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Recently, I wrote a post on how I created my first printable to list and sell on Etsy. I then wrote this post on how to make a low content book to sell on Amazon. Having created both these digital products and having done a great deal of research on related topics, I thought I'd organize my thoughts to share what I've learned.
This post will discuss the elements that are necessary to make your digital product one that people actually want to buy, download, and use.
What Makes a Good Digital Product? Quality, Usability, Marketing, and a Library. Now let's talk about it.
What is a Digital Product?
A digital product is any item that can be sold as a soft copy, i.e. in digital format. Another way to think of it is any product that can be downloaded. So, this could be an eBook, a printable calendar, etc.
Why Would you Want to Make a Digital Product?
There is a great market for digital content. I don't know if you know this, but the world is a pretty digital place. Since the advent of the computer, the move toward online learning and working has always been there and it sped up drastically with the emergence of the smartphone. Then, cut to 2020 when a global pandemic hit, and that gradual move became a landslide. For better or worse, we now live a lot of our lives in a digital format.
This digital life requires content and products to keep us engaged and functioning. That's where digital products come in.
Another reason that creators would want to make digital content/ products is that they have an uncapped potential for returns. If you create a digital product, like a printable for example, you just have to labor once to create it and then you can sell it indefinitely as long as the platform where you host it is still online and active.
So, the same product can continue to generate income for you indefinitely. That's a pretty great perk. Theoretically, if you can create enough of these, you can create a stable passive income empire. Really. People are doing it.
But to do it, you need to create a digital product that stands out and sells well. From my research, I think these four factors make all the difference.
What Makes a Good Digital Product?
In my opinion, the four factors you need for digital product success are quality, usability, marketing, and a library.
1. Quality
This refers to how good the materials used in the construction of your product are. In the case of a purely digital product, this refers to the actual design. Is it well-formatted?
Is the picture quality high?
Are the fonts clear and appropriate?
Do the colors harmonize well? Etc.
If the product has a hardcopy option, like in the case of a print-on-demand book, then this refers to the quality of that physical product. If it's a book, are the words and graphics printed clearly? Is the book constructed sturdily? If it's a T-shirt, is the print good quality? Is the graphic centered correctly (if it's supposed to be)? Etc.
2. Usability
This refers to how user-friendly your product is. The best products are straightforward and intuitive and, importantly, they fulfill the requirement. If you design a sketch notebook- it should have blank sketch pages. It can have other elements like a sketch timeline, practice outlines, prompts, etc. But those can't substitute for the blank pages because that's what makes it a sketchbook.
Insider/ Expert Insight
This refers to how much added-value a product has, and a quick way to find this out is by seeing who designed it. An expert or at the very least, someone who is very active within a particular niche will know exactly what issues other people who are searching for that product have and will design solutions for them. That's why moms with twins like to buy products recommended by other moms with twins- they are the only other people who understand their exact set of circumstances and challenges.
To better understand this, let's consider our earlier example of a sketch notebook.
I do not sketch. If I designed it, I would design a great cover and make the inside fully blank. It would be a good product that does everything it's supposed to.
Now, let's say a third-year fine art student designed one. They obviously sketch, and I'm sure they even do it well. By actually being knowledgeable in the thing they're designing, they would be far better equipped to add elements that will elevate the experience of the person buying the sketchbook. They might add sketch challenges that gradually train the user to practice different strokes. They might add notes that teach a particular skill or new way of approaching a sketch subject. All of these things would add value and make their notebook superior to mine.
3. Marketing
Once you've created the best possible product, you need to get it in front of the right people. That is, your target market, and that's where marketing comes in. The trick to marketing is to remember that most people don't like being sold to directly. Nobody wants to feel like a dollar bill that some greedy ad agency is trying to grab. So being overly ‘salesy‘ is often a quick way to turn people off.
However, most people love a good recommendation from a person they trust, even if they trust them a (very) little bit. Think of how you act in your own life. If you're at a family gathering and your cousin is going on and on about a new smoothie place she just found and loves (that happens to be relatively close to you)- you're likely to try it the next you're craving a smoothie.
Now, imagine your cousin brought a friend and the friend says, 'No way, I prefer the smoothie place across the street to that one. It’s so much better.' You're likely to try that place too, even though you don't know your cousin's friend. The way that they suggested a product to you is such that it promotes trust.
Why?
The reason is twofold. Firstly, and most importantly, it's from a trusted source. Well, it is in the case of your cousin. In the case of your cousin's friend, it's from a 'trusted by association' source. The connection to someone you trust makes your cousin someone you're willing to lend trust and give the benefit of the doubt.
Secondly, let's discuss how these recommendations are made, and why they don't matter. Consider that your cousin is super excited and rather insistent on the smoothie place they like. On the other hand, your cousin's friend makes a casual suggestion. The result is the same- you're willing to try them both.
How Does This Relate To Marketing Your Product?
In marketing, it's less important how your product is marketed, as long as it's endorsed by a trusted source. Think of how a celebrity can casually mention a product in a 30-second story (or just be seen standing next to it) and it sells out. This is the power of influencers. This is why you need them to talk about your product. Their audience already trusts them and you get to leverage that trust.
How To Contact Influencers
In my last job, one of my responsibilities was influencer management. I was responsible for researching the ideal influencers for various products, outreach, and nurturing the relationship so we could work with them in the future. It's not hard. Just be a real person and remember that they are too.
Scout to find a natural fit- Make sure that the influencer you're looking to contact reviews the kind of product you make. Can you picture your product on their page? Don't ask a beauty influencer to review your line of marbles. Build a list of at least 10 potential great fits to start.
Reach out and ask- It's that simple. Create a template so you can do this in batches and quickly, but ultimately you're saying hi, introducing yourself, and asking if they'd be open to collaborating in X way. X can be a product for a review exchange, or you can discuss a fee for this service if the influencer says they only do paid collabs and it's within your budget.
Set clear terms- this is important when working with influencers or any other kind of collaborator. Be clear on what you expect, when, in what format, and what you're giving in return. Sometimes paying for a collaboration is more straightforward as it forces everyone to show unprofessionally.
Good faith agreements can sometimes create an 'I'll get to it when I get to it' vibe from the influencer's point of view, and since they don't owe you anything- you can't blame them. That said, just remember it's a numbers game. I've had plenty of success with unpaid collabs, so it's worth making the effort at the very least.
Consider paid newsletter mentions- An influencer with a large and engaged email list can do wonders for your marketing efforts. This will most likely be paid because of the value they know they are providing. Email marketing still has the greatest ROI, so it's well worth it. Just make sure you sign on to be on the right newsletter for what you're advertising.
Tip: Join the newsletter first to see what kind of content they promote and if you like the way they do it. If you do, reach out and find out how your product can make it to their 'top products' or other similar roundup lists.
4. Library
This refers to a collection of works that work to build your authority, which in turn builds trust. This goes for your digital products in your online store, your blog, and your Instagram posts- it's better to have more than just one. Having several products gives your buyer the chance to browse your catalog and increases your opportunities of convincing them to buy. It also makes them more comfortable that they're buying from an established seller and not someone who might not be there tomorrow.
Reviews are also excellent if you can get them. Don't sweat this part too much though, it will come with time. Just make it a point to actively work on building your library over time.
Conclusion
There is a great market for selling digital products, but it's also a very competitive market because of the sheer number of products that already exist and are being produced daily. Still, it's possible to find establish your corner of the internet where you can successfully sell your digital products- but you have to work at it.
Over and above the SEO and content creation that will keep you ranking on search engines, you need to create great products that are user-friendly and that you market through the most trusted voices within your niche. I hope this post helps show where to get started with that.
Let me know what else you do to make sure your products stand out.
Happy selling,
Nonjabulo
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