I created Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, my first online course, in July 2016. Over the next two and a half years, that single course generated more than $1,100,000 in revenue.
That figure was achieved without webinars, Facebook Live sessions, guest posts, or a big launch event. The course is evergreen and has primarily spread through word of mouth.
Many people assume launching an online course requires intense sales periods, large teams, and frequent live video events. My experience was different: the course has mostly been driven by organic interest and modest, consistent promotion that matches my personal style.
Creating the course was not easy. Building any online course takes significant time and effort, and I chose to do it on my own terms so it would align with the rest of my business and lifestyle. While big launches and videos work well for some creators, I wanted something simpler that reflected who I am.
I was nervous when I created Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. It was the first product I had ever sold, and like many first-time course creators, I worried that no one would want it. I felt that same nervousness again when I launched my second course, Making Sense of Sponsored Posts.
Despite the fear and the steep learning curve many warn about for first products, I persisted because I wanted to help other bloggers understand and benefit from affiliate marketing the way I had. Rather than offering one-on-one coaching, an online course allowed me to reach a wider audience and build a sustainable product-based income stream.
Online courses offer more flexibility and depth than ebooks. They can include lessons, workbooks, community groups, bonuses, and ongoing updates—elements that make the learning experience richer and more actionable.
After encouragement from peers and seeing success stories from other course creators, I decided to dive in. It turned out to be one of the best business decisions I’ve made. Many people are hesitant to create their own course, but if you’re considering it, I encourage you to take the leap.
Here’s a screenshot of my course income:
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Students of Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing have often emailed to share how helpful the course has been, which is tremendously rewarding. Affiliate marketing transformed my business and lifestyle, so being able to teach that approach to others means a lot to me.
Income from my courses now represents about one-third of my overall business revenue, and that comes from just two courses. I plan to create more products and help more people, so I expect this income stream to grow.
I view my first course as a major success. I didn’t rely on heavy promotion—no webinars, no guest posting, and less than $100 spent on marketing—yet the course achieved strong, sustained sales.
Where it all began
I launched Making Sense of Cents in 2011. Blogging started as a hobby—a place to track my personal finance progress—and I didn’t initially realize blogs could generate income. Within six months I earned my first $100 from an advertisement deal, which motivated me to take blogging more seriously.
From that modest start, my blog’s income grew quickly: by summer 2012 I was earning around $1,000 per month; a year later that rose to about $10,000 per month. Over subsequent years, my annual income continued to climb.
Blogging gave me flexibility, financial control, and the freedom to work from anywhere. My goal in creating Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing was to help others build successful online businesses and enjoy similar opportunities.
How I earned over $1,000,000 from an online course
Networking mattered
Networking with other online business owners played a crucial role in my decision to create a course. In 2016 I was part of a mastermind group with successful creators who encouraged and guided me through the process. Their advice helped me learn the best practices for building and launching a course.
Networking continues to help by providing strong affiliates and partners who share and recommend the course. Building relationships with other bloggers—through commenting, sharing content, social interaction, and attending conferences—offers learning opportunities and collaborations that pay dividends.
The most effective networking is genuine: give more than you take, be authentic, and look for ways you can help others rather than demanding favors.
I focused on a specific niche
The online course market is vast, so selecting a clear niche made a difference. Affiliate marketing was a topic I was frequently asked about, and niching the course specifically to bloggers and online influencers allowed me to remove irrelevant content and deliver targeted, actionable training.
When a course directly addresses a clear need for a specific audience, the value is easier to communicate and the students get faster, more relevant results.
Real results backed the course
Many courses are taught by people without meaningful experience. My course was rooted in my own results: affiliate marketing drives the majority of my blogging income. I’ve refined methods for promoting affiliate products to my audience in a way that converts and feels authentic.
Affiliate marketing is a model where you link to products and earn a commission when readers buy through your links. It can be a highly effective, relatively passive way to monetize content: one post or email sequence can generate revenue for months or years with minimal maintenance.
I consistently earn around $50,000 per month from affiliate income, primarily through blog posts and automated email sequences. Those proven results generated demand for structured training, which led to the course.
High value content and bonuses
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing includes comprehensive lessons plus significant bonuses valued at hundreds of dollars. I continually add new lessons and bonuses—such as insights from affiliate managers—and maintain an engaged course community that many students consider a major benefit.
Delivering exceptional value ensures students feel they received more than they paid for, which encourages referrals and turns satisfied students into affiliates.
Choosing the right platform
I host my course on a platform I enjoy as a student and as a creator. The platform I use is easy to navigate and simple to build with, which allowed me to set up most of the course myself without complex technical work. Many students also praise the platform’s usability.
Growing and using my email list
When I decided to create the course, I refocused on building a professional email list—something I had previously neglected. Since 2016, my list has grown to over 100,000 subscribers. I use an automated email sequence that introduces new bloggers to relevant resources and softly mentions the course without aggressive selling.
This evergreen, hands-off approach makes the course a steady, passive revenue source.
Casual, consistent promotion
I drive traffic to the course in unobtrusive ways that fit my brand. The course is mentioned in monthly income reports, included in email sequences tied to free resources, and occasionally promoted with coupon codes. I’ve avoided hard sells, webinars, and intensive launches in favor of steady, organic promotion.
Because I promote the course casually, there’s still ample room to scale if I chose to add webinars, guest posts, or targeted campaigns.
Leveraging affiliates
I built an affiliate program because I believe in the power of affiliates to extend reach. Graduates of the course are welcome to become affiliates, and I often offer interviews or support to help them write authentic, high-converting reviews. I also offer competitive commission rates to honor the effort affiliates put in.
Affiliates represent a meaningful portion of monthly course sales and help maintain steady enrollment over time.
Are you interested in creating an online course? Why or why not?