Summary

The article discusses the prevalence of overpriced online courses that often lack substance, and how honest writers can provide genuine value to their audience by offering well-researched and practical content.

Abstract

The web content critically examines the trend of overpriced online courses that promise significant earnings and entrepreneurial success but fail to deliver substantial content or mentorship. It highlights the importance of recognizing these courses as potential hustles, especially when they offer generic or easily accessible information for a premium price. The author suggests that skilled writers can capitalize on this by conducting thorough research, interviewing legitimate experts, and providing their audience with high-quality, actionable content that truly benefits their readers, potentially in the form of webinars, articles, or ebooks. This approach not only offers readers valuable insights but also positions honest writers as credible alternatives to the overhyped courses prevalent in the digital marketplace.

Opinions

Overpriced online courses are often a hustle, offering little value despite high costs, and are designed to exploit the desire for quick financial success.
Legitimate courses that provide in-depth training, mentorship, and real-life business strategies are distinguished from these overpriced offerings.
The author expresses skepticism about the authenticity of success stories used to market these courses, suggesting that some marketers fake their success to sell courses.
Webinars are seen as a marketing tool rather than a source of genuine content, often leading to a high-priced sales pitch.
Writers have the opportunity to provide real value by researching and sharing authentic success stories and practical advice, thereby offering a more honest service to their audience.
The article suggests that the information promised in these expensive courses can often be found for free or at a lower cost through other means, such as videos and blog posts by experts like Lisa Irby and Kim George.
The author emphasizes the importance of evergreen content that retains its value over time, which can be more beneficial than expensive courses that may not deliver on their promises.
There is a clear distinction made between effective marketing and deceptive hustling, with the latter being criticized for its lack of integrity and genuine value.

Why Overpriced “Online Courses” Are Seen as Rip-Offs and How Honest Writers Can Benefit

Overpriced online courses increase the value of honest writers and their powerful content!

“Real Value for Your Audience” Designed by Author (Carmellita) in Canva

You can make 6-figures, 7-figures, and I can teach you how! Work from home and earn $10,000 per month with this one simple thing. My course will teach you how.

Have you ever seen these promises?

First, let me clarify that a course or training providing students with a new career opportunity, in-depth training, and one-on-one mentorship is worth thousands of dollars.

Courses that provide modules of well-researched information, practical critical thinking assignments, and real-life deliverables with tried and true business models are worth thousands of dollars.

However, a few hit-or-miss hacks designed to look like a course or training is a hustle, not an “academy” or “university.” These overpriced courses lack substance or fundamental value for students or people who want an opportunity to start a real business or career.

Many of us have experienced these fake; you can make six figures with my course sales pitches. Whether you saw it on YouTube, FaceBook, TikTok, a Twitter Ad, or some other social media ad, the hustle is always the same.

After a pitch and promise, you’re given a link to a free webinar, and you think you’re on your way to becoming a full-time entrepreneur.

You sign up and show up on time for the webinar only to discover you’re in one of those virtual hotel meetings. You know, the one-hour finesse and sales pitch leading to a $2,000 to $5000 call to action.

You’ve just been hustled, yes.

When someone offers an online course for $2,000 to 5,000, showing you how to make money online, they’ve already given you their business model.

They are counting on about 500 people to sign up for the free webinar and a 5% conversion rate, which earns them the six figures they promised you after a few rounds a year.

I knew I was 7 levels deep in B.S. when I saw a high ticket course on how to create a course for Skillshare!

Doesn’t Skillshare have a course on that already?

The other tactic is a free ebook or email course that promises you how to start your six-figure business from home. Nope, it’s not a free ebook detailed with all the information you need to get started. Instead, it’s just another pitch with an overpriced call-to-action at the end.

Still, you can use this foolishness as an honest, skilled writer.

Sign Up for the Webinar (Bwa ha, ha 😈)

You heard me sign up for the webinar.

The webinar will not give you the actual course content. What it will provide you with is some great ideas as a writer.

For example, an online marketer offers a course on how to make money on Etsy. Usually, these course marketers haven’t had an Etsy shop for over a year.

They claim to have made a lot of money but faked their sales and reviews by buying their product through different accounts and family member accounts.

After it looks like they’ve earned a bunch from their shop, they close their shop and sell their course — the same tactic each time. “How I made $5,000 a month on Etsy with One Product.”

Do they offer a $50 course? No.

Do they offer a $500 course? No.

Usually, the courses are $2,000 and up (oh, excuse me, some may offer their course for $1,997 and up).

As a writer, you can prevent your readers the sweat and tears from overpriced courses.

Using the Earn Money with Etsy example, even if you aren’t an Etsy shop owner, you can provide detailed and valuable information for your audience about how to make money with Etsy.

Based on the promises of the webinar you attend, you can outline questions your readers may have about operating a successful Etsy shop.

Use those questions as a guideline for interviewing Etsy shop owners. You can choose a different owner once a week and share their stories. Asking essential questions such as:

How did you start your shop?
How do you stay on trend?
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own Etsy Shop?

Attending the webinar can provide clues about what people want to know when starting an Etsy shop.

You conduct research, interview people who have done the work and provide this valuable content for your readers. You can feed this valuable content as a series of stories on this platform, an ebook, or a series of stories on your blog or website.

Dissecting the Sales Page

Recently, I ran across an online course hustler’s sales page in the form of an E-book. By the end of the ebook, I would have to purchase a course on creating low-content books. The course’s outline and modules offered the same information provided by Lisa Irby in her video…

As well as Kim George’s video…

(Kim George has been my go-to for the many tips and tricks I’ve learned about Canva).

I learned everything the course promised with some research that included a few other videos and two blog posts.

By dissecting the sales page disguised as a free ebook of this overpriced course (that’s right, it’s $2,997, but early birds get it for $1,997), I found the information the course provided such as:

How to design low content books (LCBs)in Canva.
How to List Your LCBs on Amazon.
How to sell your LCBs on Etsy.
How to get a low-cost book cover designed on Fiverr

If I chose to write about this subject on this platform, I could provide valuable content on this topic to my readers for months.

Most importantly, this content would be evergreen and provide just as much, if not more valuable, than a $2000 to $5000 course.

“Hey, That’s Marketing,” Some Would Say.

Some may think it is brilliant that someone can create a $3000 course from free information. Yes, it may appear brilliant until you’re the person who paid for an overpriced and underdelivering course.

And still, some may take the stance that “these courses are for people who don’t want to do research or wouldn’t see the value in a low-cost course or free information.”

While that may be true for some, it’s not true for everyone.

Besides, this isn’t marketing; it’s hustling.

Fam, I’m curious. Have you ever been sucked in by one of these online courses?

Please share your experience in the comments.

Have I Quit the 60-Day Writing Challenge?

Or does the marathon continue?