How to create a mini course (ideas, outline, and pricing)
How to create a mini course: pick one outcome, outline 5 to 7 short lessons, record on a budget, price it free or low, and use it to lead into a bigger offer.
A mini course is a short course that gets a student one specific result in 30 to 90 minutes. To create one, pick a single outcome your audience wants, outline 5 to 7 short lessons that each end with an action, record them with the phone or laptop you already own, and either give it away to grow your email list or sell it at a low price. Then point the last lesson at your bigger course or coaching, because the best mini courses are the first step of something larger.
This guide is for creators who want a first product they can finish in a week or two, or a way to warm people up for a bigger offer. Full disclosure: we make Eden, a creator workspace with courses built in. Tool details were checked on each company's own site in September 2026. The steps work anywhere.
If you want the full playbook for a big flagship course (pre-selling, sales pages, launches), read how to sell an online course. This post is about the small one.
What a mini course is
A mini course solves one problem, not a whole topic. "Learn marketing" is a full course. "Write your first cold email that gets a reply" is a mini course.
| Mini course | Full course |
|---|---|
| One outcome | A big change made of many outcomes |
| 30 to 90 minutes in total | Hours, often spread over weeks |
| 5 to 7 short lessons | Several modules with many lessons |
| Free or low price | Your main price |
| Built in a week or two | Built over weeks or months |
| Often the first step toward a paid offer | Often the offer the mini course leads to |
The short length is the point. Most people who start a long course never finish it. A mini course is short enough to finish in one sitting or one week, so the student gets a real win and trusts you with the next step.
Mini course ideas
The best ideas come from questions people already ask you. Here are shapes that work in almost any niche:
- The setup course. Get a tool working the right way. "Set up your Notion content system in one afternoon."
- The first one. Get someone their first result. "Publish your first newsletter issue." "Land your first freelance client."
- The fix. Solve one common mistake. "Fix your LinkedIn profile so recruiters reply."
- The template walkthrough. A template plus short videos showing how to fill it in.
- The teardown. You review real examples and show the pattern. "10 viral hooks, broken down."
- The 5-day challenge. One small task a day for five days. "Five days to a cleaner budget."
- The single skill. One skill from your bigger method. "How to write a hook," pulled out of your full writing course.
- The before-you-start course. What to know before a big decision. "What to check before you quit your job to freelance."
A quick test for any idea: can you say the result in one sentence, and could a student get it this week? If yes, it's mini course sized. If not, cut it down or save it for a full course.
For more product shapes, see digital product ideas.
Pick the idea that leads somewhere
If you already sell something (or plan to), choose the mini course that is step one of it.
- Sell a full writing course? Make a mini course on writing one great post.
- Sell coaching for new managers? Make a mini course on running your first one-on-one.
- Sell a template library? Make a mini course on the single template people use most.
A student who finishes step one wants step two. That's how a small product turns into sales of your big one. The same thinking powers a good lead magnet.
A mini course outline template
Use this as a starting shape. Swap in your topic and cut any lesson you don't need.
| Lesson | What it covers | Length | What the student does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The promise and the quick win | 5 minutes | One small action that works right away |
| 2 | The main idea or framework | 8-12 minutes | Apply it to their own situation |
| 3 | Step one, shown on a real example | 8-12 minutes | Do step one |
| 4 | Step two, with the common mistakes | 8-12 minutes | Do step two |
| 5 | Step three, and how to check the work | 8-12 minutes | Finish and check against a checklist |
| 6 | What to do next | 5 minutes | Pick their next step |
A few rules that keep it tight:
- One idea per lesson. If a lesson covers two ideas, split it or cut one.
- End every lesson with an action. Watching is not the result. Doing is.
- Give an early win. Lesson 1 should get them something small but real.
- Add a worksheet or template. A one-page checklist or template often helps more than another video.
- Make the last lesson point forward. Show what comes after this result, and where to get it.
Record it on a budget
You don't need a studio. You need clear sound and a clear screen.
- Use your phone for talking-head video. Face a window for light and prop the phone at eye level.
- Use a cheap mic if you can. Viewers forgive a plain picture much faster than bad sound. Record in a small room with soft things in it, like a closet or bedroom.
- Record your screen for free. Macs have a built-in screen recorder (press Shift + Command + 5). OBS Studio is free and open source for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Loom works for short lessons. Its free Starter plan allows 25 videos and screen recordings up to 5 minutes, so it fits short lessons but not long ones.
- Don't chase perfect. Record each lesson in one or two takes. Cut the long pauses and move on.
- Text is a real option. A written lesson with screenshots is faster to make and easier to update. Many students prefer reading.
Budget tip: write a short outline for each lesson (three bullets, not a script). You'll sound natural and still stay on track.
Price it: free or low-priced
You have two good options. Both work. Pick the one that fits your goal.
| Option | Goal | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (lead magnet) | Grow your email list | More sign-ups, more people to email | Some people never open it |
| Low price (tripwire) | Turn followers into buyers | Paying customers, some revenue | Fewer people take it than a free one |
Free makes sense if your list is small and you want more people to hear from you. You trade the course for an email address, then follow up with emails that lead to your paid offer.
A low price makes sense if you already have attention and want buyers. Someone who pays even a small amount is more likely to open the course, and more likely to buy again. A low-priced product like this is often called a tripwire. Pick a price your audience can say yes to without a long think, like $19 or $29 (these are examples, not advice for your market).
Some creators do both: a free first lesson, then the rest of the mini course for a low price. Either way, the real money is usually in what comes next. For more on setting prices, read how to price digital products.
Use it to lead into your bigger offer
A mini course should make the next step feel obvious. Ways to build that in:
- The last lesson names the next step. "You've written one great post. The full course shows you how to write one every day."
- Offer an upsell right after checkout. If the mini course is paid, show your bigger course or a coaching call right after they pay, while they're excited. See upsells and order bumps.
- Give students a discount code. A code that takes the mini course price off the big course rewards the people who took step one.
- Invite finishers to apply for coaching. People who finished are your warmest leads for high-ticket help. See how to sell high-ticket coaching.
- Follow up by email. A few emails after the course: a check-in, a student win, then the offer.
Don't hide a sales pitch inside every lesson. Teach the full result. Trust is what sells the next thing.
How to create a mini course on Eden
On Eden, a mini course is a regular course, just short. See the full tour on the Eden courses page.
- Go to Your store → Products → New product → Course.
- On the Offer step, set the Title, Tagline, and Price in USD. Use 0 for a free mini course.
- On the Lessons step, click Add for each lesson. Group them with Add section and drag to reorder.
- Open a lesson and click Add video. Paste a YouTube, Loom, Tella, Descript, Vimeo, or Wistia link, or upload a video file.
- Put worksheets and templates in Resources. They don't count toward progress.
- Fill in the Welcome page, write the Page step, and finish the Publish checklist.
Students see lessons in order with a checkmark on each finished one, a notebook for their own notes, and the same course in the Eden iPhone and Android apps.
Turn it into a Custom AI course. Switch Product type on the Offer step to Custom AI, and the course comes with an AI that knows your material and which lesson is open. It can explain a lesson, run the exercise, and check the student's work, so students get unstuck without emailing you. If you have rough notes or an old course, The Product Builder can draft the lessons and the AI with you. Buyers chat using AI credits: they start with Eden's free credits, and you can include more with the product. See how to sell a custom AI.
Lead into the next product. On a paid mini course, turn on an upsell after checkout that offers your full course. Inside any course, buyers see your other products in the Knowledge tab and on a next step card. Free claims can go straight to your email list through a direct connection to Kit, beehiiv, or GoHighLevel, or to Substack through the Eden desktop app or Chrome extension. See connect your email list.
Building is free on any plan. Publishing, even a free product, needs the $29 Starter plan, and Eden takes 5% per paid sale. Eden isn't a merchant of record, so sales tax through Stripe is yours to handle. Step-by-step help is in sell a course.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a mini course be?
Short enough to finish in one sitting or one week. For most topics, that's 30 to 90 minutes in total, split into 5 to 7 lessons.
Should a mini course be free or paid?
Free if your main goal is growing your email list. A low price if you want paying customers who are more likely to buy again. Both should lead to your bigger offer.
Can I make a mini course with no audience?
Yes, but plan how people will find it. Post about the problem it solves for a few weeks first, or give it away free to start building a list.
What's the difference between a mini course and a lead magnet?
A lead magnet is anything free you trade for an email address. A free mini course is one kind of lead magnet, and usually a stronger one than a checklist, because the student spends real time with you.
Can I turn a mini course into a bigger course later?
Yes. Many creators start with a mini course, see which lessons students ask the most about, and build the full course around those. The mini course then becomes step one.
Ready to make yours? Start Eden free and build your mini course before you pay anything.