Want to generate more revenue in your product-based business without needing more products or inventory?
Enter digital products and high-ticket offers. Higher margin than physical products without the overwhelm of carrying inventory, packing or shipping. In this week’s episode we’re talking about why digital products are so awesome and how you can incorporate them into your business.
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Last week we talked about the power of Facebook groups for product-based businesses and how they help you create and nurture relationships with your ideal customers so they’ll eventually buy your products. We talked about showing up there weekly with mini-trainings and how you can incorporate your products without being overly salesy.
But selling your physical products isn’t the only way you can monetize this group. You can also offer digital products or high-ticket offers like professional services.
Of course, you’re not limited to selling these in your facebook group, they can also be products on your website.
Ultimately, digital products or high-ticket offers might not be the perfect fit for YOUR business, but it does work for a lot of product-based businesses so even if you can’t see a connection right now, take a listen and see if those creative juices start flowing.
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Why digital products are a great addition to your business
Digital products have a very high profit margin and don’t take a lot of extra work on your part. Sure, you have to put the effort in up front to initially create the asset but then you can sell this same item over and over again without having to worry about inventory.
Creating a course isn’t as scary as it sounds
When it comes to digital products, the two most popular formats are eBooks and Courses. The word “course” can sound like a big, drawn out, scary thing with lots of modules and content but it doesn’t have to be that way at all. Some courses are short and sweet and contain an hour worth of video content.
Another important note here is that if you are already providing a ton of value to your audience on the regular, whether it’s through live or pre-recorded videos on social media, blog posts on your website or even just in your emails, it’s likely you already have a lot of the necessary content to create a course.
Amy Porterfield, who is the queen of online courses, says people pay for systems and processes. A lot of the information that is included in paid courses can often be found for free on the internet. But that can be really time consuming for the person trying to learn. Often it’s all fragmented and in bits and pieces which can easily be overwhelming.
Think about your own experiences when trying to learn something new. Searching the interwebs, finding random blog posts from one person, youtube videos from another.
Would you be willing to pay to have it in all one place, in a logical order, with a clear step-by-step that’s easy to follow to find your way to success?
Yes, you would! And so will your customers. So it’s very possible that all you have to do to create this asset is dig through your content archives and repackage it in a way that makes sense. Sure you might have to recreate a blog post and turn it into a video, but you’re not starting from scratch.
Professional services and high-ticket offers
This can be either directly related to your business, or you can teach people what you did to get your business where it is right now.
Having a professional service that’s tied directly to your business is likely going to be the easier sell because you can sell it to your existing audience. Now, that’s not to say that teaching the business side of things can’t also be an easy sell if your target customer for your product-based business is female entrepreneurs then that would be an easy segway. But if your existing business is geared toward hobbyists or moms, that don’t necessarily have an interest in running their own business, it will be a bit more difficult as you’ll likely have to build a whole new audience for that.
Teaching the business piece of it is a bit more straightforward, so for today’s purposes I’m going to focus more on how to tie professional services to your existing business.
What digital product or professional service should you sell?
I can’t cover every business type, but there should be enough here that will get the wheels turning for you.
Clothing boutique
- Create a workbook or mini-course to help your customer find their personal style.
- Create a seasonal style guide that features products from your store and how to incorporate them into their existing closet (this one has the bonus of actually selling the products in your store too.)
- Virtual styling sessions or closet cleanouts. This could be as simple as a 60-minute zoom call where you meet with them one on one and give personal styling advice.
Yoga gear
- Offer a video course or eBook with Yoga poses and routines. This could easily be repackaged content from whatever you’re doing in the group as well.
- Sell guided meditations
- 1:1 virtual yoga sessions.
Fitness or health related business
- Create a workout or meal prep plans.
- A book of healthy recipes you use regularly.
- Fitness coaching as well. Someone to hold them accountable and on track.
Spiritual business
- Virtual card readings
- Amini-course that teaches people how to read the cards themselves.
Fun designs on t-shirts or mugs
- Create a coloring book of those designs as a PDF download
- Downloadable prints of your designs
Makeup brands
- Step-by-step how-to on applying makeup. To add value beyond what you’ve likely done for free, add some pdf print outs and guides that show where to apply the different colors of eyeshadow, for example.
- Go a step further and add in different directions for different shaped eyes depending on the outcome they desire.
Monthly kids craft box
- Take the old crafts featured as well as other simple crafts and turn those into an eBook, without all the supplies — just the inspiration and how to.
- Turn previous designs into a coloring book
- Because this product is related to children and mom life, content that is more generally related to just being a parent and keeping your kids engaged with things other than electronics could be another angle to take.
Craft supplier
- If you’re selling supplies to sewers, kitters or crocheters you can sell patterns
- 1:1 sessions or courses to show newbies how to actually do these things
Memberships
What’s really cool about these digital products is that many can be transformed into memberships as well, which give you recurring revenue. Memberships will be a bit more work on your part so think through it before you go that route. Keep in mind the margins on products like this are much higher so it’s a really great supplement to your business.
Different ways sell your digital product or professional service
When it comes to actually selling these things, you have a few options. Of course you can sell them directly out of your Facebook group. After a live video you can have a call to action to purchase this digital product or professional services you’re offering. But you don’t need a group to make money off of this stuff. You can also use it as a cross-sell on your existing eCommerce website, just like you were selling a product.
How to sell digital products in your Shopify store
The easiest type of product to implement would be an eBook because Shopify actually has an app called Digital Downloads. This let’s you create digital products in your store that a customer can add to their cart like a regular product and then the app delivers the product for you via email.
There is also an app to create a course inside your Shopify store called Courses. I have not personally used this app, so do your due diligence and look in the app store for some options.
There is also a platform called Thinkific where you can host your course and then integrate with Shopify using their app. This let’s you sell your Thinkific Courses on your Shopify store.
Lastly, to sell 1:1 virtual services, you’ll need some sort of booking software. There is an app in Shopify app store called Tipio that let’s people book lessons and such, or you can embed Acuity onto your store. I also have done these, so you’ll have to do some research, but I do use Acuity in my own business and I love it.
You don’t need a degree to teach someone else
One thing I want you to know about selling educational and informational products is that you don’t need to be an expert with crazy credentials to teach someone else. You just need to be a few steps ahead of the customer you’re targeting.
Since becoming a service provider and being immersed in the entrepreneurial world, I’ve realized that we all take our own knowledge for granted. Because it’s something we’ve been doing forever, or it comes super easy to us, we think that must be the case for everyone but that’s simply not true.
I started eCommerce Badassery it by accident. It wasn’t until people started reaching out to me for help, plus a nudge from my husband, that I realized I could even turn this into a business. As I work with more and more clients, I’m just blown away at how much value I’m able to bring by teaching things I thought were common knowledge.
Even something as simple as a template for tracking your weekly eCommerce numbers. I had a client tell me how helpful that was and I almost didn’t even give it to her because I was afraid she’d be insulted. Like duh, I know how to track my numbers. But it was my particular system and the way I laid it out that she found so helpful.
Your market isn’t as saturated as you think
It’s easy to think a particular market is too saturated. There’s already people doing this or teaching that. Yes, there is likely already someone teaching what you want to teach, but that just means that there is a market for what you've got.
You’re selling this as a complement to your product-based business so you’ve got the audience built in and people are drawn to different types of people. I’m not the only one that teaches product-based business how to grow, but there’s something about me and the way I present the information that keeps you coming back.
You’re going to bring something different than everyone else, so don’t let that deter you.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to create a digital product right now
So, how are you feeling about all this right now? Overwhelmed, inspired, like it’s not for you and your business? Whatever it is you’re feeling, that’s totally cool. This isn’t for everyone, and it might not be for you right now and that’s okay.
If it is something that you’re thinking, hmmm… I think this would be awesome for my business and I totally want to do it, head on over to the eCommerce Badassery Facebook group and check out the video in unit 4 of the group. The video is a presentation from Nicole and Darlene, coaches for the 10k Launch Academy which teaches you how to grow your group and sell digital and high-ticket offers.
I took the academy twice and I am an affiliate. Whether you join the academy or not, doesn't matter to me. But check out that video to hear more about how powerful this concept can be for product-based businesses. You can even join their free challenge which is happening right now. You’ll get so much value from the challenge itself, even if you don’t do the paid version.
One last note before I go — It’s Q4… you’ve got other shit to do in your business. You don’t have to do this right now. Revisit the idea in 2021 and bring any questions you have to the eCommerce Badassery facebook group.
Until next time eCommerce friends, I’ll see you on the flipside.
Listen to the Episode
Episodes Mentioned
Episode #29: Facebook Groups for Product-Based Businesses
Training Video Mentioned
Facebook Groups for Product-Based Businesses available in the eCommerce Badassery Facebook Group
