Create Profitable Courses – Brian Dean

How To Create a Profitable Online Course From Scratch1. Choose a topic with proven demand.2. Launch your online course using a tested step-by-step system.3. Tap into advanced strategies to scale and grow.These are tactics and strategies that I’ve tested “behind closed doors” for the past 8 years.I recently boiled everything down into an easy-to-implement system called Create Profitable Courses — and today it’s available for the first time ever.Create Profitable Courses is the new step-by-step program that shows you how to start – and grow – a highly profitable online course business.Even if… you don’t have an idea.Even if…if you don’t have much extra time.Even if…you’re not a world-famous expert.And you’ll see how to do it even if you know nothing about creating online courses.The best part?You don’t need a blog.You don’t need a huge email list.You don’t need to spend months (or years) on product development.Now, before we dive into all of the details of my new program, I want to share a personal story.My First Course Launch Was (Almost) a Complete DisasterHi, I’m Brian Dean, founder and CEO of Backlinko.I’ll never forget the day that I launched my first online course.I was a nervous wreck.Chewed fingernails.Rapid heartbeat.And I was pacing around my house nonstop.The same question kept bouncing around in my head: “Is anyone going to buy this thing?”.You see, at this point in my career, I’d made all of my money from affiliate revenue and from consulting.But I knew exactly ZERO about creating or selling online courses.And it showed:So, there I was: the day of the launch.And I was about to send the first email to let people know “my course was for sale!”.But it was like my body wouldn’t let me hit the send button.My mouse cursor hovered over that send button for about 10 minutes.I strongly considered not sending the email. And calling the entire thing off.I was that nervous.In a moment of clarity, I said “what the heck”, hit send and did 17 walks around the block.My first launch was officially underway. And there was no turning back.Phew!Get Create Profitable Courses – Brian Dean, Only Price $57Then… crickets.I spent the rest of that week refreshing my Gmail. And hoping that I’d see that magical “A new order has been successfully placed” email in my inbox.But it didn’t happen.Was I disappointed? Sure.Even though my first course looked pretty rough (at least compared to my standards today). I did put a lot of work into it. And the material was solid.So I was expecting to sell something.When I went to bed on the last night of the launch, I actually slept like a baby.After a week of slow sales, I accepted the fact that no one wanted my course. So there was nothing to even be nervous about.Well, when I woke up the next morning, I saw something that astounded me:SALES.(Thanks Chris)(Thank you Chaminda)(Thank you Krzysztof)(And thank you, Wesley)And it wasn’t just a handful of sales. Dozens of people bought my course on the last day.My launch went from a complete disaster to a moderate success… literally overnight.It felt GREAT.Like you, I knew that online courses are one of the best business models going.Low startup costs.Infinitely scalable.And, unlike consulting or services, you can set your own hours and stop trading time for money.So after that first launch went well, I was PUMPED about the future.But even I had no idea just how bright the future was going to be.Fast Forward to Today: I Now Run a Multi-Million Dollar Online Course BusinessHi, I’m Brian Dean. You may know me because you saw me get featured on Inc where they called me “a brilliant entrepreneur.”Or maybe you saw my Forbes profile where they featured my business as a “Million-dollar, one-person business”.So yeah, I’ve come a long way since that first launch.It didn’t happen right away. And it took hard work.But I quickly turned that first launch into a multi-million dollar business.Take a close look at that chart.I’m not showing you how I used Shopify/Facebook ads/dropshipping/webinars/fill-in-the-blank fad to make a million bucks in 5 seconds.What you’re looking at here is a real business. A business that has consistent year over year growth.This growth wasn’t the result of getting lucky. Or taking advantage of some limited time fad that stops working after a week.Over the last 6 years, my company has created four different online programs. And we’ve run dozens of course launches that’s brought in millions in sales.From that real world experience I believe that I’ve cracked the code on developing, planning, creating and launching profitable online courses.And today I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you.But first, I want to show you WHY online courses are a great way to build an online business… Or to add a new revenue stream to your existing business.Are Online Courses The “Perfect” Business Model?Yup!I’ll explain why…Before I launched my first course, I was spending a good chunk of my time consulting with businesses to help them with their SEO.At first, I really enjoyed consulting. It felt cool that a publicly traded company or a growing Silicon Valley startup would want my advice.And they were paying me well for it.Plus, the work was pretty easy. All I needed to do was hop on the phone and answer their questions. Questions about a topic that I knew super well.But over time, I started to HATE those consulting calls.Not only were they super repetitive, but they put a BIG damper on my flexibility.Want to go to the gym in the middle of the day? Too bad, you have a call at 1pm.Want to go on a spontaneous 2-week trip to Thailand? Well, you need to reschedule 57 calls.But worst of all, I quickly realized that consulting was NOT scalable.Not even close.There are only so many hours in the day. And only one of me.So by the nature of how consulting works, this model put a giant ceiling over how much I could make.It was the opposite of scalable.And as soon as I started to get consistent sales from courses, I stopped consulting altogether.Which was a complete game changer.For the first time in my life, I had real “passive income”.I made money when I worked. And when I didn’t work.Unlike consulting, where I had to pound the pavement for every dollar that I brought in, courses were infinitely scalable.All I needed to do was create a course ONCE. And I could sell that same course 100, 1000, or even 10,000 times.In fact, that’s exactly what happened. Look at this revenue chart from the early days of one of our flagship courses:As you can see, revenue continued to climb… years after I first created that program. All from the same course!(Of course, I’ve made changes and updates to that course along the way. But the core content in that course is essentially the same).That’s the power of a profitable online course.Online Courses Have Given Me the Freedom to Live and Work Whenever (And Wherever) I WantMy Dad always told me: “One of the most valuable things in life is to have options. When you have options, life is good”.When I was grinding away with consulting, my options were SUPER limited. I felt like I was on the clock and tied to someone else’s schedule.But now that I run a successful course business, I’ve got options up the wazoo.My girlfriend and I spent 2 weeks off the grid traveling around Indonesia. We saw amazing things. And ate amazing food. All while my business largely ran without me.I can say yes to spontaneous hangout invites from friends. Even if they’re in the middle of the “work day”.The revenue that my course business brings in gives me the option to grow from acquisitions. We recently bought two existing sites. And these acquisitions have helped fastrack Backlinko’s growth.I used to think flying business class was a “waste of money”. Now it’s my default way of travel for long-haul flights.Sometimes I like to take the afternoon off and reward myself with a marathon gaming session on Steam (my favorite game is Civilization).After creating several profitable online courses, I recently decided to document the entire process.And I now have a proven, repeatable, step-by-step process for creating profitable online courses.I’m eager to share it with you, but first…The Online Course Industry Is Already BIG… And It’s Getting BiggerI’m not the only one with a highly-profitable online course business.Not even close.More and more people are launching online courses. And having success doing it.In fact, according to Global Industry Analysts, the online course industry is currently worth $107 Billion. And they estimate that’s going to triple to $325 Billion in the next 5 years.Get Create Profitable Courses – Brian Dean, Only Price $573 Examples of People That Are Crushing It With Online CoursesHere are 3 people that have created – and launched – profitable online courses:Meet Joseph Michael of Learn Scrivener FastJoseph started selling his first online course on the side. And it quickly grew his business past the $100k mark. Today, Joseph has a portfolio of courses that bring in a combined $500k per year.Meet Paula Pant of Afford AnythingPaula is a real estate investor that teaches people how to buy and manage rental properties. Her first online course launch netted $140k.Meet Tomi Mester of Data36Tomi launched his first course as a way to monetize his growing data science blog. And it was so successful that Tomi now works on his growing online course business full-time.A Unique Window Of Opportunity Just Opened…If you think that online courses might be for you, now’s the time to take advantage.You already saw the numbers. The online course business is booming… and still in its infancy. Which means that now is the time to give it a shot.I also showed you 3 examples of people that are using courses as the foundation of their business. Or as a way to add a new revenue stream to their existing online business.If You’re One of These 3 Types of People, Online Courses Are PERFECT For You:Person #1You want to make courses your main thing.Person #2You want to use courses to add a revenue stream to your existing business.Person #3You already have course business, and you want to take things to the next level.If any of these descriptions sound familiar, here’s why you should strongly consider creating an online course.If you want to create an entire business around online courses…You totally can.Just look at me.When I launched my first course I had no idea what I was doing. I’d never shot a lesson or launched anything in my life.Today, my entire business revolves around courses.That’s right: literally 100% of the revenue that Backlinko generates today is from online courses.So if you’re someone that loves teaching, or if you just want a business model that you can scale, you’d be hard pressed to beat online courses. It’s an awesome business model.If you want courses to add a new revenue stream to your existing business…That’s a great option too.When I first got started with courses, course sales didn’t replace my consulting revenue right away.At first, courses added an additional revenue stream to my existing business.As someone that was trading hours for dollars, it was cool to see money coming in month after month… whether I worked or not. It felt awesome to have a source of predictable revenue that I could rely on.In fact, that’s one of the best parts about online courses: they scale as much as you want them to scale.If you want courses to add 10%, 20%, or 50% to your bottom line, you can do that. And if down the line you want courses to ultimately replace your existing product or service, that option is available to you. Courses are super flexible like that.So if you’re someone that wants to add a new revenue stream or product line to your existing business, online courses are the way to go.If you already have a course, and want to grow your online course business more strategically…Then I probably don’t need to sell you on online courses. You’re already reaping the benefits.But as someone that started from the bottom and grew to millions in course sales, I can tell you that there’s a huge difference between a course that brings in $10k… and one that brings in seven figures (or more).The only question is: how do you scale up? More courses? Fewer courses? Facebook ads? Webinars?Well, after trying just about everything to grow my online course business, I’ve boiled the entire process down into a repeatable, step-by-step system.It doesn’t work overnight. And it takes work. But once you have a system that works, growing your online course business is EASY. Just follow the steps and you’re set.Now, I’ll reveal this system in a minute.But first, I need to quickly cover three myths that stop people from creating profitable online courses.The Truth About Creating Profitable Online CoursesFrom talking to thousands of entrepreneurs over the last few years, I know firsthand how many people want to create their own online course.They see the opportunity in a rapidly-growing industry.They know that the startup costs are essentially zero.And they know that courses can quickly add a new revenue stream to their existing business.But along the way, something stops them from moving forward and making progress.I can point to three main reasons that people don’t end up creating a course… even if they’re SUPER excited about the opportunity.And now I’m going to share them with you.“I don’t have time to create an online course”I can totally relate to this.I’ll explain:When I started to work on my first course, I was trying to get Backlinko off the ground. And deliver work for SEO clients. Plus a ton of hourly consulting.Oh, and there was also that little thing called lifeSo yeah, it wasn’t like I was sitting around twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do.Far from it.I was busy.Clients.Phone calls.Fires to put out.But here’s the thing:Creating an online course doesn’t have to take a ton of time.In fact, if you create your course the right way, it shouldn’t take that much time.The #1 reason that most people struggle with creating their first online course isn’t “lack of time”.It’s that they lack a plan.When you have a plan, you can work on your course when things are a little bit slow for you.Or, you can go to a cafe on a Saturday, order a cappuccino, and get three hours of uninterrupted work done on your course.Without a plan, creating a course is a constant struggle.You’re CONSTANTLY running into decisions like: “What should my course be about?” or “What emails should I send during my launch?”.These are actually great questions. That’s not the issue.The issue is that, without a plan, these questions can block your progress like a giant boulder in the road.I mean, it’s pretty much impossible to gain momentum when you’re constantly having to figure out what to do and how to do it.With a plan, things couldn’t be any more different.With a plan, every step is laid out for you.So there’s no need to wonder “What do I do next?”.Just follow the steps and you’re SET.Which leads us to…Get Create Profitable Courses – Brian Dean, Only Price $57“Why would someone buy my course? I’m not really an expert!”Again, this is something that I can really relate to.People today call this concept “Imposter Syndrome”.But back when I started on my first course, I didn’t know there was an official name for it.It just felt like a sense of doubt hanging over my head like a dark cloud.Sure, when I launched my first course, I knew more about SEO than most people.But was I the world’s greatest SEO expert?Nope!And I was SURE that I would get mean emails from people saying things like: “Come on, Brian. You don’t know jack about SEO. I’m not going to buy your stupid course”.But in reality, as I showed you earlier, my first launch was a surprise hit.And after multiple course launches, and from helping other people with their launches, I now know why:People don’t seek out courses from people that have world-class expertise. Or fancy credentials.Does that stuff help? Probably.But it’s not required for success with online courses. Not even close.Why?Well, as it turns out, people buy courses from normal people that they can relate to.In fact, I recently asked a group of new students “what made you decide to invest in this program?”.Here’s a sample of those responses:Notice how literally nobody says that they bought my program because of my “credentials” (I don’t have any).Or that they bought it because I was featured in some big magazine or newspaper (who cares?).Instead, they bought my program because they were confident that I could help them.So as long as you know more than the person that’s about to buy your course, you’re good to go.This reminds me of a friend that I had in high school.When I was 16, my best friend Chris started lifting weights. He started to spend all of his free time doing deadlifts and bench presses. And he quickly got jacked.And whenever he’d run into someone that he hadn’t seen in a while, they’d all say the same thing:“Wow Chris, you’re jacked! How did you do it?”.And they’d listen intently as he rattled off his routine and tips.Was Chris a certified personal trainer? Nope!Did Chris have testimonials from people that he helped get in shape? No way.But he DID have more knowledge than the person that he was standing in front of. Which was enough for pretty much every guy in our school to come up and ask him for advice.So yeah, you don’t need to be some sort of “expert” to create and sell a profitable online course.You really don’t.All you need is enough knowledge to teach someone how to go from point A (where they are now) to point B (where they want to be).“I’ve never done this before. I have no idea how to create an online course!”This is something that really tripped me up at first.People see me on stage speaking at conferences around the world……or shooting YouTube videos that get seen by hundreds of thousands of people…And they think: “You must be a natural!”.Nope!The truth is, when I first started sharing my knowledge with the world, I was more than happy to hide behind my laptop screen and write blog posts all day long.The idea of standing in front of a camera absolutely terrified me.But like any entrepreneur worth his or her salt, I decided to give it a try.And, like I mentioned earlier, my first videos were rough (to put it lightly).I asked my friend to come by my apartment and record my first course videos. And for some reason I decided to rent a flipchart so I could scribble illegible words on it.(I mean, who can read that?)It was far from my recording process today, which involves a professional studio, high-end camera, and expert editing.Even today, I still create what I call “beta courses”. These are super easy and low-tech courses that I can produce in a day or so.And they don’t require any equipment or technical skills.They’re literally me recording over slides in my home office.And if you’re just starting out, this is actually the style of course that I recommend. All you need is Powerpoint and a computer.No cameras. No lighting. When you’re getting started, you don’t need any of that stuff.All you need to do is dedicate a few hours a week to your course. And you’re good to go.If You’re Ready, Here’s the Next Step…At this point you’re ready to give this whole online course thing a try.You may not have a lot of extra time right now. But like I mentioned, creating an online course doesn’t have to take a ton of time.You may not have fancy diplomas hanging on your wall. Which, as I pointed out, is not important at all.And you may not have any experience with creating courses. Again, this is no big deal. Creating a profitable course is actually super easy… when you know what to do and how to do it.Speaking of knowing what to do, you probably have a few questions swirling around in your head right now.Questions like:“What should I make my course about?”“What if I don’t have an idea?”“Do I need to be in front of a camera?”“What should I cover in each lesson?”“How do I sell my course? Email? Social media?”“How much should I charge for my course?”These are all great questions. And questions that you’ll need to answer as you create and launch your course.Well, what if there was a way that you’d get these questions answered… before you even needed to ask them.In other words: what if, instead of trying to figure everything out on your own, you had a blueprint for planning, outlining, creating, producing and selling profitable online courses?A plan that showed you how to do everything, step-by-step.Well, that’s exactly what I’ve built.And today I’m SUPER excited to announce my new program, Create Profitable Courses.Introducing: Create Profitable CoursesJoin Create Profitable Courses today. And I’ll show you exactly how to plan, create and sell profitable online courses.This is the exact blueprint that I personally used to take Backlinko from scratch to a multi-million dollar online course business.And it’s the same system that I use today.Inside this all-new training, I share my proprietary system for creating high-converting online courses that people love to buy… again… and again… and again.I’ve quietly developed and tested this system ever since I launched my first course back in 2013. And I’ve refined my approach over the past 7 years.Plus, I’ll also share the advanced tactics and techniques that can help you scale your course business to 6-figures, 7-figures and beyond.You’ll never have to wonder “what do I do next?” because you’ll have a step-by-step blueprint for creating profitable online courses.Get Create Profitable Courses – Brian Dean, Only Price $57How Create Profitable Courses WorksCreate Profitable Courses is my step-by-step system for planning, creating, launching and scaling profitable online courses.Each week you’ll get video lessons, accompanied by worksheets, audio transcripts, and other step-by-step instructions that show you exactly what to do and how to do it.Wondering what to name your course? I show you the exact process that we use to give our courses names that stick in people’s minds.Don’t have an idea yet? You get access to a formula that will help you quickly develop — and refine — your idea.Not sure how much to charge? I reveal how to determine the best price point for your course.In short: when you invest in Create Profitable Courses, you get access to a system that shows you literally everything you need to know.To create the material in Create Profitable Courses, I broke down every single step my team and I use for finding course topics, outlining modules, writing outlines, creating lessons, designing sales pages, running launches, and more.And finally, I pulled together what worked, and distilled it all into a repeatable, step-by-step blueprint.Let me walk you through everything you’ll learn inside the core Create Profitable Courses training…MODULE 1Create The Foundation For Your Profitable Online CourseThe #1 secret to online course topics that sell (hint: all you need to do is make one simple tweak to a traditional idea and you’re set. I show you exactly how it’s done in Module 1, Lesson 2)How to position your course so it stands out and makes potential customers say: “YES! This is for me”Why you don’t need to be an “expert” to sell an insanely successful course. Instead, all you need to do is figure out someone’s “MC”. And create a course that revolves around their “MC”The exact formula that we use to name our courses. Your course name is a sneaky important part of an online course’s success. So it’s important to get it right. In Lesson 3 I show you how to give your course an awesome name that stands outHow “Topic Transformation” turns a bland course idea into one that people will actually WANT to buy… again and againThe exact blueprint that you can use to make serious progress on your online course within minutes. So if you’ve ever felt “stuck” before, you’ll love the feeling of breezing through your course starting with the first lesson in Module 1MODULE 2Produce Your First CourseThe “B to F” Course Creation Process: our proprietary system for creating online courses that we KNOW people will want to buy… before we launch them. This is kind of like beta testing in the software world. But for online coursesEver wonder: “What should I actually cover in my course?”. In Module 2 I show you exactly what to include, what not to include and how to include itThe 3 keys that you need to create a course that people LOVE. Miss out on one of these 3 keys and your course will probably struggle to resonate with people. But when you have all 3 of these keys? Your course has a great chance of being a smash hit with your audienceEver wonder how to create course videos? Or how to edit them? Or the best software to use to host your course? I give you a curated list of our software and equipment recommendations for every budgetThe HUGE mistake that people make with their first course. This single mistake is why most online courses don’t sell. I show you how to easily sidestep this issue in Module 2, Lesson 1Advanced course production strategies: Learn how to plan, create and produce lessons that students LOVE. Even if you’re not a natural presenter ADVANCEDMODULE 3Launch Your Online CourseThe exact launch template that we use to launch early versions of our online courses. Not only do they convert super well, but they’re REALLY easy to pull off. And in Module 3, Lesson 1 you’ll get access to our complete templateHow “The Struggle” email grabs your audience’s attention and makes them ready to buy on launch dayThe 3 “Master Keys” of a successful course launch. Miss even one of these and your launch probably won’t go as planned. But when you have all three of these key elements in place, your launch is primed for successDetailed teardowns of our all-time best-performing launches. Including the exact emails that we sent, when we sent them, and in what orderThe simple way to announce your new course so that people WANT to get their hands on it… before they even hit your sales pageAdvanced: How to use the “Burning Questions” email to smash through objections, and get more sales during launch weekMODULE 4Create and Launch a Flagship CourseHow to turn your first course into a multi-module flagship course that commands premium prices (Flagship courses can sell anywhere between $1,000 and as much as $6,000 per student. How do I know? I’ve done it. And in this module I’ll show you how to create and launch your flagship courses so that people HAPPILY pay premium prices for your courses)Forget webinars, funnels, segmenting and other complicated nonsense. I’ll show you what’s really working in the world of product launches right nowDetailed Teardown: I give you the exact sequence we used on a launch that did nearly 7-figures in revenueHow to write high-converting emails that don’t sound salesy (including the exact templates we use on every launch)My personal Launch Checklist for making sure every launch goes smoothly (and most importantly, converts)MODULE 5Scale Your Course BusinessNow that you have a profitable course under your belt, I show you the easy way to create even MORE profitable courses. Or 2.0 versions of your existing courses (hint: this is a great way to boost sales on your existing programs)The three roles you need to fill if you’re serious about scaling up. Two of these you’ll be able to guess. But one of them will probably surprise youI show you how to find a treasure trove of profitable course ideas for future courses… even if you feel like you’re “out of ideas”Specific strategies that I used to get my first 10 customers — along with advanced techniques that I used to get 1,000 customers, 3,000 customers and beyond.Advanced: How to create a thriving online community of students and graduatesThat’s just a small sample of what’s inside of my all new program.I’ve loaded Create Profitable Courses with even more advanced strategies that you can use to build and sell a world-class online course from scratch.Inside the program you’ll also learn:Exactly how much to charge for entry-level, mid-level, and high-end productsThe system we use to test market demand for our new programs… before we sell itCourse production secrets: How we make our courses look GREAT… without fancy tools, equipment or softwareHow to pick the ideal start and end date for your launchA simple technique to keep your launches from bogging down and boring your readersThe easy way to quickly get high-converting testimonials for your courseSwipe File: A complete, unedited swipe file from one of our most successful launches. You see every email. Every subject line. And every call to actionThe tactic that I use to build demand and anticipation for our courses… days or even weeks before they go liveHow to create a risk reversal that directly leads to more sales (including people that are “on the fence”)Sales page secrets: the step-by-step process that we use to create insanely high-converting sales page for our coursesAnd much more!The Complete System for Creating a Profitable Course From ScratchEvery Create Profitable Courses module comes with a set of Advanced Training Resources, packed with detailed field reports, internal processes (SOPs), worksheets, checklists, and more.You won’t find this material anywhere else.Backlinko Insider: Inside My Course Development ProcessFor the first time ever I’ll take you behind the scenes at Backlinko HQ and reveal our entire course development process.You’ll see how we find topics for our programs. Test demand. Launch beta courses. And turn those beta courses into multi-million dollar flagship courses.Proven Course Topic ChecklistThis is the exact 9-point checklist that we use to figure out if our course will be a zero or a hero… before we go live.Software and Equipment Recommendations ListThis is a curated list of the best cameras, mics, screen recorders, and course software on the market. That way, there’s no need to spend hours reading Amazon reviews. Or buying something that you don’t need.From creating literally hundreds of course lessons, I’ve figured out the exact tech stack that works.Backlinko Insider: How to Create Compelling Course MaterialHow do you create course material that doesn’t just teach and inform… but entertains and inspires? In other words: how do you create a course that your students will take action on and get results from?Well, in this lesson I show you a handful of tips that will make your course material super compelling (even if you’re not a “natural presenter”).Complete Course Pricing GuideLots of people get hung up on how much to charge for their course. And hey, I can’t judge: this is something I used to really struggle with myself.Well, after running dozens of launches at all sorts of different price points, I’ve figured out the 3 different price points that you can charge for your course. And the simple ways that you can add value and increase the price of your program accordingly.Step-By-Step Launch TemplatesThese launch templates take the guesswork out of launching online courses. In these detailed templates I literally show you what to send, when to send it, and who to send it to.It’s literally: “Tuesday, send this email. Here’s what to include in this email. On Wednesday, send this email. Here’s what to write in that email.”That way, there’s no guesswork or wondering what to do next. Just fill in the blanks from these tested templates and you’re well on your way to a profitable launch.Course Community GuideDo you want to have a forum, Facebook group or Slack channel for your course? If so, you NEED to watch this advanced training first. In it, I show you how I created an active community of 2500+ students and graduates (along with mistakes that I made along the way).The reality is: a community of students and graduates is one of the most valuable assets that a course business can have. But you need to do it the right way. And in this detailed guide I’ll show you everything you need to know.Online Sales Masterclass With Brian DeanThe truth is this: If you’re looking to buil