What I’ve Learned About Selling Online Courses (and How You Can Too) [+ Expert Insight]

The creator economy is booming, but here’s what most won’t tell you: Successful course creation involves much more than recording videos and hoping for sales.

I spoke with leading course creators who are actually walking the walk — marketers like Tommy Walker, Erica Schneider, and Andi Alleman — to dissect everything from their course creation process to their six-figure launch strategies.

In this guide, I’m breaking down everything they shared with me, from their exact course creation process to the launch strategies that actually moved the needle.

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Table of Contents

• Why sell an online course in 2025?
• Does selling online courses make money?
• The Course Selling Process: Your Complete Roadmap
• How to Sell Online Courses [+ Expert Tips]
• Best Platforms to Sell Online Courses

Why sell an online course in 2025?

The online education market is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2028. But beyond the obvious opportunity, there’s something more compelling: the ability to transform your expertise into scalable income.

Productize your expertise.

Here’s what I love most about online courses: You can get paid for sharing your zone of genius.

If you’ve started a career as a freelancer or a consultant, you’ve already learned how you can sell your expertise to others. But in most cases, you’re capped at a 1:1 relationship. After all, there are only so many hours in the day and clients you can fit into your schedule.

But, an online course gives you the chance to package your expertise into a product that people can consume. This allows you to go from 1:1 to 1:many — there’s no cap on the number of students who can take your course.

As Amy Porterfield writes, “You don’t need to be the leading expert in your field. You only need what I like to call a 10% edge.” That 10% edge refers to the things where you have slightly more knowledge, experience, or perspective than your audience.

Build your brand.

Creating a course isn’t just about the immediate revenue (though that’s nice).

It also helps position you as an expert authority in your field. When you package your expertise into a structured learning experience, you’re demonstrating mastery in a way that blog posts or social media content can’t match. This can lead to:

• Speaking opportunities.
• Higher-paying clients.
• Media features.
• Partnership opportunities.

Diversify your revenue.

I’m passionate about not putting all your eggs in one basket. Building several revenue streams means you can have several offerings (say, if you want to have a podcast, do consulting work, and have the occasional speaking gig), but you also fortify your business when you have revenue coming from different sources.

Online courses are ideal for adding consistent revenue to your bottom line, especially if you are able to have an evergreen course that can run without hands-on involvement.

Make a difference.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of creating an online course is the impact you can have. When you help someone master a new skill, solve a persistent problem, or achieve a goal they’ve been struggling with, you can help create lasting value for other people.

Does selling online courses make money?

The short answer? Absolutely. But let’s move beyond the aspirational “six-figure course creator” headlines and look at the real numbers and what it actually takes to succeed.

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Recent data from Kajabi, one of the leading course platforms, reveals the scale of opportunity:

• 12M course offers were sold in 2023 (on Kajabi alone).
• Courses, membership, and community offers continue to grow sharply year over year.
• 70% of creators say online courses are their highest revenue stream (followed by digital downloads, subscriptions/memberships, and online coaching).

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But here’s what most articles won’t tell you: Success requires more than just great content.

The course creators I interviewed consistently emphasized that profitability comes from three key elements:

1. Strategic market research, understanding exactly what your audience wants and will pay for before you create anything.
2. Distinctive positioning, being able to stand out in a crowded market by solving specific problems in unique ways.
3. Strong launch strategy, having a proven system to reach the right people and convert them into students.

In the next section, I’ll dive into exactly how to create that system, breaking down the pre-sale, launch, and post-sale phases that successful course creators use.

The Course Selling Process: Your Complete Roadmap

When I first started digging into how creators successfully sell online courses, I assumed the big focus would be on making an amazing product. But after talking to folks like Erica Schneider, founder of Cut the Fluff and co-founder of Full Stack Solopreneur, and Tommy Walker, founder of The Content Studio, it became clear that selling a course is much more about the process than the product.

As Schneider points out, launches are often portrayed as quick successes, but in reality, they take months — sometimes years — of preparation. The stories of “$10K days” might be true, but they often leave out the weeks of work on creating the product, building a sales page, iterating based on feedback, and crafting launch content that resonates with buyers.

Let me walk you through the three key phases of selling an online course, and I’ll share what I’ve learned from creators who’ve done it well.

Pre-Sale: Building Momentum (6+ Weeks)

One of the biggest misconceptions about selling courses is that the process begins when your course is finished. But as Schneider told me, the pre-sale phase is where the real momentum starts. By the time your cart opens, your audience should already be excited about what you’re offering.

The key to a powerful pre-launch? Focus relentlessly on transformation. “People aren’t buying features or products. They’re buying outcomes,” Schneider emphasizes. This means every piece of content should paint a clear before-and-after picture of what your course delivers.

A great example Schneider points to is Kaitlyn Bourgoin's “Wallet-Opening Words” course. It doesn’t promote teaching copywriting — it promises to help you “think like a copy scientist, instantly rewrite your copy, and look like a genius.” The transformation is clear, specific, and compelling.

How to Build Momentum for Your Course

Interestingly, she recommends starting your launch before your course is even finished. Why? It creates authentic content and brings your audience along for the ride. Some effective pre-launch strategies include:

• Share behind-the-scenes content. Whether you’re outlining your course, creating lesson slides, or refining modules, give your audience a peek into your process. Not only does this build curiosity, but it also demonstrates the thought and care behind your course.
• Highlight transformation stories. If you’ve run beta tests or pilot programs, share the tangible results students achieved. Schneider emphasized this as a great way to show the value of your course in action, focusing on specific wins instead of vague promises.
• Address pain points. Talk openly about the challenges your course solves. Use real-world examples or questions from your audience to show how the course directly addresses their struggles.
• Start a waitlist. Creating a simple sign-up page lets you gauge interest and build exclusivity. As she noted, a waitlist primes people to act as soon as the course goes live.
• Leverage targeted lead magnets. Free guides, webinars, or email series can give potential students a taste of what your course offers. The goal is to leave them wanting more of the transformation you’re promising.

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During the Sale: Creating Event-Level Excitement (4-7 Days)

The actual launch is where everything comes together. Schneider explained that the goal is to make your launch feel like an unmissable event: “There’s this party happening. You can come inside if you want to, or you can stay out there and miss the fun.”

I loved this perspective because it reframes the launch as an experience rather than a hard sell. According to Schneider, a 4–7 day window often works best, with two predictable spikes: a surge on the announcement day and another on the last day. The in-between? That’s where consistent, engaging communication keeps the momentum going.

Launch Window Best Practices

• Offer genuine early-bird incentives (not just discounts).
• Include exclusive bonuses for launch participants.
• Share real-time testimonials and quick wins.
• Create engagement through live events or Q&As.
• Maintain high energy throughout launch communications.

Post-Sale: Nurturing Success & Building Social Proof

Here’s a surprising truth I learned: Your job isn’t over once the cart closes. In fact, the post-launch phase is where you can build the kind of momentum that drives future sales.

As Schneider put it, “In the post-launch, you want to talk about how it went down. Do a retrospective, a breakdown of the launch, the numbers if you want to. You’re taking that opportunity to be like, ‘Hey, we pulled this off!’”

Transparency is key here. Sharing a post-launch recap not only engages people who didn’t buy but also provides social proof for your next launch. It’s a way to celebrate success while keeping your audience invested.

How to Sell Online Courses [+ Expert Tips]

Hopefully I’ve made it clear so far that putting together a successful course is so much more than just recording some videos and hoping enough people want to buy it.

Now, let’s get into more of the tactical tips.

1. Validate your course idea with your audience.

Before investing months into course creation, smart creators validate their ideas. You need to find the sweet spot between what you’re passionate about teaching and what people will actually pay to learn.

Here are some questions to get you started:

• Do you have an existing audience? (Think email, social media, or even IRL communities!) If so, who are they, and what do they care about?
• What challenges are they facing? Identify their specific pain points and desires.
• What valuable insights or skills can you share that would solve those challenges?
• What results are people willing to pay for? Look for specific outcomes that make a real difference.

Pro tip: Survey your audience or test your course idea with a low-cost beta version. This lets you see the real demand before diving fully into course creation. I like how Shlomo Genchin posted on LinkedIn to gauge what courses his audience would buy before he created the course.

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Andi Alleman, founder of Oui, We Studio, and Casa Noon Beauty, also leverages social to build her course business. She offers several courses for creative entrepreneurs — and she’s made multiple six figures in revenue from them. She explained how she uses her audience to move through her funnel and ultimately sell more products.

“Moving followers from social media into my sales funnel is all about providing high-level value and clear calls-to-action,” she said. “I believe it’s important to create a brand around who your community is, so they can quickly identify that the content they’re seeing is for them.”

2. Define your ideal customer avatar (ICA) and speak to their pain points.

One of the biggest mistakes course creators make is trying to appeal to everyone. The most successful courses speak directly to a specific audience.

For example, let’s say you’re building a course for content marketers. Your ICA might be:

• Age/experience, mid-career marketers looking to grow their freelancing income.
• Pain points, struggling to find high-paying clients, unsure how to craft effective pitches, and overwhelmed by inconsistent workflows.

Once you know your ICA, your messaging becomes sharper.

Instead of generic copy like, “Learn content marketing to grow your career!” — try targeted messaging: “Master the strategies to land high-paying clients and scale your freelance business — all while working smarter, not harder.”

Tommy Walker’s “Content Theory” course is a great example of this principle in action. His sales page speaks directly to his ICA’s pain points while showcasing how his course solves them.

“Courses are really good when you break down the thinking and thought process, not the tactics and prescriptions,” he said. In other words, you’re not just selling a course; you’re helping people shift their mindset and think differently. So, as you refine your course, keep that focus on creating real transformation — not just offering a series of lessons.

The core of a great course is selling transformation, Walker adds.

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When you know exactly who you’re creating this course for, everything from your content to your sales copy becomes 10x easier. Think of your ICA as the ultimate, best-fit customer for your course.

I’ve used this tip to refine my own newsletter and website content and have found it to be so helpful.

3. Build a high-converting email list.

Your email list is gold — and I’m not just saying that because I write emails for a living. Building a quality email list is like planting seeds that will grow into future buyers. Focus on attracting people who are genuinely interested in your course topic.

This is consistently my biggest advice for any business owner: Find a way to build a list of email contacts and a platform to share your thoughts and expertise.

I could write a separate 3,000-word deep dive on this alone, but for the sake of brevity, here are some important action steps you can take:

• Create a free lead magnet that’s related to your course topic. It could be a freebie, like a checklist or template, an ebook, a course preview — essentially just anything that gives a new subscriber a peek into what you offer.
• Offer value before you start selling. You know those emails you get with desperate companies trying to sell you something? Don’t do that! Instead focus on offering real value and expertise to your reader to build trust; hopefully this should intrigue their curiosity and make them want to consume more of your content.
• Use an opt-in form on your website or landing pages. A high-converting opt-in form has a clear, benefit-driven headline, an irresistible CTA, and as few fields as possible.

This is a great example of a strong lead magnet from Amy Porterfield:

Alleman has some tips here, too. Her newsletter “No Gatekeeping” has about 35,000 followers.

“I recently ran a campaign for a launch that averaged over 75% open rate because I focus on value, value, value — and then sell only when someone has continued to engage with content related to that specific course or product,” she said. “I send regular emails offering insights, actionable tips, and personal stories related to the course content. I also segment my email list to tailor messages to different subscriber interests, which has significantly boosted engagement.”

4. Create a pre-launch content series.

Pre-launch content warms up your audience and builds anticipation before you even mention your sales pitch.

Justin Welsh, a solopreneur thought leader, had one of my favorite course launches to date. It’s a textbook case to follow if you’re wanting to learn more about how to create, launch, and sell a course.

Why I like this:

• It’s clear that I’m segmented into an engaged portion of Justin’s email subscribers (which I am!), so I’m getting more in-depth content than the general newsletter.
• I love that he’s hyping up the waitlist before you get the chance to buy.
• Before asking for any purchase, Justin is sharing a ton of valuable info so you know what to expect in the course.
• There’s a clear launch plan included so you know what email to expect next.
• By the time I got Justin’s next email, I was eager to see what he’d be sharing next.

P.S. This launch brought in more than $1M for Welsh, so it’s worth taking notes on some of his strategies.

How to Create a Pre-Launch Sequence (2 weeks)

• Email 1: Problem + Solution Preview
• Email 2: Student Success Story
• Email 3: Behind-the-Scenes Look
• Email 4: FAQ & Objection Handling
• Email 5: Launch Announcement

When you've done the groundwork — validating your idea, building trust, and demonstrating expertise — selling becomes natural. Your audience should be thinking, “When can I buy?” and not “Should I buy?”

5. Host a free webinar or workshop.

Amy Porterfield is another leading voice in the online course space — if not THE leading voice. Her most prominent advice? Sell courses through a free webinar.

Webinars are a great way to offer immense upfront value, build trust, and let you demonstrate your expertise.

Here’s how it works:

• Teach something valuable. Share a quick win related to your course topic.
• Highlight the gap. Show how your course will help attendees build on what they just learned.
• Include a strong CTA. Present a limited-time offer for your course at the end of the session.

I’m a big fan of webinars, too, because they help me learn more about a course before committing to anything. This webinar for the Hey Creator $1K Course Blueprint is a great example of a course webinar that’s both simple and effective.

6. Set up a high-converting sales page.

Please promise me one thing: Don’t go to ChatGPT and prompt it to write a sales page for your online course, brush your hands, and call it a day. Please!

Your sales page should A) sound like you, B) make your reader (and ideal customer) feel like you’re talking specifically to them, and C) most importantly, prompt the reader to take action now. Some creators spend literally thousands of dollars on a great sales page because it has a direct impact on their revenue.

Here are some key components of a great sales page:

• A clear value proposition. Explain what transformation your course offers.
• Social proof. Include testimonials, case studies, or data points.
• A breakdown of what’s included. Show the value of every module or resource.

Ali Abdaal’s Part-Time YouTube Academy has a great sales page that you can learn from.

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Social proof shows how many people have taken the course and what students are saying about the value.

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It’s clear who this course is for: beginner creators and intermediate/advanced YouTubers. He also makes it clear the ideal outcomes, things like 100,000+ subscribers or $6M/year in revenue.

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Plus a great lead magnet.

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The Quest Formula

Shlomo Freund explained how he used this copywriting framework to sell courses — it’s a great one to bookmark.

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The Quest Formula can be broken down into these components:

• Qualify. Speak directly to your audience.
• Understand. Highlight their pain points and aspirations.
• Education. Share how your course solves their problems.
• Stimulate. Tap into their emotions.
• Transition. Lead them seamlessly into your CTA.

7. Create urgency with limited-time offers.

Limited-time offers work because they force people to act. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a list of evergreen courses you’d love to take someday — but there’s nothing pushing you to sign up right now. A time-sensitive offer changes that.

Here’s the key: You need to show the value your students are getting. Break it all down — video modules, templates, live sessions, bonuses — and attach a real dollar value to each piece. When you show they’re getting $2,000 worth of material for $700, it feels like a steal.

Then, make it clear they need to act now. Set a firm deadline and remind them in every email or post. Use countdown timers. Offer meaningful discounts or fast-action bonuses like a free coaching session for the first 20 signups.

Why does this work? Because it eliminates procrastination.

When someone knows they only have a week to get in, they’re far more likely to take action — especially if your course speaks directly to their pain points. The key is to make the offer feel valuable, time-sensitive, and real.

Here’s an example of a limited-time offer I got from Foundr:

8. Leverage social proof to build trust.

One thing I really love when considering a course is reading testimonials. Seeing how others have succeeded makes it easier to trust that the course will work for me too.

When it comes to your own course, showcasing social proof is crucial for turning skeptics into buyers. There are a few types of social proof you can use:

• Success stories. I love how Porterfield does this on her Digital Course Academy page. She highlights real success stories, showing exactly how much money students made after taking her course. It’s tangible and helps prospective buyers see exactly what they could achieve.
• Borrowing Other People’s Audience (OPA). This strategy, shared by Liam Alston, involves leveraging someone else’s audience to promote your course. Alston has found it to be an invaluable tool when launching. By tapping into someone else’s established audience, you get immediate access to a group that already trusts them, making it easier to sell your course.

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9. Nurture student relationships after the purchase.

Ideally, your course should feel more than simply transactional — don’t ghost your new customers.

Alleman said this was a crucial part of her course sales process. “It's so important to nurture relationships at every stage of the funnel. It’s not just about moving people along but about consistently providing value and building trust,” she said.

“I also host community challenges and share loads of resources during those times — it keeps me and my programs top of mind when someone is ready to buy.”

10. Encourage referrals and repeat purchases.

Most creators will agree with me when I say that some launches will flop — it’s a part of the process. The key is to learn from the experience and make tweaks for the future. Perhaps you could revamp your launch sequence or offer more webinars next time.

“After the launch, I always create a detailed launch debrief to analyze social media performance, email campaigns, and lead magnets,” Alleman said.

From there, it’s a great idea to encourage referrals from your happy students, as that’s the best marketing tactic you could use.

As Justin Welsh writes, “The words of your customers will always convert prospects at a much higher rate than your own. Every beautiful testimonial is a chance to convert more prospects into happy customers.”

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Best Platforms to Sell Online Courses

1. Thinkific

Thinkific is an education and online business platform that goes beyond course content. You can create digital downloads, courses, coaching, and webinars for your business through Thinkific. You can even use course templates and an AI course outline generator to kick-start your project.

Why I like Thinkific: Thinkific has an impressive suite of marketing tools that can help you sell your courses, like this landing page builder. As a solopreneur, I’ll take all the help I can get!

Pricing: Plans range from $36/month (Basic) to $149/month (Grow).

2. Teachable

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Teachable is another leading platform in the online course space. Like some other tools, it has an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder that makes it super easy to design your course. You’ll also have access to advanced sales and marketing techniques, including upsells, coupons, and order bumps.

Why I like Teachable: It feels like a powerful platform that also seems easy to use.

Pricing: Basic is $59/month, Pro is $159/month, and Pro+ is $249/month.

3. Podia

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Podia helps you build an online store for your digital courses. You can sign up and sell online courses, digital downloads such as ebooks, or offer membership plans to students all from a single website store.

This platform uses a similar template for all its store offerings to help streamline the process of course creation and selling, and also lets you publish your course immediately or send out pre-sale emails to generate user interest.

Why I like Podia: Overall, Podia seems pretty easy to use and beginner-friendly.

Pricing: The Mover plan is $39/month and the Shaker plan is $89/month.

4. Kajabi

I’m a huge fan of Kajabi. I see a lot of creators in my network using Kajabi to power their businesses, too. It’s more than just a place to host your online course — you can use its advanced marketing tools to create your sales funnel and automate parts of your marketing.

Why I like Kajabi: I associate Kajabi with a higher level of professional sophistication. If you’re serious about building an online business, this seems like the ideal tool.

Pricing: Plans start at $69/month and scale up to $399/month for the Pro plan (significantly higher than competitors).

5. Skillshare

Skillshare classes primarily focus on creative skills such as writing, photography, blogging, and design. It operates as a marketplace where students subscribe to access a library of courses, and creators are compensated based on watch time.

This model provides access to a large, built-in audience but offers less control over pricing and branding. Additionally, the revenue share model means earnings can be lower compared to selling courses independently.

Why I like Skillshare: This platform seems like a lower barrier to entry if you want to experiment with online courses but don’t quite yet have a marketing system in place. It also has a wide variety of niche courses that you can explore.

Pricing: Free version available, pricing for paid plans varies.

Ready to sell your online course?

I hope it’s clear what some of the key steps are to launching your course — from validating your idea, to creating a launch strategy, to building relationships with your audience. But of course, this is just a sneak peek. Honestly, there’s so much more you can learn that, well, this could be a course in and of itself. (Jokes!)

Creating a course isn’t just about recording educational videos or earning so-called “passive income.” It’s about something much bigger. A course is an incredible opportunity to package your expertise, connect deeply with your audience, and provide real, lasting value to people.

So, if you’re considering creating a course, I hope this inspires you to take that next step. And don’t forget — tools like HubSpot can make the process so much smoother, from email marketing to setting up sales funnels. Happy launching!