Ultimate Guide to Building Your First Profitable Online Course on Thinkific

I have been around the block a bit when creating online courses. I have been selling profitable online courses for nearly twenty years. In that time, I have tried every plugin and virtually every platform available. Thinkific is not the cheapest option, but it is far from the most expensive, either. However, it is my favorite. Thinkific was established in 2012, and from the first day, I was hooked. However, I have tried every newer and supposedly better model, such as Teachable, and I still stick with Thinkific. There are lots of reasons for this, but the main plus is I am a technophobe; I hate to admit that, but I am. My forte is content creation, lots of it, and I can’t speak Geek and have never managed to learn that language. A child can use Thinkific as it is highly intuitive to use. Because of my experience in Course creation, I have been inspired to write this Ultimate Guide to Building Your First Profitable Online Course on Thinkific.

My Tiny Course Plan for December 2023

Each year, anywhere from 45 to 63% of American adults make New Year’s resolutions, with health and finance-focused goals being the most common. According to most estimates, persistence rates depend highly on the individual, but a significant portion—around 40%—follow through successfully each year. Fifty percent last less than a month. Despite these appalling statistics, I am creating a course about personal growth because the New Year is the time for change in most people’s minds.

One of the best things about the Thinkific audience is the fact that they are driven to make a difference; they don’t just create courses for profit. They want to help more people and in more profound ways. To achieve this, they need a bigger and more engaged audience. An engaged audience will expand your income potential massively. If you think you are one of those people this message resonates with and know you can change people’s lives for the better, think Thinkific because Thinkific has all the bases covered, including a thirty-day free trial.

Thinkific platform overview

A key advantage of Thinkific is the all-in-one integrated experience that handles the technology, security, and compliance aspects, allowing creators to focus on content. Robust hosting and delivery ensure the ability to scale. This means, in English, for the geeks amongst you, it leaves you free to do what you do best: change people’s lives.

The core focus on online course monetization means Thinkific handles the entire learner lifecycle from acquisition through purchase, engagement, and retention. Thinkific aims to provide entrepreneurs with a polished and professional-grade platform from desktop to mobile to create and sell premium online courses that drive income.

Benefits for course creators

Thinkific makes it incredibly easy for course creators to build rich, interactive online learning experiences. The intuitive drag-and-drop course builder allows you to upload all your great video content, documents, and presentations to share your knowledge.

With just a few clicks, you can turn your uploaded materials into polished, professional-looking course pages with your branding, colors, and style. Whether you have handouts as PDFs, slide decks, or a folder of video lessons, Thinkific handles converting all those assets into a slick course site.

But unlike just posting materials online, Thinkific offers ample tools beyond static resources to create an engaging learner experience. Within your course dashboard, you have the power to do things like:

• Insert interesting quizzes at any point to reinforce key concepts
•  Create worksheets and guides that learners can fill out to implement teachings
•  Set up vibrant discussion forums for students to connect and collaborate
•  Schedule live events like Q&As for real-time engagement
•  And much more for fostering interactivity

So, with Thinkific, it takes just minutes to get a course filled with great educational content. But their complete toolbox allows creators to take classes to the next level – making the experience truly lively via features purpose-built to teach, test, connect, and inspire students on their learning journeys. The sky’s the limit to craft a premium and exciting program!

Is My Course thinkific course going to sell?

Nothing is more soul destroying than building a course that doesn’t sell. I know this because my first course had only18 enrolments, and the price was $49.00. OK, that was not a total unmitigated disaster, but it wasn’t good either. I did tweak it and relaunch it successfully, but it was a steep learning curve, and I don’t want you to go through that. And you won’t have to if you implement my Ultimate Guide to Building Your First Profitable Online Course on Thinkific.

one of my favorite features of thinkific

Thinkific gives you a discrete URL for your course, so it is not evident that it is published on the Thinkific platform. Below, I will provide examples of Thinkific classes I found in their course catalog. You can peruse the courses, and in many instances, there is a free course so that you can see the workings inside of Thinkific. Having a separate URL makes it easy to rank your course on Google.

example 1 How to cake it.

This cake decorating masterclass costs $119.99 and is run by Yolanda Gampp. This site runs classes that individual tutors run; there is no limit to the courses you can take on Thinkific.

Example 2. How to Transport Dangerous Goods In australia.

This course is a perfect example of the diversity of online courses. This company uses Thinkific to sell its certification courses. It is a series of courses specializing in transporting toxic and dangerous goods. This isn’t necessarily the first thing you would think of when considering building a course, but it is authoritative certified and profitable.

Example 3. I’ve a Lot to Say About Modern wellness

Elizabeth Rider has succeeded in a series of courses that build on each other. She concentrates solely on modern holistic wellness. Her solutions avoid pharmaceutical solutions wherever possible. The following is an excerpt from her mission statement. “I believe that good health is so much more than what you eat. It includes what you listen to, how you think, what you believe, and who you surround yourself with. This site is committed to providing you with the information and support you need to live a healthier, happier life. I believe that everyone deserves to feel their best, and I’m here to help you make that happen”.

Example 4 Guitar Zero 2 Hero

It is the only guitar course that teaches how trying less hard is the secret to getting on stage, shocking your friends, or jamming to your favorite songs faster than anybody else.
GuitarZero2Hero Premium is a complete step-by-step online course that teaches you to be a killer guitar player as fast as possible, whether you’re a total noob or already have some experience. Every lesson has been designed to be easy yet maximally productive to rapidly build up your guitar skills.

Example 5 Lessons in Hinduism.

Another diverse example is the Himalayan Academy, a school that specializes in teaching Hinduism to foreigners. It has about six courses available at the moment and a shop as well.

How to Build a Strong Course Foundation.

Constructing a robust framework is crucial for any successful course. This strong foundation begins by clearly defining your niche and ideal target student. Start by asking yourself – exactly who is this program meant to serve? Get ultra-specific in painting a portrait of the key student groups who would benefit the most from your specialist knowledge.

For example, an intro business finance course for aspiring entrepreneurs in the wellness space – yoga teachers, health bloggers, and small studio owners – to get started in monetizing their passion. The more details to characterize your perfect students, the better. Run an informal poll on social media to validate demand and tune your course angle if needed.

Now use this crystal clear view of your niche to guide all downstream decisions – outlining objectives to enrich their self-education journey, designing an engaging curriculum to speak their language, and structuring for convenient self-directed learning. Continuously reference your target student to retain relevant value.

With a thoroughly defined audience and goals, you construct the sturdy supports for erecting an impactful learning experience. Identify needs to satisfy rather than solely teaching what you specialize in. Beginning with the student end in mind powers the creation of a resonant curriculum and forms a steady foundation primed for expanding reach and impact.

Selecting your niche and topic.

Selecting the right niche and topic is crucial because if you get it right, you can have a six-figure income from one course. Yes, it is fun to build more and more tiny courses. Yes, it does get addictive, but you only need one topic to earn good money at the end of the day.

Say molding miniature clay dragons ignited your passion back in the day when you discovered a magical hobby. With few experts teaching that craft online, you feel called to share sculpting skills to spark and inspire new creators. Unleash your inner dragon tutor!

Before designing course units, immerse yourself in your potential students’ worlds. Track dragon art hashtags, explore animation forums for modelers, and look at the student’s challenges and how you can build something to help. Build a curriculum catered to their precise needs and goals from the start. Define the core transformation – mastering armature wireframes so their wee wyverns walk someday or baking smooth azure scales using ombré glazing techniques. Let your niche breathe fiery life! Then, create content from a place of service, trusting abundance flows back to you.

Outlining course curriculum

Here’s an outline for a course curriculum on wedding photography:The goal is leading students through a practical curriculum that builds key wedding knowledge progressively while sharing professional tips and tools along the journey!

Introduction

• Overview of key skills to master as a wedding photographer

Understanding Expectations

• Discussing needs with clients
• Clarifying deliverables and timelines
• Managing requests and setting boundaries

Gear and Tools

• Recommended cameras and lenses for wedding conditions
• Lighting and flash equipment overviews
• Discussion of backups and contingencies

Shooting Prep

• Scouting locations, finding best spots
• Creating shot lists for key moments
• Planning timelines with buffers

Day-of Shooting Techniques

• Posing styles and guiding groups
• Discrete and candid shooting
• Working quickly and efficiently

Post-Processing Workflow

• Culling best images
• Batch editing tools and techniques
• Individual color correcting
• Delivering final package

Business Operations

• Contracts and usage rights
• Setting packages and rates
• Marketing your services

Building Your Course

Developing a course is akin to constructing a house: the foundation and framework are just as crucial as visual design finishes. So, the first phase is about establishing a sturdy course blueprint before layering on stylistic flourishes.
Begin by using your target student to shape a sequential content outline. Map units and topics in a logical flow – both conceptually across subject matter and practically for someone learning your material for the first time.

Arrange interconnected concepts into chunked sections for easy digestion while guiding learners step-wise toward mastery.Structure your content into consumable modules. See the example above about teaching wedding photography. The outline has been constructed regarding what the student has to learn. Factor in varying learning styles, too – some may desire linear progression, while others prefer choosing niche sessions a la carte. Ultimately, you’re the guide balancing scope and brevity.

The outline and units form your core framework. Now, populate each module with materials that impart knowledge, represent concepts visually, and drive interactivity to reinforce retention. Customize assessment questions to confirm understanding before proceeding. Supplement where needed – bonus downloads act as studs securing knowledge gains.

Building a polished program takes attentiveness – mind both practical sequencing for learner comprehension and engagingly framing topics.

Quizzes, worksheets, discussions

Quizzes

Lessons within Thinkific allow you to create multiple-choice questions for your students. If you choose to, you can also include multiple correct answers within a single question. Question types: One answer – Allows the student to select one option as an answer.

Worksheets

Worksheets allow students to thoughtfully apply teachings to benefit their real-life work. Prompt critical or creative thinking via open-ended questions, calculations, tables to populate, etc. Consider tying to an overall project assembled across modules. Downloadable PDF worksheets easily provide templates for reflection.

A Thinkific assignment is a type of lesson that you can add to your course. The lesson is homework that a student must complete before progressing to the next lesson. It can come before, during, or at the end of a course. Types of assignments can include worksheets and completing written content.

Discussion forums

Many courses on Thinkific include a discussion forum where you can connect with other learners and the instructor. This is a great way to ask questions, get feedback, and engage with other learners who share similar interests.Where quizzes assess and worksheets implement learning, discussions allow peer exchange to deepen perspectives collectively. Seed conversation prompts that reveal key learning, encourage relating teachings to actual scenarios, tackle issues arising when applying techniques. Structure forums around topics then highlight exemplary responses.

Customizing the Experience

Styling course pages and website

Thinkific offers extensive styling options to tailor sleek, polished course pages and websites that establish your unique brand. Within the intuitive dashboard, click Customize Design to launch the integrated site-building toolkit.

Start by choosing one of various professionally designed templates across niches as inspiration for palettes and layouts. Or create a clean foundation from minimalist starter options then layer on colors, fonts and graphic assets.

Select and modify template components spanning page headers, feature sections, calls to action and more to refine hierarchy or highlight value propositions. Rearrange structured blocks on course pages or sales funnels through drag-and-drop flexibility.

Upload a logo or stylized text treatment to consistently reinforce your visual identity. Apply brand colors and typographic schemes through manual entry or uploading style guides.

For images, access the media library to select included stock photos or seamlessly upload your own lifestyle shots, product photos and graphics tailored to your niche.

Whether elaborating on an existing theme or crafting your own new identity through color and composition choices – Thinkific aims to empower brands to stylishly own their course aesthetics.

Take the time to thoughtfully craft web presences and course environments that resonate with your audience and elevate the possibilities of your educational content through smart, strategic design choices.

Navigation menus and settings

Thinkific provides extensive options for customizing navigation menus and site settings to optimize student learning paths and streamline course administration.

Within the “Navigation” settings of any course, reorder or nest menu items to sequence topics from foundational towards specialized. Group complementary modules together into expandable sections titled by overarching concepts.

Select whether links route learners to full module pages for condensed video- or text-focused tutorials vs opening sectioned tables of contents outlining comprehensive multi-part courses. Choose paths that motivate progression.

Toggle menu visibility settings to release units one-by-one as prerequisites complete, dripfeeding longer courses. Hide unpublished drafts until launch readiness. Even temporarily remove released modules needing updating while preserving student progress data.

For site-wide configurations, admins can create instructor profiles connecting their courses under a shared brand identity and navigation catalogs. Set up consistent purchase pages and funnels across bundles or complex course licensing options.

Thinkific enables adapting portal experiences to steer learners smoothly through course content based on creative vision. Consult their wealth of customization documentation to tailor menus and settings optimizing engagement.

Uploading lessons and multimedia

Thinkific makes uploading all your great lessons and multimedia content into polished online courses refreshingly simple and intuitive. Within your course builder dashboard, click the “Add New Item” button to access options to seamlessly import key course components.

For presenting teachings via video, you can upload prerecorded MP4s from your computer or import videos already hosted on YouTube or Vimeo. Bulk uploads are supported for easily importing your library of existing footage – handy for migrating to Thinkific!

Beyond video, share presentations using PowerPoint or PDF files that students can follow along slide-by-slide. Or walk learners step-by-step through knowledge concepts via rich text blocks right in the course builder using familiar word processing tools.

You can mix media and interactive items too. Share an inspiring TED Talk video to kick things off then directly proceed into an reflective summary activity or discussion questions to unpack insights students gathered.

Thinkific even enables importing full webpages through iFrames to pull in dynamic elements students click through. Custom HTML apps and tools you or developers have already created can thereby live natively inside your premium course flow.

The focus stays firmly on impactful education vs technology skills. Thinkific handles polished deployment and delivery so you simply concentrate efforts on transferring knowledge through accessible media that clicks with modern learners. Teach boldly!

yanik Silver A Real Life Thinkific user.

Your greatest Work Never feels like Work.

Yanik Silver

Monetizing your thinkific course.

Utilize segmented email campaigns to target students with tailored offerings based on their engagement patterns. Early access to pre-releases or exclusive member Q&As sweetens perceived membership worth.

Combine granular payments for individual classes with higher-tier options for full enrolled status and alums benefits for maximum revenue. Offer installment plans or payment deferrals until completion to reduce friction.

Thinkific equips entrepreneurs with insight and infrastructure to experiment across use case-specific monetization models, incentivization plans, and strategic promotional bundling that sustains thriving course businesses.

Referral Programs

• Well structured affiliate and partnership programs reward existing students for promoting your courses and drive strong word-of-mouth growth. Offering commissions on conversions helps incentivize referrals.

Corporate Licensing

• Many creators offer bulk corporate learning plans, allowing entire companies to access course libraries. Volume discount pricing in exchange for guaranteed seats.

Hybrid Models

• Combining digital course product offerings with in-person workshops, coaching sessions, or consults allows for blended monetization streams.

Merchandise

• Selling branded gear, kits, or tools complementary to the learning experience provides additional revenue from loyal enrolled students.

Webinars

• Hosting webinars to teach snippets from your wider curriculum acts as a gateway to upsell full program access.

Thinkific’s tools enable creators to diversify earning streams across products, services, commissions, and more for profitable holistic businesses. 

Earning Potential

Conclusion to Ultimate Guide to Building Your First Profitable Online Course on Thinkific

Thinkific offers online course creators an integrated all-in-one platform to host, manage, market, sell, and analyze premium classes, enabling entrepreneurs to turn their expertise into thriving membership sites or la carte course bundles that drive impact and income. key benefits include easy course creation tools like structured templates, multimedia uploads, and interactive widgets to develop rich content/assessments quickly plus powerful built-in community forums, email marketing, affiliate programs, and customizable purchase/checkout pages to present professional offerings that scale through segmentation options for niche student packages across flexible monetization models, with insightful progress/sales analytics dashboards tracking meaningful metrics at every stage from acquisition to retention.Your first profitable online course on Thinkific is within your grasp