Are you eager to turn your knowledge into a profitable online course? If you’re like a lot of my clients then the answer is a firm “YES” but you might be a bit confused about how to select a TOPIC for your course. After all, the last thing that you want is to spend time, energy and money creating a course that you can’t sell.
Well…let’s get started!
Doing some research will be an important step for choosing a course topic you can feel confident will sell. But before moving forward with research let’s start off with a simple exercise that should help you get a general idea about the topic that you want to move forward with.
This is called the Topic Brainstorming Exercise and it should shed light on what your are willing and able to help others with AND what they are interested in learning from you.
Take a few minutes to answer the following FOUR questions.
- What are the top results you’ve helped your clients receive?
- What topic makes you feel 100% “in the zone” when working?
- What are people asking your help for?
- What are you seeing others sell that you know you can deliver as well?
Now that you have a better idea about possible topics that you’ll be comfortable working with, let’s put your ideas to the test.
The Topic Test
Almost all buying decisions are based on wants and desires. Let’s face it; people are far more likely to buy what they WANT than what they NEED. This is what keeps the fast food industry thriving!
Use my “Topic Test” below to determine if you’re positioning your offer in front of the right BUYER with the right MOTIVATION.
Topic Idea #1: ____________________________________________
1) Is your potential client experiencing an Urgent Pain or Irrational Passion?
Yes / No
2) Is your potential client actively searching for a solution?
Yes / No
3) Can you find your ideal clients?
No | Maybe | Yes
4) What is YOUR level of excitement around this topic?
(1 = none / 10 = LOVE IT)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5) Do you have experience on this topic either personally or helping clients?
(1 = none / 10 = I’m An Expert)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Repeat these questions for as many topic ideas as you have. Once you’ve done this, take a minute to look objectively at your answers. You might find that one or two of your ideas really jumps out from the rest.
Or you might be running a single idea through this test to see if it’s worth pursuing. Either way, this is a great way to know if you’re heading in the right direction with your course idea.
Rapid Research
If you’re struggling to decide on your final topic then it’s time to do a bit of research. But don’t let this step lead you down a rabbit hole. I believe that with the skill of creating courses FAST and paying attention to your gut, you can have great success with your products and programs. The main concept to keep in mind is that your course should help to solve an urgent problem for a market you’re able to reach. And, of course, this market must be willing and able to invest in your solution.
Here’s my #1 resource for researching course, info product and training program ideas.
Amazon.com
1) Go to Amazon and select a category closely related to your own main topic
2) Check out which books are the best-sellers in this category
3) Note the overlapping concepts and ideas
4) Take a quick look at the Table of Contents for several books
5) Read both positive AND negative reviews to see what people like MOST and what seems to be missing
6) Use these ideas to help finalize your own topic
NOTE: Do NOT be afraid of competition. If there are several books being sold on the topic that you want to choose for your course this is promising since it shows that there is already a market investing in this topic.
If you want more research tips, check out this detailed post: 5 Ways To Know If Your Course Idea Will Sell.
Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know about your course idea and how I can help make it a reality!
Cheers,
Tom