Looking for tips for course creators that actually work? If you've built an audience but still feel like you're stitching together random tools to make money, you're not alone. The creator economy is fragmented—and most platforms optimise for transactions, not ownership.
At BTS, we've helped over 1,600 creators build real businesses, paying out more than $1.4 million along the way. We've watched what works, what doesn't, and what separates creators who earn a bit on the side from those who build something they actually own.
BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses. We built this platform because creators deserve infrastructure that scales with them—not another tool that extracts value from their audience.
In this guide, we're sharing the 10 strategies we've seen work time and time again. These aren't generic tips you've read a hundred times. They're the actionable insights we've gathered from working directly with creators across education, fitness, business, and beyond.
Whether you're launching your first course or scaling an existing community, these approaches will help you build structure and momentum—the two things every successful creator business needs.
Let's dive in.
1. Start With One Clear Offer (Not Five)
The biggest mistake we see? Creators launching with a buffet of options—a course, a community, coaching, templates, and live sessions—all at once. It feels like you're giving people more value. In reality, you're creating confusion.
From our experience: The most successful creators on BTS start with a single, crystal-clear offer. One subscription tier. One course. One community. They nail that first, then expand.
Why does this work? Because your audience doesn't know what they need yet. They're looking to you for guidance. When you present seven options, you're asking them to make a decision they're not qualified to make. When you present one? They either want it or they don't.
Here's what we've seen happen: A fitness creator launched with three tiers—$9, $29, and $99. After three months of mediocre growth, they collapsed everything into a single $39 offer. Conversions doubled within weeks.
Our recommendation: Launch with one offer priced where you'd feel slightly uncomfortable charging. You can always add more later. Structure and momentum beat complexity every time.
Actionable takeaway: Before you launch anything else, ask yourself: "If I could only sell one thing, what would it be?" Start there.
2. Design Your Space Like a Brand, Not a Classroom
One of the reasons we built BTS the way we did is because most creator platforms look like back-office software. They're functional, sure. But they don't feel like something you'd proudly share with your audience.
Your creator business is an extension of your brand. If your Instagram is polished and your YouTube thumbnails are on point, why would you send members to a space that looks like an online course portal from the early 2000s?
What we've learned: Creators who invest time in their visual presentation—custom branding, thoughtful layouts, cohesive design—see higher retention and better word-of-mouth referrals. Members feel like they're part of something premium, not just another subscription.
BTS is designed to look and feel like a modern brand. Everything runs behind the scenes in one space, but what your members see is a polished, professional experience that matches the quality of your content.
Our take: If you wouldn't put it on your website, don't put it in your community. Your paid members deserve the same (or better) experience than your free followers.
Actionable takeaway: Spend an hour this week reviewing your BTS space from a member's perspective. Does it feel cohesive? Does it match your brand elsewhere? Small tweaks compound.
3. Stop Thinking Like a Content Creator, Start Thinking Like a Business Owner
Here's a hard truth we share with every creator who joins BTS: Posting more content isn't a business strategy.
Content is how you build an audience. But if you want to build something you own, you need to think beyond the next video, the next post, the next launch.
What does thinking like a business owner look like?
- Recurring revenue over one-time sales. A $500 course sale feels great. But a $29/month subscriber who stays for two years is worth $696—and they're less work to acquire.
- Systems over hustle. If your income depends on you showing up every single day, you don't have a business. You have a job with no benefits.
- Retention over acquisition. It costs 5-7x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. Yet most creators obsess over growth and ignore the members they already have.
From our experience: The creators earning six figures on BTS aren't the ones with the biggest audiences. They're the ones who've built sustainable systems—consistent delivery, engaged communities, and offers that compound over time.
BTS's take: We focus on structure and momentum, not algorithms. That means we're not trying to keep your audience on a feed. We're trying to help you build something durable.
Actionable takeaway: This week, calculate your customer lifetime value (LTV). If you don't know it, that's your first business problem to solve.
4. Build Community Around Transformation, Not Just Content
Content libraries are everywhere. Netflix has millions of hours of content. YouTube has billions. If all you're offering is "access to content," you're competing with infinite free alternatives.
The shift that changes everything: Position your community around transformation, not consumption.
Don't sell "50 hours of fitness videos." Sell "The 90-day programme that helps busy professionals get in the best shape of their lives."
Don't sell "access to my marketing templates." Sell "The system that helped 200 entrepreneurs double their email lists."
Our data shows: Creators who frame their offers around specific outcomes—not content volume—have 40% higher conversion rates and significantly lower churn. Members stick around because they're working toward something, not just consuming.
How BTS helps: Our platform is designed for structure. You can build journeys, create progression pathways, and design experiences that guide members toward their goals. It's not a content dump—it's infrastructure for transformation.
Our recommendation: Rewrite your offer description. Remove anything that focuses on "access" or "content library." Replace it with the specific result your members will achieve and the timeframe they can expect.
Actionable takeaway: Ask yourself: "What transformation do I help people achieve?" Your entire business should point toward that answer.
5. Price for Value, Not for Comfort
We've had hundreds of conversations with creators about pricing. Nearly all of them start the same way: "I was thinking maybe $9 a month?"
Here's what we've learned: Underpricing doesn't attract more customers. It attracts worse ones.
When you charge $9, you're signalling that your content isn't that valuable. You attract people looking for cheap entertainment, not invested community members. They churn quickly because they have no skin in the game.
When you charge $49, $99, or more? You attract people who are serious. They show up. They engage. They stay.
From our experience: Creators who price at premium tiers ($50+/month) typically earn more total revenue than those with large audiences paying $10. The maths is simple: 100 members at $99 beats 500 members at $15—and 100 members is far easier to support.
What we've seen work:
| Price Tier | Best For | Typical Churn | Member Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0-15/month | Lead generation, sampling | High (20%+ monthly) | Mixed |
| $29-49/month | Core communities | Medium (8-12%) | Engaged |
| $99+/month | Premium transformation | Low (3-6%) | Highly committed |
Our take: Price for the value you deliver, not for what feels comfortable. If your offer genuinely helps people, charge what it's worth. You're not doing anyone favours by undervaluing your expertise.
Actionable takeaway: Raise your price by 50% for your next cohort. Watch what happens to both revenue and member quality.
6. Make Your First Week Unforgettable
Here's a stat that should concern you: Most community members who cancel do so within the first 30 days. Many never even log in after signing up.
The problem isn't your content. It's your onboarding.
When someone pays for your offer, they're excited. They're motivated. They're ready to engage. But if their first experience is confusing, overwhelming, or underwhelming? That motivation evaporates.
Our recommendation: Design your first-week experience like it's the most important content you'll ever create. Because it is.
What great onboarding looks like:
- Immediate welcome. Within minutes of joining, new members should receive a personal welcome—video, voice note, or thoughtful message.
- Clear first action. Don't leave them wondering what to do. Give them one specific thing to accomplish on day one.
- Quick win. Within the first 48 hours, help them achieve something tangible. A small transformation builds belief in bigger ones.
- Community introduction. Get them connected with other members early. Relationships create stickiness.
From our experience: Creators who implement structured onboarding sequences see 35% better 90-day retention than those who just "let members explore."
BTS gives you one place to build something you own—and that includes building a member experience that converts trials into long-term subscribers.
Actionable takeaway: Audit your current first-week experience. Sign up as a test member and go through it yourself. What's confusing? What's missing? Fix those gaps this week.
7. Create Consistent Rituals, Not Random Content Drops
What we've learned from 1,600+ creators: The ones with the best retention don't necessarily post the most content. They post consistently, at predictable times, around specific rituals.
Random content drops create uncertainty. Your members never know when to check in, so they check in less and less until they forget they're subscribed.
Rituals create rhythm. When members know "Monday is Q&A day" or "There's a new deep-dive every Thursday," they build your community into their routine.
Examples of rituals that work:
- Weekly live sessions at the same time each week
- Monthly challenges that bring the community together
- Daily prompts that create conversation patterns
- Quarterly reviews where members share progress
Our data shows: Creators with at least two consistent weekly rituals have 2.3x higher engagement rates than those with irregular posting schedules.
BTS's take: We focus on structure and momentum. Rituals create both. They give you structure to plan around and momentum that compounds as members form habits.
Actionable takeaway: Choose two rituals you can commit to for the next three months. Put them on your calendar. Announce them to your members. Show up without fail.
8. Leverage Your Existing Audience (They're Already Warm)
Most creators are forced to stitch together tools that never become a real business. They have followers on Instagram, subscribers on YouTube, listeners on a podcast—but no way to bring them into a centralised business.
Here's the opportunity most creators miss: Your existing audience is your biggest asset. They already know you. They already trust you. Converting them is 10x easier than finding cold prospects.
The problem is conversion strategy, not audience size.
What we recommend:
- Talk about your BTS space regularly. Not as a pitch—as a natural part of your content. "I was just doing a live session with my members..."
- Offer exclusive value. Give your paying members something your free audience doesn't get. Make that gap visible.
- Create FOMO strategically. Share wins, transformations, and behind-the-scenes moments from your community. Let your free audience see what they're missing.
- Use your best content as a gateway. When something performs well publicly, hint that there's more depth available inside your community.
From our experience: Creators who convert just 1-2% of their existing social audience into paying members can build six-figure businesses. You don't need more followers. You need better conversion.
BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses. You bring your audience—we help you build with them.
Actionable takeaway: Calculate 1% of your total social following across all platforms. That's your conversion target for the next 90 days. Work backward to figure out how to reach it.
9. Build Multiple Revenue Streams Within One Home
A common mistake: Creators spread their revenue across five different platforms. Courses on Teachable. Community on Discord. Coaching on Calendly. Payments on Stripe. Newsletter on ConvertKit.
The result? No platform has your full picture. Your members have to navigate multiple logins. And you're paying fees everywhere.
Our approach: BTS gives creators one place to build something they own. That means subscriptions, one-off purchases, pay-per-view content, courses, community, and more—all in one space.
Why this matters:
- Higher customer lifetime value. When everything is in one place, members are more likely to buy additional offers.
- Better data. You can see which members engage with what, allowing you to personalise and improve.
- Lower churn. Members who engage with multiple features are significantly less likely to cancel.
From our experience: Creators with three or more active revenue streams on BTS earn 3x more per member than single-offer creators. The infrastructure is designed to make this easy.
| Revenue Stream | Best Audience For | Effort Level | Revenue Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | Engaged community | Medium (ongoing) | High (recurring) |
| One-off course | Specific transformation | High (creation) | Medium (front-loaded) |
| Pay-per-view | Casual fans | Low (per piece) | Variable |
| Coaching/calls | Premium audience | High (time) | Very high |
| Digital products | Broader reach | Medium (once) | Scalable |
Our recommendation: Start with your core subscription. Once that's stable, add a complementary offer. Don't try to launch everything at once—but do plan for diversification.
Actionable takeaway: Identify one additional revenue stream you could launch within your existing BTS space in the next 60 days. Outline what that offer would look like.
10. Treat Feedback as Gold (And Actually Act on It)
The creators who win long-term? They listen obsessively to their members.
Most creators are so focused on content creation that they forget to ask: "Is this actually working for you?"
What we've learned: Members who feel heard stay longer. Members who give feedback are more invested than those who don't. And the feedback itself is a goldmine for improving your offers.
How to systematically gather feedback:
- Post-onboarding surveys. Within the first week, ask new members what made them join and what they hope to achieve.
- Monthly check-ins. Quick polls asking what's working, what's not, and what they want more of.
- Exit surveys. When someone cancels, ask why. This is the most valuable feedback you'll ever receive.
- Direct conversations. Schedule calls with your most engaged members. Their insights will shape your roadmap.
From our experience: Creators who implement feedback loops see 25% higher retention because they catch problems before they become cancellations.
Our take: We run the infrastructure behind the scenes so creators can focus on creating, connecting, and growing something they own. But "connecting" isn't just posting content—it's listening, adapting, and building with your community.
Actionable takeaway: This week, send a simple survey to your members asking two questions: "What's working well?" and "What should we change?" Act on what you learn.
How We Built BTS to Address These
Everything we've shared in this guide reflects our philosophy at BTS. We didn't build another monetisation tool or marketplace. We built creator business infrastructure.
Why does that distinction matter?
Most platforms optimise for transactions. They want you to sell more because they take a cut. Their incentive is volume, not sustainability.
We built BTS for creators who want to build something they own. That means:
- Design that reflects your brand. Your space looks and feels like yours, not like you're renting shelf space.
- Structure that scales. Whether you have 10 members or 10,000, the infrastructure handles it.
- Flexibility without complexity. You can do subscriptions, courses, communities, and more—without needing a PhD in software.
- Support from people who understand. Our creator success team knows your challenges because we work with creators every day.
If a creator has an audience but no structure, BTS is the answer.
We've watched over 1,600 creators build on our platform. We've seen what works and what doesn't. And we've continuously evolved the infrastructure to support real creator businesses—not side hustles, not hobbies, but sustainable companies.
BTS is not a social network or a marketplace. It's the infrastructure that runs behind the scenes so you can focus on what matters: creating, connecting, and building something real.
Ready to Build Something Real?
If you've read this far, you're not a casual creator looking for tips. You're serious about building a real business from your expertise.
BTS gives creators one place to build something they own. No stitching together tools. No platform-hopping. Just infrastructure designed for structure and momentum.
We offer a free Starter plan so you can launch without risk. No credit card required. No complicated setup. Most creators go from signup to earning within a day.
When you're ready for more—custom domains, lower fees, advanced features—our Pro plan is designed to grow with you.
The creator economy is fragmented. But your business doesn't have to be.
Start building on BTS today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much does BTS cost?
BTS offers a free Starter plan to get started immediately. Our Pro plan is priced at $149/month plus a competitive 3.5% + 30¢ transaction fee—designed for creators serious about building sustainable businesses. Visit our pricing page for the full breakdown and to calculate what works best for your situation.
Q2: Is BTS free to use?
Yes! Our free Starter plan lets you launch and start earning right away. You can build your space, add members, and process payments without paying us anything upfront. The Starter plan uses a 10% transaction fee model, so we only earn when you do. Upgrade to Pro when you need more features or want lower fees.
Q3: What makes BTS different from other creator platforms?
We focus on creator business infrastructure, not just monetisation. While other platforms are marketplaces or social networks, BTS is designed to be the behind-the-scenes engine for your entire business. Everything—courses, community, subscriptions, payments—runs in one space that you own and control.
Q4: Can I migrate my existing members to BTS?
Absolutely. We help creators migrate from platforms like Patreon, Teachable, Circle, Skool, and others. Our team can assist with member communication, data transfer, and ensuring a seamless transition. Your members won't miss a beat.
Q5: How long does it take to set up BTS?
Most creators launch within a day. Our onboarding is designed for speed—not to bury you in settings and configurations. If you have content ready to go, you could be accepting payments within hours of signing up.
Q6: Does BTS take a percentage of my earnings?
Yes, like most platforms, we have a transaction fee. The Starter plan charges 10% with no monthly fee. The Pro plan charges 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction plus $149/month. Most creators at $5,000+ monthly revenue save money on Pro.
Q7: What kind of support does BTS offer?
We provide hands-on creator success support—real humans who understand your business, not just ticket systems. Our team helps with strategy, technical questions, and growth. We've seen what works across 1,600+ creators, and we share those insights freely.
Q8: Can I use my own domain with BTS?
Yes! Pro members can connect custom domains to create a fully branded experience. Your members will see yoursite.com, not a BTS subdomain. It's part of our philosophy: you should own your business identity.
Q9: What types of content can I sell on BTS?
BTS supports subscriptions (monthly and annual), one-off purchases, pay-per-view content, courses, communities, coaching via booking apps, and more. Our flexible infrastructure means you're not locked into one format.
Q10: How do payouts work on BTS?
Payouts are fast and global. US creators can receive same-day payouts. International creators typically receive funds within 1-5 business days. We support creators in most countries worldwide (excluding a small number of restricted regions).
Q11: Is BTS only for course creators?
No. While we have a strong community of course creators, BTS supports any creator with a digital offering. Fitness coaches, business consultants, communities, membership sites, exclusive content creators—anyone building a creator business can use BTS.
Q12: Can I offer free trials on BTS?
Yes. Free trials are built into the platform. You can offer trial periods on subscriptions to let potential members experience your value before committing. In our experience, well-designed trials significantly boost conversions.
Q13: How does BTS compare to Patreon?
Patreon monetises content—BTS helps you build a real business. While Patreon is essentially a tip jar with tiers, BTS provides full infrastructure: courses, community features, better design, and tools for long-term business building. Patreon creators often hit a ceiling; BTS is built to scale.
Q14: What if I'm not technical?
BTS is designed for creators, not developers. If you can use social media, you can use BTS. No coding, no complicated configurations. Our interface is intuitive, and our support team is always available if you get stuck.
Q15: Do I need a large audience to start on BTS?
You need some audience—we're not a discovery platform. But "large" is relative. Creators with 10,000 engaged followers can build significant businesses on BTS. It's about audience quality and your offer's value, not raw numbers.
Q16: Can I run multiple businesses on BTS?
Yes. Some creators run multiple spaces for different niches or offerings. Each space can have its own branding, pricing, and member base. Contact our team if you're planning a multi-space setup.
Q17: What happens to my content if I leave BTS?
You own your content and your member relationships. If you ever decide to leave, you can export your data and member information. We don't hold your business hostage.
Q18: Does BTS have community features?
Yes. Community is core to our platform—discussion spaces, member profiles, direct messaging, and more. But unlike pure community platforms, you can also sell courses, run subscriptions, and build your full business alongside community features.
Q19: Is BTS good for course creators specifically?
Absolutely. Course creators are one of our largest segments. You can build structured courses with modules, drip content over time, offer certificates, and combine courses with community access—all in one place.
Q20: What's the best way to get started?
Sign up for our free Starter plan. Import or create your first piece of content. Set up one offer. Share it with your audience. From there, iterate based on what you learn. Our creator success team is available to help at every stage.
Key Takeaways
- Start simple: One clear offer beats a confusing buffet of options
- Think like a business owner: Focus on recurring revenue, systems, and retention—not just content volume
- Design matters: Your paid space should reflect your brand's quality
- Price for value: Underpricing attracts worse customers, not more customers
- Build rituals: Consistent touchpoints create habits that reduce churn
- Your audience is your asset: Convert your existing followers before chasing new ones
- Consolidate your business: Multiple revenue streams in one place beats scattered tools everywhere
- Listen obsessively: Member feedback is the shortcut to sustainable growth
About the Author
The BTS Team leads Creator Success at BTS, helping 1,600+ creators turn content and community into real businesses. With over $1.4 million paid out to creators on the platform, we've seen firsthand what separates creators who struggle from those who build sustainable, growing businesses. Our mission is to provide the infrastructure—and the insights—that let creators focus on what they do best: creating.
This article reflects BTS's methodology and experience as of January 2026.
BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses. [Start free today](https://behindthescenes.com).