Welcome to Money Making Story

A platform dedicated to sharing inspiring journeys of financial success. Here, we delve into various strategies and personal narratives about earning money, providing you with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.

Today, we've shared the inspiring story of Derek Hughes, who made $6250 in just 3 months with his course.

In this discussion, we’ve delved into his:

• Identifying and solving problems

• Building a high-quality product

• Sales strategies and maximizing customer value

• Marketing approach

• Landing page effectiveness

• Promotion techniques

• Email campaign success

Derek's journey demonstrates that with the right approach, anyone can achieve similar success in the online course world.

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Simple Steps, Big Gains

We live in crazy times.

Derek Hughes told his mum about his course success. "You've made over $6000? By recording yourself talking into your phone?" Yes mum. He promised he wasn't making this up.

He launched The Ultimate Headline Toolkit 3 months ago. It's 7 video modules about how to craft headlines people can't resist clicking. It's had 99 sales:

It feels like Derek discovered the world's best secret. He found money-making opportunities that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

Let him show you how simple this is. It's a process anyone can follow.

The 7 Steps

1. Pick one problem

Creating a product is about making an offer.

You offer a solution (service, product, course, software) that solves a problem. And, in return, you get paid. You need to create something people want. Solve a headache they have. Then you'll have a great chance of helping people and making money.

But don't do this too early.

First, you need to build trust with your audience. And get to know their needs. Derek set up a coaching page when he was still small. This failed because he didn't know his audience. And hadn't established enough credibility.

Here's how to identify a problem:

• Pay attention to comments 

  Notice questions people ask. Or what resonates. If you're small, look at what people say on bigger accounts.

• Talk to your audience 

  When people sign up for Derek's newsletter, he invites them to email him their biggest writing challenge. Then offers personal advice. This strengthens the relationship and keeps his retention stats high. Talking to your audience gives precious insights.

• Do some testing 

  Move quickly. Don't spend hours creating a product. Test it first. And don't spend hours thinking about it. Test it in the market, not in your mind. Post content to help people. Offer your solution. Notice the reaction. Refine your message. All the content in Derek's course has been tested on his audience.

2. Build your product

You need to choose the right format.

You can offer templates, ebooks, email courses, or video courses. But packaging affects the price. People perceive the value differently. Go up the value chain. And you can charge more for the same content. Turn your ebook into a video and you can 5x the price.

Take a long view. Focus on your reputation more than the revenue. Overdeliver and add as much value as possible. Don't hold anything back.

This doesn't mean more. A bloated course isn't more valuable. People buy the result, not the amount of content. Ever read a book that could have been a blog post? Don't pad out your content.

Max the quality. It's cheap to buy software that makes your product look impressive. Derek uses Thrivecart for his video courses. And Convertkit to craft email courses. Both are worth the cost.

3. Get customers to pay more

Derek is new to marketing, so this blew his mind.

When someone buys from you, their mindset changes. They identify as a customer and often want to buy something else. So offer them more.

Here's how to get more money from your customers:

• Bump 

  A bump is an extra product offered during checkout (i.e., before they've paid). Price it less than the main product. This makes the sale likely. And frame it as something that enhances the main product. Offer extra help with the same problem. It can be a template or workbook. Thrivecart makes this super easy. And even puts it in the basket already. So people have to choose not to buy it. This means 75% of Derek's customers buy the bump product.

• Upsell 

  An upsell is offered after a customer has bought the main product. They pay and are taken to a new page. This shows the upsell. An upsell enhances the product they've bought. Find a way to offer more help. An upsell can be a premium product. Derek offers a discounted coaching session to help writers implement the learning of the course they've just bought.

A bump and an upsell feel different to the customer. Offer both to max your income.

4. Market before you sell

This makes selling easy. Talk about what you're creating as you create it. Post progress in your newsletter and social media.

Share:

• you're thinking of creating your first product

• what problem you've decided to solve

• share the product name

• share the product image

• reveal mistakes you make

• update people when you complete a module

Keep sharing your excitement. Invite comments. Ask questions. Involve your audience in the process. They'll become your cheerleaders. But don't offer these as disguised sales pitches. People will see through that. You'll ruin your reputation.

Derek made one plea for help:

---

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to send you a quick email because I need a small favour.

I'm close to finishing my new course — The Ultimate Headline Toolkit. And I'm hoping to start recording the videos next week. But before I do, I wanted to make sure I've covered everything.

Please could you hit reply and type an answer to this question:

What are your top 2 questions about writing headlines that I absolutely NEED to answer in this course?

Thanks for all your support.

Derek

---

This makes people aware of Derek's product without direct selling. And gives valuable intel on what to include. And what phrases to use.

And if people help, they're more likely to buy.

5. A landing page that sells

Take time to craft a compelling landing page.

Use these 3 tips to sell more:

• Social proof 

  Social proof is a superpower for persuasion. Derek hates to break it to you, but people distrust you. They'll listen to others though. So find ways to include what others think. Derek uses Senja to collect testimonials. He offered the product to his affiliate partners first and used their feedback on the landing page.

  

  And don't neglect numbers. Use everything you have: number of followers, course sign-ups. Drop in metrics everywhere. Derek uses stats from his Medium content.

• Compelling benefits 

  The classic marketing mistake for newbies is selling features, not benefits. Features are what your product does: 5 modules about nutrition, tips on email marketing and how to set up your landing page. This stuff doesn't sell. But results do: This nutrition course reduces the odds of cancer, the 3S framework minimizes the risk of injury so you can complete your first marathon. People buy outcomes. What will be different for your customer? Focus on that. Look at Derek's course content below. Notice he ties each item to a specific result for the buyer.

  

• But what is it? 

  Don't forget to explain what they get. Customers need to imagine the product. So be crystal clear about this. Look at Derek's list here. Notice how he says what they get but still manages to slip in a few benefits too.

  

Once you've got a stunning landing page, it's time to promote it.

6. Promoting your product

Derek will cover your email campaign in the next section. But let him give you 2 powerful promotion techniques:

• Affiliates 

  Offer people commission to sell your product. This is dynamite. Derek provides 35% of the sales price to affiliates. This is a lot. But you still gain 65% you wouldn't have had. Plus your name will be put in front of thousands of new people. This is precious brand awareness. It will strengthen your connection with peers and boost your reputation.

• Scarcity offer 

  Find a way to offer something extra during the launch that you remove later. Derek offered 30 days of email support. You could offer an extra bonus or a discount. Scarcity is a well-proven sales technique. Scarcity doesn't manipulate. It helps them say yes.

7. Launch an email campaign

Derek sent 7 emails in 7 days promoting his product. He normally sends 1/week. Because one email won't be enough. Aim for each email to offer some value on its own. Be entertaining. Offer a lesson. Mix up the types of email you send. Don't send 7 'please buy my product' emails.

He uses these emails:

• your personal story

• customer case study

• outcomes you're promising

• a sneak peek into the product

• address objections to the product

• amplify the problem you're solving

Then drop it into the PS for your regular newsletter.

Follow these 7 simple steps to start making money from your first product. Trust him. There's no better feeling.

Derek has gained 12,000 followers in 8 months and earns $1200/month. If you want his 5-step writing system, join 1627 other writers and get it for free:

Derek's journey illustrates that success in the online course world isn't always straightforward. It's about identifying problems, building quality products, and marketing effectively. Even when sales fluctuate, he remains persistent, aiming for consistent income and growth.

His story is a great example for anyone interested in creating and selling online courses. It shows that with dedication, smart strategies, and a relentless attitude, you can achieve remarkable success.