Online courses and digital online businesses have been gaining momentum for the past ten years. Virtually anyone can cash in on hobbies, special skills, and know-how. It’s an age when anyone can be a subject matter expert.
The Covid-19 pandemic has especially pushed this industry with additional demand for more courses to learn online. Research and Markets forecasts show that e-learning will grow to $325 Billion by 2025, increasing from $188 Billion in 2019.
And let’s face it, it’s been especially tough this past year, and wage earners are not getting the better end of the bargain. So if you're here to learn how to cash in on this demand, it is never too late to start making your online course now. And there’s never been a better time to start than now.
So the first thing to decide on is what you can teach? What knowledge do you have that you can share with other people they will be willing to pay for? Your course should be of a high standard as well as meet increased demand.
In this article, we have gathered the top niches for you to dive into and see which ones spark your interest. This list should start you off with the most general topic, and your part is in choosing your general area and thinking of a unique and exciting course for you.
If you want to have a successful course, we recommend starting on a course that sets your heart on fire. Of course, it also helps if you design a well thought out course with a well-defined audience. We have written about finding a niche here if you want to get a quick review on how to choose them with market research.
With that said, let's dive into the profitable niches list.
Top 10 Profitable Niches for Online Courses
Here is a list of the top 10 categories of online course topics for 2020.
1. Computers and Technology
Are you technology proficient? Do you love the smell of new hardware and new programs? Does code excite you? If yes, then you might want to consider making courses about Computers and Technology. Every day, humans and waking up to more and more tech, and most of them have no time nor the inclination to sit down for 15 hours to learn a new one. It’s also an area that is most useful for people to get a new skill to help their jobs and careers. Online courses in programming, web development, and so on are attracting a large number of students.
In this niche, you could create online courses about:
How to Build a Website
How to repair computers and networks
How to start your career with machine learning/AI
Beefing up Cyber Security For Your Company
Robotics and How It Affects Your Organization
10 Ways To Use Software Programming For Building Your Startup
Programming for Beginners
Different programming languages
Operating systems
2. Business and Entrepreneurship
We’ve seen how startups have changed the world. Now more than ever, entrepreneurship is seen as the fire that will push the next revolution. They are generating new solutions and professions that did not exist before. If you're in the midst of this industry, you might be in the best position to be of service to these pioneers.
Here are some examples of courses that might fuel your imagination:
How to 10x your Dropshipping Business
Get Etsy to Work For Your Handmade Goods
Start with an Amazon FBA Business Today
Blogging is not Dead. How to earn real money with your existing blog.
Free Up Your Time With Freelancing
How to Create a Digital Marketing Company That Earns $XXXXX
3. Arts & Crafts
According to The Economist, 2020 was not only the year of food but the year of Arts and Crafts as well. People have been channeling their inner artist with more searches on Google about how to make things. People simply want to learn something new or improve themselves in some hobby. Whether just to learn something new or learn a craft for an alternative income, creating a course in this area is undoubtedly an excellent avenue for success in your course.
Some good ideas to start brainstorming on would be:
How To Start Painting By The Numbers
From Hobby to Earnings, Drawing Manga For A Career Change
Knitting Your Way To An Income
Create Patchwork For Home and Friends
The Art of Designing Jewelry
Digital Art and Photography
Learn Animation From The Master
4. Writing and Content Creation
Are you a writer? Are you good at copywriting? Do you know the secret of writing novels and short stories? Turn this skill into a course and help people who were never so good at writing. Any industry can benefit from good writing, and it doesn't matter if you're in the fiction or nonfiction world. Content is the virtual world’s currency, and professions that did not exist a few years ago, such as web copywriter and content producer for social media, are now highly sought after.
Examples of topics to start you of includes:
The Way to Your Clients Hearts (and wallets) A Short Course on Copywriting
Content Marketing and How To Write Compelling Content
10 Steps T Start Blogging Now
Text Production for Social Networking
The Secrets to Book Publishing
Creating A TV Script And Getting Them Produced
5. Health
Health fads had been rising and falling in recent years, but the pandemic has put them back to the forefront. People are searching for how better to protect themselves. More so, people have found more time to focus on their health and getting more fit. Hence the rise of Peloton Classes, Walking Classes, and all sorts of courses on home exercises. If you’re thinking of using your know-how in this area, you’re in great company, and it’s not too late to start!
Some courses to kick you off are:
Diet and Nutrition For Online Workers
Home Exercises For Freelancers
Enjoyable Vegan Cooking For Meat Eaters
Meditation And Handling Stress
Yoga For The Elderly
10 Steps to Better Skin Care
Soaps and Handmade Creams
Oils and Aromatherapy
6. Education
In the year 2021, the online classroom has been bursting to the seams. There’s never enough of it that can satisfy parents and homeschooled kids. But not only that, people seem to have found more time to study varied courses to update their skills and even change careers! So if you’re in this lane, don't hesitate to make your courses in this industry. Thankfully, teaching is also no longer just for teachers; it is now for everyone willing and able to pass knowledge. With globalization, learning is no longer limited to what was taught in formal education, and it has gone over to cover interdisciplinary and cross-platform teaching and learning methods.
Here are some ideas for instructional courses that you can create:
The Introduction to Online Oratory
Accounting Law and How to Apply Them To Your Business
How To Use Logical Reasoning For Everyday Experiences
Children’s Psychology For Online Teachers
Learning Dead Languages
Music for Helping Emotionally Disturbed Teenagers
European Gastronomy and How To Apply Them To Your Native Cuisine
Learning Investments and Trading Cryptocurrency
7. Personal Development
Do you enjoy listening to personal development podcasts? Are you equipped with professional knowledge about this subject? Do you enjoy teaching people how to be better, happier, or more motivated? Personal development courses might right in your alley.
Here are some examples to get your brain running:
Becoming Better With Time Management
Mindfulness For Freelancers
Kids and Emotional intelligence
Organizing Your Life in 10 Days
Learn body language
How to be a good leader
Be a More Effective and Persuasive Leader
Networking and Negotiation
8. Career
More people are changing and jumping on different careers these days. Gone are days when kids studied a profession and stay with it for the rest of their life. Because of more online opportunities, new jobs and occupations are cropping up every day. If you are a career expert, you would be in the best position to guide these individuals who are hungry for information and seeking new ways and more satisfaction in working life.
Some examples of online course topics to spark up ideas could be:
How to choose a new profession
Defining your vocation
Intern For A Startup
How To Write An Effective Resume
Ace job interviews
Balancing Your Life and Entrepreneurship
9. Entertainment
Social media has opened up the world of entertainment. Gone are the days when companies controlled who gets in and become successful in the entertainment industry. Youtube has opened the floodgates, and the party continued at Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. If you are familiar with the process of producing videos, distribution, or creating a social media presence, you can start on this road for your online course.
Try these ideas and create your own!
Small Video Production Using Your Phone
Home Movie Production
Photoshop Editing Tools
How To Be An Expert on Adobe Premiere in 10 Days
Branding and Personal Marketing Online
Audience Growth on YouTube
How To Use Live Streaming For Profit
Creating Revenue From Video Marketing
How to Create Youtube Tutorials
10. Science
Addicted to how things work and teaching people how to see beyond themselves? Nerding out on Chemistry and Physics? If you find these topics fun, Science may be the niche for you! You can make science accessible to both young and old alike and help remove barriers to learning science. Online courses offer people access to a wide range of scientific topics, leading to a greater appreciation of the world.
Here are some examples of course topics:
Physics In Your Daily Life
Chemistry And Food
Applications of Senior Math TO Daily Life
Biology and Environment
Anatomy and Human Physiology
Learning Radiofrequency For Your Small Machines Project
Microbiology For Kids
Environmental Sciences
Genetics And Your Ancestors
Climate Dynamics
So those are our Top 10 Niches that you can start to chew on. The key here is to know your passion. No matter how lucrative a niche might look, if you are not “feeling” it, have a big think before deciding on it. Creating your tribe and supporting them becomes much more pleasurable if you enjoy what you’re doing. It also creates an essential effect on your bottom line and the overall image of your digital business.
So what are you waiting for? Get to work now!