of Cents” almost six years ago and have since earned over $1,500,000 from blogging, including $979,000 in 2016 alone. Blogging started as a hobby to track my personal finance progress, and I didn’t even know it could make money. But after earning my first $100 from an advertisement deal, my income grew rapidly.
By the summer of 2012, I was earning around $1,000 a month, and by the next summer, it was $10,000 monthly. In 2015, I earned over $320,000, and in 2016, $979,000. Blogging has allowed me to work from home, travel, and have a flexible schedule—all while doing something I love.
Creating my course was a way to help others achieve similar success. Here’s how I earned over $434,698 from it:
1. **Networking**: I was in a mastermind group with Jessica Larrew and Abby Lawson, who convinced me to start the course. Their support and advice were invaluable.
2. **Targeting a Specific Market**: I focused on affiliate marketing for bloggers and online influencers, which was a niche that wasn’t fully addressed by other courses.
3. **Real Results**: My course is based on my real success with affiliate marketing, which made it credible and valuable to others.
4. **High Value**: The course includes over $500 in bonuses and a community group, which many students find worth the price alone.
5. **Great Platform**: I used Teachable, which is user-friendly and well-liked by students.
6. **Growing My Email List**: I grew my email list to around 65,000 subscribers and used it to casually promote my course.
7. **Casual Promotion**: I mentioned the course in my income reports, added it to my email sequence, and occasionally offered coupon codes.
8. **Affiliates**: I allowed course students to become affiliates, offering a high percentage for successful promotions. This has been a significant source of sales.
Are you interested in creating an online course? Why or why not?