George Pitts, a Texas-based IT Systems Administrator, found himself struggling financially in 2017. Despite a good career, he and his partner were living paycheck to paycheck and buried in debt. Determined to change his situation, he took a week off work to learn how to fix his financial woes on his own. This decision proved to be life-changing for Pitts.
Welcome to our ongoing series: “How to Make Money with Online Courses.” Our founder, Kit Elliott, was once a 6th-grade Science teacher, and his journey into the world of online courses started back in 2005. Since then, he's been a strong advocate for creating side hustles that have the potential to grow into full-fledged alternatives to traditional jobs.
“I needed to learn how to fix the situation I was in instead of paying someone else to do it for me,” he recalls.
Through extensive reading of blogs, books, and forums, Pitts learned how to repair his credit, transform his financial reality, and build his first home. Encouraged by his success, he decided to share his knowledge and help others facing similar struggles in Corporate America. This led to the creation of his online course businesses, The Income Academy and Wealth Streams Academy, which he later merged into one platform, Wealth Streams Academy.
George Pitts' approach to success with digital products can be summarized in eight key strategies:
- Sharing His Story Online: Pitts began by developing an eBay store and gaining an audience through Periscope, where he shared his daily experiences. People started asking him to teach them how to create an eBay store, leading to the creation of his first online course.
- Listening and Responding to His Audience's Needs: Pitts listened to his audience's requests and created courses that addressed their questions and challenges. As he shared more about his story, he received more requests for valuable content.
- Nurturing His Email List: Recognizing the value of an email list, Pitts started building his list in 2020. It has since become his most successful form of marketing, providing direct access to his audience.
- Strategically Organizing Content: Pitts uses a content calendar to plan topics and creates series of related content to engage his audience consistently. He includes lead magnets in his bio to build his email list and eventually make course sales.
- Developing a Niche Audience: Pitts targets individuals working in Corporate America who are also aspiring entrepreneurs. His courses help them achieve financial stability and generate income through multiple revenue streams.
- Creating Three Tiers of Courses: Pitts organizes his courses into three tiers: a free or low-cost “chicken offer,” a mid-tier “bird offer,” and a high-tier “eagle offer.” This approach allows his audience to take gradual steps toward more advanced courses.
- Performing Market Research: Instead of just assigning arbitrary prices to his courses, Pitts conducts market research to determine the value he offers compared to competitors. He positions his courses in the middle range while emphasizing the value he provides.
- Building Credibility: Pitts believes in being genuine and transparent about his experiences, including failures and challenges. By showcasing his human side, he builds trust with his audience and establishes credibility as a source of valuable information.
Read the full story on Thinkific's blog here.
For aspiring online course creators, Pitts advises starting with the end result they want to achieve and focusing on helping their students transform. By following these strategies, George Pitts has built a seven-figure annual income through his digital products, impacting over 10,000 students on their journey to financial abundance.
