How to Come Up With an Online Course Topic [+ 40 Profitable Course Ideas]

9 minute read

Online course creation is a fantastic way to make money online and start your own business!

The online course business model has many benefits: creating online courses has a low initial investment, high profit margins, it is easy to scale, and - last but not least - you are building a business around something you are passionate about.

So it is natural that many people are becoming attracted to the idea of selling online courses and are starting their own online learning businesses.

However, it can be hard to come up with topics for your online courses. If you are interested in starting your own online course business but don't know what your course should be about, keep reading below. Today we will share our tips on how online course creators can come up with a winning topic idea that is profitable and that they are passionate about.

Do you want to become a course creator and are looking for online course ideas? Keep reading until the end of the article because we will share 40+ profitable online course ideas you can use right now!

Tips to Come Up With Winning Online Course Ideas

Let's see what you can do as a course creator to identify the most successful online course ideas and come up with your next online course topic. Keep reading until the end to access our list of online course ideas you can start creating today!

Teach what you already know

Probably the easiest way to become an online course creator is by teaching something you already know and are confident about.

You don't have to be the world's top expert in your field to be able to teach others and become a successful online course creator. Even if there are people who are probably more experienced or knowledgeable than you, you can still help people by sharing what you know.

In certain situations, not being an expert in your field may actually be your competitive advantage. If an online course creator is an absolute expert in their niche and the knowledge gap between course creator and students is high, it will be harder to closely follow students in their learning experience and level with them.

Still, as an online course creator, you should obviously know enough about your topic to create a great online course. If you want to improve your image and be seen as an expert, check out this article from our blog: How to Position Yourself as an Expert to Sell Online Courses

Try to think about any particular skill you have. What is something that your friends and family trust you with? Do people come to you asking for advice about a specific topic? Or maybe you have a job now, and you could share the skills you have learned in your career.

Teach what you are passionate about

If you can't think of any particular topic for your online course that you already are an expert in, why not teach something you are passionate about?

Maybe you have a hobby, passion, or something you like to do during your free time that can be helpful to others.

Plus, building the content for your online course and actually working towards launching will be much easier if you enjoy what you are doing. You will also have better chances of succeeding as a online course creator because you are passionate about your topic, and you likely won't give up so easily at the early stages of starting your business.

As we already mentioned, you don't need to be the absolute world's expert in your topic to make it work. You also don't need fancy qualifications or certificates to teach others online. Learn more about this here: Do you Need a Certification to Start Selling Online Courses?

Think about your own experience

Considering what you experienced in the past, the problems you faced and how you solved them are great ways to come up with a great online course idea.

Try to identify a problem or an issue you have personally experienced: your online course could offer a solution to that problem for other people who are in the same situation.

Chances are that if you have encountered a problem in the past, other people have too!

When you were in this situation, didn't you wish that there was someone telling you what to do to get out of it?

Develop a list of all the problems and pain points you experienced in the past (that now you are able to solve) and conduct market research to understand if others are experiencing the same struggles.

Check out this article from our blog to learn how to do market research: Why You Should Do Market Research Before Starting an Online Course Business + How to Do it

Fill a gap in the market

If you can't think about any personal problem you had in the past, you can still use the same concept to solve a problem that other people are experiencing.

Maybe you already have a broad idea about your online course's topic and want to know which angle you should focus on.

Do some online research to find out what are the most common problems or blockers people have in a specific niche. For example, let's say that your main topic of interest is "painting."

Head over to some online communities (Facebook groups, Reddit, Quora...) and research common questions people have: this can give you some idea about the most common struggle your potential clients are experiencing and how you can help them.

If you find that most people struggle with "mixing acrylic paint" (as an example), this could be one of your next online course ideas, assuming you know how to do it. And if you don't, you can still use online resources, other online courses, and practice to become an expert in "mixing acrylic paint" or whatever online course topic you identify.

Check out new trends in online course topics

Each year brings a new variety of trends that people worldwide are interested in. Think about 2022 and the rise of online courses about cryptocurrency, investments, fitness, mental health, mindfulness and many more!

If you are still clueless about your next profitable online course ideas, you can analyze new trends and take advantage of this momentum. However, don't forget about evergreen online courses: this means topics that don't go out of style with time.

Online course ideas like cooking, health, personal development, arts & craft, pet and baby care and many more are examples of evergreen online courses.

While the market for evergreen online courses might be more crowded, you can be reassured that your online courses will always be valuable, no matter what is happening around the world.

To make things easy for you, we have created a list of 40+ Ideas for Profitable Online Courses to help you find inspiration for your new online course.

You can download this list of best online course ideas for free here:

Download Your Idea Guide

Ready to create online courses and start your online learning business? Check out the list above of profitable online course ideas! And if you are looking for the best online course platform, start your free Heights Platform account today!

Post Topics: Build and Promote Your Course