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Which way to Market Digital Products

Sep 14, 2023

You've put in the effort to develop your first (or the most recent) digital product - Congratulations! The next thing, of course, is to promote the product and get it in front of the people you created it for.

Promoting digital items and creating sales isn't easy, but there are some strategies you can use to get in touch with as many potential customers and make a good revenue. In this post, you'll learn some promotional techniques you can use to start the ball rolling.

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What are digital products?

Considering how many people consume information online -- 5.18 billion people, to be exact -- numerous entrepreneurs transform their knowledge, whatever it may be, into digital products they can sell to interested customers. Digital products can comprise:

  • eBooks
  • Video courses
  • Music and audio files
  • Templates for graphic and web sites
  • Videos and photos from stock
  • Software programs
  • Mobile apps
  • Coaching packages
  • Podcasts
  • Memberships

12 methods to market digital goods and generate sales

For you to market your digital items and increase sales, here are some actions to follow:

    Create an online shop or web site    

The first step for marketing your digital products is to create a digital storefront or website that can be directed to by people so they can buy from you.

There are a myriad of methods to do this. You can use online store builders like Shopify as well as Gumroad. These feature-rich platforms allow you to build eCommerce websites from scratch with little to no programming skills required. With these store builders, it is possible to offer all types of digital goods, such as:

  • eBooks
  • Online video courses
  • Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
  • Music and audio documents
  • Memberships
  • Digital art
  • Videos and photos from stock
  • Templates for websites
  • Event tickets, etc.

Gumroad caters to beginners of all levels, as shown by their headline, "Go from zero to $1". Shopify on the other on the other hand, is designed to cater to individuals at all levels of experience.

Both tools offer a wide selection of storefront templates as well as a drag-and-drop editor for websites that lets you modify templates to fit your branding requirements. They also offer resources to help you drive visitors to your online store. Shopify in particular lets you download additional software to increase the efficiency of your store and integrate with third-party apps for streamlined workflows.

Some other platforms which can be used to construct a website or online storefront can be found here:

Contrary to Shopify, Gumroad, and  the like, these services are accessible for free. However, they're self-hosted services and you'll be required to buy:

  • Domain names ($10-20/year)
  • Web hosting ($3-30/month, contingent on platform and plan)
  • Premium theme ($100-200 one-time payment)

They allow you to create any kind of website you want, and you can add eCommerce functionality by downloading plugins like WooCommerce, EasyDigitalDownloads, and MemberPress.

    Participate in an online marketplace    

If you're a beginner at creating and selling digital products it is a good idea start by joining a marketplace prior to establishing your own website or store. A few marketplaces online that you can join are:

  • Amazon - for eBooks and audiobooks
  • eBay to sell various digital items
  • iTunes - for songs, podcasts, and videos
  • Envato - for website and graphic templates video and stock images, and royalty-free music
  • Udemy is a platform for online classes generally
  • Creative Market  includes fonts graphic, templates, and graphics for your creative endeavors

However, the negatives the downsides of markets are:

  • They usually receive a percentage of every sale you make
  • Your products are placed between similar products that are made by other companies. This reduces your chances of making as much money as you can.

    Create a compelling sales page for your product    

Here's a hard truth about selling digital products In the beginning, your customers won't know the name of your company, and they'll be less inclined to make purchases from you until you explain to them why they should. This is particularly true when you are selling eBooks and online courses.

Contrary to what the majority of people think there is no need to be a proficient copywriter to craft a compelling selling page. All you need to do is ask this question in relation to your prospective customer: Is this item right for me?

You don't need to include every detail about the digital item. Focus instead on

  • How your product can help them solve their problems
  • The reason why they should select this product (instead of similar products available)

Here's an example of a sale page designed to promote an instructional design course. Note how the text on the top of the page clearly identifies the target audience the creator of the course is trying to reach, i.e. Teachers looking for ways to utilize their teaching skills in high-level establishments.

Providing prospects with proof that other people have tried the product and gained from it is among the best methods to convert them to buyers.

Why? Because you're not the only individual who's confirming the value of your product and value; others are also confirming it, too. Then they'll consider: "If this can work with others, surely it will also work for me".

    Your website should be optimized to be search engine friendly    

If your goal is to implement a marketing strategy so strong that you'll still selling on autopilot for months ( or perhaps even years) after you've implemented it, try search engines optimization (SEO)

There are three kinds of SEO: on-page off-page and technical.

On-page SEO involves the use of specific keywords that are related to products or niches within your web copy. To determine which keywords to use in your sales and product pages, ask yourself what if someone were to find my product then what term(s) should they type into Google?

These terms are your keyword. You can use keyword or SEO tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest to discover related keywords and their volume of searches. When you've found your keyword phrases, you can use them within your title as subheadings and body copy and URL, meta description images alt text, etc. As Google's crawlers scan the website, they will know exactly the content of the webpage and then rank it in the appropriate way.

Lastly, technical SEO means improving the performance of a server or website to enable search engine spiders to crawl and index your site effectively. This includes increasing speed as well as improving the user experience as well as structuring data on the web.

    Design a content marketing funnel    

When you're selling a digital product through a website (as opposed to an online marketplace), you can create informational blog posts, videos, and social media posts that educate your audience about your niche and the product(s).

Like your product pages it is possible to optimize blog posts for search engines with keywords, too. Even if your pages for products don't rank but your intended audience could be able to find you with your blog posts that rank.

In addition to driving leads and traffic to your site, proper content can also help you establish credibility and make yourself appear as an authority in your field.

    Build an organic social media presence    

"You can just press record in TikTok but it does not need to be perfect." she says "It's authentic and real I'm known for being a transparent and honest person."

For the purpose of growing your social media accounts make and publish material (images carsousels, images, short videos, lengthy videos infographics, etc.) that educate people about your industry/niche, explain why you start creating products within that area, and extol the benefits of these items. If you've got customer reviews you can share them with the social media sites you use.

Growth might seem slow at first, however when you consistently post content users will eventually visit your site. While they are there, you can interact with them and build relationships by liking and replying to their messages and sharing their content, and letting people know who have purchased your products.

    Run pay-per-click ads    

Making SEO work and creating an organic social media presence takes quite some time before you start reaping the benefits. But if you're looking to put your brand in front of many eyes in a short while consider using pay-per-click (PPC) ads. As you might've guessed, pay-per-click (PPC) is an advertising system that requires the user to pay only for ads that people click on.

There are two kinds of PPC ads: paid social media ads and paid search ads.

Through paid social media advertising it is possible to run ad campaigns on social platforms that your intended audience is using. Before you begin your campaign, you'll specify the behavior, demographic, and interests of your customers, so your advertisements will be displayed in the feeds of those who might purchase from you.

Paid search ads, on the other hand, allow your ads to appear on Google search engine results pages (SERPs) whenever your intended users conducts commercial searcheswhich means they're searching for something to purchase.

For a greater chance of having your ads hit, try the following:

  • Utilize high-quality, visually appealing visuals in the adverts
  • Make sure you use compelling but concise copy to explain the advantages from your service
  • Make clear a call-to-action that shows people the next step to take after viewing the advertisement

    Make an emailing list    

SEO, content marketing, and paid ads are all excellent ways to promote digital products, but what happens if Google and all social media platforms are deemed obsolete (or crash)?

This might seem far-fetched, but look at what happened to social media platforms like MySpace, Friendster, Tumblr as well as Vine. You probably haven't even considered any of these websites since the past few years. If this happens to the most popular networks that you utilize to market your goods, your business will become obsolete, too. Your audience will be lost and you'll must start over to build your base of customers.

Things don't stop after individuals give your email address. It is important to maintain this relationship and keep your company prominent by frequently communicating relevant and helpful emails to the recipients. To make this process easier using email marketing tools like MailerLite, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign to streamline your email marketing. Additionally, you can segment your email list according to the behavior of subscribers, interests, and preferences -- and create personalized emails to each segment.

The automated emails will:

  • Inform your customers on the reasons you choose to do what you do
  • Let them know the way your product could assist them in solving their issues
  • Help them understand more about your business
  • Inform them about coupons, specials or other special deals they could benefit from.

    Work with an influencer    

As the influencers have already established their audiences, working with them can make a fantastic marketing strategy for your business. Based on the type of influencer as well as their size, and the results you're hoping to achieve You can either pay them in cash or provide freebies to have your products featured in their content.

Another possibility is to set up an affiliate program where celebrities can join for the purpose of promoting your product for their followers with the promise of a revenue share for any purchases made using their affiliate links.

Whichever route you decide to take -- be it directly marketer marketing via influencers or affiliate marketing -using reputable influencers within your industry will help you reach out to audiences you mightn't have had access to otherwise. The positive impact of this also affects the image of your brand, and improves your chances of converting and sales.

    Build and execute an early-launch marketing strategy    

Do you know anything more powerful than marketing your digital product after launching it?

Promoting your digital product before launching it!

The process of preparing and running a pre-launch campaign helps you build buzz around your product prior to its introduction into the marketplace. This way it is possible to create an audience of people who are ready to purchase your product the minute it's launched. Not only does this help you avoid the depressing sensation of not having sales within the first few days however, it will also teach how to promote your product which means that the whole process will be easier as you continue promoting your item.

There are several methods to attract attention for your products prior to launch. There are several ways to do this:

  • Provide clues via social media about the kind of product you'll be launching
  • Post posters and images of your upcoming product on your website to let people know that there's an upcoming product to be released
  • If the product is an eBook, you can provide your email subscribers with a link to read the first couple of pages
  • Organise a contest online with the winner's prize being the first access to your latest product once it is launched.

Not only does a pre-launch campaign assist you in promoting the product but it can also give you a rough idea about the number of sales to be expecting from customers who've expressed intent to purchase the product after launch. Additionally, you'll build an existing customer base who you'll be able promote new products with ease.

    Offer discounts as well as freebies    

Like physical items, providing discounts or freebies as you market your digital item can attract prospective customers and motivate them to buy.

When it comes to digital products, discounts can be as low as $X off the initial purchase, and X% off for Black Friday, while freebies can be a free email course, extended content, or bonus chapters. Additionally, you can add smaller digital products for bulk purchases to help you sell more quantities of your primary digital product.

Alongside encouraging others to take a look at your products, discounts, and freebies will also build your credibility and trust with customers -- which increases your chances of generating word-of mouth marketing and returning purchases. You can also make use of discounts and freebies in order to boost sales on other digital items that you create.

    Host an online challenge    

Hosting challenges and contests online isn't just a great opportunity to interact with your current customers. They're also great at priming prospective buyers to purchase your digital products provided that the contest can help them reach a target they have

A great example to illustrate this concept is the Avocadu's 21-day weight loss challenge, posted front and center on the website.

Avocadu sells recipe eBooks as well as a weight loss program dubbed The Yoga Fat Loss Bible. Even though Avocadu boasts a lot of favorable review from customers on its sales pages, it knows that customers will more open to paying for products when they can try it for free. It's the reason why the fat loss challenge can be used to do.

Any person who takes on the challenge for free and loses weight will be more likely to buy the Fat Loss Bible program than those who read only reviews on it.

To set a successful contest or challenge, you must ensure three elements:

  • Participants are required to participate for a certain amount of duration. For Avocadu it's 21 days. For you, it could be five.
  • It is played out by people engaging in (or getting a push to use) your digital items and lead magnets.
  • The challenge provides room to upsell your paid digital product (or the complete versions that you offer as lead magnets) in the end.

Market your digital products to increase your sales

Digital products that are sold online can be an incredibly lucrative side hustle. However, your product won't magically sell just by existing. You have to make an intentional effort to market the product to your intended audience.

The strategies for promotion outlined in this post can assist in selling your product however, you'll have to be willing. You don't have to try the entire list at one time Pick a few at first and experiment. It may take time before you see results, but if you're consistent and consistent, you'll see the results and figure out the marketing strategies that work best for your particular product.

Check out our strategy guide for free here for additional tips!