Before investing time and money in a course co-production, you need to make sure the course has real sales potential. Many co-producers make the mistake of partnering on random courses, only to find out later that there’s no demand or competition is too high.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to evaluate a course’s profitability before committing to a partnership.
Why Course Validation is Important
A bad course choice can lead to:
❌ Low sales, even with good marketing
❌ High refund rates due to low perceived value
❌ Wasted time and ad spend
A good course choice leads to:
✅ Consistent sales and revenue growth
✅ High student satisfaction and repeat purchases
✅ Long-term scalability
By following data-driven validation methods, you can avoid risky course ideas and focus on high-profit opportunities.
Step 1: Research Market Demand
Before committing to a course, ask: Are people actually searching for this topic?
1. Use Google Trends
📌 How:
- Go to Google Trends
- Enter the course topic (e.g., “Instagram Marketing,” “Public Speaking”)
- Check if search interest is increasing, stable, or declining
✅ Good sign: Rising or stable interest
❌ Bad sign: Declining searches over time
2. Analyze Search Volume with Keyword Tools
Use tools like:
🔹 Ubersuggest (ubersuggest.com)
🔹 Ahrefs Keywords Explorer (ahrefs.com)
🔹 Google Keyword Planner (ads.google.com)
📌 How:
- Search for the main topic keyword
- Look at search volume (higher is better)
- Check related searches to see if there’s demand
✅ Good sign: High monthly searches (5,000+ is ideal)
❌ Bad sign: Less than 500 searches/month
3. Check Amazon & Udemy for Best-Selling Courses & Books
📌 How:
- Search the topic on Udemy
- Look for courses with thousands of students and high ratings
- Search the topic on Amazon
- Look at book sales rankings
✅ Good sign: Popular courses & books selling well
❌ Bad sign: No books or courses in this niche
Step 2: Analyze Competition
Competition is not a bad thing—it means there’s money in the market. But you need to check if the competition is too strong or if you can differentiate your course.
1. Check Competitor Courses
📌 Where to look:
🔹 Udemy
🔹 Hotmart
🔹 Coursera
🔹 Teachable
🔹 Thinkific
📌 What to check:
✔️ Do top courses have a lot of students? (Good sign!)
✔️ Are there many courses on this topic? (Could be high competition)
✔️ Are reviews positive or mixed? (Look for gaps you can improve on)
2. Look for Market Gaps
🔹 Read competitor course reviews 📖
🔹 Look for complaints (“I wish this course had X…”)
🔹 Check if important topics are missing
🔹 If there’s a gap, your course can fill it 🚀
✅ Good sign: Demand + gaps in the market
❌ Bad sign: Oversaturated with no unique angles
Step 3: Check Audience Willingness to Pay
1. Are People Already Paying for Similar Courses?
If similar courses are selling well at high prices, it’s a great sign.
📌 Where to check:
✔️ Udemy – Look at course pricing
✔️ Hotmart – Check affiliate earnings on courses
✔️ Coaching sites – Are people paying for 1-on-1 consulting on this topic?
2. Is the Topic Evergreen or Trend-Based?
Evergreen: Always relevant (e.g., “How to Be More Productive”) ✅
Trend-Based: Might die out (e.g., “How to Use Clubhouse App”) ❌
🔹 Evergreen courses bring long-term revenue
🔹 Trend-based courses can make quick cash but are riskier
✅ Good sign: The topic will be relevant for years
❌ Bad sign: The topic might disappear soon
Step 4: Test Demand Before Launching
1. Run a Simple Pre-Sell Test
📌 How:
- Create a landing page with a simple course outline
- Offer an early-bird discount for those who sign up
- Run a small ad campaign ($50-$100) to drive traffic
- Track sign-ups and interest
✅ Good sign: People are pre-registering
❌ Bad sign: Low or no sign-ups
2. Post About the Course on Social Media
📌 How:
- Ask your audience: “Would you be interested in a course on [topic]?”
- Run a poll on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter
- See if people engage or comment with interest
✅ Good sign: Lots of engagement & DMs asking about the course
❌ Bad sign: No response
Step 5: Choose a Course Model Based on Demand
After researching, you’ll know whether to move forward or adjust the course idea.
If Demand is HIGH:
🔥 Create a full course and invest in marketing
🔥 Use a premium pricing model ($97 – $497 or higher)
🔥 Add upsells (coaching, membership, VIP access)
If Demand is MEDIUM:
💡 Start with a mini-course ($27 – $97)
💡 Build an email list before launching the full course
💡 Offer free content to build an audience
If Demand is LOW:
⚠️ Reconsider the topic OR
⚠️ Find a different angle or niche
Final Thoughts – How to Pick a Winning Course Idea
A profitable course must have strong demand and a proven audience willing to pay.
✔️ Step 1: Research Market Demand – Use Google Trends, Udemy, and Amazon
✔️ Step 2: Analyze Competition – Look for market gaps and differentiation
✔️ Step 3: Check Pricing & Willingness to Pay – See if similar courses sell well
✔️ Step 4: Test Demand Before Launching – Run ads or ask your audience
✔️ Step 5: Choose a Course Model Based on Demand – Adjust based on research
By following these steps, you’ll avoid bad course investments and focus on high-profit opportunities. 🚀