Sell Your Knowledge, Make Money Passively, Selling Online Courses: Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Udemy, and Skillshare
In the digital age, the e-learning industry has witnessed remarkable growth, and online courses have become a popular means of sharing knowledge and monetizing expertise.
Several platforms have emerged to empower course creators, offering the tools and infrastructure needed to sell online courses effectively.
I’ve sold courses on several platforms including my own website and with platforms like Gumroad and Teachable.
In this article, I’ll dive into five prominent platforms for selling courses: Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Udemy, and Skillshare.
- Teachable:
Teachable is a user-friendly platform designed for course creators, educators, and entrepreneurs. It allows you to create, market, and sell your courses with ease. I have personally used Teachable to host courses.
Here are some key features:
Customization: Teachable offers a high degree of customization, allowing you to brand your course website, set pricing, and personalize the student experience.
If you pay the second tier of offerings, you can use your own custom domain as well.
Look at this custom Teachable site which manipulated the CSS to get this look:
Marketing Tools: You can use built-in marketing tools, including email marketing, affiliate marketing, and the ability to create sales pages, to promote your courses effectively.
Teachable has a hosts of trainings, blogs and more to help you sell more. It’s in the platform’s best interest that you get more sales!
Drip Content: Release course content incrementally to keep students engaged and prevent overwhelm.
Pricing Flexibility: Choose between one-time payments, subscriptions, or payment plans.
Analytics: Access detailed insights into your course performance to optimize your strategy.
Teachable is a great choice for individual course creators and small businesses looking for a user-friendly, all-in-one solution.
I’ve used it for years and love it and I think you will too!
Try Teachable FREE
2. Thinkific:
Thinkific is another powerful platform that empowers course creators to build, market, and sell online courses. It stands out with its simplicity and robust features. To me, it’s very similar to Teachable but slightly simpler:
Course Builder: Create multimedia-rich courses with ease, incorporating videos, quizzes, and downloadable resources.
White Labeling: Customize your course site with your branding and domain name for a professional look. This option allows you to look more polished and credible from day one!
Payment Options: Thinkific supports various payment methods and allows you to set pricing options such as subscriptions, bundles, and one-time payments.
Marketing Tools: Leverage email marketing, affiliate programs, and integrations with marketing tools like MailChimp and ConvertKit.
Engagement Features: Drip content, discussion boards, and community features keep students engaged and connected.
Thinkific is an excellent choice for creators looking for a platform that is both easy to use and highly customizable.
3. Kajabi:
Kajabi is a comprehensive platform designed to host, market, and sell online courses and membership sites. I’m thinking of switching to Kajabi because of its all-in-one solution that would let me do a lot more than just offer courses!
Here are some of the selling points that attract me:
Website Builder: Create a fully customizable website for your courses, blogs, and sales pages.
Course Creation: Build engaging courses with multimedia content and quizzes.
Marketing Automation: Utilize email marketing, sales funnels, and marketing automation to nurture leads and convert them into customers.
Membership Sites: Kajabi supports subscription-based membership sites for ongoing revenue. I love this option because I love just adding value and dropping in knowledge as I think of it and showing up and I think now that I developed a solid brand in my industry, this will be a wonderful option for me.
Analytics: Gain insights into your course and marketing performance to make data-driven decisions.
Kajabi is an ideal choice for entrepreneurs and businesses looking for a comprehensive platform to sell courses, manage memberships, and grow their online presence.
4. Udemy:
Udemy is one of the largest and most popular online learning marketplaces. Unlike the previous platforms, Udemy is a marketplace where you can publish your courses for a global audience.
I’ve taken courses on Udemy and expanded my knowledge. Here is wehre being part of a ginormous bank of potential customer pays off because unlike the other platforms where you have to go market and promote your site, they are all built in there!
Here’s what you need to know:
Large Audience: Udemy has millions of users, giving you access to a vast potential student base.
Built-in Marketplace: You don’t need to worry about marketing; Udemy promotes your courses to its audience.
Course Creation Tools: Udemy provides tools for creating courses, including video and quiz features.
Pricing Structure: Udemy often promotes courses at discounted prices, which can affect your revenue per sale.
Limited Control: You have less control over pricing and branding compared to standalone platforms like Teachable and Thinkific.
Udemy is a good option if you prefer a marketplace approach and don’t want to handle your own marketing efforts extensively.
5. Skillshare:
Skillshare is another popular online learning platform with a focus on creative and practical skills. Here’s what sets it apart:
Subscription Model: Skillshare operates on a subscription-based model, meaning students pay a monthly fee for access to all courses.
Engaged Community: Skillshare fosters a strong sense of community, encouraging collaboration among students and teachers.
Royalties: As a Skillshare teacher, you earn royalties based on the number of minutes students watch your content.
Course Format: Skillshare courses are typically shorter and more project-based, which may suit certain niches.
Moderation and Curation: Skillshare curates and moderates courses to maintain quality and relevance.
I am also thinking of offering courses on Skillshare and am attracted by its built in audience!
Skillshare is an excellent choice if your courses align with creative or practical skills and you appreciate the community-focused approach.
In conclusion, the choice of platform for selling online courses depends on your specific needs and goals.
Teachable and Thinkific offer full control and customization, while Kajabi provides an all-in-one solution.
Udemy and Skillshare offer access to large audiences but with different business models.
Consider your target audience, course content, and marketing preferences when selecting the platform that suits you best.
Regardless of your choice, the e-learning industry offers a world of opportunities for passionate educators and entrepreneurs.
Good Luck
