Always wanted to create an online course? In this guide, online growth expert Sherwood Towner (pictured), from Build My Tribe outlines how you can go from zero online revenue to selling a signature course that draws on your expertise.
There’s a lot of talk about building a sustainable business as an established coach, consultant or service provider. But the real challenge lies in delivering it. It’s likely that you’ve spent years building a renowned reputation.The problem is, it relies on you continuing to show up to maintain it. And that doesn’t entirely fit with your goals to spend more time living and less time working.
You’ve earned this time of choice. You’ve worked hard to gain this level of excellence and recognition. And the thought of having to choose between being known and running yourself to the ground. Or … Having freedom with your time but becoming someone who ‘used’ to be the leading name in your field. Well, it doesn’t exactly seem like a choice.
Creating and selling a signature online course, from the knowledge you already have, is a viable solution. Where a sustainable business comes from diversifying the delivery of your expertise: taking your knowledge online, to create new revenue sources and greater impact without demanding loads of your time.
The Global eLearning Market Reached Over 315 Billion in 2024. And the market hasn’t even reached its peak yet. Industry estimates predict it to grow at a CAGR of 20% from 2022 to 2028, putting it on track to surpass the $1 trillion milestone in the next 6 years. **Source: GMInsights
Let’s look at the framework for creating and selling a signature online course. Because simply taking what you have and moving it online isn’t enough to build a truly sustainable business that supports your life.
Create an online course: the breakdown
Signature Positioning
Define your online differentiator so that you convey your unique solution in a stand out offer, meaning you create an online course that’s set up to sell for the long term.
- Identify the PASSION for the solution so that you not only serve up services but dish up a unique part of yourself
- Speak to a PROBLEM your ideal client wants to pay for today that you have solved in your business/life
- Look at the PROFICIENCY: focus on an area where you already have authority and reputation, that is second nature to you
- Identify what’s PROPRIETARY: A signature framework or solution which is always scalable because it’s your solution that can get results like no one else can
Go-To-Market Strategy
Clarify target market and create key messaging so you’re confident you are reaching ideal clients who are ready to invest in your level of expertise.
Clarify Target Market
- Identify your niche: Focus on a specific area where you have expertise and can provide unique value t0 create an online course. Narrowing your niche helps define who you can best serve.
- Research your audience: Demographics, behaviours, challenges, and desires. Use surveys, interviews, and market research tools to understand their needs and preferences.
- Define their problems: Pinpoint the core problems your target audience faces.
- Create a customer avatar: Build a detailed profile of your ideal customer, including their goals, frustrations, values, and lifestyle.
- Validate your market: Test your ideas with your existing and past clients. Utilise social media or create a beta test offer.
Create Key Messaging
- Focus on benefits, not features: Highlight the outcomes your audience will experience rather than just describing what your offer includes. Explain how your solution improves their life or solves their problem.
- Use the language of your audience when you create an online course: Speak in the terms and phrases that resonate with your target market. Incorporate the words they use to describe their challenges, desires, and goals, making your offer feel directly relevant to them.
- Showcase transformation: Emphasise the before-and-after journey your offer provides. Illustrate how your audience will evolve from where they are now to where they want to be by using your product or service.
- Create a clear value proposition: Articulate why your offer is the best choice for your target market. Differentiate your offer by communicating its unique value, showing why it’s superior to other options available.
Our Elevated Expert Private Consulting Program will guide you through the complexities of the processes below to ensure you are hitting the right marks for growth and success.
Package and Present
Streamline and package your idea into actionable steps when you create an online course, so clients experience the transformation you provide with ease and in the shortest time
- Define the structure: Break your offer down into clear components, such as modules, sessions, or phases. Determine how the content or services will be delivered (e.g., video lessons, downloadable resources, live coaching).
- Create a compelling offer name: Choose a name that captures attention and communicates the main benefit or transformation. Ensure it resonates with your target audience and reflects the value they’ll gain.
- Set pricing and payment options: Decide on pricing based on the value of your offer and your audience’s willingness to pay. Provide flexible payment options, such as one-time payments or instalments, to make it accessible to a broader audience.
- Develop engaging marketing materials: Create sales pages, promotional content, and visuals that clearly communicate the benefits of your offer. Use testimonials, case studies, and strong calls to action to build credibility and encourage conversions.
Content Plan
Map out your content marketing plan so you’ll know exactly what content to post for 3 months.
- Set clear goals: Define what you want to achieve with your social media content (e.g., drive traffic to your sales page, build engagement, generate leads). Align your goals with the different stages of your offer launch (awareness, interest, decision).
- Identify key content themes: Develop a list of topics that will resonate with your target audience and relate to your offer. This could include educational posts, success stories, behind-the-scenes content, or addressing common symptoms and desires.
- Create a content calendar: Plan out your posts over a specific time frame (weekly, biweekly, etc.) to ensure consistent content delivery. Include a mix of formats (videos, images, stories, carousels) and schedule posts to align with key launch dates and promotional periods.
- Incorporate calls-to-action: Each piece of content should include a clear call-to-action (CTA), whether it’s directing people to sign up for a webinar, download free information, or check out your offer. Make it easy for your audience to take the next step.
You don’t need a large audience, technical knowledge or to have run an online business before to make it a success. What you need to create an online course that sells is clear positioning and a plan. Which is what I help my clients with in our:
ELEVATED EXPERT PRIVATE CONSULTING PROGRAM: If you’re just starting out in your online journey to create your first online offer.
AMPLIFIED EXPERT PRIVATE CONSULTING PROGRAM: If you want to create an online presence, an online business stream and have the systems and set up done for you.
Sherwood Towner
Build My Tribe’s Sherwood Towner is an online growth expert who can help you take your expertise from in-person to online to maximise your impact, income and time. As a former Digital Marketer and now Online Business Consultant, she supports established experts with simple, high impact steps to position, market and sell their existing knowledge to create new revenue streams, allow more people to access their work and cement their online reputations.
“You may have looked into different solutions to grow online but never see it through to take action. It either feels complicated or is going to make you sound like everyone else. You decide maybe it’s simply too late to change or ‘start again’. I can help you fix that, so that you reflect back on the month and realise you’ve been able to share your work with double the amount of people compared to this time last year, whilst doing half the amount of in person hours,” she says. “With the support of our superpower team, you’ll stay boldly in your brilliance and build a business you truly love!”
TESTIMONIALS
“Build My Tribe has been responsible for helping my business identify an online future that would not have been possible otherwise. Generating Over 50K in 6 weeks – a result far BEYOND my expectations!! Sherwood has mentored us in the transformation of our business from 100% reliance on face-to-face business to expanded offers and online revenue streams. She quickly understood the nature of our work and strategised with us to connect with existing clients and to discover new ones. It is a rewarding process. Sherwood’s knowledge of systems and strategy combined with the application of authentic brand alignment is first rate. We highly recommend partnering with Build My Tribe.”
~ LEX DWYER CONSULTING
“Sherwood’s consulting program will transform your life as it did for me. A model that is as much about business development as it is personal growth. What was incredibly powerful is the understanding that you may as well forget any attempt to launch an online business – if you don’t have the right mindset. Having access to a Mindset & Energetics Specialist Coach as part of her team was invaluable. The combination of Sherwood’s strategies to eradicate self doubt, mine your genius zone and mentoring to build a defined path for your online business steeped in authenticity enabled me to achieve in 6 months what otherwise would have taken years.”
~ REBECCA, HEALTH PRACTITIONER
“Online business and marketing is not my genius zone. When I joined Sherwood from Build My Tribe I learnt there was so much I didn’t know. In fact, what I thought was the right approach, was doing more harm than good. So now I can give my energy to serving more clients, in less time, with my online offers, while my potential private clients are being nurtured through the customer journey to become long term clients & advocates of my coaching business. You are a godsend Sherwood, and I am loving watching my tribe grow in front of my eyes under your expert care. “
~ JANE, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COACH
Schedule A Call: https://www.buildmytribe.com.au/private-consulting
Email: sherwood@buildmytribe.com.au
Website: https://www.buildmytribe.com.au
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sherwood-towner💎online-growth-expert-33b122105
