How to make money selling courses right now

Building and selling courses as a content creator isn't what it used to be. The pre-COVID strategies that worked in 2019 are flopping in 2025. 

The platforms have evolved. The economics have shifted. And most creators are trapped in feast-or-famine launch cycles, watching their Google traffic disappear overnight while competing with AI.

Here’s the problem:

• Customer acquisition costs have tripled in some niches
• Many creators are seeing organic growth stagnate or slump
• AI is flooding the market with low-quality content, making it harder to stand out
• Course completion rates are at an all-time low and expectations are higher than ever

Even six-figure creators are hitting revenue ceilings, while rocky reach across platforms is creating income roller coasters that burn out entrepreneurs.

But a select group of creators are quietly conquering this chaos.

They aren’t stopping at building a single flagship course, they’re building product ecosystems.

They've moved past the "set it and forget it" passive income pipe dream to create sustainable businesses that bridge the creator economy with mainstream business principles.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:

• What's changed for content creators selling online courses
• How to choose a creator business model that matches your personality  
• How to build a course business that scales in 2025
• Why the right platform and tools are crucial to your success

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What's changed for content creators selling digital courses

The Wild West era has ended for online education.

What replaced it? A mature market where only the most strategic creators survive. 

According to Goldman Sachs, the creator economy is expected to roughly double to $480 billion by 2027, up from about $250 billion in 2023, but only 9% of independent creators earn more than $100k annually, with 71% earning less than $30,000 per year.

Put simply: Most creators are overworked and underpaid.

The reality of making money as a creator in 2025

You can double your subscribers, followers, or views and still see your income stay flat.

You can also have a small, highly engaged audience of 1,000 people and hit six figures (or more).

Over the past several years, savvy creators have shifted from making most of their money from brand deals, sponsorships, and ad revenue to diversifying to digital products; which, for what it’s worth, is great.

The problem is that having a large audience and providing a valuable digital product, doesn’t equal sales. Unless you have a pinpoint process for aligning product market fit.

Why the economics of running a course business have shifted irreversibly

The math that made course creation profitable during the pandemic no longer works. 

Rising ad costs, declining organic reach, and plummeting trust have created a perfect storm that's destroyed the traditional "build it and they will come" model. 

What we're witnessing now is a fundamental restructuring of how content creators need to run their online businesses. Here are four of the most pressing problems:

Problem 1: Customer acquisition costs have exploded beyond recognition

According to a Focus Digital 2024 analysis, uncertainty in the US economy has spared no industry from rising customer acquisition costs. 

What used to cost $20-50 per lead now costs $200-300 in many niches (a 400-600% increase) that has made traditional volume-based models financially impossible.

Problem 2: Low-priced courses now require an unsustainable amount of traffic

Average online product conversion rates typically hover around 1.5-2%, meaning to earn just $5,000/month with a $99 course, you need 4,200 unique visitors monthly to a conversion-optimized sales page.

Most creators simply don't have that level of consistent traffic.

Problem 3: The dependability of the social and search traffic has collapsed completely

Instagram organic reach has plummeted to just 7.6% per post, while Facebook’s sits at an abysmal 1.2%.

Even worse, some creators dependent on SEO and Google search traffic have lost over half of their traffic from AI disruptions and algorithm changes.

Problem 4: Trust is at an all-time low

Social media is flooded with complaints about "courses that don't work" and "another guru trying to get rich quick." 

The promise of passive income through course sales has been so oversold to the point that many potential customers are now skeptical of almost any educational offer.

AI has accentuated this trend, with people no longer willing to pay premium prices for information they could find for free on YouTube or ChatGPT.

So should you give up? Not at all. But you do need to pivot.

What's actually working for creators in 2025

Creators that are living their best lives right now aren’t tweaking a broken model. They've abandoned it entirely. 

Instead of chasing passive income through high-volume, low-priced course sales, successful creators have shifted to portfolio-based business models that prioritize depth over breadth.

Pivot 1: They've embraced premium pricing, personalization and B2B opportunities

Instead of selling $27 courses to thousands of people, some top creators now offer $1,997-$4,997 coaching programs to smaller cohorts. 

Others use the power of their audience to land B2B deals where they can sell dozens, or even hundreds, of their courses to a single customer.

More creators combine self-study content with live calls, community access, and direct mentorship, creating an experience that justifies premium pricing for better profit margins.

Pivot 2: They've built product ecosystems, not single courses

Smart creators now offer multiple touchpoints: Free lead magnets, low-ticket introductory courses ($47-$197), mid-tier comprehensive programs ($497-$997), and high-ticket coaching or done-for-you services ($2,000+). 

This portfolio allows them to serve customers at different commitment levels while maximizing lifetime value (LTV) per customer.

Pivot 3: They've stopped selling information and become transformation catalysts

The most successful creators have shifted from "here's what I know" to "here's what to do next, and I'll help you do it." They sell outcomes and accountability, not access to content.

Pivot 4: They've made AI their secret weapon for deeper relationships

While AI threatens information-based courses packed with dense content, forward-thinking creators use it to scale their personal touch. 

They use AI to handle routine questions, create personalized learning paths, and generate supplementary content, freeing them to focus on high-value coaching and community building.

How to choose a creator business model that matches your personality

Not every business model works for every creator. 

Your expertise, experiences, and more importantly, personality actually determines which monetization strategies will feel natural and sustainable for you (and which ones will lead to burnout, frustration, and ultimately failure).

After analyzing successful creators across different niches and revenue levels, we've identified four distinct creator archetypes, each excelling with completely different approaches to building and scaling their businesses.

The most successful creators build business models that lean into their natural tendencies while addressing their inherent weaknesses.

Which type of creator are you?

Each of the four archetypes below comes with a complete business blueprint, specific product ecosystems, pricing strategies, revenue expectations, and step-by-step implementation plans.

More importantly, each taps into different natural tendencies, so you can stop forcing square pegs into round holes and start building around your authentic self.

As you read each archetype, take note of which one makes you stop and think “This is me.” The goal isn't to force yourself into a box, but to select the business model that will feel like the most natural extension of who you already are.

A quick note before you dive in: You might see yourself in multiple archetypes; that's completely normal! Most creators have elements of two or three types.

Ready to find your match? Let's break down the four creator archetypes that work in 2025.

Archetype #1: The Trendsetter

If people constantly ask you for your 'day in the life' videos get flooded with questions about your favorite products, you might be a natural-born trendsetter.

Trendsetters win by authentically inspiring others first, then backing up their lifestyle with systems and products that help others create their own version of success.

How to know if you’re a Trendsetter

You've built a personal brand around your lifestyle and lived experience. Your content feels like insider access to your best friend's perfectly curated life (the friend everyone secretly wants to be).

Your superpower is relatability at scale. You're comfortable being vulnerable about struggles while showcasing wins, sharing both Instagram-worthy moments and 3 a.m. anxiety spirals.

You're ready to monetize when:

• You have 10,000+ engaged followers on your primary platform
• People regularly ask about your routines, products, or lifestyle choices
• Your comment sections are packed with "me too" moments and personal stories
• Brands are reaching out for sponsorship opportunities

What products should you make?

Affiliate marketing and brand partnerships ($500-$2,000+ per post) from authentic product recommendations that align with your values.

Entry-level digital products ($7-$297) like life frameworks, habit trackers, travel templates, and productivity guides based on systems you actually use.

Transformational programs ($497-$4,997+) such as "Design Your Dream Life" or "The Intentional Living Blueprint"—positioning these as transformation partnerships with live calls, community access, and accountability.

Physical products ($5-$500+) like custom planners, wellness products, or curated subscription boxes that let your audience bring your lifestyle into their daily lives.

Real Trendsetters success stories

Whitney Freya transformed her personal creative journey into a "life as art" philosophy, she hosts multiple programs on Teachable from art instruction to Creative Frequency Coach certification, building passionate communities around living creatively.

Michael from Inspire Your Success built his business around his morning routine transformation. His "Win the Morning" course helps others take control of their days through the authentic story of his shift from chaotic mornings to structured success, supported by his podcast and community testimonials.

The trendsetter model works because people crave authentic human connection in an AI-saturated world. Your lifestyle becomes the bridge between where your audience is now and where they want to be.

Archetype #2: The Maestro

When colleagues consistently turn to you for training and expertise, you've found your calling as a Maestro.

Unlike creators who inspire through lifestyle or personality, Maestros build businesses around systematic knowledge transfer. You succeed by creating rigorous educational programs that develop actual competency in your students.

How to know if you're a Maestro

Your authority comes from years of hands-on experience in a specialized field. You've mastered complex subject matter that others struggle with, and you have a natural ability to break it down into teachable components.

Teaching gets you excited. You get satisfaction from watching students progress from confusion to mastery, and you naturally think in curriculum terms: Prerequisites, learning objectives, skill progression.

You're ready to monetize when:

• You have established expertise with 10+ years in your specialized field
• You have a history of mentoring, training, or educating others professionally
• You possess recognized credentials, certifications, or industry standing
• You have a natural instinct to create structure and learning sequences

What products should you make?

Comprehensive foundational courses ($197-$797) covering essential knowledge with structured modules, assessments, and progressive skill building.

Professional certification programs ($997-$2,997) that establish credentialed expertise and meet industry standards for advancement.

Intensive cohort programs ($1,497-$4,997) featuring live instruction, peer interaction, and direct mentorship throughout the learning process.

Custom corporate education ($5,000-$25,000+) developing specialized training curricula for organizations and professional development teams.

Real Maestro success stories

Speak Norsk built their Norwegian language school using systematic curriculum design and structured learning paths. With over 14,000 students on Teachable, they've created comprehensive programs from beginner to business-level Norwegian, helping students achieve measurable outcomes like language certification and successful relocation to Norway.

Dan George from FlightInsight draws on extensive aviation experience to educate flight professionals. His detailed courses cover complex operational procedures, regulatory compliance, and advanced flight systems that pilots need for career advancement.

Brian Kouhi from TOAnimate Academy leverages his professional animation experience from Netflix productions to create powerful education programs. After working with over 400 artists and identifying gaps in quality animation education, he built a structured curriculum that has generated nearly $300,000 in sales while helping aspiring animators develop industry-ready skills.

Maestros thrive because accessible quality education remains scarce. Organizations and individuals will pay premium prices for structured learning that builds genuine expertise rather than surface-level familiarity.

Archetype #3: The Trailblazer

Got a business that's crushing it right now? People begging for your exact playbook? You're probably a Trailblazer.

Trailblazers monetize by teaching the systems they're actively using to generate results today. No theoretical frameworks or outdated strategies. Rather, they provide battle-tested processes from someone still in the trenches.

How to know if you're a Trailblazer

Here's the thing about Trailblazers: You're not teaching outdated strategies that worked five years ago. You're sharing what's working this quarter, this month, maybe even this week. You run an active business or hold a current role where you're implementing the exact strategies you teach.

People want your current playbook because they can see your recent results. You're documenting the journey while you're on it, not looking back from the finish line.

You're ready to monetize when:

• You're actively running the business model you want to teach
• You have fresh wins and current data to share (within the last 6-12 months)
• People specifically ask for your "exact process" or "step-by-step system"
• You naturally think in frameworks and love systematizing what works

What products should you make?

System blueprints and templates ($197-$497) featuring the exact tools, spreadsheets, and processes you're currently using to get results.

Current method courses ($997-$2,997) walking people through your active systems with real-time case studies and behind-the-scenes documentation.

Done-with-you implementation ($2,997-$4,997) where you help others apply your current systems to their specific business while you're still refining them.

Live corporate workshops ($10,000-$50,000+) teaching companies your proven methodologies that are generating results in today's market.

Real Trailblazer success stories

Jack Appleby built his social media strategy business while actively growing his own accounts. He pre-sold his first course for $45,000 in 30 days by teaching the exact systems he was using to grow Future Social to 250,000+ followers. Instead of outdated tactics, Jack shares current content strategies as he implements them across LinkedIn and Twitter.

Abagail Pumphrey from Boss Project teaches business systems while running her own multi-seven-figure education company. With over 30,600 students and millions in revenue generated through Teachable, she shares the exact frameworks she's currently using to scale Boss Project, including her 388 digital products and systematic approach to sustainable business growth.

Dara Denney launched Performance Creative Accelerator after identifying gaps in Facebook and TikTok advertising while working as a performance creative consultant. She built and launched her course in just 60 days, growing to over 325 students by teaching the current ad creative strategies she actively uses with major brands.

The Trailblazer model works because entrepreneurs want proven systems from someone who's using them now, not yesterday. Your active implementation becomes proof that your methods work in today's market conditions.

Archetype #4: The Lighthouse

When you naturally bring people together around a shared mission and they keep coming back for the community you've built, you're operating as a Lighthouse.

Lighthouses succeed by creating spaces where people with common goals, challenges, or interests can connect, learn from each other, and grow together. Your courses become the catalyst for community, but the real value lies in the relationships and transformations that happen within your ecosystem.

How to know if you're a Lighthouse

Community happens organically around you. People don't consume your content and leave; they stick around, engage with each other, and form lasting connections. You're naturally good at facilitating environments where others feel safe to share and grow.

Your mission extends beyond individual success to collective transformation. You're driven by the impact you can create when people support each other.

You're ready to monetize when:

• You consistently create spaces where people connect with each other
• Your audience actively engages in discussions and helps answer each other's questions
• People tell you they've formed friendships or partnerships through your community
• You feel energized by facilitating group conversations and collaborative learning

What products should you make?

Community-centered courses ($297-$997) that include group components, peer feedback, and collaborative projects where learning happens through interaction.

Membership communities ($47-$197/month) offering ongoing access to a supportive network, regular events, and exclusive content designed to foster connections.

Cohort-based programs ($997-$2,997) with live sessions, group coaching, and structured peer interactions that build lasting relationships among participants.

Live events and workshops ($197-$797) that bring your community together in person or virtually for deeper connection and collaborative learning experiences.

Real Lighthouse success stories

Jenny Rushmore built Sloper School into a transformative community of nearly 3,000 women learning to sew clothes that fit their bodies perfectly. Beyond teaching technical skills, she's created a body-positive space where students support each other through fitting challenges, celebrate successes together, and find belonging in a community that understands their struggles.

Brett Dashevsky founded Creator Economy NYC, connecting thousands of content creators through consistent in-person events and collaborative opportunities. Rather than merely teaching about the creator economy, he's built a thriving network where creators find collaborators, mentors, and friends while growing their businesses together.

The Lighthouse model thrives because people crave authentic connection and shared growth. Your community becomes the destination, with your expertise serving as the foundation for meaningful relationships that transform lives.

How to build a course business that scales in 2025

Now that you know which creator archetype fits your natural strengths, it's time to transform that knowledge into a thriving course business. 

The difference between creators who succeed and those who struggle isn't just about having great content; it's about building systematically from a foundation that aligns with how you naturally work.

Here's your step-by-step roadmap to turn your archetype into sustainable income.

Step 1: Validate demand before you build anything

Before you build anything, confirm there's demand for what you want to teach. You don’t need the perfect idea, you just need to prove people will pay for your product.

Start by surveying your current audience with specific questions about their biggest challenges in your area of expertise. Don't ask "Would you buy a course about X?" Instead, dig deeper:

• For Trendsetters: "What's the biggest lifestyle challenge you're facing right now?"
• For Maestros: "What skills do you need to advance in your career but can't find quality training for?"
• For Trailblazers: "What business system are you struggling to implement effectively?"
• For Lighthouses: "Where do you feel most isolated or unsupported in your journey?"

The responses will reveal exactly what your archetype should focus on. Run a simple pre-sale or waitlist to gauge real interest. If you can get at least 25 people to commit financially or join a waitlist, you've validated demand.

Ready to turn your idea into income with an audience validation template?

Get instant access to the free 10-day Teachable co:pilot course.

Step 2: Choose your foundation and create your minimum viable course

Your technical foundation should match how your archetype naturally operates, and your first course should deliver one specific transformation aligned with your strengths.

Different archetypes need different platform features and course structures:

• Trendsetters: Visual appeal, lifestyle integration, community features, and personal transformation courses
• Maestros: Robust educational tools, assessments, structured learning paths, and foundational skills courses
• Trailblazers: Flexibility for quick updates, real-time analytics, business tool integration, and current systems courses
• Lighthouses: Community-building features, discussion forums, collaborative tools, and group-centered learning experiences

Teachable's complete getting started guide walks you through the technical setup process, while Teachable's AI course creation tools can help you structure your curriculum quickly.

Your archetype determines which features to prioritize and how to configure your school for maximum impact.

Step 3: Price your course based on your archetype's value proposition

Your pricing strategy should reflect how your archetype creates value, not market averages. Each archetype can command different price points because they deliver different types of transformation.

Here's how to price according to your archetype's strengths:

• Trendsetters: Mid-tier pricing ($297-$497) for transformation experiences with multiple entry points
• Maestros: Professional education rates based on career advancement value ($997-$2,997)
• Trailblazers: ROI-based pricing for current systems that save or make money ($997-$4,997)
• Lighthouses: Recurring revenue through memberships ($47-$197/month)

Our pricing guide covers the fundamentals, but remember that your archetype's unique value lets you price above market rates when you deliver aligned experiences.

Step 4: Establish a tech stack that works for you, not against you

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Your business model determines your tool requirements. The right tech stack amplifies your strengths while automating tasks that drain your energy.

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Different archetypes need different technical approaches, and Teachable's flexibility lets each archetype build exactly what they need:

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• Trendsetters: Use Teachable's AI sales page generator to create visually stunning course pages that match your aesthetic, while the mobile app lets your community learn your lifestyle frameworks on-the-go. Integrate with tools like Canva for visual content and Buffer for social scheduling to maintain your authentic presence across platforms.

• Maestros: Teachable's AI quiz generator automatically creates assessments from your lessons, while student progress reports give you detailed analytics on learning outcomes. Connect with Zoom for live sessions and Google Analytics for advanced tracking, building the structured learning environment your students expect.

• Trailblazers: Teachable's course builder lets you update content quickly as your methods evolve, while the API connects with tools like Zapier for automated workflows. Order bumps and upsells help you test new offerings in real-time, perfect for your data-driven approach.
• Lighthouses: Teachable's Student Hub creates a natural community space where your students connect with each other, while the comment system under lessons facilitates peer support. Integration with email tools like Mailchimp lets you nurture your community at scale.

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The best course platforms adapt to your existing workflow rather than forcing you to learn entirely new systems. 

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Teachable connects with tools through Zapier, offers a public API for custom integrations, and includes a WordPress plugin and product embeds, letting you build a unique tech ecosystem around your teaching style.

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Your tech stack should feel like an extension of your expertise, not a barrier to sharing it. 

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When your tools work together, you spend more time creating transformations and less time managing tech.

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Step 5: Build a sustainable marketing engine that energizes you

Your marketing should feel natural and sustainable for your archetype. Fighting against your natural tendencies leads to burnout and inconsistent results.

Your marketing approach should feel natural and sustainable for your archetype. 

Fighting against your natural communication style, content creation habits, and audience engagement preferences leads to burnout and inconsistent results.

Think about it this way: If you're someone who loves deep, detailed conversations, you'll struggle trying to create snappy TikTok videos all day. 

If you're energized by real-time sharing and quick updates, you'll feel drained writing long-form thought leadership articles multiple times a week.

The good news? You don't have to figure out all the technical marketing stuff on your own. Teachable automatically generates SEO-friendly sales pages (Product Detail Pages) from your course content, so your courses can actually rank in Google search results without you building custom websites. 

Teachable also automatically creates a professional course storefront (known as the Browse Products Page page) from your existing course content.

The most important thing is that you align your marketing with your personality:

• Trendsetters: Authentic storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, lifestyle documentation, and social proof
• Maestros: Thought leadership, detailed case studies, speaking engagements, and expertise demonstrations
• Trailblazers: Real-time results, current data sharing, active implementation documentation, and progress updates
• Lighthouses: Community building, word-of-mouth growth, peer connections, and member advocacy

Focus on the marketing methods that align with your archetype's natural strengths. Your authentic approach will always outperform forced tactics that don't match your working style.

Step 6: Keep your students coming back for more

Your best customers are your existing customers. Your first sale is just the beginning of a relationship that should grow more valuable over time.

Student success drives your business success. When students complete your courses and see real results, they become your best marketing assets and most reliable revenue source.

The secret is to create an experience that students can't help but love.

Here's how to turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers:

• Make completion irresistible: Use Teachable's completion certificates to give students tangible proof of their achievements they can share on LinkedIn or with employers. Course compliance features ensure students actually consume your content by requiring them to watch 90% of videos and pass quizzes before moving forward.
• Keep learning accessible: With Teachable's mobile app, students can learn during commutes, lunch breaks, or whenever inspiration strikes. Students who access content on mobile are 2x more likely to return and 3x more likely to complete courses than web-only learners.
• Build natural progression: Use drip content to release lessons on a schedule that prevents overwhelm while maintaining momentum. Create logical pathways to your next course offering through strategic content sequencing and email follow-ups.
• Foster genuine engagement: Enable course comments where students can ask questions and connect with peers. This creates the community support system that keeps students engaged long after purchase.

The goal is to produce a student transformation that leads to word-of-mouth referrals, repeat purchases, and the capacity to scale your business by increasing the amount you make per customer compared to the amount it costs you to acquire a customer (LTV:CAC).

Step 7: Scale systematically without losing what makes you unique

As you grow, the temptation is to become everything to everyone. Resist this. Your archetype is your competitive advantage, and scaling means doing more of what works, not diluting your core strengths.

Build an ecosystem that serves your archetype's audience at multiple levels:

• Multiple price points: Develop a variety of offers including entry-level products, core courses, premium programs, and done-for-you services
• Student success focus: Happy students become repeat customers and referral sources
• Strategic automation: Use AI for logistics while preserving the human elements that make your archetype valuable
• Relevant metrics: Track engagement (Trendsetters), completion rates (Maestros), ROI (Trailblazers), or community health (Lighthouses)

Remember that each course in your portfolio becomes a discoverable asset. 

Teachable automatically creates public course pages that rank in search engines, turning your course catalog into an organic marketing engine that works while you sleep.

The creators thriving in 2025 aren't the ones with the biggest audiences or the most courses. 

They're the ones who've aligned their business model with their natural strengths and created genuine value for their specific communities. 

Your archetype gives you the framework to build that solution systematically and sustainably.

Start building a scalable course business today

You don't need to be everything to everyone. You need to be the perfect solution for your specific audience. 

The creators thriving in 2025 are the ones who've aligned their business model with their natural strengths and created genuine value for their specific communities.

Your expertise matters. Your perspective is unique. Your personality gives you the roadmap to turn both into income streams while building something that energizes rather than exhausts you.

The question isn't whether you should create courses. It's whether you're ready to build the business model that lets your natural strengths create maximum impact.

Ready to start building your course business the right way? Get started with Teachable's free 7-day trial and access everything you need to create, market, and sell your first course.