We are witnessing the rise of digital products – from ebooks to online courses, creators are successfully selling digital products and making good money.
This trend is quickly becoming one of the most popular and profitable ways for individuals to earn a living.
Skeptical? Just take a look at the numbers: the digital media market is projected to hit $499 billion by the end of 2023.
That's a substantial market! Interested in grabbing a piece of the pie?
You might be pondering questions like "What exactly constitutes a digital product?", "What types of digital products can I sell online?", or even "Which digital products are the most lucrative?"
Well, you've come to the right place.
For those eager to create and monetize digital products, we will delve into some of the most profitable and easy-to-create options, as well as guide you on how and where to start selling them today.
Let's dive in.
What exactly are digital products?
Let's start with the basics. A digital product is an item that can be sold online as a downloadable file.
This category includes a range of items such as templates (like social media templates, digital products templates, email marketing templates), ebooks (such as digital cookbooks and digital marketing guides), masterclasses, website themes, stock music, downloadable art prints, fonts, craft pattern PDFs, and more.
Essentially, if you can imagine it and download it, it qualifies as a digital product – and you can market it online.
In essence, a digital product refers to anything that can be sold as a downloadable file. This term encompasses a wide variety of products, including ebooks, templates, website themes, digital art, printables, online courses, stock music, and much more.
Essentially, if you can conceive of it and download it, it falls under the category of digital products – ones that are likely to earn you a share of the $627 billion digital media market.
Why should you sell digital products online?
Two words: passive income. Digital products serve as a potent source of passive income.
This means they have the potential to generate revenue for you even while you're sleeping or engaged in other activities like content creation or relaxation.
Digital products allow you to earn passive income because their production is relatively cost-effective and demands minimal time and effort compared to physical products.
Let's break it down.
When customers buy your digital product, they are essentially purchasing and downloading a copy of a digital file.
This implies that you only need to create your digital product once.
Afterwards, copies can be sold endlessly without any additional effort on your part. Since digital products exist online, creators don't need to invest in physical solutions like a brick-and-mortar store or a warehouse, or allocate time and effort towards restocking inventory.
Apart from strategically promoting your digital product (more on this later), you can simply watch the revenue flow in.
If you want to learn more about the wonders of earning passive income from digital products, check out our bundle.
Not only learning about making money from digital products from this bundle, but you can sell them too.
There is almost no limit to the types of digital products you can sell online.
However, some are more profitable than others. Continue reading to discover some of the most lucrative digital products that you can offer online.
1. Ebooks
Are you looking to monetize your expertise and knowledge? Consider writing and publishing an ebook.
An e-book, short for "electronic book," is a digital version of a book intended for reading on devices like computers, tablets, or smartphones.
E-books are favored by creators across various niches because they enable you to profit from your expertise on your own terms. Crafting and selling an e-book allows you to share your knowledge with others without having to navigate traditional publishing channels.
What's great is that e-books suit nearly any niche. Whether it's about cooking, career planning, or social media marketing, you can create an e-book on almost any topic imaginable.
If you're still unsure about which digital products align with your experience, expertise, or hobbies, our 200 Digital Product Ideas will help inspire you and transform your ideas into profitable digital products.
2. Templates
Looking to simplify your life (or your business or academic endeavors)? There's likely a template for that.
A template is a pre-designed document meant to be customized by users to produce a tailored final document that meets their specific requirements. In essence, templates are digital resources that help individuals save significant time and effort, which is why there is a high demand for them.
Today, designers proficient in various tools like Canva, Notion, Adobe Creative Suite, or even traditional programs like Excel can create diverse templates.
Templates come in various forms but their primary purpose is to address a user's pain point; if it offers a solution, there's a market for it!
They can range from budget planners and resume templates to ready-made party invitations and journal pages.
If selling templates appeal to you, consider starting with our tracker & planner bundle for inspiration and immediate sales opportunities.
3. Online courses
From TikTok tutorials to YouTube video essays, the internet is evolving into a hub for educational content.
Many creators are capitalizing on this trend by developing and selling their own online courses to an audience eager to acquire new knowledge.
So, what exactly is an online course?
Simply put, an online course is an educational program conducted virtually. Online courses can take various forms, ranging from basic to complex.
Numerous creators use online course builders or learning management systems like Thinkific to create feature-rich courses integrating videos, PDFs, presentations, quizzes, assignments, completion certificates, and community spaces such as chatrooms and comment sections for a comprehensive learning experience.
Online courses enable you to transform your knowledge into a sellable product that can be marketed repeatedly as individual courses, bundles, or through subscriptions.
If you enjoy taking online courses, particularly those related to social media, and are considering selling them but find the creation process daunting, our resalable course might be the perfect solution for you.
4. Guides and Tutorials
Guides and tutorials offer simple and lightweight alternatives to online courses that can be created quickly and easily by your audience.
With guides and tutorials, you're essentially sharing condensed versions of your expertise.
Guides and tutorials are super popular because people always want to learn something new or get better at what they already know.
Think about it—whether it's cooking, coding, or crafting, there's always someone out there eager to dive in.
Plus, once you've created a digital product, you don't have to worry about printing or shipping costs. You make it once and can sell it over and over, reaching as many people as you want without any extra hassle.
Not to mention that the internet gives you a global audience, so no matter where you are, you can connect with people who are ready to learn from you. It's a pretty smart way to turn your expertise into a steady income stream!
So start creating your digital products!
Whether you opt to begin with one or several of these options is entirely up to you.
The key is to take that first step!
Approach it strategically using our 7-Step Strategy for Launching A Digital Product.
Implement your marketing strategies and witness the revenue stream.
