3 Steps to Help You Choose an Online Course Topic

Choosing an online course topic isn't hard if you can figure out what you're good at — you can choose a course topic in three steps. 

Someone said you should create an online course. So your first thought was — on what?

But your second thought was probably — I guess I’m good at…

That’s a good place to start if you’re trying to figure out a course topic.

Start with what you’re good at.

3 Steps to Help You Choose an Online Course Topic

Let's make things easy on yourself. Most people say to teach what you know, so let's start there. We're going to figure out what we're good at, then narrow it down.

Here are 3 easy steps to help you choose your online course topic:

Step 1: Figure out what you’re good at

I can already hear you saying, “What if I’m not good at anything?”

Lies! Everyone is good at something, and here’s a way to help you figure that out.

List the skills you have in the following categories:

1. Software/technology: What technology tools, platforms, or software do you know? (Think: Microsoft Office, Gmail, Instagram)
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2. Everyday: What everyday skills do you do really well? (Think: keeping your house clean, cooking breakfast)
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3. Rare: What random skill can you do that not everyone can? (Think: gardening, changing a tire)
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4. Intangible: What non-physical things can you do? (Think: stay positive, forgive easily)
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5. Career: What skills did you learn in your career? (Think: accounting, freelancing)

Got your list of skills? Great, let’s move on.

Step 2: Narrow down your skills to the ones you like most

Circle or highlight 3-5 of those skills that you like the most. How do you know which ones you’ll like the most?

Ask yourself:

Which of these skills would I be most comfortable and confident giving a presentation on?

That question should spur some ideas for you. It's the one question that puts all of your ideas into a small box and forces you to choose.

Imagine if someone asked you to speak passionately for 20 minutes on one of those topics you listed?

Choose those. You can absolutely create an online course out of one of those.

Step 3: Choose an online course topic that fits in with your long-term goals

Pick the course topic that fits most with what you’re doing now or what you plan to do in the next 5 years.

If you LOVE gardening, but your online business is in tax services, I wouldn’t put in the effort to create a gardening course UNLESS you planned to be a garden guru long-term.

Your course topic should fit with your long-term goals because course creation is TOUGH.

It’s a long, grueling process that should only be attempted if your course is in a niche you plan on staying in a while.

Otherwise, you’ll put in a TON of effort creating a course without a place to promote it (like a blog or a newsletter around the same topic).

Your Action Steps

So here are your action steps from this post.

1. Create your list of skills from step 1.
2. Circle or highlight the ones you like the most.
3. Choose one that fits with your long-term goals.

If you think you'll have some trouble, I created a free guide to help you out.

Now tell me, what course topic did you choose?

This is the first step to figuring out what you could potentially teach in the online world, and I’d love to hear what your topic is.

Comment below and let me know. 

To your online teaching success,

Monique