Should I Create an Online Course or Digital Product?
So you’ve been thinking about making and selling your own digital products…
First things first…if you want to skip reading this blog article and jump straight to the quiz, Click Here.
Please note that some of the links included in this article are affiliate partner links. For more information, click here.
Before actually creating my first digital product, I had thought about making one for almost two years.
I had brainstormed topics.
A list of potential titles.
I procrastinated…
I thought my ideas wouldn’t sell because the information was already out there.
…but within 30 days, my very first idea earned me $25,000!
WHAT?!
Maybe you’re in the same boat.
You’ve spent months or years sitting on an idea.
Because you’re thinking either you “don’t have time” to do it, or maybe you’re afraid that you don’t have enough money or technical understanding to set up a way to sell it.
Maybe you’re worried because you don’t have much of an audience or email list right now.
Maybe you’re stuck on exactly what product you’ll create.
Maybe you’re still not exactly sure what a lead magnet is, or why people give things away for free.
If you feel any or all of the above, you’re in the right place!
Why are so many bloggers and small business owners creating digital products?
The answer is simple, to increase their income AND their impact!
After all, you’ve got the special knowledge…whether it’s recipes and cooking, nursing, teaching, crafting, child rearing, guitar playing, knitting, ice skating…you get the drift. Your knowledge, your craft, every woman is unique. Maybe you went to college and worked for a while, but then decided to stay at home with your kids. Maybe you didn’t go to college, but you’ve got a super talent that is worthy of sharing with the world!
Maybe, gulp, you went back to work and realized how INCREDIBLY difficult it is to manage a household while working full-time outside the home. I’m all too familiar with the schedule…the groceries, the laundry, the cleaning, the pets…getting everyone where they need to go. What bedtime? Who has time to cook a healthy meal every night?!
If you have dreamed of working from home, of taking your blog to the next level, I can assure you that creating digital products is the path to that success.
I’ve been creating digital products now for over 10 years. I’m living proof that by following just a few key steps, you can successfully take your ideas from concept to completion and create an online course or a digital product that leads to happy customers and meaningful revenue — and if you’re ready to commit, you can have it ready to roll in less than 30 days. Maybe sooner if you’re really gung-ho!
How do you get started making an online course or other digital product?
Start with my Free Gameplan, it’s a downloadable .pdf with a broad overview of how to get the ball rolling. But that’s not the best part, once you download the Gameplan, you’ll be part of my special Digital Product Creator’s Email Masterclass. Um, what’s that?
Digital Product Creator’s Masterclass
I’ll send you one email per day for 5 days. The emails are specifically designed to help you discover how to:
- Choose a profitable, in-demand course topic that you’re excited about
- Quickly and easily set up your own product or classroom where you can accept payment, manage your students, and track you revenue (all without technical headaches)
- I’ll dive into the 3 different types of digital courses so you can determine which one is right for you
I learned the importance of digital strategy by working in corporate and agency marketing for 14 years. I’m not just a “blogger blogging about how to blog.” I learned how to create a flow, a process, and a structure for my digital marketing, while implementing digital marketing plans for fortune 500 companies (I also taught small business owners how to do the same) and now, it’s your turn. I’m using that framework to teach you how to prepare and sell your own knowledge.
In order to be successful, your topic has to be easy to understand, integrate, and implement so that your readers (or students) can get results!
I know how it feels to be an ambitious business owner with big dreams…it feels like there’s just not enough time in the day to get everything done!
Especially when you have a family and other responsibilities.
The solution most of us come to is to give ourselves these impossible to-do lists that inevitably lead to paralyzing overwhelm.
But what if that didn’t have to be the case?
Inhale confidence, exhale doubt — you’ve got this!!
By getting started now with my Free Gameplan, you’ll see the ‘overview’ of what is needed to get your digital product launched.
But that’s not even the best part…instead of giving yourself that impossible to-do list, you’ll get access to my Free Email Masterclass, where I’ll send you exclusive advice each day for 5 days which will help you bring your own personal strategy into focus, and significantly reduce your overwhelm about moving forward.
Video Overview of the Top Online Course Creation Platforms
Ready to move ahead at a quicker pace? Maybe you’ve already got your plan nailed down and you just need to figure out the techy part. I’ve got you covered! In this [7-minute video] I’m sharing my candid thoughts about the Top 5 Online Course Delivery Platforms.
These 3 are the delivery platforms I would recommend that you choose from:
Well, what are you waiting for?!
I hope you’re feeling amped to go forth and achieve your digital product dreams! Access that Free Gameplan Here. Or, if you prefer to start with the quiz, I’ll still send you the Free Gameplan when you finish!
Great post! 👍🏽 It has been a little over a year since I started working on our first ever email course. Though it was always intended to be free, I thought the biggest value for us was to establish us as authorities in the field and to help us to attract our ideal clients. I have been chipping away at it to the point that the only thing left to do is to set up the tech. But now—after creating a 15 page workbook to go along and videos for each day—I am wondering if we should consider charging for it (since we’re overdue for coming up with any concrete money-making activities). What do you think?
Hi Vox, thanks for reading! The product definitely sounds more comprehensive than a lead magnet, so yes, I would recommend charging for it. However, the biggest mistake I see people make when selling their first digital product is that they run online ads (ie:Facebook ads) directly to the “buy” and they get traffic, but not many sales. Digital “sales” are just like regular sales, you have to make sure you have an audience that actually wants what you have before you can sell it, and online ads are a “cold” audience. Ideally, you will either prep those on your email list and social networks with what the product is so that they will be the first to buy. They already know and trust you so are more likely to buy than running a cold ad directly to the “buy”. If you don’t have much of an email list or audience yet, you would do best running a free lead magnet first to grow your audience…then follow up with a nurturing sequence with the offer of selling your product. Check out this video concerning the “lead magnet” for more info: https://youtu.be/H_kBOxYUAgA