How To Generate Passive Income With Online Courses As A Udemy Instructor

Many people dream of developing a form of passive income, either as a side hustle or as a full time job, and being a Udemy instructor is an option. So far, I have created four courses on Udemy. They don’t make me rich but they do bring in a little extra each month. If you pick the right course topic you could easily do better.

While there are many online courses on Udemy that can teach you new skills that can lead to career advancement, a complete change of career, or how to start a new business, another way to make money is by creating and promoting courses.

The great thing about online courses is that anyone with knowledge in a specific area can create one and start teaching. This post will cover some of the steps that you need to take in order to become a Udemy instructor selling your own carefully constructed courses.

What is passive income and why should you care?

As an online course instructor, one of the main ways to generate passive income is by creating high-quality content and marketing it effectively, so that sales are generated each month. That’s all there is to it, in one sentence, but obviously there’s a lot more. Besides, passive income isn’t completely passive. It takes time and effort to generate it, and some attention and tweaking to maintain it.

To create content that will be profitable, you must understand the audience’s needs and create content that addresses those concerns. Match or exceed their expectations, and sales will follow.

Another important element in creating quality content is your own knowledge and experience. You can spend time researching different topics to create engaging and informative courses, or you can draw on your own experience.

As you look back on your life, even if you’re young, it’s surprising to see how much you have learned. If you really don’t have any experience in anything at all, then you can still create courses by studying a subject, creating the videos and lectures, and putting it altogether into a neat bundle that explains the topic to newcomers.

Udemy’s instructor dashboard contains the steps required to make this a logical process and their extensive help section and online community are on hand to answer any questions.

In addition, you can utilize Udemy’s tools to maximize your earning potential as an instructor. This includes using features such as course pricing and marketing tools for your convenience.

Udemy’s pricing structure

Udemy’s pricing structure for instructors is relatively simple, but the commison can vary. Instructors set their own prices for their courses and Udemy takes a commission on each sale. The variations in the commission depend on the pricing of the course, promotions, and other factors.

As a Udemy instructor, it’s sales generated through your unique course link that result in the biggest share of the sale. If you leave it all to Udemy”s marketing efforts, they will retain more of the sale, so it’s in your best interest to do some marketing and promotion of your own. Not only will you gain more students, but those who do sign up through your links will earn you more money.

What does it take to become a Udemy instructor?

To become a Udemy instructor, you’ll need to research the marketplace and identify profitable course topics. You’ll need to create content and promotional materials for your courses, such as course lectures in the form of videos, and promotional videos for marketing the courses.

If you don’t want to appear on camera, that’s fine. I didn’t speak to the camera on any of my courses, but you should narrate them yourself so that people can get to know and trust the sound of your voice.

You’ll obviously also need to set up an account on the Udemy platform and, once your first course is completed and approved by Udemy, promote your course using various marketing techniques using the tips that they provide.

Once you have published your first course you’ll have access to the published instructor community which contains a wealth of addtional support from other, well established instructors, a few of whom have made millions on Udemy.

It’s important to monitor your course’s performance and make adjustments as necessary to maximize profits. Months after your course completion you should still check your dashboard, check the analytics, answer questions regularly, respond to feedback, and consider updating your courses with additional material.

How to create an online course for Udemy

To create an online course for Udemy, you first need to decide upon and develop a topic for your course. This involves researching your target audience and competitors to determine what topics people are already interested in. Topics that are very popular at the moment (and therefore more competitive) include programming languages, digital marketing, and other subjects in the IT world.

But you might want to create a course about dog grooming or cryptocurrencies. It’s entirely up to you, but you will need to have a profound interest in the subject in order to devote the required time needed to create the whole course.

You can use the Udemy Course Creation Checklist to help you structure your content, and the Udemy Course Quality Checklist to ensure that your content is of sufficient quality. In terms of visuals, use engaging images and videos to capture your audience’s attention, and create high-quality audio recordings that are clear and easy to understand.

When I created my courses I used Vidnami, but that is no longer available. The best alternative I have found is Pictory, and I used that exclusively now for creating videos from scripts. Once you’ve learned how to make one video you’ll be come quicker and quicker with each subsequent video, so if things seem difficult at first, keep going. It will get easier.

Finally, you should use interactive elements such as quizzes and surveys to engage your audience and increase interaction.

After completing the course creation process, you can upload it on Udemy and wait for it to be approved by the Udemy staff. While you’re waiting, set up promotion options such as coupons and discounts. This will help you reach more people and boost the course’s popularity.

Once launched, it is important to monitor the success of your course regularly. This will help you adjust marketing efforts to ensure that your course receives maximum exposure and engagement.

Tip: The Udemy check list will advise you to create a promotional video. This is for use on the Udemy site but you can of course use it anywhere, on YouTube and other social media. If you use it on YouTube, make sure it is optimised for the topic and keywords associated with your course. To optimise my videos I used. TubeBuddy. It has saved me hours of time and increased the video view counts.

Promotion strategies for your online course

Use online marketing strategies to promote your online course and generate more income. One way to do this is by utilizing free online marketing channels such as social media and email campaigns (assuming you already have an email list).

With social media, you can target a specific audience using keywords and hashtags, but be a participant in social media, not just a link-poster. Social media works better with engagement. The keyword is ‘social’, so if you particpate in a particular niche you’ll stand a much better chance of building up trust. People are therefore more likely to click on the links you later share, occasionally.

Another possible way to promote an online course is by partnering with influencers. These individuals have large followings on social media and can help you reach a wider audience. You can discuss your course topic with these influencers and let them know about the benefits of the course for their audience. They may share the content on social media or write a blog post about it, which can generate additional traffic to your website and conversions for your course.

To build up credibility, one way to get reviews or testimonials for your course is through press releases or blog posts. These media mentions can help spread the word about your course among consumers and potential clients.

Another way is to advertise your course on relevant forums and discussion boards. However, when it comes to paid advertising, keep a tight rein on the budget. The goal is to make money, not lose it. Try the free methods of promotion first and build up some funds to compensate for all the work you put into creating the course, and then, perhaps, reinvest a little in paid advertising.

Imposter Syndrome. Yes, you are good enough!

Some people are deterred from becoming an instructor becaues they don’t feel good enough. This is a very common sensation but don’t let it hold you back.

Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. People with imposter syndrome often feel like they are not qualified or capable enough to take on a certain role or responsibility, despite evidence to the contrary.

In the context of becoming a Udemy instructor, imposter syndrome might deter people from believing that they have what it takes to create and sell a course. They may doubt their knowledge and expertise in their subject area, and feel like they are not qualified to teach others. They may also feel like they are not good enough to create a high-quality course, or that they don’t have the skills to effectively promote their course and build a following.

Imposter syndrome can also discourage people from putting themselves out there and taking the risk to become a Udemy instructor. They may be afraid of failure or rejection, and worry that their course won’t be well-received or that they won’t be able to make a successful business out of it.

It’s important to note that imposter syndrome is a common experience, and many people have feelings of self-doubt, especially when trying something new. However, it is important to acknowledge these feelings and not let them prevent you from taking action and pursuing your goals. It’s important to remind yourself that you do have the knowledge, skills, and experience to become a successful Udemy instructor.

Tips on how to make your course stand out

here are a few tips you can consider to make your course stand out and attract more students.

• Start by creating high-quality content that is engaging and informative for students. This would include creating engaging videos, blog posts, and other content that provides valuable information for students.
• Promote your course on social media and other platforms. This would include posting content about your course on social media, writing blog posts about the course, and sharing content about the course on other platforms. You could also create a Facebook page and a Facebook group dedicated to the topic of your course.
• Use creative marketing tactics to attract more students to your course. Some examples of creative marketing tactics include offering incentives for students who enroll in your course, offering special discounts for those who enrolled in a specific number of courses, and advertising your course via email campaigns and on popular social media channels.
• Make sure to provide exceptional customer service to keep students engaged and interested in your course material. This could include offering daily or weekly live chat sessions, providing great customer support via email or social media channels, and ensuring that students have a great experience while using the course’s tools such as upsells and coupons.

Other ways to generate passive income with online courses

If you’re looking to generate passive income with online courses, there are several ways to do so. Some of the best include creating a course bundle, selling digital products related to your course, taking advantage of affiliate marketing opportunities, developing strategic partnerships with other online instructors, and leveraging your existing network for referrals and recommendations.

These income generating strategies will help you earn income without investing too much money in the early stages. Also, if you create a course that helps students learn how to start and run a blog, you can monetize this knowledge by selling e-books or digital products on related topics, such as which plugins to use on the blog, and other useful items that would make their tasks easier and more productive.

As an instructor of multiple courses, you can also create a course bundle consisting of several courses and sell content related to each topic in one easy-to-sell bundle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of creating an online course as a Udemy instructor?

Creating an online course as a Udemy instructor can be a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field or niche, generate passive income over time, and reach a global audience.

The best part about creating courses on Udemy is that you can do it all with minimal upfront costs and maintenance. You can set your own price for courses and keep 50-75% of the revenue generated from your sales. This means that you have full control over pricing and monetization strategies – something that many other online course platforms don’t offer.

Moreover, promoting your course is relatively easier too since you can leverage the power of social media to reach a wider audience. Additionally, by creating powerful content, you can build your own brand, establish yourself as an influencer and help educate people around the world.

What strategies can I use to market my online course and increase enrollment?

If you want to market your online course and increase enrollment, there are several strategies you can use.

First off, create an attractive course page that is interesting and attention-grabbing. Include all the necessary information such as course content, learning objectives, and other important details, while making sure the page is visually appealing.

Second, leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share content related to your course. Engage with potential students by interacting with comments and answering queries.

Third, build relationships with influencers in your niche who can help promote your course on their own channels. This is an effective way of reaching out to a broader audience of potential students.

Fourth, utilize email marketing to reach potential students. You can create email campaigns targeting specific audiences or send out personalized emails introducing your course.

Lastly, offer special discounts or promotions to incentivize enrollment. People are more likely to enroll if they perceive that they are getting a good deal compared to what’s available in the market.

By employing these strategies, you should see an increase in course enrollment over time.

How can I create an engaging online course that provides value to students?

Creating an engaging online course that provides value to students requires a lot of effort and dedication. Here are some tips on how you can create an online course that will benefit your students:

1. Do your research and create a course outline: Before you start building the course, take some time to research the subject matter you plan to teach to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the material. Then, create an outline that covers all the topics you want to include in the course.
2. Design an engaging curriculum: Once you have the course outline created, it’s time to design a curriculum that is easy to understand and follow. Edutainment is key here – make sure that you break down complex topics into simple concepts for better understanding. Use different types of media such as videos, audio clips, or images to make the content more interesting and attractive to students.
3. Invest in quality equipment: Investing in high quality audio and video equipment is crucial if you want to ensure that your course is professional and of high quality. It will also help boost students’ engagement with the content and make learning more enjoyable for them.

Are there any tips for pricing and monetizing my online course?

Consider the value of your course and how much time it takes to produce. Research similar courses on the platform to understand what prices they are charging so that you can price yours accordingly. You should also offer discounts or bonuses for early sign ups or multiple enrollments as this will encourage more people to sign up for your course.

Take advantage of Udemy’s pricing tiers to create different levels of access. This way, you can entice people with cheaper options while still offering great content. Lastly, promote your course with affiliate marketing and other strategies like email newsletters, social media posts, blog posts and more.

Conclusion

I want you to succeed, and I’m here to help. There are several ways in which I could assist you in your goal of becoming a Udemy instructor.

• Coaching calls: Ask any question and I’ll explain things in plain English
• Video creation: Outsource your video creation to me
• Voiceovers: If you already have a video for promoting your course, I’ll do the voiceover

Contact me to discuss any of the above.