Thread by @james_d_baird

Makers, let's increase the GDP of the internet.

Here's my contribution: a canvas and mega 🧵 on profitable courses.

As a PM in edu, I've reached a million+ people with my products and increased a college's revenue by 20%.

Here's my secret sauce packaged for solopreneurs.

Canvas

Your first course idea won't be your best. You'll need to strategize, iterate, experiment, and prototype. Use the canvas to model your different ideas and test for feasibility, viability, and desirability.

Audience

You must be hyper-specific to make money. Don't target people who like education. Target people trying to earn side income by selling their online courses on Twitter.

Avoid technicalities like psychographics. Just make sure you have confidence and razor-sharp clarity.

Drivers

On their own, ideas don't make money. You need to leverage a fundamental human need like money, health, or status.

Follow who your audience follows and analyze the tweets with the most engagements. You'll soon gain a sense for their incentives.

Topic

Select a subject connected to your audience's motivations.

But don't chase cheap trends. Pick something you know and love. People want to learn from teachers with excitement and expertise.

The magic happens when their incentives overlap with your passion.

Media

Profitable courses don't need expensive media. Make a video with your phone. Walk through a slide deck and record your screen. Or just write! All these options will meet your goal: to move your ideas into their heads.

Content

People are not paying you for content. They are paying you for value. They want your course to solve a problem for them. Solve that problem as fast as possible.

Reduce friction. Exercises, assignments, & discussion boards can be blockers to the meat of your course.

Platform

The best course platform for you will be cheap and easy to manage. It'll also offer a fast checkout process and an intuitive navigation for your learners.

Many platforms offer too many bells and whistles. Focus on the basics. I like Podia.

Offer

If you list three options, sales will increase. I like this model:

-Content ($)
-Content + Resources ($$)
-Content + Resources + Coaching ($$$$$)

The majority will buy the middle one. It's human nature. Price accordingly.

Price

Charge a high price. If you picked the right audience and topic, then only a few people in the world will find your course desirable. But those people should value it enough to skip a few meals if necessary. However, make sure you deliver on their expectations.

Personal Brand

You need to sell yourself to sell your course. People need to trust the person teaching them. If you picked the right topic, then this will be natural and authentic. On Twitter and your product page, simply share your education, experience, and accomplishments.

Marketing 1

Familiarity drives popularity. You need to ensure people know you and your value. Produce and distribute as much amazing, free content as possible. It will take time, but your work will compound. I love this graphic from @jackbutcher:

Marketing 2

You do not need to buy ads. You can grow sales organically. Try this:

-Offer your course for free to a few people.
-Ask them to share their experience.
-With permission, post their testimonials online.

Repeat the last two steps after each purchase.

Marketing 3

Find influencers who your audience trusts. Aim for people with 5k-20k followers. They're more likely to notice you. Let them try your course and then give away seats to their followers. Be creative. Design offers so they're doing themselves a favor by promoting you.

The Final Step

Sit back and watch your sign ups roll in!

You can now get the full playbook on how to create and launch profitable courses: gumroad.com/l/rmZoA