Want to create a course or certification? Start here.
Here’s a little “thought snack” for today:
If you could wrap up all the knowledge and ideas you’d like to share with the world into a neat little package, what would that look like?
For some people the answer is a course or a certification.
Many of my clients have built their reputations and businesses this way — by teaching others what they know.
This kind of business model / knowledge package doesn’t work for everyone. Your dream might be to write a book, give a killer keynote speech, or simply to write and communicate on a regular basis.
But if you DO dream of creating a course or certification, today’s article will offer a few things to think about.
First, let me say this.
Courses, certifications, and similar educational products can be an excellent way to pass on your knowledge to others, while entrenching your business and brand as an industry leader.
These kinds of products — if created and marketed correctly — can also be highly profitable. I’ve helped clients create award-winning, world renowned certification products that have made them millions of dollars.
But there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes of creating a top-tier, highly successful certification.
It’s not a quick and easy way to create “passive income.” While certifications and their ilk can range wildly in scope, it’s safe to say that creating your dream product will require a relatively significant investment of time, resources, and funds. It can absolutely be worth it, but you need to be ready.
So, before getting started, consider the following 10 questions. If these questions overwhelm you (or you don’t have the time and brain space to devote to them) it’s possible you’re not quite ready yet. On the other hand, if you’re able to answer at least some of these questions — and you feel excited at the prospect of tackling them — that’s a good sign.
Here we go:
10 questions to consider before creating a course, certification, or other educational product.
1. What is your vision for the product?
First, get clear on your promise: What will your product help people do? What will they get out of it? Who will they become?
Furthermore, consider not just what you want people to learn, but how you want them to learn it.
What will the educational experience involve? For example, do you imagine having a textbook, a workbook, educational videos, quizzes, an online learning platform, live coaching sessions, etc.?
2. Who is your primary audience for the Certification?
In other words, who is your target market? If possible, consider both demographics and psychographics.
3. Why will people buy your Certification?
In other words: What are they hoping to gain from your product, and why is that important to them?
4. When do you hope to launch your product?
Hint: Give yourself ample time… and you will probably need more time than you think!
5. At what price point do you want to sell your product?
If you’re not sure, take a look at similar products within your industry. Get a sense of what the market rate is by doing some “comparison shopping”.
6. Do you have a marketing plan to sell your product? If so, what do you know so far?
You might not have this all figured out; indeed, you might need to hire some marketing expertise or speak with a consultant first to get an idea of what’s required.
However, don’t wait until your product is completed to figure out how to market it! Products that sell well are usually developed based on a clear demand in the marketplace, and designed with a marketing plan in mind.
7. What is your approximate budget?
This can be a challenging question: how do you know what budget to set aside if you don’t know how much all the different components will cost?
You might be tempted, therefore, to reach out to service providers like writers and designers to inquire about rates and start piecing together how much you’ll need.
I suggest a different approach: work backwards. How much are you prepared to invest in the development of this product? If you have a general idea of how much you can reasonably spend, then you can start to figure out how to best use it.
I encourage prospective clients to come to me (and other service providers) with a rough idea of what they might want to spend, so I can make recommendations accordingly.
8. What will success look like for you?
Take a step back and consider: If this were to be a "success story" for you, what would that look like?
What do you hope this will do for you and your business — financially and otherwise?
9. How will you make time for this project?
Sometimes, prospective clients reach out to me because they really, really want to create their dream project. But the honest truth is, they just don’t have the time. And they aren’t in a position to make this particular project their focus.
In my experience, leaders who successfully develop and bring a certification to market — and profit from it — put a considerable amount of time and resources into bringing it to fruition. It is their #1 project.
Maybe you have a team (of internal staff, external contractors, or both) to contribute to this project and do much of the heavy lifting. Awesome! But if you are the team leader, or if this product is based on your vision, it will STILL involve commitment from you.
(Sidebar: I often find that smaller, more committed teams work better than large, dispersed teams. That’s a story for another day.)
So, before getting started, consider:
Who do you have on your team? How much will they be able to assist you? Will they have other priorities they will need to juggle at the same time?
How much time per week do YOU have available to work on this project? Where do you think it falls amidst your other priorities? Are you prepared to make it your #1 focus for a while?
10. What kind of help do you need?
Creating an educational product takes a team of people. No matter who you are or what your business is like, it’s unlikely that you are able to do it all yourself.
That’s why many people turn to freelancers like me. I support clients primarily in content development — including outlining, writing, developmental and substantive editing — as well as strategy and marketing.
If you’d like to learn more about this, feel free to join my wait list and take advantage of my free discovery call offer. Note that I am currently booked until fall, but I’m always happy to have a conversation.
Meanwhile, keep writing in whatever form feels good for you.
You have so many great things to share with the world—let’s keep getting them out there.
P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Storytelling with Heart podcast. We recently reached 10 episodes (woo hoo!), and will be back with more next month.
And, if you like the podcast, please rate and review on your app of choice. This will help me stay on the air! 🤩