🎓 How to Earn Step-by-Step by Selling Courses on Teachable and Gumroad
📖 Introduction
In today’s digital age, online courses are one of the fastest-growing income streams for freelancers, teachers, professionals, and even students. Platforms like Teachable and Gumroad make it incredibly easy to turn your knowledge into a digital product and earn from anywhere in the world.
Whether you are good at designing, writing, coding, cooking, photography, or any other skill — you can package that skill into a course and sell it globally with zero inventory or shipping.
This step-by-step guide will show you exactly how to start, build, and grow your income by creating and selling digital courses using Teachable and Gumroad.
🎯 Why Selling Courses is a Smart Earning Method
| Reason | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 📚 Knowledge-based | No physical product needed |
| 💸 Low cost | You only need a laptop and internet |
| 🌍 Global market | Sell to students worldwide |
| 🔄 Passive income | Earn 24/7 even when you sleep |
| 🧠 Share your passion | Teach what you love |
🪜 Step-by-Step Guide to Start Earning with Course Platforms
✅ Step 1: Pick a Course Topic Based on Your Skills
You don’t need to be a professor — just know one thing well enough to teach it.
Popular Profitable Topics:
- 🎨 Canva Design, Photoshop, Video Editing
- 💻 Coding (HTML, Python, WordPress)
- 🧾 Excel, Accounting, Business Skills
- 📸 Photography, Content Creation
- 📚 Spoken English, Language Learning
- 🎙️ Public Speaking, Confidence Building
- 🧘 Yoga, Meditation, Fitness
💡 Tip: Pick a topic that solves a problem or teaches a skill people want to learn quickly.
✅ Step 2: Outline Your Course Content
Before you hit record, plan your course.
📋 Create a Course Structure:
| Module | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Welcome + What students will learn |
| Basics | Simple step-by-step tutorials |
| Intermediate | In-depth techniques or tools |
| Practice | Assignments or case studies |
| Conclusion | Recap + bonus tips or next steps |
Use Google Docs, Notion, or pen-paper to plan.
🎯 Example: If your course is on “Canva for Beginners,” your modules could be:
- What is Canva?
- How to Create an Account
- Designing a Poster
- Making Social Media Graphics
- Downloading & Sharing
✅ Step 3: Record Course Videos
Now, create your actual lessons.
🎥 What You Need:
- A smartphone or laptop with webcam
- A quiet room
- Screen recorder like OBS Studio, Loom, or Screencast-O-Matic
- A good microphone (even wired earphones work)
- Slides (PowerPoint or Canva) to explain concepts
🎬 Keep videos short and clear (5–10 minutes each).
💡 Tip: Record in batches. Don’t worry about perfection — focus on clarity and energy.
✅ Step 4: Edit and Finalize Your Videos
Once recorded, do some light editing to improve quality.
🛠️ Tools You Can Use:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 🎞️ Clipchamp (Free) | Basic editing, trimming, text |
| 🎬 CapCut | Mobile-friendly editor |
| 🎥 DaVinci Resolve | Professional video edits |
| 📱 InShot | For mobile edits & subtitles |
Add:
- Intro/outro slides
- Subtitles (if possible)
- Background music (light)
💡 Export videos in MP4 format, preferably in 720p or 1080p resolution.
✅ Step 5: Create Supporting Materials
Supporting content makes your course more valuable.
📁 Add:
- PDFs of slides
- Practice assignments
- Worksheets or checklists
- Bonus tips as eBooks
Use Canva or Google Docs to create beautiful resources.
📝 Example: If your course is on “Instagram Growth,” you can include a 30-day content planner in PDF.
✅ Step 6: Choose Between Teachable and Gumroad
Both platforms are powerful, but they serve different purposes.
🎓 Teachable
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| 🔹 Focus | Online courses only |
| 💡 Best For | Full-featured learning platform |
| 💳 Payment | International, Stripe/PayPal |
| 🛠️ Tools | Student dashboard, quizzes, certificates |
| 💰 Plans | Free, Basic (Paid), Pro (Paid) |
Visit Teachable → https://teachable.com
🛍️ Gumroad
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| 🔹 Focus | Digital products (courses, eBooks, etc.) |
| 💡 Best For | Simple, fast selling |
| 💳 Payment | Global, PayPal or bank |
| 🛠️ Tools | Landing pages, promo codes, analytics |
| 💰 Plans | Free (small fee per sale), no monthly fee |
Visit Gumroad → https://gumroad.com
✅ If you want to build a complete course site → Use Teachable
✅ If you want a fast and simple way to sell → Use Gumroad
✅ Step 7: Upload and Set Pricing
On Teachable:
- Sign up and create a school
- Add course title, description, image
- Upload your modules
- Set your price (one-time or subscription)
On Gumroad:
- Sign up with email
- Click “New Product”
- Choose “Course” or “Digital Product”
- Upload your videos or zip file
- Set a price and product description
💰 Pricing Tip:
- Beginner course: ₹299 – ₹999
- Intermediate: ₹999 – ₹2,499
- Expert/Workshop: ₹2,999 – ₹9,999
Offer free preview lessons or coupons to build trust.
✅ Step 8: Create a Simple Sales Page
You need to describe your course like a solution to someone’s problem.
🎯 What to Include:
- Who this course is for
- What problem it solves
- What will students learn
- What they’ll get (videos, PDFs, etc.)
- Price, offer, refund policy
- Testimonials (even from friends initially)
🖊️ Example:
“Design Like a Pro with Canva in Just 7 Days – No Experience Needed! Learn to create social media graphics, resumes, posters, and more. Perfect for freelancers, students, and small business owners.”
✅ Step 9: Promote Your Course for Free
Even the best course won’t sell without marketing. But don’t worry — you don’t need ads in the beginning.
🧩 Free Promotion Strategies:
| Platform | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Share in groups, status | |
| 📘 Facebook Groups | Offer value + share link |
| 📷 Instagram Reels | Teach a tip + link in bio |
| 🧑🎓 Telegram | Post in niche learning channels |
| 🧵 Twitter/LinkedIn | Share student feedback |
| 📹 YouTube Shorts | Tutorials + course link |
🛍️ Offer a discount for the first 10 buyers or early access bonus.
✅ Step 10: Deliver and Support Your Students
Treat your course like a real school — respond to students, help them complete lessons.
🧑🏫 Provide:
- Quick replies to queries (within 24 hours)
- Certificates (Teachable offers auto-certificates)
- Bonus updates or tips by email
- Thank-you notes
⭐ Ask for honest feedback and testimonials — these build credibility for your next course.
💵 Realistic Income Expectations
| Phase | Monthly Students | Avg Price | Monthly Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 20 | ₹499 | ₹10,000 |
| Intermediate | 100 | ₹999 | ₹99,900 |
| Advanced | 200+ | ₹1,999+ | ₹3L+ |
🧠 Some creators earn over ₹5 Lakhs/month by scaling with bundles and coaching upsells.
📊 How to Scale Beyond One Course
Once your first course succeeds, use these scaling tips:
| Idea | Result |
|---|---|
| 🛒 Create a Course Bundle | More value = higher price |
| 👨🏫 Offer Live Webinars | Add personal interaction |
| 🎓 Launch a Membership | ₹499/month club access |
| 📥 Build Email List | Promote future courses |
| 🧑💻 Start Freelance Coaching | Upsell 1-on-1 sessions |
| 📢 Collaborate with Influencers | Wider audience |
💡 Platforms like Teachable Pro offer email marketing tools built-in.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| ❌ Waiting for perfection | ✅ Start small and improve |
| ❌ Using complex words | ✅ Teach in simple, friendly tone |
| ❌ Copy-paste from others | ✅ Be original, use your voice |
| ❌ Ignoring feedback | ✅ Use feedback to improve course 2.0 |
| ❌ Not marketing | ✅ Promote daily using free tools |
✅ Quick Start Summary
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Choose your topic |
| 2️⃣ | Plan and record videos |
| 3️⃣ | Edit and upload on Teachable or Gumroad |
| 4️⃣ | Set pricing and write a sales page |
| 5️⃣ | Promote via WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube |
| 6️⃣ | Collect payment and help students |
| 7️⃣ | Scale with bundles, live sessions, and email list |
🎁 Bonus: Tools Checklist
| Task | Free Tool |
|---|---|
| Recording | OBS Studio, Loom |
| Editing | Clipchamp, InShot |
| Slides | Canva, PowerPoint |
| PDF Creation | Canva, Google Docs |
| Hosting | Teachable, Gumroad |
| Promotion | WhatsApp, YouTube, IG |
| Certificate | Teachable Auto, Canva template |
🏁 Final Thoughts
Selling online courses is a real, practical, and long-term income skill in 2025.
You don’t need to be famous.
You don’t need a fancy studio.
You just need:
- A skill
- A clear voice
- And a strong desire to teach
Start small, grow organically, and let your course work for you — while you sleep.