Create an Online Course
Record, package, and sell your knowledge as a structured online course
What You'll Build
A complete online course with video lessons, downloadable materials, a sales page, and an automated email launch sequence ready to generate revenue.
- Course curriculum planned and structured in Notion
- Video lessons recorded and edited with Loom
- Worksheets and course materials designed in Canva
- Course listed for sale on Gumroad
- Email launch sequence built in ConvertKit
Prerequisites
- Expertise in a topic people want to learn
- A Loom account (free tier includes 25 videos up to 5 min each)
- A Gumroad account (free to start, they take a small percentage per sale)
- A decent microphone and webcam (built-in laptop ones work for starting)
- Your course topic and target audience defined
Architecture
Notion is your course planning headquarters where you outline modules and lessons. Loom records screen-share and talking-head video lessons that you can share via links or download. Canva creates all visual assets - slides, worksheets, and certificates. Gumroad hosts and sells the course with built-in delivery and payment processing. ConvertKit handles your email marketing and launch sequence.
Outline course content & structure in Notion
~30 minPlan your entire course structure, from modules down to individual lessons, before recording a single video.
- Create a Notion page called "Course: [Your Topic]" with sub-pages for: Outline, Lesson Scripts, Resources, and Launch Plan
- Break your course into 3-5 modules, each covering a major topic area - think of modules as chapters
- Within each module, plan 3-5 individual lessons of 5-15 minutes each - shorter lessons get higher completion rates
- For each lesson, write a one-sentence learning objective ("By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to...")
- Identify which lessons need screen recordings, talking-head video, slides, or hands-on exercises
Record video lessons with Loom
~60 minRecord your course video lessons using Loom for easy screen recording, webcam capture, and instant sharing.
- Install the Loom desktop app or Chrome extension for the best recording quality
- Set up your recording environment: good lighting on your face, quiet space, clean desktop if screen sharing
- Record each lesson individually - keep lessons between 5-15 minutes for maximum engagement and student retention
- Use Loom's screen + camera mode for tutorials (screen share with your face in the corner) or camera-only for concept explanations
- After recording, use Loom's built-in trimming to cut dead air at the start and end of each video
Design course materials & worksheets in Canva
~30 minCreate professional course materials that students can download - worksheets, slide decks, cheat sheets, and a completion certificate.
- Set up a Brand Kit in Canva with your course brand colors, fonts, and any logos
- Create a slide deck template if any lessons use presentation slides - use a clean, minimal design with one key idea per slide
- Design downloadable worksheets or exercises for hands-on lessons - use Canva's document templates as a starting point
- Create a course cheat sheet or quick-reference guide that summarizes the key takeaways from all modules
- Design a completion certificate template with a placeholder for the student's name
Set up Gumroad for course sales
~20 minList your course on Gumroad with a compelling sales page, set your pricing, and upload all course content for automatic delivery.
- Sign up at gumroad.com and create a new product - choose "Digital Product" as the type
- Write a compelling product description: open with the transformation students will achieve, list what's included (X video lessons, X worksheets, etc.), and add social proof if you have any
- Set your pricing - consider offering a launch discount and use Gumroad's "suggest a price" feature to let students pay more if they want
- Upload your course content: create a ZIP file with organized folders for each module containing Loom video links (or downloaded videos) and Canva PDF worksheets
- Customize your Gumroad product page with a cover image, preview content, and a clear "What You'll Learn" section
Build email launch sequence in ConvertKit
~30 minCreate an email marketing sequence to launch your course to your audience and drive sales with a time-limited offer.
- Create a ConvertKit landing page or signup form to collect emails from people interested in your course topic
- Build a pre-launch email sequence (3 emails over 1 week): Email 1 - share a free valuable tip related to your course topic. Email 2 - tell your story and why you created this course. Email 3 - announce the course with a launch discount
- Build a launch sequence (3 emails over 3 days): Email 1 - course is live + special launch price. Email 2 - share a student testimonial or preview lesson. Email 3 - last chance, discount ending
- Create a post-purchase automation: when someone is tagged as a buyer, send a welcome email with course access instructions and tips for getting the most out of it
- Set up a ConvertKit broadcast template for ongoing promotions - you'll reuse this whenever you run a sale
🎉 You're Done!
A complete online course with video lessons, downloadable materials, a sales page, and an automated email launch sequence ready to generate revenue.
Want this built for you?
Get a step-by-step checklist, setup order, and the exact config for every tool in this guide. Or let me build it for you.
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