By Kaleigh Moore August 8, 2023
Persons are flocking to the digital economic system for extra freedom, flexibility, and, ideally, extra {dollars}.
And it’s working. In line with Goldman Sachs Analysis, “the rise in digital media consumption and the arrival of expertise…has lowered boundaries to content material creation.” By 2027, the creator economic system might be price half a trillion {dollars}.
Content material creators are taking benefit. Lots of them have already deserted the nine-to-five grind. They’re now working for themselves.
However what in case you promote a service as a substitute of a product? Instantly you end up dealing with a bottleneck. Your work nonetheless requires effort, time, and your private presence.
That’s why it feels such as you gave up the nine-to-five…simply to begin a brand new nine-to-five.
The answer is to leverage your time by switching from companies to merchandise. What in case you may construct a repeatable digital product that sells itself whilst you sleep? You’d decouple your labor out of your revenue.
However earlier than you do, you’ll need to know a couple of issues about digital merchandise:
- What you possibly can promote?
- What gross sales methods are succeeding?
- The place are all of the gross sales occurring proper now?
Let’s reply all three with particular emphasis on that vital query: the place?
What’s a digital product?
A digital product is an digital asset you possibly can promote with little to no value of duplication. Usually, a digital product could also be a bit of media like an eBook. Customers can obtain the product and put it to make use of on their gadget of alternative.
What are examples of digital merchandise?
In case you suppose it sounds area of interest, think about this: Amazon sells roughly half a billion eBooks per 12 months. And 83% of all online game gross sales are utterly digital.
On-line programs, coaching movies, webinars, eBooks, music, PDFs, digital artwork, widgets, and apps. Digital merchandise are so ubiquitous, we barely consider them as digital anymore.
We simply consider them as merchandise.
Digital merchandise are so widespread, many creators “area of interest down” their companies. You possibly can promote coaching for distinctive markets as a result of it’s really easy to search out them now.
Instance:
Take Leela Sinha, a coach providing management intensive for a selected persona kind. Leela has a distinct segment market, teaching “intensives,” or individuals with risk-taking tendencies.
Leela’s story reinforces why digital merchandise are so widespread now, however not from the customer’s finish. Patrons understand how handy it’s to obtain a film quite than order a DVD.
However think about Leela’s perspective. Someday, Leela wrote a publish on Fb about gender inclusivity. All kinds of enterprise house owners responded, making a storm of feedback.
So Leela determined to capitalize and logged into AWeber.
Inside six hours, Leela had a completely new course on gender inclusivity.
Moderately than promoting teaching companies, which might be time-intensive, Leela spent all of that point upfront. There was now a digital product able to promoting again and again—with none extra work.
AWeber supplied the platform to get Leela’s course up and working, prepared to simply accept funds. Leela revealed the course with a hyperlink within the Fb thread, which was nonetheless sizzling with incoming feedback.
The power to provide a digital product that rapidly by AWeber “made all of the distinction,” in response to Leela.
The place are you able to promote digital merchandise?
It’s possible you’ll discover a standard thread with all the examples above: most gross sales happen by a selected platform.
Whilst you can create a PDF from scratch and promote it on to prospects, it’s not all the time ultimate. You possibly can create extra worth in your prospects when your digital merchandise additionally deliver full-fledged experiences with them.
To unlock these experiences, you’ll want a digital platform to deal with the grunt work.
That’s very true in case you’re not fairly as Web-savvy as Leela—not less than not for the second. So the place do you begin? Let’s discover the digital platforms for constructing digital merchandise and promoting them on-line.
AWeber
AWeber is a full-fledged e-mail advertising and marketing supplier. Nevertheless it additionally provides a whole platform for creators promoting digital merchandise.
With AWeber, you possibly can construct e-mail newsletters, ship out programs by way of e-mail, and join platforms like Fb, WordPress, and PayPal to run your complete digital product enterprise.
Customers could particularly admire the touchdown web page builder. Your touchdown web page is a key cog in your digital product machine: it’s the “gross sales rep” able to shifting merchandise, even whilst you sleep. Create an awesome touchdown web page in your digital product and also you’ve separated your revenue out of your time.
After that, it’s merely a matter of visitors. And AWeber’s subscriber phase instruments show you how to enhance and hone your method over time.
Who’re they?
Consider AWeber as your modern-day storefront. However quite than providing a enterprise card, you ship guests to a touchdown web page.
From there, your touchdown web page captures guests with an e-mail sign-up kind. Customers sometimes commerce their e-mail for a “lead generator” you supply—typically a free digital product like an eBook.
By means of AWeber, you possibly can add your digital product and choose a cost kind (one-time? Subscription? Fee plans?). Then let the touchdown web page deal with the gross sales in your behalf.
AWeber’s touchdown web page instruments do a lot of the be just right for you, serving to you construct a visually constant model. You’ll look skilled and succesful.
And even in case you promote your merchandise on different platforms like Shopify, it’s a breeze to attach AWeber’s touchdown web page instruments to those merchandise.
Predominant kinds of digital merchandise offered
Something digital works on AWeber, however merchandise like eBooks and programs are particularly widespread with our creators.
Contemplate Alycia, a Zumba teacher struggling to get individuals to enroll in her lessons. She turned to AWeber’s touchdown web page builder. There she used a instrument displaying her upcoming Zumba lessons, which sparked buyer curiosity.
Her e-mail subscribers went up 100%.
Creator programs like Naomi DeRuiter’s are nice methods to show the bottleneck of teaching companies right into a leveraged enterprise. DeRuiter set her AWeber touchdown web page to repeat a free digital cheesemaking class and improve her subscribers.
She solely taught the category as soon as. However her AWeber touchdown web page remains to be signing up new subscribers.
Ranging from pricing
With the free model of AWeber, you possibly can check out one touchdown web page with a small transaction payment—simply 1%. Or, in case you go for $20/month, you possibly can construct limitless touchdown pages and cut back your transaction charges to 0.6%.
Examples
Elizabeth Resnick used AWeber to construct Glad, Wholesome, and Sizzling. Her area of interest? Teaching profitable professionals on weight reduction, health, and constructing a wholesome way of life.
Resnick’s bread and butter had been 90-minute teaching classes. These classes had her giving useful one-on-one recommendation. However given her restricted schedule, Resnick knew she had two choices if she needed to develop. Both increase her costs sky-high or discover a approach to “productize” her companies.
She selected the latter, utilizing AWeber to construct a group with group classes. Now she may attain a better viewers with the identical time funding. She additionally added digital merchandise like recipes and meal plans.
Now her AWeber touchdown pages deal with extra of the work. Resnick funnels in visitors from her social media accounts.
In consequence, she earns more cash per hour with out altering her core providing.
Why are they the most effective?
AWeber’s ultimate for creators or anybody who desires to promote digital merchandise whereas rising an e-mail listing. Touchdown pages can accomplish each without delay. These pages seize e-mail addresses whereas pushing digital merchandise.
And all of it occurs with out the creator lifting a finger.
Etsy
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Throughout! Most consider Etsy as a tangible merchandise retailer, with fundamental classes like house decor, jewellery/equipment, clothes, wedding ceremony & celebration, or arts & collectibles.
Even so, there are extra digital merchandise on Etsy than individuals know. Merchandise vary from digital planners and Canva templates to eBooks and ChatGPT prompts.
A fast abstract
Etsy is a large platform: $2.5 billion in income in 2022 and nonetheless rising. Consider constructing an Etsy store as planting your flag in an enormous digital market. It has its personal ecosystem, together with its personal search engine optimisation guidelines.
Ranging from pricing
Etsy pricing features a 20-cent payment for every merchandise you listing, plus a 6.5% payment for every little thing you promote on Etsy. That quantity isn’t static, both; actually, it’s gone up twice over the previous a number of years.
Examples
Though the largest Etsy success tales are usually tangible shops, there’s no cause you possibly can’t succeed with digital merchandise. And the benefit of digital merchandise is that you simply don’t need to spend money and time transport the merchandise to each nook of the world.
Take Ralu Patrea, who constructed a paperless planner on Etsy. Producing about $3,000/month with minimal bills, it’s a enterprise that scales—extra prospects don’t essentially imply far more work for Patrea.
General impressions
Etsy could have a status for promoting knick-knacks and residential items. However there’s additionally a thriving digital market on Etsy price exploring.
The charges are on the costly aspect. And also you’ll cede some management to Etsy since you must play by their guidelines.
However these are the breaks if you need entry to Etsy’s large public market.
Shopify
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
You possibly can promote virtually something on Shopify. However probably the most frequent merchandise are tangible items like attire, artwork and residential decor, food and drinks, and health and beauty merchandise.
A fast abstract
Shopify is nice for individuals who need a platform for constructing a big-time retailer that scales. Promoting attire and bodily items? You’ll love the interface.
Ranging from pricing
Shopify Pricing is $39/month flat for a primary small enterprise, plus small transaction charges with bank card charges of two.9% + 30¢ USD on-line, or 2.7% + 0¢ USD in individual.
However since we’re speaking about digital items, the lowered in-person transaction payment probably received’t attraction to you. Count on to pay that 2.9% transaction payment plus 30 cents for each product you promote.
Examples
Cinnamon and Jason of Pixie Faire found a big area of interest within the doll clothes market and constructed their retailer up over a long time, beginning with an eBay retailer in 2008. Inside about 18 months, they have been publishing their very own patterns.
Then they bumped into the standard bottleneck. They couldn’t scale this enterprise with out severe investments.
So that they went digital. They’re now promoting $600,000 a 12 months by Shopify with downloadable PDFs for doll clothes patterns.
General impressions
Shopify is nice if you need a retailer that scales—and a retailer you possibly can name yours. Nevertheless it helps if you have already got visitors. It’s much less a group and e-newsletter progress platform than a spot to promote items to an current buyer base.
Teachable
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Teachable is all about on-line programs. This makes it an awesome platform for coaches who don’t need to repeat these programs—and wish a approach to stretch their time. It’s additionally a platform for establishing digital info merchandise like podcasts and eBooks.
A fast abstract
Consider Teachable as ultimate for a selected kind of creator: the coach who desires to maintain instructing however doesn’t have the time to maintain doing one-on-one classes.
Teachable additionally dietary supplements your time by providing instruments like an AI curriculum generator. This reduces the friction it takes to construct your first course.
Ranging from pricing
Beginning at $0/month makes for a low barrier to entry. However there’s additionally a $1-per-product and 10% transaction payment, which suggests Teachable will take a chunk as quickly as you begin making gross sales.
Examples
Yoga lessons take extra work to scale. In a conventional setup, you possibly can solely cost as many college students as you possibly can match right into a room. That’s why Rachel Jesien went past the one-class-at-a-time paradigm and niched down.
She developed specialised every day yoga tutorials for individuals with particular issues like scoliosis. The area of interest made her instructing extra related for distinctive buyer segments. For Jesien, it meant amassing revenue with out instructing each class herself.
General impressions
Teachable is a good choice for coaches and different service-based companies who want to show their choices into merchandise.
Thinkific
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Like Teachable, Thinkific is all about programs and academic digital merchandise. It’s one other avenue to discover if you’ll want to flip a conventional service right into a repeatable product.
A fast abstract
Thinkific’s major focus is course creation. You’ll additionally admire the group membership infrastructure. The instruments are right here if you wish to undertake Elizabeth Resnick’s method to a training group.
Ranging from pricing
When you’ve got only one course and one group, Thinkific is free. However if you wish to stretch your legs—say with a customized area—it is going to be $36/month. You must also look ahead to the transaction charges related together with your nation.
Examples
Ellie Diop of Ellie Talks Cash had a company job the place she was answerable for numerous big-time cash choices. When she was laid off, she turned to Thinkific as a result of she knew she had specialised information that was price promoting. Up to now, she’s taught over 3,000 college students and picked up seven figures in funds by the platform.
General impressions
Thinkific’s options could strike you as slender, but it surely’s an intuitive approach to construct a creator course whenever you need assistance turning your information right into a product.
Gumroad
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Memberships, digital merchandise, and bodily merchandise rule the day on Gumroad. However it could be most well-known for a way rapidly it will possibly arrange creators with digital merchandise. It’s additionally a handy platform for constructing subscriber-based communities.
A fast abstract
Gumroad’s easy interface works on each ends: it’s simple for purchasers to purchase and simple for creators to get began. It’s a really perfect platform if you wish to check new concepts on the Web and gauge if there’s sufficient curiosity for what you’re promoting.
Ranging from pricing
With a 10% flat transaction payment, Gumroad does take a chunk. Nevertheless it’s additionally a beginner-friendly approach to begin: you solely pay as you make gross sales.
Examples
Brian Hahn achieved success on Gumroad promoting preparation guides for the bar examination. What initially started as a aspect hustle for Hahn ultimately discovered its viewers, producing six figures of revenue.
General impressions
Gumroad’s community-building options aren’t fairly what you may want for the value. However there’s sufficient right here to get began together with your first digital product. And also you received’t need to fork over numerous money at first levels.
Sellfy
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Sellfy’s widespread with attire and equipment like mugs and branded knick-knacks. Its digital file internet hosting and supply is a helpful platform for promoting eBooks, printable PDFs, and tutorial guides.
A fast abstract
Sellfy hosts an eclectic mixture of creators who aren’t solely digital. You can even use their print-on-demand choices in case you’re promoting equipment and attire however don’t need a bodily footprint for your enterprise.
Ranging from pricing
Go for $19/month with the starter choice and also you’ll make gross sales on Sellfy—albeit with an higher ceiling of $10,000 in gross sales earlier than you must improve.
Examples
King of the Strings had a YouTube viewers with over 175,000 subscribers and needed to search out extra methods to monetize it. Promoting on Sellfy meant eBooks, video classes, and providing free trial choices and digital classes to assist construct a e-newsletter.
General impressions
Sellfy leans extra into the attire and equipment aspect of issues. Nonetheless, its digital product capabilities are greater than sufficient to get began. Remember: in case you anticipate numerous gross sales, the flat worth will go up.
Payhip
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Digital items and programs are the secret right here. Payhip’s pleasant to coaches and anybody trying to construct a membership group.
A fast abstract
Payhip makes it simple to “arrange store” just about with an online retailer and provides digital items and programs. You can even join customized domains to keep up a constant model in your choices.
Ranging from pricing
Beginning at $0/month, Payhip’s catch is a 5% transaction payment. That places it on par with Etsy and fewer than others, however it will possibly nonetheless eat into your income. In case you pay extra month-to-month, you possibly can deliver that payment down: the primary tier runs $29/month.
Examples
Crystal Daybreak Culinary is all about plant-based meals. Nevertheless it’s not simply lessons. Digital merchandise like downloadable recipes and culinary programs assist scale the enterprise.
General impressions
Payhip is a pleasant choice for anybody who desires to get began and desires a complete system for promoting digital merchandise on-line. However AWeber’s touchdown web page and extra e-newsletter options will probably give it an edge on this division.
Podia
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Podia’s an all-in-one platform for constructing your bodily items retailer on-line. It additionally provides loads of options for programs, teaching, eBooks, webinars, and workshops.
A fast abstract
Don’t have a group? Podia’s a wonderful approach to kickstart viewers curiosity. In addition they supply numerous buyer assist for getting arrange for the primary time, which makes Podia efficient for inexperienced persons who aren’t tech-savvy.
Ranging from pricing
$0/month, with 8% charges. If your enterprise takes off, you’ll need to pay $33/month to unlock limitless gross sales and downloads in your digital merchandise. If you have already got prospects, $33/month is your actual starter worth.
Examples
Becky Mollenkamp is a enterprise mindset coach. She leveraged Podia’s community-building options to stack on prime of her current programs. In doing so, she supercharged the engagement she was getting from purchasers.
The group memberships alone ultimately drove $10,000/12 months in revenue.
General impressions
Podia’s one other all-in-one expertise in case you’re going from zero net presence to promoting your first digital merchandise.
SendOwl
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
SendOwl creates a easy infrastructure for promoting all kinds of digital merchandise.
Subscriptions? Music sheets? How-to guides and hobbyist content material?
Certain. Even software program presets (like templates for Adobe Lightroom photographers) are simple to promote with SendOwl.
A fast abstract
SendOwl leans closely into the digital aspect of product gross sales. They’ll provide the options you want for coupon codes, constructing “Drip” content material, or creating on-site checkout options. They match properly into your net presence if you have already got an current group and web site and easily need to monetize.
Ranging from pricing
You can begin with 3 free months, then $9/month—there’s additionally a per-order administration payment of 5%.
Examples
Nicole Younger was a SendOwl buyer who discovered success promoting pictures presets and eBooks. She additionally loved linking SendOwl with Shopify to mix the options of each platforms.
General impressions
SendOwl is extra for individuals who aren’t trying to construct a group, however to monetize. Usually, this implies you’ll have already got an viewers keen and ready to purchase.
SamCart
Predominant kind of digital merchandise offered
Well being & health, enterprise & finance, self-help, and artistic digital merchandise are stylish over at SamCart.
A fast abstract
SamCart provides loads of options for monetizing programs and including digital merchandise to an current web page. They provide mobile-friendly options as properly. Their no-code, checkout-anywhere add-on is particularly handy.
Ranging from pricing
Just a little heftier than different choices at $79/month beginning out—however with none point out of transaction charges.
Examples
Match with Mommy Lu provides a web-based exercise/dance class that prospects can stream to house gadgets. It’s the modern-day equal of house exercise tapes and DVDs—but it surely’s a lot simpler to promote.
General impressions
The digital product gross sales instruments are spiffy. However you could discover its community-building options missing, particularly in case you’re ranging from scratch.
The place to promote digital merchandise
Being a full-time creator ought to include actual freedom and suppleness. Promoting your companies isn’t all the time the trail to get there. To increase your attain, you could ultimately need to promote digital merchandise.
In any case, you possibly can’t scale a one-on-one service. However you can scale your enterprise when your touchdown web page does all of the promoting for you.
The outcome: much less time, more cash, and a enterprise you’re a lot happier with.
AWeber is the whole e-mail supplier and digital gross sales platform you’ll have to get began. Play with our touchdown web page builder and see how simple it may be to promote your merchandise even whenever you’re off doing the rest.
