10 Examples of Online Communities That Make Millions

Online communities are a fantastic way for entrepreneurs, coaches, and personal brands to tap into their potential and turn their passion into profit. Communities offer a wealth of benefits for business, with 75% of branded community users believing that being part of a community has helped improve their customer experience. Because of this, online communities are growing more rapidly than ever before, with 49% of online spaces existing and thriving for 5 years or more. Community platforms have grown, too, with options such as Thinkific, Podia, and Teach.io standing out amongst the crowd. With this in mind, there’s never been a better time to harness the power of community building and take your business to the next level.

Examples of Successful Online Communities

All the creators on this list are hugely successful, proving that you can build a sustainable and paying community, regardless of which niche you’re a part of. Here are some of the biggest online community creators and their strategies for success.

1. Ali Abdaal’s Productivity Community

Ali Abdaal’s Productivity Lab is a community of entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals. According to Abdaal’s website, the goal of this community is to help members double their productivity.

Background

Ali Abdaal studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Preclinical Medicine and Psychology at Cambridge University. He graduated in 2018 after six years, where he went on to spend two years working as a Junior Doctor.

During his time at the University, Ali Abdaal created his YouTube channel. Initially, his videos consisted of medicine and studying, but he now makes content about books, productivity, technology, and strategies his followers can use to become more productive.

Following the success of his YouTube channel, Abdaal created the Part-Time YouTuber Academy, started the Deep Dive podcast, and launched his Productivity Lab community. With 5.69M YouTube subscribers and 903K Instagram followers, he’s proven that productivity is key to creating a thriving and sustainable business.

Success Strategies

• Diverse Content – Ali Abdaal offers various content across multiple platforms. His YouTube platform provides in-depth videos, tips, and tricks to help subscribers improve their productivity, such as “My honest advice to someone who feels behind in life.” He also has a best-selling book (Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You), a Deep Dive podcast, and courses to help entrepreneurs grow on YouTube.
• Personal Brand – Ali Abdaal uses his personal brand to advertise his content across social media. He provides images of meet-ups with his students and reels with productivity tips and personal stories. This marketing approach ensures he remains relevant without overwhelming his audience with sales content.
• Sponsorships, Brand Deals, and Affiliate Marketing – Ali Abdaal partners with different companies that align with his brand, such as Grammarly and Hostinger.
• Community Content – Productivity Lab offers live events, productivity resources, recordings, coworking sessions, weekly reflection rituals, and more. This diverse range of content helps build an engaged community that offers endless value to its members.

You can find Ali Abdaal on YouTube, Instagram, and X.

2. Rob Percival’s Web Developers Community

Rob Percival offers a complete web developer community with different courses, helping its members hone and sharpen their skills. With 2,344,207 students on Udemy, it’s clear that the quality and effectiveness of his courses cannot be disputed.

Background

Rob Percival originally started out as a mathematics teacher in London and Cambridge while building websites for his friends and family. He eventually gave up his teaching job to build websites full-time.

After seven years of experience, he noticed that many people wanted to learn how to code but didn’t have the skills. From there, he started teaching his web development course, helping thousands of beginners become professionals.

Success Strategies

• Beginner-Friendly Content – Rob Percival focuses on teaching beginners how to code. His content is easy to follow and beginner-friendly, which is why his course success rate is so high.
• Diverse Courses – With a range of courses from “The Complete Node.js Developer Course (3rd Edition)” to “The Complete iOS 11 and Swift Developer Course,” he appeals to different audience segments in his niche.
• Discussion Forum – Rob Percival embraces community by giving his students access to a discussion forum where members can support each other.
• Marketing and Promotion – Rob Percival uses marketing techniques to promote his course. One example is offering the first lesson for free if people sign up for his newsletter. This creates a lead magnet funnel where he can offer additional courses and information to interested parties. He also offers discounted prices and offers directly on his website.

You can find Rob Percival at Udemy or on LinkedIn.

3. Teresa Greenway’s Bakers Community

Teresa Greenway is a teacher, blogger, author, and, most importantly, a baker who uses her talent in the kitchen to teach others and make millions.

Background

Teresa Greenway’s love of teaching came from her love of sourdough, and she set out to teach bakers how to bake real sourdough bread.

This niched market approach to baking has helped her build her own business, Northwest Sourdough, and set up her community, The Baking Network. With 45,621 students on Udemy, she teaches bakers worldwide how to make delicious sourdough bread at home.

Success Strategies

• Multiple Products – In addition to her baking community, business, and online courses, Teresa Greenway reaches others through her four-volume books: “Discovering Sourdough,” “Extreme Fermentation” and, “Make Your Own Sourdough Starter.”
• Enhanced Value – The Baking Network offers free resources, skills, Q&As, and a free course for non-paying community members.
• Niche Market Capitalization – Focusing on one niche allows Teresa Greenway to offer more specific content, giving her a USP (unique selling point) and a market advantage over other baking communities, helping her stand out in a saturated market.

You can find Teresa Greenway on Udemy.

4. Joseph Michael’s Scrivener Masters Community

Joseph Michael is a writer, entrepreneur, and coach who has turned his challenges and writing hardships into a course where he helps others. He teaches writers of all levels how to work Scrivener, a popular writing platform used by bloggers, novelists, copywriters, and screenwriters alike.

Background

Joseph Michael originally worked as a pizza delivery man, but when his wife discovered she was expecting another child, he knew he had to find another job to support his family. He first came across Scrivener, a website he dubs “the most raved-about writing software,” when he started blogging and selling products online. Although he considered himself tech-savvy, Joseph Michael found Scrivener impossible to navigate.

Determined not to let this stop him, he knuckled down and buried his nose in research, finding frustrated writers like him who wished they could find a course to help them harness Scrivner. Learn Scrivener Fast was born out of determination to help writers like him.

Success Strategies

• Identifying a Gap in the Market – Joseph Michael encountered writers who shared his frustration with Scrivener and discovered a gap in the market. From here, he created targeted instructional course content that solved a specific problem for like-minded individuals.
• Testimonials & Partnerships – Joseph Michael has gathered testimonials from established and well-respected writers in his niche, including Michael Hyatt, a New York Times Bestselling Author. Blogs and writing websites such as The Write Life have also endorsed his course.

You can find Joseph Michael on Learn Scrivener Fast and X.

5. Timothy Sykes’ Trading Prodigies Community

Timothy Sykes has made millions by trading stocks, and he’s used this expert knowledge to teach students his special formula. And with 1.4M followers on Instagram and counting, he’s carved a huge space for himself in this particular niche.

Background

Timothy Sykes graduated from Tulane University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. He made his first million from $12,415 of bar mitzvah money that his parents gave him. Since then, he’s traded stocked for 20 years and has made $7.4 million.

He started teaching and sharing his expert knowledge in 2007, helping a record number of students become millionaires through his Trading Challenge.

Success Strategies

• Aggressive Marketing – Sykes uses bold advertising campaigns and huge discounts to attract potential students. He named his course the “Trading Challenge,” which invites and challenges students to give it a go.
• Tiered Membership Plans – With tailored membership plans, including his 30-day Bootcamp (for beginners), Supernova Alerts (for serious traders), and Weekend Trader (for intermediates), Sykes caters to a wide range of levels and budgets. This marketing strategy invites a range of people to commit to his courses.
• Leveraging Personal Success Stories – Timothy Sykes makes it very clear that he knows what he’s talking about. His success story of turning $12,415 into $7 million proves he has the expert knowledge to teach others. This skyrockets his credibility, helping him attract and retain more students.

You can find more information about Timothy Skypes on his website or through his Instagram and X.

6. Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Community

Pat Flynn teaches his students how to make money from doing nothing with his Smart Passive Income community. He has 448K YouTube subscribers who follow his every word.

Background

In 2008, Pat Flynn was laid off from his dream job as an architect, which steered him towards entrepreneurship. Since then, Flynn has built several successful online businesses, and he now uses the knowledge he has gained to share with others and help them be successful, too. His focus is mainly on passive income and online business strategies.

Success Strategies

• Diverse Content Platforms – Pat Flynn offers content through various platforms. His YouTube channel covers topics such as “The CORRECT Way to Sell Anything Online” and “Harness the Power of Community.” He also has a Smart Passive Income podcast and community where members can access his courses and events.
• Transparency – Flynn is transparent in sharing his background, income reports, and business insights. This builds trust with his students, meaning he’s more likely to retain them.
• Community Engagement – The Smart Passive Income community offers a space where students can connect, access free resources, and attend events. Rather than simply selling products, Flynn is selling a support system and an experience.

You can find Pat Flynn’s website or check him out on YouTube, and Instagram.

7. Vanessa Lau’s Social Media Entrepreneurs Community

Vanessa Lau is a digital creator and online educator who documents her business and lifestyle to her thousands of Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers. She now teaches others how to achieve the laid-back business life.

Background

Vanessa Lau started her creator journey after she quit her job in 2018. It wasn’t an easy beginning – she became a part-time coffee barista while she began to build up her YouTube channel. However, success soon came when she gained over 100,000 subscribers and made her first $500,000 within her first year through selling digital products. After four years, she’d grown her business to 8 million dollars.

However, she soon realized that the constant grind wasn’t sustainable, and so she scaled back her business and found more balance. Today, she teaches people how to build a business on their terms without sacrificing their mental well-being in the process.

Success Strategies

• YouTube Channel – Vanessa Lau’s YouTube channel provides endless value with topics ranging from social media strategies to organization plans and business tips.
• Community Engagement – Vanessa Lau builds content around her lifestyle. She’s leveraged her newsletter, “The Creator’s Journal,” and social media engagement to build a community of followers who value her strategies and tips.

You can check out Vanessa Lau’s website or follow her on YouTube and Instagram.

8. Graham Stephan’s Finance Mavericks Community

Graham Stephan is a personal finance enthusiast and real estate investor who shares his knowledge with his 4.75M YouTube subscribers. He helps them achieve financial independence by saving and investing money. He also founded a coffee business, Bankroll Coffee, where he delivers coffee at an affordable price.

Background

Stephan started selling real estate as a real estate agent shortly after he turned 18 and managed to become a millionaire by the age of 26. Despite being told he was too young and inexperienced to sell homes and make a career out of real estate, Stephan proved everyone wrong. He now teaches others as a YouTube influencer and educator.

Success Strategies

• YouTube Channel – Graham Stephan’s YouTube channel is packed with value, including topics on paying taxes, real estate, financial pitfalls to avoid, and so much more.
• Affiliate Marketing & Sponsorships – Stephan uses affiliate marketing and sponsorships that align with his brand and suit his audience, such as Policygenius.
• Online Courses – The Real Estate Academy teaches students how to become successful real estate agents and earn six figures. It’s suitable for beginners with zero experience.

You can find Graham Stephan on the following social media platforms: YouTube, Instagram, and X.

9. Phil Ebiner’s Video Creators Community

Phil Ebiner is a creator with a background in production and editing and a teacher who has created online courses for more than one million students worldwide. Topics include video and photography, as well as business courses.

Background

Phil Ebiner graduated in 2011 from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television. He has an extensive background in production and editing, having worked on thousands of theater, film, and TV projects.

After 2012, Phil Ebiner turned his passion into teaching, creating online courses for beginner students all over the world.

Success Strategies

• Udemy Courses – Phil Ebiner shares his knowledge with 2,982,949 students on Udemy. From Photography Masterclasses to Adobe Editing and even ChatGPT, he creates courses for everybody, opening up his revenue stream.
• Detailed Tutorials – Ebiner’s tutorials are detailed, offering practical examples that students can apply to their projects. This helps him provide students with the value they deserve. He also offers course updates and support.

Check out his website and find him on Udemy.

10. Nicole Walters’ Business Builders Community

Nicole Walters is an NYT bestselling author, Emmy-nominated producer, and entrepreneur who has turned her talent to teaching. She believes in “practice what you preach,” meaning you should never teach something you don’t know about.

Background

Nicola Walters started as a top-selling corporate executive, making six figures. Although she was successful, Walters became tired of the everyday grind and soon quit her job. She used her expert knowledge to build her own million-dollar business in under one year. She started a blog NapturalNicole, but never considered it a source of serious income. However, she was swiftly proven wrong.

Now, Walters teaches others how to monetize their lives and turn their passion into reliable income sources.

Success Strategies

• Online Courses, Workshops & Coaching Programs – Walters offers what she deems as transformative courses designed to change the lives of her loyal followers. Her courses align with her brand, helping her students define their purpose and gain strategic direction for their lives.
• Motivational Content – Nicola Walters creates motivational content through her YouTube, Instagram, and Podcast, creating hope in her loyal followers.
• Community Building – Walters’ community, “Inner Circle,” comprises a close-knit group of entrepreneurs dedicated to achieving success. She offers support, insights, and collaborations. She also provides virtual sessions, in-person workshops, and hands-on support through this community.

You can find Nicole Walters on her website or on YouTube and Instagram.

Common Success Factors:

Despite each creator building a business from varying niches, they’ve done so by using similar strategies for success. Here are some of the best strategies taken from the digital communities examples above.

• Platform Diversification – Most of the creators on this list offer content on different platforms. For example, they might have YouTube to share tips, a community platform where they bring people together or offer courses, and an Instagram for life updates. This combination of platforms allows them to reach more people.
• Community Engagement and Support – Whether they’re using a dedicated platform or building a community platform on their social media, there’s one thing all these creators have in common: they have a group of engaged and loyal followers and brand advocates.
• Niche Focus – Many of the creators on this list have chosen and dedicated their time to a specific niche within a market, such as Scrivener or sourdough. This approach lets them advertise a USP, helping them find and retain a more engaged audience who resonate deeply with their content.
• Personal Branding – When building a community, you become a leader. This is why adopting a personal brand is so important. Each of the creators above offers insights into their life, whether it’s their family or background. This makes them more accessible to their followers and builds trust.

Applying These Strategies to Your Community

As a creator and entrepreneur, you can harness the success of the brands we’ve examined in this article by implementing their strategies in your own community.

• Use Multiple Platforms – Make use of social media such as X, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as community platforms such as Udemy and Teach to create online courses. This will help you expand your reach and revenue streams.
• Diversify Products – Offer multiple products such as courses, books, infographics, or anything else you feel might add value.
• Focus on a Niche Market – With areas such as fitness, business, and lifestyle being so saturated, narrowing down on a specific niche will help you create a USP to draw in an audience.
• Use Affiliate Links and Promotions – Offer value to your audience by partnering with services, brands, and products that align with your niche.
• Use a Storytelling Approach – Highlight the challenges you faced on your journey and how you overcame them. This will make you more relatable to your audience, improve your credibility, and help you build a stronger connection with them.

Building a Community with Teach.io

Create a community by engaging with your audience. Leave comments, invite them to live events, and offer personalized advice to make your audience feel like they belong. This ongoing support will inspire loyalty and create brand advocates.

Teach.io has everything you need to build an educational community all in one place. Offer your members support, chat one-to-one, host live events and virtual meetups, build courses, and so much more. Try Teach’s 14-day free trial.

Conclusion

Drawing inspiration from the successful creators on this list and their strategies can help you take actionable steps toward building a successful online community. It’s important to note that not every single strategy will fit your brand. For example, a storytelling approach and personal updates will work well for a lifestyle coach but may not resonate with an audience trying to learn a language.

Find what works best for your audience, whether that’s free webinars, a blog, YouTube videos that offer tips and tricks, or multiple online courses. Once you’ve applied some of these strategies to your business, you can build a thriving educational community.