Let me just say it right away – sharing unpopular opinions definitely is my jam. I’ve tried and tested so many online business ways of getting things done. And in most cases, the least popular or even somewhat “homemade” ones do the job for me. So here will be a dose of unpopular opinions about courses.
I started my business in 2015 and for the first few years, it was a hot mess. Mostly because there are just so many opinions online that even if you have the best intention to find a way to succeed, you just end up being a bit too confused on what exactly to do…
So more often than not I just took on my own path.
Often a rather unpopular one. Sometimes even plain ridiculous.
But in most cases – that really has been the shining light in my business.
In this article specifically, I’d love to give you an insight into my favorite unpopular opinions about courses.
Unpopular opinions about courses
Unpopular opinion no.1: Courses are NOT an easy, fast or reliable way of making money online
When I first started my online business, I felt like creating a course will solve all my problems: I won’t have to deal with 1:1 clients, I’ll make consistent, reliable sales and overall it will be my goldmine.
Many other aspiring course creators go into this process with the same or similar idea.
Courses really seem like an amazing way of earning more and serving a bigger audience.
And they truly can be that! However…
It’s NOT easy. It’s NOT fast. And it’s NOT reliable (unless you already have a warmed-up audience ready to buy everything you’re putting out there).
So the process of creating a course definitely isn’t easy. It consists of several different parts.
- First of all, it’s all about getting the idea ready, doing some audience research, clarifying your curriculum.
- Then, you’ll have to actually prepare the content, design the slides, record the videos and/or create some worksheets.
- And the backend setup. And sales page design. And email marketing campaigns. And launch materials…
Get this free checklist to see what exactly would be on your to-do list if you decide to create an online course!
I’m not here to scare you off! I just want you to get into this with a clear perspective. Creating a course can be AMAZING and it can change your business for the best but it’s not as fast or easy as it might seem.
Join Course Creator Hub if you’re ready to take the leap!
Unpopular opinion no.2: Starting with a low-priced, evergreen offer is the way to go!
Many creators feel like creating a course is a “go big or go home” kind of deal. But creating a smaller course first can be such a great way to understand the process, earn the income AND have a great resource for your funnels.
As you already saw in the previous part of this post, creating a course is not something that can be done in a day.
However, it IS possible to create a smaller, more focused, fewer-lesson product in a day or two. Yes, just like that. Without overthinking it. You can start making money with a smaller course as soon as tomorrow.
Then, once you have this material ready and out there, you can start evaluating how it works.
Listen to your audience, see what type of content they prefer, what comments and feedback you might be getting.
And while this small and somewhat quick product makes you money, you can focus on the bigger deal in the background, without the stress about when and how it will make its appearance.
Unpopular opinion no.3: It doesn’t matter how many lessons you put in the course or how long they are…
One of the most popular questions I get asked is “how many lessons should I add in my course?”
The truth is. IT. DOESN’T. MATTER.
Yes, there are some suggestions or the most common practices you can follow.
However, the baseline is that you should add as many lessons as makes sense.
And instead of focusing on the number of lessons, focus on giving value and helping your audience to actually REACH THEIR GOALS.
See, if you can teach something in 1 x 5min video why would you want to expand it into longer material?
It’s not about how much time one will have to spend with your course… It’s all about getting to that finish line and solving the problems they seek to solve!
Provide relevant lessons with actionable solutions and the details won’t matter as much.
Unpopular opinion no.4: Focus on growing and nourishing your audience instead of putting all your time and intention into the course creation
Here comes my favorite of the unpopular opinions about courses!
If you have no audience, you’ll have no sales (unless you invest loads in your ads).
The more nourished, engaged and interested audience you have – the more sales you’ll be able to make.
Focus on the people. Connect with your audience. Care about where they are in their business. Don’t forget about the people.
And, FIRST, always grow the audience before you invest tons of your time into course creation!
Sure, you CAN grow your audience along with creating a course. For example, if you’re planning to launch your offer in 3 months, it’s plenty of time to not only warm up but also grow your audience. Also, remember that you don’t need any specific numbers of followers to do the launch, what you want is an interested and nourished audience instead.
However, the truth is simple – the more people you already have, the easier it is to get proof for your product before you invest a lot of time into making it happen.
Do any of these resonate with you? What are some of your own unpopular opinions about courses or running a business online?
As a long-term course creator myself, I absolutely understand how there’s always an exception for everything.
Follow @coursecreationlab on Instagram to learn more!
