In this episode of the Digitally She Does It podcast, I explore the power of creating small digital offers and how they can transform your business.
I dive into the exciting world of creating digital products, from simple templates to comprehensive workbooks and online courses. I discuss how they provide clarity, guidance, and value to your audience. Discover why even the smallest digital product can make a tremendous impact in your business, attracting new clients, diversifying your income, and establishing authority in your industry.
This episode provides actionable strategies, marketing knowledge, and the motivation you need to bring your dreams to life so grab your favourite pen and notebook as we delve into the world of small offers that create big impact in your business.
Don't forget to hit that subscribe button, and join me every Wednesday for new episodes of "Digitally She Does It."
The Digital Creators Hub
Gain FREE access here... www.pink-lemondigital.com/hub
Get in touch:
Got a question, suggestion for an episode or maybe you would like to be a guest?
Email me at karen@pink-lemondigital.com
In this episode of the Digitally She Does It podcast, I explore the power of creating small digital offers and how they can transform your business.
I dive into the exciting world of creating digital products, from simple templates to comprehensive workbooks and online courses. I discuss how they provide clarity, guidance, and value to your audience. Discover why even the smallest digital product can make a tremendous impact in your business, attracting new clients, diversifying your income, and establishing authority in your industry.
This episode provides actionable strategies, marketing knowledge, and the motivation you need to bring your dreams to life so grab your favourite pen and notebook as we delve into the world of small offers that create big impact in your business.
Don't forget to hit that subscribe button, and join me every Wednesday for new episodes of "Digitally She Does It."
The Digital Creators Hub
Gain FREE access here... www.pink-lemondigital.com/hub
Get in touch:
Got a question, suggestion for an episode or maybe you would like to be a guest?
Email me at karen@pink-lemondigital.com
Karen Davies [00:00:00]:
Hello, and welcome to the Digitally. She does it show. This is episode 62. And in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about creating small offers that can create a big impact in your business. So let's jump right in, and let's get started.
Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show. I am your host, Karen, and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business. If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, and this podcast is perfect for you.
Karen Davies [00:00:40]:
With my award winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, This show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life. Join me each week for a dose of motivation marketing know how along with actionable step by step strategies to help you accelerate your businesses' growth. So let's dive in, and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes which drop every Wednesday. Hello, and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. I am your host, Karen, and I really appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode. Now in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about how to get started with creating small but mighty offers that can create big impact in your business because it's something that we can all be doing to help scale our business and to also attract new customers. What I'm actually referring to today is creating smaller offers, offers that don't take a lot of time to create but can still generate money into your business SNES because these offers provide a solution that your ideal customer is looking for.
Karen Davies [00:01:58]:
Now I've been creating digital products for about 5 years now. And what I have discovered is that it's a really great way to help serve more people. You can also create a bigger impact through these products and you can also bring in more income into the business. So it's a win win really because these products don't take a lot of time to create but they can impact your business dramatically. Now for me, I kinda stumbled across this probably back in 2018. It was coming up to my 1st anniversary in business, SNES and I decided to host an event to celebrate the milestone because at that time I was thinking that the fact that I'd even reached a year into my business and needed celebrating. And so I really wanted to mark the occasion and so I decided to put on an event. And what I did is I invited a lot of my business colleagues to come along and to celebrate with me.
Karen Davies [00:03:03]:
And then I decided to create some goodie bags as a thank you for being at the event. As part of the contents in the goodie bag. I decided to create a brand strategy planner because at that time in my business, I was becoming known for helping businesses to create strong brands. So I would take my clients through the branding process so that even if they came to me for a website, we would be looking at what their brand is, what it does, and how they can reach their goals. And so I had a very defined process in place. So when I was thinking about what could I create to go into my goodie bag. It made sense that I created a brand strategy planner because that was the thing that at that time seem to really land with my clients. Now one thing I learned during my 1st year in business was the importance of creating a step by step process.
Karen Davies [00:04:09]:
And because I had created my own signature process that I would walk my clients through when I'd be working with them on their branding. This is what I decided to create for my workbook because I wanted something that captured my framework in a really simple and easy to follow style because this was the thing that I knew could make a difference to my audience. And I knew that I wanted to create something that I could sell afterwards. So even though the reason why I was creating the workbook was to celebrate this event and to have it in the goodie bag. What I really wanted was to have a product that I could sell in my business after the event that I could make additional money from. So I included it in the goodie bags with, you know, for my guests to thank him. And I guess also part of it was that if they could experience what I'd created for themselves, they would also act as my brand ambassadors so that they would go out and shout about my business, what I did, hopefully having this amazing experience through the product that I'd created. So it was it was at that point in my business, it was all very trial and error.
Karen Davies [00:05:33]:
Now the workbook was a success and it was it was really well received, which I was really pleased about. And I managed to sell out of the badge that I'd originally had printed. So at that time, I had quite a lot printed. I can't remember the numbers but I knew that I would want to sell some copies when I went networking and everything. So I wanted to have some that I could just have in my pocket and sell because at the time it was an a five planner. And the idea behind it was that it will it could go into someone's bag and that they could get it out at a time that's convenient for them and then work through it. So they were a five. They were physical planners that I I then went on to sell and I and I completely sold out.
Karen Davies [00:06:21]:
Then the next step was to then create the digital version of that planner because I also knew that if I could sell the physical copies then I could sell the digital copies as well. Now I think this was the first time that it dawned on me that by packaging up what I knew, what came natural, what was obvious to me, and that what delivered a transformation for my clients. If I could package that up and I could create something that was this really easy to follow, easy to use then I could make more money to support my business. Now of course it took me time to create it but once I had created it then I could sell it over and over again. So the work and the hours that it had taken me to create, I later got back when I went on to sell it. So it ended up paying dividends down the road. And even today, I still sell that planner. Now as I said, this was back in 2018.
Karen Davies [00:07:27]:
So it was a little bit before the pandemic before online businesses exploded really. So it was kind of before the time where, people were talking about online courses and people talking about digital products and all of that kind of stuff. Now for me, in the type of business I had which is which was creative services. This seemed a really easy and natural sphere that could support my business. So I guess when I started it in 2018, it it was almost a no brainer at that point in my business. Now from that brand strategy planner, as I said, I still sell that today, and I will link to it in the show notes. So if you are at the start of creating a business and you want to really understand what your brand is and what your goals are and how you're gonna show up and all of that good stuff, then definitely go and get it because it will really help you. I had amazing feedback from that planner, and it was just something that I like I say, I just repackaged a system that I would walk clients through.
Karen Davies [00:08:36]:
So go and grab it because I promise you it will really help you. As I said, I went on to sell the brand strategy planner, and then I I went on to create additional small products which again I went on to sell. Now I used marketplaces like Etsy sea to reach new customers because these platforms are really well optimized. Then I don't have to worry about the marketing side because there is an element of organic traffic that goes to these sites. So I was capitalizing, I guess, on organic sales, which was which was fantastic. And I know this because back in April when I was in Florida with my family, I was literally making sales whilst I was out enjoying roller coaster rides with my kids and it was amazing to hear those pings come through that I've made another sale is just incredible. If I could bottle that feeling then I would. Because what it reminds me is that we can literally create a business that we can operate from in any part of the world.
Karen Davies [00:09:48]:
And if you really think about that, that is incredible. Like, we do not now need to be sitting at our desks 247 working away because we can sell from anywhere in the world. I was making sales from in whilst I was in Florida. I was on holiday. I was enjoying life. I was being with my family, and I had sales come through. And I think that is why we start a business in the 1st place, isn't it? It's to create something that supports our lifestyle and gives us the freedom to do the thing that fills us with joy but to do it on our own terms as well. And the great thing about creating digital products is that you build it once and then you sell it on repeat.
Karen Davies [00:10:38]:
So yes. There's always going to be work up front, but it's worth it because of what you can then make once it's created and it's being sold. I think when running a business, it's so easy and we will fall into this trap of getting caught up with just focusing on providing services for clients. And I have to admit at the beginning of my business journey, that's exactly what I thought. I thought I'm gonna create a branding studio, and I'm gonna provide these services. And this is how I'm going to run my business. And I'd like to say, a year down the line, I stumbled on digital products. But at the very beginning, that's how I thought my business was going to be.
Karen Davies [00:11:23]:
But the problem is that by thinking about your business in almost a one dimensional perspective, you end up being caught up in that cycle of being so reliant on clients paying your bills. And so what can happen is if your clients fall into hardship, then that can impact you because you need to get paid. And some clients don't always pay their bills on time. So then you end up having to be relying on clients paying their bills on time because you need to keep the lights on, and you need to keep your business going. And then you also get caught up on the feast and famine cycle where 1 month you can have a lot of work coming in and then the following month probably nothing or barely anything which then sends you into a spiral of panic and oh my god. Why am I doing this? And really what we want is to avoid that way of working because it is so stressful. We want consistency and we want ease. And so I think the best way to achieve that isn't necessarily just by focusing on one thing because one thing doesn't always serve businesses.
Karen Davies [00:12:39]:
So what I mean by that is It's not always the right thing to do just to focus on creating digital products, but what I do think is important is diversifying what it is you offer. So adding digital products to your offer bank so that you know you have something to offer those clients that cannot afford your premium prices. So I think it's a a really smart move to provide other things in your in your office suite that can support clients because sometimes clients need to be nurtured. Sometimes they're not ready to buy the thing that is the most expensive thing on your list. So thinking about ways in which you can nurture them is going to help you achieve that premium pricing. So you're servicing different clients at different levels of their buying journey. So creating things like digital products and online courses enables you to really expand your customer base because you can then serve other customers as well, not just go after those premium clients that are is happy to hand over money for your premium services. I think the other thing to consider is that COVID affected so much of our business life to the point that many business owners who are unable to operate and keep their businesses going.
Karen Davies [00:14:11]:
I think what was clear from this was that business owners need to look at how they're running their businesses and what they're offering because we need to create a business that is robust and can withstand economic challenges. COVID, I think, was this massive tsunami that happened globally and it may never happen again, but something else will happen. Something else will come along instead and I think we need to be ready for it. And we need to build businesses that are robust. And I don't believe that just providing one to 1 services is now sustainable long term, which is why creating small offers is so important because if anything happens to you where you have to take time out of the business. You need to have something that you can sell when you're not at your desk working. Now I think we all have things in our business that we can use. It could be a framework.
Karen Davies [00:15:16]:
It could be a step by step process or it could even be a template. So when I talk about digital products, I'm not saying go and create something brand new never been used before. This is where we can sort of look inwards on what we're using in our businesses and then we can create a product out of that. So whatever it is it's most likely going to be something that is of value to you which is why you are using it. So if it's of value to you then it's going to be of value to someone else. Perhaps somebody like you, maybe in a similar profession to you or maybe at a similar stage in their business to you. For whatever it is it's going to hold value. And this is really what a digital product is.
Karen Davies [00:16:09]:
It's something that can be created that provides a solution to the person that needs it. So for example, if you are a bookkeeper and you use a template to track expenses. Then having that template is going to be a value to you because it's going to help you stay organised, it's going to help you keep track and maintain accounts which is going to be time saving, it's going to reduce stress and anxiety and most likely give you confidence in what you're doing because you know that you or able to do the thing that you're doing because you've got a template there to support you. Well, that 1 template could prove to be a huge benefit to somebody else somebody else that may be struggling to keep track of their expenses each month. So then why not package it up and sell it as a downloadable template. Now people buy lots of different things and they will always put money into something that saves them time and that takes them towards a solution that's going to make their life easier. So if you can come up with something that you are currently using in your business then it's worth thinking about how you can sell that to make somebody else's life easier. Now just going back to my brand strategy planner, it's a really simple and easy to use system.
Karen Davies [00:17:37]:
And I would take all my clients through the process before working with them on their branding. So it helps business owners, entrepreneurs to get laser clear on what their brand is. The idea of a brand is huge. It's complex, and it can be really overwhelming which is why I've broken this process down into bite sized steps because at the end of it it gives that person that's going through it clarity. And clarity is so important. And that's essentially what I'm selling through the planner. Because I think once you have clarity about who you are, what you want, what you're creating, and how you're going to show up to achieve your goals. You're halfway there.
Karen Davies [00:18:24]:
There is so much power in having that clarity. I think most entrepreneurs or business owners struggle to grasp the fundamentals of what their brand is, which is why sometimes you can see, logos and things that are all mix mash. So their logo might look like one thing. Their colors might look another. That doesn't tie in with the logo, and their fonts are just out of sync as well. And then what happens is that they're displaying this really disjointed approach to what their brand is. And then that looks like there's confusion. And if people look at things and they're confused then they're not they're gonna avoid it at all costs.
Karen Davies [00:19:04]:
So I think being able to give somebody the clarity to know how they need to show up, how they need to behave, how they need to present themselves, what language to use, what their core messaging is, who their ideal customer is. It gives them clarity so that they can really move their businesses forward and I think that's where the power is. So just by creating something really simple and easy to follow, it can really help that person that is using the planner. And I think that's the power of creating digital products because this it can give somebody so much value and help them in a way that really makes a difference to them and their business. So never underestimate the power of creating a digital product even something like a template because what is valuable to you is going to be valuable to somebody else and people will pay to help them resolve a problem. So let's talk about benefits. So why create a digital product? What is the point of spending your energy, your effort in creating something when you are busy doing a 1000000 other things in your business. First and foremost, it's a way of creating a bigger impact in the world.
Karen Davies [00:20:29]:
You most likely created your SNES to make a difference and this is a great way to do that. It also starts to move you away from solely relying on 1 to 1 services. You do not want to be at the beck of call of clients. You want to build in a buffer so that you have other things that you can rely on as well as your client work, and this is where digital products comes in. It builds resilience in your business by diversifying your income stream. So as I said, you're not just going to be relying on 1 avenue. You will have multiple revenues that you can make money from. So that's gonna bring you in more income.
Karen Davies [00:21:09]:
Now one of the the real the thing that I like is that it enables you to create strategic offers tailored to your audience. So as I mentioned earlier, clients who are sometimes not ready to buy your premium offer. So then you can use your digital products to entice them, to strategically nurture them so that when they're ready to buy your premium offer, their primed and prepped and ready to go. It's a great way to do that so you can provide it as a downsell or an upsell. So if somebody was to buy your premium offer, you can even add it in as a bonus. It attracts more customers so you can widen your customer base simply by creating a small offer. And it's a really great way to generate passive revenue because digital products can be sold repeatedly. It's also a great way to differentiate your business from your competitors because this is where you get to provide unique offerings that support your business, and this is something that your competitors might not be offering.
Karen Davies [00:22:22]:
And the and the stars have cost a low. You do not need a lot of anything to create digital products. You can set yourself up with a Canva account, and that could be enough. So it's not as though you need to pay a lot up front to make this happen. And then these things are scalable. You can scale your sales more easily without having to break the bank or to give more time or to bring other people on board. You can do this and it's a really great way for me for you to make more money simply by leveraging your expertise. It's a way to bring freedom and flexibility into your business because if you're not solely relying on client work then you get to choose the things that you do.
Karen Davies [00:23:14]:
You're not having to just chase chase the buck all the time. And then this is going to bring you far more joy into your business because you're creating and sharing products that you're ultimately passionate about. So let's look at the different types of digital products that you can create. You have ebooks and PDF resources, downloadable guides. You've got planners and journals, training and master classes, audio recordings, podcasts. You can create a private podcast. Templates, trackers, graphics, online courses, membership. The list that literally goes on and on and on.
Karen Davies [00:23:55]:
So think about what you have available that you can package up and sell. Perhaps you're somebody that delivers online workshops. Well, why not record those workshops and sell them? If you are a fitness coach and you walk your clients through how to keep fit and you have a fitness program that you sell. Why not create a planner or a journal or something that supports them with that? You might be a health and wellness coach and maybe audios are great for you. So meditation audios or simple guides on how to do something, how to mindfully eat or or whatnot. And then if you're a creative, why not think about creating graphics and templates that people can buy from you because not everybody is confident with designing. Online courses are a great one. If you have a signature framework, and creating online course.
Karen Davies [00:24:57]:
Or if you want to support your clients on a monthly basis, then think about membership. So there's so many things there that you can create that's gonna really support your business. Okay. So let's look at how you can get started and actually bring these ideas to life. Now I'm gonna just briefly go through a 5 step plan that I use with my clients. And it's just a really simple process but it works and it helps you to get clear on what it is you're creating and how you can start to get it out there and make those sales. So step 1 is set clear goals. Think about why you've decided to do this.
Karen Davies [00:25:42]:
Why are you creating digital products. What is it that you want to achieve? And how is this gonna help support you and your business? And what do you need to do to make this into a success? What is the benchmark that you consider a success. So get really clear on those and what you want to make happen. Now this could be financially or it could just be in terms of impact and support. It really does not matter. There's no right or wrong here. These are your goals. It just needs to be what matters to you.
Karen Davies [00:26:14]:
Step 2, brainstorm your ideas. So go and get a big sheet of paper, clear sheet of paper, and start to brainstorm your ideas. Create a spider diagram. I love a spider diagram. And just list out all of those possibilities that you can develop. It could be anything. It could be really random, but just get really creative with this step of the process. You'll probably find that you'll be writing things down you haven't even thought of, and sometimes some of the best ideas comes from those random things that you end up writing down.
Karen Davies [00:26:52]:
So just get really creative. Think about your business. Think about how you support your clients. What you currently offer. What they come to you and ask you for and then write it all down on a piece of paper. Don't get too precious about this. Just allow yourself the freedom to be creative. Now step 3 is all about research.
Karen Davies [00:27:15]:
You need to research your idea. You need to know that whatever it is you're creating, there is a market demand for that it's going to be sold. You don't wanna waste your time creating stuff that nobody is going to spy. So go online, do a search on Google, put in the thing that you're looking to create and just see what comes up. Visit etsy.com. That's an amazing site. Covers so many things. And just have a look at what other people are doing.
Karen Davies [00:27:46]:
Don't be afraid to draw inspiration from other people. As long as you don't copy, then you're fine. Because looking at what's out there already is what may inspire your thoughts on what to create. So this is a great part to get those ideas flowing. And then step 4 is about validating your idea. So this goes hand in hand in research. So by researching what it is you're creating, zen. You'll hopefully get validation.
Karen Davies [00:28:15]:
So if you're looking for bookkeeping templates online, you'll see that a load of stuff will come up and then you'll be able to validate the idea that actually that those templates are needed. So it's really important to make sure you're validating your idea because that will tell you that people are buying the thing that you're offering. And then my step 5 is about setting up your store and selling. Now I know this part probably feels a little bit overwhelming because if you've never done it before, then, of course, you don't know what you don't know, and You Need to Know It, but just be aware that there are lots of different marketplaces online that you can sell your digital products from. Some are etsy.com. You've got Gumroad. You've got Creative Market, Amazon, Ejunkie, Inveto Market. So there are so many.
Karen Davies [00:29:10]:
I mean I've just listed what have I listed? 6. But just do search online and then lots will come up And these marketplaces are great because they're highly optimized which means that you could put your stuff on them and then you'll get the organic traffic as well. So you just need to make sure that your keywords and your metadata and all of that stuff and your description is on point because that's going to help your stuff be found. Now most platforms will walk you through what to do. So if you're doing this for the 1st time, Of course, it's going to take a little bit of time because you're doing it for the 1st time, but it will get easier. And to be honest, most platforms will just walk you through the steps on how to set up your store. You just need to make sure that you have things like a product image. You the description of the product that you've created and the benefits and how they can get access to that product as well.
Karen Davies [00:30:11]:
So as long as you have those bits and pieces then you're gonna be good to go. And obviously have whatever it is you create as a PDF or something that somebody can download and access. So there you have it. Just wanted to obviously share this episode with you on how to get started with creating small but really mighty digital products that is going to make a difference in your business. Now as I said, it's a great way to diversify your income, to reach a wider audience and to showcase your knowledge, your skills, and your expertise, and to establish your authority in your industry. If you are looking to create a sustainable business that is scalable and which gives you freedom, then the best way to achieve this is by getting started and creating digital products in your business. I promise you this is going to be really worthwhile for you. Once you've created it, you can then just sit back and enjoy the rewards of making those sales.
Karen Davies [00:31:21]:
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode. I hope you found this episode of value and, of course, please feel free to share with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 steps to digital course success, by visiting my website, www.pink-lemondigital.com.
I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the digitally she does it show.
Don't Forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode. New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday, so why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.