$250,000 and counting...

Hi @StanVangild204
,

Thank you for the questions. Below are the details for the two questions:

Experience with Udemy Business. How and when did you make that connection?

I will share my experience of UfB by answering three questions:

1. How did it start?
2. Do I make courses keeping UfB in mind?
3. What are my earnings from UfB today?

How did it start?

My Udemy for Business experience has been interesting. This is because when Udemy launched UfB, I had about 3-4 courses on the platform (in the marketplace). I read the terms and was excited. However, I knew that Udemy would shortlist a catalog of courses based on UfB requirements. So, I had limited control in adding my courses to the catalog. In about a month or two of the launch of UfB, I received an email from Udemy stating they picked one of my courses in their catalog. The course was picked because it had excellent ratings (4.7+) and was of a niche topic. When I compared that course with the other courses, I realized that the quality of the course was outstanding. I had used Whiteboard animation for the course and it was fully made on a software called "Moovly." It was not a typical slideshow and voiceover course. It had animations flying around which kept the audience engaged. As a result, they rated the course very high. The topic of the course was not in-demand, so the marketplace income was low. But because it was picked in the UfB catalog, it started earning more money.

The second course that got selected was even more of a pleasant surprise. I had released a forever free course. It was created with an intention to provide valuable knowledge in an excellent animated style. This course (though free) has always been rated above 4.5. UfB picked that in the catalogue. And this one started earning money too. I couldn't believe it. I thought that since this course is free on the marketplace, it will not earn money on UfB. However, I was wrong. I reached UfB support twice confirming if it will earn $$$ and they said yes both the times. And it did earn those $$$. That was a wow moment. I am not sure if UfB continues to include free courses in their catalogue today. I do not see this free course in the UfB catalogue anymore. But it did make good money for multiple years and I am happy about it.

So the start was interesting and I could see my earnings grow with UfB adding more to the bucks to the bank.

Do I make courses keeping UfB in mind?

No. Absolutely not. My niche is Six Sigma and Project Management. So, the main customers of my courses are employees of corporate organizations. However, adding my courses on UfB is not the focus.

I make courses keeping in mind the value it provides to students. My courses have the required content for the topic. I beef them up with my real-life personal experience and a number of anecdotal stories. I also try to ensure that the course quality is excellent. Plus, I prefer not to have any lose ends in the course. For example, if my course topic is Lean, I will ensure everything about Lean is added to the course outline and is covered well in the course. If something is not covered, I ensure that the course description clearly states this is not covered (for this reason).

I think these are the factors that resonate with the audience and they rate these courses very high. Once your course ratings are high, you are in the radar of UfB's algorithm (based on my experience). And as the required demand comes in, UfB will pick up your courses in their catalog.

Today, most of my courses are on UfB. And I never really struggled to add them to the catalog. I just keep getting emails that they are added one-by-one. And that is a nice place to be in.

I have seen other instructors (who focus on creating courses for UfB) getting frustrated because they expect results too soon. In my humble opinion, your job is to create a good course (basically do everything that is in your control) and trust everything else will fall in place. In time, it definitely will.

What are my earnings from UfB today?

Like most other instructors, 30% of my total income comes from UfB. Marketplace continues to dominate the revenue. But the 30% is a real cherry on the cake 🥰

Also, do you feel like the release of each new course improves the sales of existing courses, or just adds a new income stream?

It does both. As you keep releasing new courses, you start to have a dedicated following. These students become your raving fans. They love your courses and are your mouthpiece to everyone else. They regularly buy every single piece of content you publish. They have a problem and you are the go to guy/girl for resolving that problem. And each Udemy instructor who has been publishing courses for a long enough time sees this. So, this is a common phenomenon. Nothing big.

As a result, what happens when you release your new course?

1. Your fans are eagerly waiting for the new piece of content that they could consume and cherish. They buy the course --> so you have added a new income stream.
2. You accumulate new students who convert to future raving fans --> they have bought your new course and now search for any other courses that you have released previously. Thus, you improve the sales of existing courses.

This is an amazing cycle of events.

Sorry for the long post. Looking at your questions, I could feel your enthusiasm. So I kept nothing back. I hope this helps. Feel free to let me know for any additional questions