How to Turn Your Skills into an Online Course and Earn from It

Why You Should Teach What You Know

If you are good at something, no one is stopping you from teaching it. Whether you’re great at accounting, financial literacy, social media marketing, video editing, or any other skill, there is always someone out there eager to learn from you. The problem? Most people don’t realize the value of the knowledge they already have.

Education isn’t a seasonal thing—it’s always in demand. Every day, millions of people search for solutions, tutorials, and guides. If you package what you know well, you can build both authority and income.

“The knowledge in your head could be someone else’s missing puzzle piece.”

Packaging Your Knowledge

The first step is to structure your knowledge. Don’t just randomly share tips—organize your information so that learners can follow it step by step. If you’re teaching financial literacy, start with the basics like budgeting and savings before diving into investments and taxes.

For example, if you’re a social media manager, you could create modules on:

Crafting a content strategy
Understanding algorithms
Creating engaging visuals
Running ads

When you package your knowledge, you turn it from random advice into a structured learning journey.

Choosing the Right Tools

The world is moving fast, and technology has made teaching easier than ever. Learning Management Systems (LMS) allow you to create, manage, and sell your courses seamlessly. One of the best options is Tutor LMS, a WordPress plugin that lets you design courses with lessons, quizzes, and certificates.

All you need is:

A WordPress website.
Tutor LMS installed.
A payment gateway like PayPal, Paystack, or M-Pesa.

Once it’s set up, you can upload your videos, PDFs, and assignments.

Setting Your Price

Don’t undervalue your knowledge. If you create a course that helps someone save or earn thousands, it’s worth paying for. You can start small—KES 500 or KES 1,000 per course—and increase as your reputation grows.

Remember, even with 10 people paying KES 1,000, that’s KES 10,000 for something you created once.

Marketing Your Course

You can’t just create a course and hope people find it. You need to promote it consistently:

Share snippets on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Write blog posts that link to your course.
Run targeted ads.
Use email marketing to reach your audience.

For example, in my post on How to Turn Content Creation Into a Full-Time Career, I explain how to position yourself online so that people trust and buy from you.

Why This Works in Kenya and Beyond

In Kenya, and across Africa, people are hungry for skills that can help them earn. From learning digital marketing to coding, from public speaking to photography, the demand is there. And with mobile payments like M-Pesa and online gateways like PayPal, it has never been easier to receive payments from both local and international students.

I’ve also shared in 12 Skills You Can Learn in Africa to Work Online From Anywhere that the internet has leveled the playing field for African creators and educators.

Final Thoughts

If you know something, package it. Sell it. People are always looking for the information you have. The more you structure it and stay consistent, the more you create a sustainable income stream for yourself.

Don’t wait until you “feel ready.” Start now. Someone out there is searching for exactly what you already know.

How to Turn Your Skills into an Online Course and Earn from It