A men smiling while writing some note and working on a laptop.

The online course industry is projected to reach an astonishing $376 billion by 2026, and if you have decided to embark on the course creation journey, you have already taken the first step to building your profitable side hustle.

The next question - What topic to choose? Of course, you can choose a niche of your interest, but unless there is an audience in that niche, you won’t turn a profit. And that will leave you dejected and demotivated.

This is why it's crucial to select the most profitable niches so that your efforts bear fruits. In this article, we have come up with the 10 most profitable online course niches that will help you create a successful business.

10 profitable niches for online courses in 2023

1. Digital Marketing

An image depicts a laptop with the words "digital marketing" written on its screen, and showing other elements of digital marketing.

The global digital marketing software market is estimated to be worth USD 65.33 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19.4% from 2023 to 2030. This increase in digital products will also be an impetus for the growth of digital marketers. You can take benefit of this rise and launch a course in a sub-niche of Digital marketing.

You can create courses on PPC (pay-per-click) marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), Social Media Marketing, Google Analytics, etc. The key is not to spread yourself too thin by stuffing all these topics in one course. Instead, focus on one sub-niche and become an authority in that area.

Course ideas include:

  • Complete guide to backlinking
  • Google ads Masterclass
  • TikTok Marketing

2. Fitness

 People are doing exercise in a gym

Fitness is an ever-green niche, and owing to the growing seriousness about health and wellness among the new generation, this market is becoming even more lucrative. If you are passionate about fitness and can bring a unique angle to your course, this niche can be greatly profitable.

However, you must be mindful that this is a highly competitive niche. If you create an online course on generic topics such as weight loss and muscle building, you are likely to get lost in the crowd. Therefore, it is important to focus on underserved or less-understood sub-niches to stand out from the competition.

Course ideas include:

  • Atkins Diet
  • Techniques for effective intermittent fasting
  • A guide to core strengthening

3. Building a side hustle

An image depicts money and the words "side hustle" written next to it.

As the global economy continues to suffer from recession and layoffs, it is becoming increasingly apparent that relying on a single income stream is not only risky but also unsustainable. To combat this, more and more people are looking for ways to create a sustainable and passive income on the side. Unfortunately, many are unaware of how to do this.

Your course can help plug this gap by providing instruction on how to build a successful side hustle. Courses on building a side hustle can focus on topics such as creating an online presence, developing a business plan, finding clients, marketing your services, and managing finances. Your course can also include instructions on how to use the latest technologies and tools to create a successful side hustle business.

Course ideas include:

  • Passive Income with Drop Shipping
  • Earn money with Notion Templates
  • Selling Canva designs
  • On your way to financial freedom with Affiliate marketing

4. Parenting

The father teaches his son and daughter.

Parenting is complex, and there is no one-size-fits-all, requiring a unique approach for each family and child. Young and first-time parents always look for experienced individuals and resources to help navigate the journey of raising their children. While there are many angles to parenting, it is important to choose the ones that are most relevant to your own life experiences and learning.

You can create courses on Family team building, raising kids to be responsible, or even raising children according to a particular faith. Through your courses, parents can gain invaluable insights and knowledge to help them raise their children with confidence and understanding.

Course ideas include:

  • Parenting skills for single parents
  • Raising emotionally intelligent children
  • Building positive relationships between siblings

5. Copywriting

Copywriting written on a note.

Writing is an essential and invaluable skill, no matter your line of work. With employment as copywriters expected to grow by 8%, this is also a skill most people find difficult to learn. Copywriting is essential to crafting persuasive emails, sales docs, product landing pages, etc.

You can find various angles to craft your writing course. You can explore topics like writing for children, business writing, travel writing, comic writing, etc. With the growth of digital marketing, you can also focus on short-form ads writing or writing for social media. For those looking for more personalized, in-depth instructions, you can expand beyond courses and offer workshops and consultations.

Course ideas include:

  • Writing for search engine optimization
  • Using storytelling and humor in copywriting
  • Crafting persuasive emails

6. Computer Technology

An image showing computer technology

As more work that was once done manually is now becoming automated, people are looking for advanced skills in the technology space. Furthermore, with the rise of online learning platforms, it is now easier than ever to access quality content and educational resources that can help people learn new skills and develop their knowledge.

Computer technology is an ever-changing and ever-growing field, and similar to marketing, you will have to pick a sub-niche. You can quickly become an authority in an upcoming niche and start offering easy learning methods.

Course ideas include:

  • Cloud computing
  • Ethical Hacking
  • Machine Learning and AI
  • Web Design

7. Audience Building

The speaker delivers a speech and the audience cheers.

The key to a profitable business is to build a strong and engaged target audience. Once you have an audience, you can pitch several products and services for sale much more effectively.

With the growing awareness of the same, many are looking for ways to create audiences through various platforms. You can create a highly profitable course that teaches techniques to build a valuable proposition, ways to generate leads, and methods to engage the audience.

Course ideas include:

  • Audience building on Twitter
  • Audience growth on LinkedIn
  • Nail your audience on Medium
  • Building your email list

8. Personal Development

 Image showing the journey of personal development steps.

People are forever searching for ways to assess their life goals and build their skills and qualities to reach their full potential. Taking advantage of this, you can create courses shedding light on identifying problems and offering creative solutions from your unique angle.

Gathering ideas for this topic is no trouble as there are several articles, videos, and self-development platforms on the web. However, it is essential to put your own spin on the topics, leveraging your experiences and perspectives and providing evidence-based outcomes.

Course ideas include:

  • Developing self-confidence
  • Effective time management
  • Improving self-esteem
  • Setting goals and how to achieve them

9. Meditation

A person doing meditation.

The global meditation market is expected to be worth $9 billion by 2027. reflecting the growing awareness of the need to manage the stress of modern life.

A course on meditation can be exactly what people are looking for, helping them with ways to reduce stress and improve their well-being. People are also willing to make significant investments in resources that have the potential to make a significant difference in their well-being.

Course ideas include:

  • A guide to transcendental meditation
  • Spiritual Healing
  • Focus on breathing techniques

10. Pet care

A female smiling with her pets

The Pet Care market is expected to grow at 7% CAGR till 2032. Pets are considered to be family. Pet owners are investing heavily in their pets to provide them with the best care and entertainment and also train them for correct behavior.

If you’re an experienced pet owner, others can certainly benefit from your advice and experience. Dogs and cats are common pets and are a saturated niche. However, you can exploit the less-served niches like reptiles, birds, fishes, or even particular breeds.

Course ideas include:

  • Dog Massage Training
  • Pet CPR
  • Reptile care and husbandry


Next Steps

Choosing a profitable niche is an important first step in the success of your course. Get it wrong, and you’ll be wasting hours of time and effort with no visibility of profit. Get it right, and it sets you on the track to becoming a successful knowledge entrepreneur.

That said, once you’ve identified the best niche for your online course, you must get started with a robust platform without the tech hassles. For that, there’s Miho. Miho puts your website, courses, and community in an all-in-one powerful and sets you up for the win. You can get a 14-day free trial when you signup today.