Digital Course Academy Reviews (Updated 2024): Is Amy Porterfield Legit?

TLDR - What's The Verdict on Amy Porterfield Digital Course Academy?

For those looking for a quick verdict on whether to invest in the Digital Course Academy, here's the bottom line:

I don't recommend Digital Course Academy.

Let's be real, creating online courses is no cakewalk. Despite how effortlessly and "passive" Amy presents it.

It's more like nurturing a thriving garden. Just as a garden requires regular attention and adjustments for optimal growth, so does your course.

Neglecting this care can lead to disruptions or a decline in performance.

You need to constantly fine-tune your course to meet students' needs and ensure a seamless learning experience.

While Amy may have succeeded with her approach, it doesn't ensure the same for everyone.

I'm not hinting at any scam intentions with the Digital Course Academy.

Still, there are alternative programs that generate genuine passive income. All with less effort and maintenance.

If you're curious about those alternatives, you can find more information here.

Who Benefits From Digital Course Academy And Who Should Stay Away From Amy Porterfield?

The Digital Course Academy can benefit certain individuals. But it may not suit everyone.

It could be a good fit for you if:

• You want to get into online course creation. Amy's program offers useful insights and strategies.
• You're okay with investing time in creating and updating course content.
• You (or your team) are available 24/7 to support and assist your students.

That said, the course might not align with your goals if:

• You want a decent income stream. This Redditor said, "I ran the numbers, applying a traditional sales projection model to Amy's funnel, and I think I can maybe sell 20 courses in the 10-day window her method allows. It may not even be enough to cover the costs of creating the content. Definitely not enough to cover the costs of marketing it."
• You want an easy entry. The online course creation is a crowded field with huge competition. Just like you choose your battles, customers choose their courses. With thousands of options, standing out is challenging.
• You haven't mastered a skill yet. Consider why someone would choose your course. Are you a top expert? A well-known figure? A business giant? If you're just starting and haven't found success, why would people buy your course?

Amy Porterfield Review: Program 1,000 FT View Of Digital Course Academy

Title	Description
Program Name	Digital Course Academy
Owner	Amy Porterfield
Price	$1,997
Refund	14-day money-back guarantee
Website	Source

Business Model

Digital Course Academy is all about enabling you to create a profitable digital course.

Making online courses is a good way to earn money. By 2026, the e-learning market is expected to be worth $457.8 billion. Just imagine how much you can make from that!

That's why a lot of people are getting into this.

All you need is a simple and practical solution to a common problem. Turn it into a well-organized course. Then make an interesting video to catch the attention of your audience on YouTube.

And there you go! You could make a good amount of money.

But there's a catch. The problem with creating courses is that it takes a lot of time. You'll always be helping your students on their learning journey.

If you decide to get a support team, you'll have to deal with hiring, training, and managing to keep your students happy. Plus, coaching sessions can take up a lot of your time.

In many ways, being a course creator is similar to different online business models. It can help you make money.

But, it might not give you the freedom and benefits you'd get from other ways of doing business online, like digital leasing.

About The Guru - Amy Porterfield

Amy has been a well-known name in marketing for a long time.

She's worked on big campaigns for famous brands. These include Harley Davidson and Tony Robbins. Amy created successful courses like List Builders Society and Digital Course Academy.

Based in Carlsbad, California, Amy Porterfield hosts the podcast "Online Marketing Made Easy." She is not only a podcaster but also a speaker and trainer.

She helps business owners, educators, and entrepreneurs with smart strategies. She teaches how to build an engaged email list, make online courses, and sell things online easily.

Amy also wrote a popular "Dummies" book about Facebook. Forbes named her one of the Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers in 2012.

Her digital courses made more than $15 million. She's known for launching successful ones. For example, in January 2019, DCA made $3.5 million in sales.

Social Pages	Link	# of Followers
Instagram	Source	402k followers
Facebook	Source	358k followers
TikTok	Source	11.3k followers
LinkedIn	Source	28k followers

How Much Does Digital Course Academy Cost?

DCA costs $1,997 if you pay the full amount upfront. But there are also options for payment plans if you prefer to spread the cost over time.

What Makes Digital Course Academy Different From Other Courses?

Digital Course Academy is like a helpful guide for people who want to make money by sharing what they know online.

Amy, who has made lots of money doing this, breaks down complicated ideas into easy steps.

1. Everything in One: Most courses, like Lucas Lee Tyson's Digital Freedom Academy, teach you only how to create a course or how to sell it. DCA does both. It takes you from not knowing what to teach to having a course and knowing how to sell it over and over.
2. Amy's Help: Amy doesn't just leave you after you join. She's always there, answering questions live in a special group on Facebook. Many other courses forget about students once they start making money.
3. Easy Tech Lessons: If you're not great with tech, don't worry. DCA has simple lessons to help you set up your course and connect it with emails and webinars.
4. Friendly Community: The people in DCA are nice and ready to help. Amy even creates small groups for support. It's like having friends cheering you on.
5. Lots of Help: No matter what problem you face, DCA is willing to help. They have answers for questions, tips on pricing your course, and guides on setting up everything.
6. Learn from Amy's Success: Amy didn't just make a course; she made a lot of money doing it. DCA shows you how she did it, from making great content to selling the course again and again.

Personal Opinion

If you've been following my journey on ScamRisk, you know I've explored various money-making programs over the years. I've navigated through challenges, gaining my fair share of experience along the way.

What I'm sharing isn't just talk. It comes from firsthand experience and my observations in the digital coaching community.

When you dive into public reviews, you're likely to find complaints and negative feedback everywhere. From Reddit to TrustPilot, the BBB, and even ad comments.

Here's the deal: the loudest voices often belong to those who faced the toughest challenges.

Well, facing challenges doesn't necessarily mean a program is bad or a scam.

With all this noise around, how do you figure out what's what? Here's how I'd personally test a program like Digital Course Academy:

1. Research the guru's real experience. Does Amy have the expertise to navigate the ins and outs of running an online course business?
2. Look for a private Facebook group or community. Creating an online course can be a rollercoaster. Make sure you have a support system when things get tough.
3. Check the program's transparency on costs and related fees. Watch out for upsells, software, or extra add-ons you need to pay for the program to work.
4. Go to online communities and find financial success stories from former students.

Listen to what they say, but take it with a grain of salt.

My Recommendation On Amy Porterfield Digital Course Academy

Let's apply our criteria to Amy's Digital Course Academy program.

First, the positives:

Amy has a successful track record, making millions through courses. So, the guru's experience is a strong point.

While her system may not promise overnight millionaire status, it is achievable.

E-Learning is a billion-dollar industry. Though not entirely passive, it can be a substantial income stream.

If Amy's training were a free bonus, I'd say, "Go ahead and try it out." But, if you're considering a significant investment, like a thousand dollars or more, I'd recommend careful consideration.

Now, the red flags:

Here are the top three reasons why I don't recommend Digital Course Academy or online course creation in general:

1. Weekly coaching calls: As a guru, you need a genuine interest in helping your students. Frequent Q&A sessions and addressing concerns can consume a lot of time.
2. Constant material updates: In today's fast-paced world, you must keep your course current with the latest trends in your niche.
3. Costly: Aside from being time-consuming, maintaining your own digital course is expensive. Hosting, advertising, and a support team all come with significant costs.

But don't worry! When I said I've got you earlier, I meant it!

Here are some alternative business models to explore: You can check out how to start a dropshipping business. Or maybe learn how to start a social media marketing agency.

You can also try affiliate marketing on Instagram or consider my personal favorite – the local lead generation business.

What's Inside The Digital Course Academy?

The foundation of the DCA framework lies in Amy's decade of experience creating courses. It was initially for Tony Robbins and later for herself.

Amy Porterfield's Digital Course Academy is a 12-week online training program specifically designed to assist online business owners. They help entrepreneurs in transforming their expertise into a digital course that consistently generates revenue.

This program outlines a detailed, step-by-step strategy covering the entire course creation journey. This goes from initial planning and development to the launch phase.

The course comprises eight modules. You can get them on a weekly basis, along with two additional bonus modules. To ensure students grasp the key concepts and apply them, multiple implementation weeks are included.

As a bonus, various supplementary materials are also provided.

Here's the main breakdown of the course:

1. "Getting Started" Bonus – The Pre-Launch Runway: 1 video
2. The Digital Course Academy Project Plan: 1 video
3. Module 1: Planning Your Digital Course Launch: 5 videos
4. Module 2: Validating Your Course Idea: 5 videos
5. Module 3: The Art of Outlining Your Course: 7 videos
6. Module 4: Recording Your Course Content: 6 videos
7. Module 5: Creating Your Profitable Webinar Presentation: 14 videos
8. Module 6: The Webinar Fill-Up Framework: 18 videos
9. Module 7: How to Increase Webinar Sales: 4 videos
10. Module 8: Live Webinar Success Secrets: 5 videos
11. Celebrate!: 1 video

Module 1: Planning Your Digital Course Launch

This part helps you get organized and plan your own online courses creation and launch. You get a worksheet to make key decisions. The module has 4 lessons and guides you to set dates for creating the course, promoting it, launching a live webinar, and releasing the course. You also get a model to plan your course steps.

Module 2: Validating Your Course Idea

Knowing your ideal customers and what they need is crucial. This module gives you steps and exercises to feel confident about your course idea. You learn proven ways to define your ideal customer, core offering, and type of course. You also get tactics for collecting feedback from your audience on social media.

Module 3: The Art of Outlining Your Course

Amy's trick is focusing on a complete outline before starting. This module helps turn your ideas into a structured outline. Learn to change your expertise into actionable advice.

The module includes extra worksheets. Get insights on adding supporting content, deciding course length, pricing, and choosing a course name.

Module 4: Recording Your Course Content

Amy shares her experience to help you avoid recording mistakes. Learn the recording strategy that suits you and tips for equipment, software, and video recording.

Templates for creating training materials are also given. The Digital Course Marketing blueprint module focuses on teaching in a way that delivers results.

Module 5: Creating Your Profitable Webinar Presentation

Now, you learn to launch your course through webinars. This module is like a blueprint for creating a profitable webinar. Learn the sales funnel and how to make an appealing marketing pitch.

Get detailed training on making a compelling webinar, including the technical setup. Copywriting expert Ry Schwartz teaches writing for your course sales page. Extra resources include a walk-through of Amy's webinar and a success tracker.

Module 6: The Webinar Fill-Up Framework

This module teaches how to get people to sign up for your webinar. Learn to make a page that gets people to sign up. Discover different ways to get leads for your webinar using social media like Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook ads expert Rick Mulready teaches using FB Live to get people to your webinar. Learn to write persuasive emails and set up a system to invite people to your webinar.

Module 7: How to Increase Webinar Sales

Now, you learn to boost your sales strategy by focusing on people who watch your webinar later. Most people won't buy right away, so this module helps you get them later.

Learn to write emails that boost views of your webinar and sales. The module also covers emails to help your customers get started with the course.

Module 8: Live Webinar Success Secrets

In the last module, you learn to make a live webinar that keeps your audience engaged. Use a checklist to make sure everything goes well during the live event.

Learn how to handle the Q&A session in your webinar to keep people engaged and make more sales. Discover how to use your VA's time during the live webinar to make it easier.

Bonus Material

The bonus stuff gives you a complete plan, step by step. It shows how to create and present a webinar that convinces lots of students to join every time.

The Webinar Fill-Up Formula helps make sure you don't talk to an empty room. Instead, you get a full room of people who are ready to buy.

There are also tricks for email marketing, making sales pages, Facebook ads, and social media. These tricks can boost your results and get up to three times more students.

1. Bonus 1: 12 Weeks of Live Q&A Sessions with Amy (on Facebook): Amy will be live on Facebook Monday to Thursday for 12 weeks. She'll answer questions and help with any issues.
2. Bonus 2: How to Create a Pre-Launch Runway This guide helps attract and engage your audience before you even start. Get your current subscribers excited and add lots of new interested people before your course launch.
3. Bonus 3: How to Create and Promote a “Workshop Course” in 30 Days or Less This guide helps you make a two-hour workshop. It covers choosing a topic, creating content, making slides, and promoting your course.

There's also “Pay in Full” Bonus. See all the big pieces and how they work together for a smooth launch.

A Resources section to help you through the modules is also in place. It has links and info, like which email provider to use, which platform for your course, and more.

The Tech Library helps with all the tech stuff. It has tutorials for almost every technical task while building a course.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does it take to complete Digital Course Academy?

Digital Course Academy takes about 9 weeks, delivered "live" with six modules and three "Implementation Weeks."

Will I need to buy extra tools or software?

Yes, you'll need software to host your course and manage your marketing. They recommend Kajabi. Check out other recommended tools on their list.

Where does a digital course fit into my business?

It's up to you! You can add a digital course to your current offerings or make it the main focus. DCA guides you on how to grow a business that scales without taking up all your time.

Does Digital Course Academy include list building?

If you're new, grow your email list to 100 subscribers before starting. DCA helps you grow your list during the course. They recommend hitting 500 subscribers by your first launch. Even a smaller list can make a big impact.

If you're just starting with list building, check out List Builders Society. Amy's free list building masterclass is a great start!

What support will I get in Digital Course Academy?

You'll be part of a supportive community with peer and professional help. DCA Advisors, their private Facebook community, a Q&A Vault, and Team Porterfield are all there to guide and assist you. Send an email to support@amyporterfield.com for any technical issues or extra support.

Conclusion - To Buy Or Not To Buy

No, I don't recommend Digital Course Academy.

Instead of creating course after course, hoping for some income, I prefer a consistent monthly paycheck.

My top choice for making reliable, recurring passive income online is a different business model.

What I love about it is the immense satisfaction I get from helping local business owners. When they succeed, I succeed. It's as simple as that.

What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2024?

I have spent years researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business,” the research IS conclusive:

Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online or been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: Creating and managing online courses requires ongoing effort. You'll invest hours in developing content. You need to lead coaching sessions, handle Q&A sessions, and offer continuous support to your students. The success of your business depends on the effort and support you provide to your students.

Now, enter digital leasing.

Got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full-time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t. 

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day. 

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: Sure, you might own your online courses, but there's a risk they can be copied, shared, or given away for free. You can't control who gets access, and your students might share it with others.

The tough reality is that the course you worked so hard on could quickly lose its value and uniqueness.

Now, think about Digital Leasing. Here, you're the clear owner of everything. You have all the power and full control over your digital stuff.

3) Little To No Startup Costs: Running a successful online course business needs a whole team supporting you. You can't handle everything by yourself. You'll need someone to answer calls, deal with Q&A sessions, schedule appointments, take care of billing and refunds, and more. These tasks can add up, leading to significant monthly costs.

But here's the good part.

With digital leasing, you can dive in with absolutely no upfront costs. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket...even before you do any work. 

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

4) Easy To Duplicate: In Digital Course Academy, they might tell you that you set up your course once, and then the money starts coming in. But, it's not as easy as it may seem. No matter what Amy tells you.

That's why I prefer Digital Leasing.

Once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple of keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 monthly in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum. 

If you wanted to double your income with Digital Course Academy, you’d probably need to double the number of hours you spend working. Because, again, this program doesn’t scale.

5) Make Money Helping Real People: With Digital Leasing, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local companies need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses. 

You make money by helping them make money. 

Not a big, faceless corporation either...a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent. 

Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Digital Course Academy which could one day make you money.

You could continue researching, never making a decision. 

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms, thanks to Digital Leasing.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits. 

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it. 

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.