Not ready to create an online course? No problem because in this episode of the Digitally She Does It podcast, I talk about alternative digital products that you can create in your business.
I discusses the crucial decision of choosing your first digital product and share insights as well as my own personal experiences in creating successful products. I also explores various product options beyond online courses.
The aim of this episode is to inspire and empower ambitious creatives to leverage digital products in building successful businesses. If you're seeking practical strategies and motivation to kick start your online business, this episode is a must-listen!
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
Not ready to create an online course? No problem because in this episode of the Digitally She Does It podcast, I talk about alternative digital products that you can create in your business.
I discusses the crucial decision of choosing your first digital product and share insights as well as my own personal experiences in creating successful products. I also explores various product options beyond online courses.
The aim of this episode is to inspire and empower ambitious creatives to leverage digital products in building successful businesses. If you're seeking practical strategies and motivation to kick start your online business, this episode is a must-listen!
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 82. And in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about what type of digital product you should create first. So let's jump right in and let's get started. Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show. I'm 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, then this podcast is perfect for you. With my award winning approach to marketing, an expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energised, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
Karen Davies [00:00:49]:
Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know how along with actionable step by step strategies to help you accelerate your businesses grow. 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'm 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 answering a question that I get asked a lot, and that is what product should be your first product if you're starting out online? So I'm gonna be diving into that today. But before I do, I just want to talk to you about the digital creators hub. This is your one stop shop for getting started online.
Karen Davies [00:01:48]:
And if you're not in there, then you need to get yourself over there because it's completely free and it consists of lots and lots of really valuable tools and resources to help you get started online. Now I've got guides in there. I've got planning tools. I've got time saving templates. I've got my favourite tools in there that I use to build my business, and also I have released this week some brand new training. So if you are thinking about getting started with an online course or a digital product, I have gifted you my free workshop that walks you through step by step on how to plan your product. So if you are starting out and you're looking at creating a digital product, then this workshop is going to be so valuable because, as I say, I break it all down and I guide you through that process. Now as I said, it's completely free, so go and get yourself over in there.
Karen Davies [00:02:57]:
Just to access the hub, visit www.pink-lemondigital.com/hub. It's completely free. There is no charge. It's my gift to you to say thank you for listening to this podcast and it's also my way of helping you to get started online because there's no better time to get started than now and you wanna be creating a business that works for you and not the other way around. So head over to the hub. Go and enjoy these resources and the trainings that I have over there, and I look forward to seeing you in there. Okay. So back to today's episode, and I'm talking about what type of digital product you should be creating first, which I know is a question that often is in people's mind when they're thinking about creating an online business because it's a minefield.
Karen Davies [00:04:01]:
There are so many to choose from. How do you narrow it down and choose a product to start with and what about the products out there that you may not know about? So today I'm just gonna dive into that. I'm gonna talk about options available to you, and I'm just gonna share a little bit about my first product and how that came about and sort of how that evolved into sort of my online journey which has led me to creating the products that I have today. So last week I met with a client and we were talking about online courses. And this client has been meaning to create an online course for a while, but for one reason or another she hasn't been able to get started or to really make progress. And so we jumped on a call and we were talking about it and what transpired was the fact that she isn't really in the place right now to be creating an online course because when it comes to creating online courses, it takes time and it requires a lot of energy and a lot of planning almost and also time to be dedicated to getting the course done. And she's got young kids. She's got a busy business and it just isn't the right time for her to do that.
Karen Davies [00:05:29]:
But because of the nature of the business that she has and the people that she engages with and the clients coming through her business, she wants to have something that she can sell. So instead of it all being about her service and therefore her time, she wants to have something that's ready to go that she can offer them that almost kind of moves them through the process. So even if she does end up working with them so much of that process has been covered by the thing that she's sold up from. Now what this will enable her to do is have more time back because she's got young kids, she's only working part time, and it means that she can then spend her time focused on sort of more key areas that actually does require her to be present. And so we had this strategy session and we uncovered other options that she could, sort of other routes in which she could go down. So it doesn't just have to be an online course, There are other options available to her which I don't think that she was really aware of. So by the end of the session, we came up with a game plan. We discussed the pros and cons of sort of various products and offers that she could sort of have in her business, and then she decided on a particular offer that for her she felt was achievable.
Karen Davies [00:07:03]:
When you're starting out in your business and you're thinking about creating offers, it doesn't have to just be a full on online course. I mean, online courses are great and, of course, I talk a lot about them in this podcast because they're scalable, they give you time back and it's a brilliant way that you can make money from what you know but also create an impact. So there's a lot of benefits to creating an online course but the reality is that in order to do that you have to dedicate time, you have to take action, you have to implement, and you have to stick with it. So that that means there's content to be created and tech to be learnt and all of that stuff. Now, if you are somebody that is busy and you're juggling a lot that might not be feasible in the season of life that you're in and that's absolutely fine but there are alternatives. There are different things that can be created that will bring in income but maybe take less of your time and I think that's the really sort of key thing to sort of know. And some of those things are things like ebooks or e guides where you can share your knowledge on a specific topic, you know, in the way of a guide or a book that people can download and we, you know, we we create ebooks as lead magnets but there's no reason why you can't charge for an ebook. If the value is there and it takes your reader on a journey that leads to a result of some kind then you can charge for it because it's going to provide value.
Karen Davies [00:08:46]:
And so that's a really important thing I think to take on board is that even if you've got an ebook or a guide that you're using in order to build your email list, there's no reason why you can't create one and then charge for it. Again, with templates and printables, the idea behind these options is they save time and people are time poor and so if you can provide something that gives them time back then they're going to pay for it. Now you might not be able to charge 100 and 100 of pounds but what you can do is just start bringing in a small amount of income and and just build on a volume based model and by getting it out there, getting in front of more people, you can start to really build income that will soon actually make a difference because even though small amounts individually obviously feel small, when you when you're selling it to volume that, you know, you can make a lot of money from from creating templates and printables. Now things like planners, checklists, worksheets, things that are gonna save people time. So if you have something in your business that you're using on a daily basis, a weekly basis or even quarterly, monthly, when or however that is saving you time, then think about packaging that up and and using that as a product to help other people and through doing that you'll make money and you'll bring income into your business. The other thing to think about, especially if you are a creative, is creating either digital art or graphics because not everybody can do this and so there are marketplaces out there where designers can go and and get artwork and graphics that they can then buy to add to their own artwork. So that's something to consider if you have those skills and you are creative. So things like digital art, illustrations, or even designs, for, you know, graphic design and, templates, you know, leaflets and logos and brochure layouts and things like that.
Karen Davies [00:11:13]:
If it's gonna save somebody time it's going to be of value. Creating things like social media posts or premade templates or even branding materials. So if you are like me and you offer branding and web design then there's no reason why you can't make predefined artwork and then sell it. And then you can offer customisable options that then adds that personalization. But for your customer, it means that they get what they need at a lower cost. But for you, it means that you've done all the work. You you're just tweaking it to to match whatever requirements they may have. So it's a way of just being able to create something that you can scale but a lot of the work's already been done.
Karen Davies [00:12:06]:
So other products that can be created are audio products. So if you are in the health and wellness space then you can create a private podcast and charge for it or create an audiobook or meditation recordings that either entertain or they educate or maybe they even inspire your audience in some way. As long as you focus on delivering high quality content that is engaging then you can put a charge to it. And then you've got things like software tools and apps. So if you are tech minded and and that's your bag then you can create apps and things that you can then sell as well. Membership or subscription services. If you have a really great idea that you believe will work well as a membership, then that's certainly worth considering. You could launch a members a membership site with a subscription based offer that offers exclusive content, resources, or even access to a community.
Karen Davies [00:13:17]:
So whatever that is going to be, again, as long as you're providing ongoing value then you're going to encourage those reoccurring subscriptions. And then if you're a photographer, you may want to create some digital photography or stock images that you can then sell as well where you can capture high quality photographs that you can then create in a hub that you can have in a hub that people subscribe to. So you can build a subscription based model off the back of your photographs. And then there's things like educational resources as well, like tutorials or workshops or webinars that teach valuable skills or techniques that help other people to grow or to be able to do something in their business. So it doesn't have to be a full on course, it could just be individual training sessions that you then bundle up and then charge for those or even charge individually. Again, it depends on the level of value. But if you're thinking that down the road you might be ready for an online course but not right now, that could very much be an option to you because it means you can build up that content slowly but you can sell it as well so you're still making money. And then if you're a coach or you're a consultant then, of course, you can just sell one off coaching or consulting sessions where you can provide a more personalized guidance to support your clients who are seeking expertise in a specific field.
Karen Davies [00:14:57]:
So it may be a case of they just buy one off sessions rather than buying 10 or or a block booking. One thing I offer are VIP strategy sessions that last 60 minutes. Now these work really well because not everybody wants to commit to a 6 or 12 month programme where they get that insight and that guidance. Sometimes people just want to have a session where they can sit down, brainstorm, talk about their ideas, really kind of unravel how they're thinking or feeling and then come up with a solution at the end of it and you can carry out an intense session that actually achieves results in a short space of time. So that's what I do in my VIP strategy session, and that works really well for people who just feel like they wanna get unstuck and they just need a little bit of guidance. So as you can see, there are lots of things that you can create that can generate you income in your business. It doesn't just have to be an online course. Now my very first product that I created, it was almost by accident.
Karen Davies [00:16:11]:
It was my business's first birthday and I decided to host an in person event because I wanted to mark the occasion. It it was a really big deal having a business. I don't come from a family that of entrepreneurs. In fact, no one in my family has their own business So I've kinda broken the mould in that respect, which means that I don't have anybody that I can really sorta go to to get advice. So I have to find other ways to to be able to kinda learn the things that I need to learn. So for this, my 1st year anniversary, I wanted to mark it because it was so it was such a milestone. And so I hosted this event. At the time, it was pre covid, so back in 2018.
Karen Davies [00:17:09]:
So I was doing a lot of in person networking and I made a lot of contacts and that was bringing me in work. I was doing really well with my branding and web design services and so I was able to host this event where I invited people to come along. And then as a thank you, I created a brand strategy planner because I wanted to create a goodie bag but I also wanted to create something that kind of showcased what I was about, what I could do. And one of the things that I'd very much picked up on during that 1st year was that the clients that I was working with really liked my discovery sessions, which is what I would do before I would work with them on their branding because it was a deep dive into their business and it was the thing that really gave them clarity, which is what a lot of my clients didn't have. So what I decided to do was package up that part of my service into a planner whereby I could sell that on its own. And it also meant that people could go through that process of really getting under the hood of their business so that they could get clarity about who they are, what their vision is, why they've started their business in the first place, what they're looking to achieve, and how they're going to do that as well. So my planner was very systemized. It was very designed because, obviously, being a design led business, that was incredibly important to me as well.
Karen Davies [00:18:44]:
And then I packaged that up. And initially, I created hard copies and then I put those in the goodie bags. And then afterwards I had a load that I then sold and then I decided to create a digital version which I then sold online. And I did really well and I think this was the the the kind of start of my online journey if you like because what it demonstrated was that there was there was a need for the thing that I'd created and this was very life giving to the people that were buying it because up until that point they hadn't had anything like that that they could refer to. The other thing I did as a hard copy is that I made sure it was a 5 so that it could fit in their handbags because it was really important to me that they could do this on the go because not everybody has a spare 2 hours to sit and work on their business and to kinda go through the questions and to get to that place in in a in a space of time. And so I wanted to create something that they could then fill in as and when it suited them. So if they had it in their handbag they could just pull it out at a time that suited them when they went and had a coffee or if they had some downtime while the kids were having their dinner and then they could work through it at that point. So that worked really well and the feedback that I got back from that product was great.
Karen Davies [00:20:13]:
And I and it sort of showed me how valuable it was because of how well it had been received. And and interestingly, when I moved to selling it digitally, my first sale was in South Africa. And that started to open up my thinking because it was like, okay, there there is something here because I'm not having to just sell to my backyard I can sell globally. And I think from there the seed was planted on actually how powerful it is to create these online products because that was then bringing me an income that then supported my business. So that was my first product, and I still have that today. It's the brand the ultimate brand strategy planner which I'm incredibly proud of and I'm I'm actually I've never gotten it on Amazon. I sell it in multiple marketplaces through my website and all of that but I but I've never gotten it on Amazon and that's one of the things that I'm going to be doing this year because I'm going to be releasing a brand new planner that is going to help people to create passive income in their business and I'm just working on that now and I'm just putting the finishing touches in place. And when I have that, that's going to be going on Amazon as well.
Karen Davies [00:21:38]:
So I'm going to be extending my reach and I'm really gonna be pushing it out. I'm gonna run ads. I've got this whole sort of marketing campaign that I'm going to be launching around it as well because these things are important. They provide so much value and they may not be courses as such but they're enough to get people to where they need to get to and that's the point. The value that is received from them is really valuable to the people that are buying them. So this is why and I've spoken about this many times in previous episodes but the more you can know about your ideal customer, the more tailored you can be in creating and delivering a product that sells. And I sit here today knowing how valuable that is and the difference it can make to your business. And I definitely wouldn't be here now had I not gone through that journey of creating my first planner, selling it and then learning the rest in order to kind of expand and scale so that I can develop other products and and serve in a way that not only supports my business but also supports my customers as well.
Karen Davies [00:22:58]:
So I just wanted to share that because I sometimes think that people don't realize what they have available to them and it doesn't have to just be an online course. An online course might be the right thing for you but it might not be with the right thing right now and that's okay. But I just want you to know that there is other options available and you can create things in your business that will bring you in income. It is possible. It can happen and you have the knowledge, the skills, the expertise to create this stuff. You just need to be shown how. And this is where my podcast comes in, but also where the digital creators hub comes in as well. So if you've not got yourself into the hub, please go and sign up.
Karen Davies [00:23:51]:
Go to www.pink-lemondigital.com/hub Go and get yourself in there because it will help you to work out what your product is that you're going to sell and the impact that you can make to your audience.
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 it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode. If you're feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started online, then don't forget to go and join the Digital Creators Hub by visiting www.pink-lemondigital.com/hub. 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.
Karen Davies [00:24:56]:
New episodes drop every week on 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.