In the previous post I talked about ways to come up with ideas for your next e-book. In this post I want to look at the idea of creating a course from all that research instead of an e-book.
E-books are a simple way for a blogger or other type of online business owner to begin making money online. If you have a lot of knowledge on a particular subject, you can write a simple e-book that can really help people in your niche or market in a few days or weeks.
Some very successful e-books were written in an afternoon, in just a few short hours. Not mine, though, as I have not yet learned how to 
stay focused long enough to write an e-book that quickly.
If you are a blogger, you already have lots of information contained in your blog posts that can give you ideas (and material) for an e-book. However, if you are teaching an involved process, perhaps a course would be a better way to go. Customers can access your course digitally, or you can have it recorded on DVDs and shipped to a physical address.
So, should you monetize your online presence with an e-book, or a course?
The answer partially lies in how much time and effort you want to invest. E-books are generally short and sweet, and get right to the point. They teach a process or share information, and almost always cost less than a digital or physical course.
If you are just dipping your toes into the online business world, this is the quickest way to offer something of value for sale.
Courses usually generate more money per sale than an e-book. There is a greater perceived value in a course. Your course can be delivered through a membership site, or through an instant digital download of video and/or audio files. Keep in mind that in most cases a course is going to take a lot more time and effort to complete an e-book.
Another reason to choose a course over an e-book may be what you are trying to teach. If showing a process rather than explaining it is the best way to get your information across, you can’t beat video. 
Recording videos of yourself performing yoga poses and compiling them into a course, rather than showing still pictures or illustrations in an e-book, will deliver a better experience for someone buying that type of information.
I suggest that bloggers and online business builders just getting started should usually start with a simple e-book. Your first effort at monetizing your online piece of real estate is not going to be the greatest you ever produce.
You will get better with time however, and can use the lessons learned to later publish a course that not only makes more money for you than an e-book on a per-unit basis, but gives you the opportunity to share more in-depth information and knowledge with your online audience.
Ok, that’s it for now.
