Substack Mastery Book: Chapter 14
How to Add Interactive Educational Programs Using One of the 6 Globally Recognized Tools to Inform, Educate, Inspire, and Retain Your Subscribers
Non-members can read this story here. I also published a version on Medium.com.
Dear Beta Readers,
Thank you for your valuable feedback so far. You honor my content on multiple platforms. I understand this chapter may seem quite technical to beginners, as I designed it to benefit advanced freelance writers and content entrepreneurs who want to scale their writing business.
However, if you are a beginner, please don’t be discouraged. Even if these tools and built-in services are not immediately relevant to you, gaining awareness of them can be valuable as you plan and strategize for your future growth.
Think of this chapter as an educational introduction — an opportunity to familiarize yourself with concepts that can support your long-term success. Your writing and audience-building journey is important, and having a broad understanding of these resources can empower you as you pursue your goals. I will simplify these tools in my upcoming articles and the next version of this book for beginners with practical tips.
Purpose of This Chapter
In the previous chapter of this book, Substack Mastery, I explained how advanced freelance writers and content entrepreneurs can scale their businesses. A common question that emerged was about the types of additional services that could further enhance their growth. One of the most effective, influential, and profitable options is to include educational programs in your service offerings.
Although advanced Substack writers will find this chapter beneficial, my goal is to make it platform-independent and useful for writers using other platforms as well, such as Beehiiv, Ghost, Patreon, ConvertKit, Mailchimp, AWeber, GetResponse, MailerLite, TinyLetter, and MailPoet.
I designed this chapter specifically for those looking to expand their writing and coaching businesses by adding educational programs or digital products. While creating these programs can be challenging, especially for those without technical expertise, numerous well-established service providers can handle the technical aspects and simplify the process.
As a content development and marketing strategist, I have evaluated many tools and products for my clients in the content entrepreneurship space. In this chapter, I will present eight popular tools my clients, collaborators, students, and proteges use successfully for their growth.
As my comprehensive assessments for paid clients span over 300 pages of information report and it is impossible to cover so many details in a single chapter of this book, I will provide a concise overview of these tools, including their focus, benefits, and potential drawbacks.
I will also show indicative cost information to help you make informed decisions based on your budget. While I have hands-on experience with some of these tools, I will also include feedback from others to provide a balanced perspective. I aim to inform and encourage you to research tools to help you grow your freelance writing business.
Links to Available Chapters of Substack Mastery Book
Preface of “Substack Mastery” for Beta Readers, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14
Introduction to 6 Globally Recognized Tools for Course Development and Marketing
I listed them based on their popularity and market shares.
1 — Udemy
Udemy went public in 2021 with a market value of about $3.25 billion. It is a popular online course marketplace with a large, built-in audience, making it easy for instructors to reach learners without needing much marketing or website setup.
One of Udemy's main advantages is its massive audience, which helps instructors attract students more easily. It’s also simple to get started since Udemy handles most of the technical work.
However, a key drawback is that instructors have limited control over pricing, branding, and how much money they earn. Udemy takes a significant portion of the revenue unless instructors drive their traffic.
It’s free to join, but Udemy keeps 50% of sales through its platform, while instructors keep 97% through their referral links.
Udemy’s recent introduction of the ‘Udemy Business’ model offers instructors more customization and control, making it suitable for those needing greater flexibility. I will write a detailed article about this new business model soon.
2 — Kajabi
After its first funding round in 2021, Kajabi was valued at around $550 million. It is an all-in-one platform for creating, selling, and managing digital products and online businesses.
Kajabi offers comprehensive tools for course creation, marketing, sales funnels, and website building. It might be ideal for creators who want full control over every aspect of their business, from branding to pricing.
The platform’s main advantage is its robust features, which allow creators to manage everything in one place. However, Kajabi’s higher price point may be a drawback for beginners or smaller creators who don’t need all its advanced features. The cost starts at $149 per month for the Basic plan, $199 per month for the Growth plan, and $399 per month for the pro plan.
From my observations, Kajabi’s built-in email marketing features and advanced automation capabilities make it an ideal choice for creators who want to streamline their marketing and sales processes
3 — Teachable
In 2020, Teachable was acquired by Hotmart Group for $250 million. Teachable is an online course platform designed to make course creation, sales, and management easy for instructors.
Teachable’s main advantages include intuitive course creation tools, flexible course pricing options, and global VAT handling, making it convenient for instructors selling courses worldwide. Teachable also offers multiple pricing plans to fit different needs.
However, compared to more comprehensive platforms like Kajabi, Teachable has limited website customization and fewer marketing tools. Its free plan has a $1 + 10% fee per sale, while paid plans start at $39 per month and have lower transaction fees on higher-tier plans.
4 — Thinkific
I noticed that Thinkific’s market capitalization was around $180 million. Thinkific is a course creation platform designed for educators and entrepreneurs who want more customization and control over their online courses.
Thinkific offers customization options, flexible course delivery formats, and the ability to integrate with third-party tools, giving creators much flexibility. However, one drawback is that Thinkific lacks built-in email marketing and advanced sales funnels so that users may need external tools for complete marketing automation.
Thinkific offers a free plan, while paid plans start at $49 per month for the Basic plan, $99 per month for the Pro plan, and $499 for the Premier plan.
While Thinkific doesn’t have built-in email marketing or advanced sales funnels, it integrates seamlessly with popular third-party tools like Mailchimp and Zapier, providing flexibility for creators who prefer external solutions.
5 — Podia
Podia is privately held and has a smaller market share compared to Kajabi. Podia is a simple platform for selling courses, memberships, and digital products, making it especially user-friendly for beginners.
Podia’s key advantages include ease of use, no transaction fees, and lower pricing compared to platforms like Kajabi and Thinkific.
However, Podia offers fewer marketing and automation tools and lacks advanced customization options, which may be a limitation for creators seeking more robust features. Pricing starts at $39 per month for the Mover plan, $89 per month for the Shaker plan, and $199 for the Earthquaker plan.
6 — WordPress with Plugins (LearnDash, WooCommerce)
While WordPress is an open-source project, its parent company, Automattic, was valued at over $7 billion as of 2023. With plugins like LearnDash and WooCommerce, which I covered on my website, WordPress offers a highly customizable setup for creators who want full control over their website, content, and courses.
The main advantage is that it provides complete control over branding, design, and functionality while integrating seamlessly with many third-party tools and plugins, such as LearnDash for course creation and WooCommerce for eCommerce.
However, it requires technical knowledge for setup and ongoing maintenance, including hosting, updates, and security. Costs vary depending on hosting, which ranges from $5 to $25 per month, and plugin expenses, with LearnDash starting at $199 per year, while WooCommerce is free but may require paid add-ons.
As a long-term user, I know that WordPress offers unparalleled customization and control, making it a popular choice for creators who want to build a unique and personalized learning experience.
Landing Pages and Funnel-Building for Marketing and Sales of Educational Products
Advanced freelance writers and content entrepreneurs use automation tools to optimize their marketing sales processes for their educational tools. If you are not using the previously mentioned course creation platforms, you might need tools like ClickFunnels or Kartra, which I will introduce in this section.
These platforms are famous for building landing pages and sales funnels used by millions of content developers and marketers. I will briefly introduce both to help you find the best fit for your needs. I also mention the names of their competitors in the next section to make your research easier.
For those unfamiliar, “Landing Pages and Funnel-Building” refer to creating specialized web pages and sales processes designed to capture leads, drive conversions, and guide potential customers through a structured buying journey.
Freelancers and content entrepreneurs can use landing pages to promote offers, collect email addresses, and engage visitors. They also use marketing and sales funnels to create strategic sequences of pages and actions that nurture leads and convert them into paying customers.
Effective marketing and sales funnel building involves designing processes to optimize the user experience and maximize conversions, using tools that streamline and automate these tasks.
1 — ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels (as I introduced on my website) is a funnel-building platform designed to create high-converting sales and landing pages.
ClickFunnels is an excellent choice for marketers selling services and digital/physical products. It offers helpful tools for marketing/sales funnels and conversions.
However, ClickFunnels has limited course hosting and content creation capabilities, so users might need another platform to manage their courses, as I introduced in the previous section.
The basic plan costs $147 per month, the pro plan costs $297 per month, and the Funnel Hacker plan costs $497. ClickFunnels is valued at over $360 million.
2 — Kartra
Kartra is an all-in-one platform for managing online businesses. It offers tools for marketing and sales funnels, memberships, and email marketing.
Kartra is a comprehensive solution with powerful affiliate marketing management and automation features. However, from my clients' experiences, it seems to have a steeper learning curve than other platforms and fewer course creation resources than Teachable or Thinkific.
Pricing starts at $99 per month for the Starter plan and goes up to $499 for the Platinum plan. Kartra is privately held and has a smaller market share than Kajabi and ClickFunnels.
Competitors of ClickFunnels or Kartra
Many other options are available, but these are among the most popular. I have had the opportunity to evaluate and learn about them through insights from users who have implemented them. I will give you a few examples for your assessment.
While ClickFunnels, Leadpages, and Unbounce specialize in landing page creation and A/B testing, other platforms offer comprehensive features for online courses, including sales funnels, email marketing, and automation.
Builderall provides an all-in-one solution for these needs. GetResponse integrates funnel-building, email marketing, and landing pages, with additional features like built-in webinars tailored for online courses. Instapage excels in advanced landing page optimization and personalization, which can be particularly valuable for promoting courses.
5 Key Considerations When Choosing a Platform
Selecting the right platform depends on various factors unique to your needs, goals, and aspirations. Based on my experience, I will provide some key considerations and tips to guide your decision-making process.
1 — Your Goals and Needs
Start by identifying where you are in your freelancing journey. Are you a beginner just starting or an experienced creator looking to scale? For beginners, a simple, user-friendly platform like Podia or Teachable may be ideal due to their ease of use and lower learning curve.
On the other hand, experienced creators who need more advanced features and customization may prefer platforms like Kajabi or WordPress with plugins, as these offer greater control over branding, pricing, and functionality.
Example: A new course creator might choose Teachable because it is easy to set up and manage, while an established entrepreneur might opt for Kajabi for its robust sales funnels and marketing tools.
2 — Current Budget and Long-Term Financial Consideration
Your budget and financial plans can play a crucial role in your decision. While a platform like Udemy allows you to join for free, they take a large portion of your earnings.
Other platforms, like Thinkific and Kajabi, have monthly fees but offer more control over your business. It is essential to weigh the cost against the value of the features you’ll use.
Example: If you are starting with a smaller budget, Thinkific’s $49/month Basic plan could be a good entry point. However, if you want a comprehensive suite of tools, Kajabi’s $149/month plan may offer better value in the long run.
3 — Functions and Features
You need to evaluate each platform’s feature set about your specific needs. Do you need strong course creation tools, or are you looking for additional features like membership sites, email marketing, or affiliate management?
Platforms like Kajabi and Kartra offer all-in-one solutions with a wide range of features, whereas platforms like Teachable focus more on course creation and management.
Example: If you want to run membership programs or manage email marketing from one platform, Kartra might be a better fit than Teachable, which focuses primarily on courses.
4 — Customization
You need to determine how much control you want over your website’s design and functionality. A popular platform like WordPress with plugins (LearnDash, WooCommerce) offers full control over every aspect of your site, but they require technical knowledge.
Conversely, platforms like Podia and Teachable offer pre-designed templates, which are easier to set up but less customizable.
Example: If you have web development skills and want a fully customized site, WordPress might be a good choice. If you prefer a quick, ready-to-use solution, Podia’s simpler setup may work better.
5 — Support and Resources
You also need to consider the level of customer support and educational resources available from each platform. Some platforms offer extensive knowledge bases, live chat, or community support, which can be invaluable, especially if you’re new to the process.
Kajabi, for instance, is known for its excellent customer support and training resources, while WordPress requires more self-management or third-party assistance unless you have a business or premium account.
So, if customer support is a priority for you, Kajabi’s responsive support team may be more helpful than WordPress, where you will need to rely on forums or hire outside help for technical issues.
Conclusions and Key Takeaways
Selecting the right online course platform requires careful consideration of your goals, needs, budget, features, customization requirements, support, and scalability. By clearly assessing these factors, you can choose a platform that aligns with your needs, budget, and long-term business goals.
By evaluating these factors, experimenting, and learning from others' experiences, you can choose a platform that aligns with your long-term business objectives and provides the necessary tools and resources to succeed in the online education market.
Additionally, exploring the community and network associated with each platform can provide valuable insights and support. By making an informed decision, you can create a thriving online course business and reach a broader audience of learners.
As a solopreneur or entrepreneur, you must align your platform choice with your long-term strategy and growth plans. Ensure that the platform you select can adapt to your evolving needs and scale alongside your business expansion.
It would help to consider how well it supports your current objectives and whether it can accommodate future growth, from increased traffic and sales to advanced features and customization. This strategic alignment will help you avoid potential disruptions and ensure a seamless growth trajectory.
Even if you don’t use educational programs in your service offering, as freelance writers and content entrepreneurs, you must use landing pages on your platforms to promote offers, collect email addresses, and engage visitors. You can also use marketing and sales funnels to create strategic sequences of pages and actions that nurture leads and convert them into paying customers.
Feel free to share this chapter so more people can benefit from it. If you decide to publish it in your blogs, articles, or newsletters, please credit the original source, as I may update this content in the future based on feedback and new insights from discerning readers.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Invitation to Be a Guest Blogger
I recently opened my website to welcome all writers as guest bloggers, offering a platform to boost visibility for your profiles, Medium stories, and Substack newsletters.
I’ve outlined the compelling reasons to join our community blog in detail, making it an ideal space for authentic and ethical writers who want to share their work freely.
Here’s Why I Opened My Website to Freelance Writers as Guest Bloggers from Multiple Platforms
Here, no legal content is censored! I strongly value diversity, inclusion, and equality in distributing content. If you want a supportive environment to amplify your voice, I have created this accessible and supportive place for you.
About the Substack Mastery Book for Review or Purchase
As I shared in a previous post, this book has already hit the top 100 bestseller list in multiple categories in various Amazon marketplaces. Thank you, my loyal readers, for making this book a success and a valuable knowledge source for the community.
Many thanks to beta readers who started leaving honest feedback on this evolving book on Goodreads. If you enjoy and benefit from this book, I’d appreciate leaving honest feedback on Goodreads, as the Amazon version is not ready for review yet.
If you want to purchase the book at a reasonable price or gift it to someone you care about, you may preorder it via various Amazon markets. If the editing process is complete on time, I can get it published faster. The funds generated from this book will be donated to the management of the Substack Mastery site for the ILLUMINATION community. This education site also amplifies the newsletters of freelance writers.
Substack Mastery: Insider Secrets from a Content Strategist & Seasoned Author: Learn the Basics…
Substack Mastery: Insider Secrets from a Content Strategist & Seasoned Author: Learn the Basics, Stay Motivated, Grow…www.amazon.com
Community Building on Substack Bridging with Other Platforms
Integrating Substack with Medium is a great idea. To this end, as a community builder, I created a philanthropic organization that will empower creators, freelance writers, and content entrepreneurs with a commercial arm. I documented the strategy and high-level plan in a story. Please feel free to ask questions and provide feedback. Refraining from perfection, I choose a progressive path.
Here are our draft service definitions for creators, freelance writers, and content entrepreneurs. We will explain the details in our upcoming newsletter. Here is an invitation from a founding member.
If you are a writer on Medium and Substack, we have a new publication called Substack Mastery. You are welcome to join and share your Substack experience with your fellow writers and discerning readers. ILLUMINATION-Curators curate, feature, and promote newsletters of our contributors in collections like this one. Being part of a community can bring many benefits, such as a fast-growing audience. Substack Mastery Featured Newsletters: Episode 12.
For advanced writers, we also have a publication called Curated Newsletters, which replaced the former ILLUMINATION-Curated. As I withdraw from the boost program, I now allocate more time to support writers in extending their services to Substack or other platforms.
If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 32K writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. You can contact me via my website. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories. Friend Links to My Sample Boosted Stories for Non-Members of Medium.
New Submission Guidelines for ILLUMINATION, Curated Newsletters, and SYNERGY!
You are welcome to join the ILLUMINATION Community on Medium and Substack and our education tool, Substack Mastery, curated by ILLUMINATION-Curators. Here is the Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
Join me on Substack, where I offer experience-based content on health, content strategy, and technology topics to inform and inspire my readers.
Health and Wellness by Dr Mehmet Yildiz
FELICES LIBRO DE MAESTRIA EN SUGSTACK FELICES LIBRO DE MAESTRIA
FELICES LIBRO DE MAESTRIA