In the world of affiliate marketing, it’s essential to have the ability to create simple digital products as lead magnets, even if that’s your main focus.
Drawing from my experience I’ve compiled 10 valuable tips to provide you with ideas and assistance in this area.
Let’s dive into these tips and explore how you can enhance your digital product creation skills.
1. What should you create a product about?
One common mistake many individuals make is choosing to create a product that caters to a niche with limited interest, often only appealing to themselves.
The key to a successful product lies in addressing the genuine needs and wants of the target audience, rather than assumptions.
To discover what truly resonates with your audience, consider conducting surveys or polls.
Engage with your niche community through platforms like Paperform or Google Forms to gather insights on their main pain points and preferences.
If you lack a direct audience, tools like Answer The Public can reveal popular queries related to your chosen keyword, guiding you towards solving prevalent issues in your product.
Additionally, engaging in niche Facebook groups and seeking permission to conduct polls can provide valuable feedback and insights.
2. What equipment you will need to make digital products
There are individuals I know who craft their products solely using MS Word, with some possibly utilizing Open Office. At a basic level, minimal tools are required.
If your goal is to produce PDF material, you’re all set.
However, the concept of “eBooks” seems somewhat outdated in today’s digital landscape. Few people are enthused about sifting through lengthy 200+ page PDFs.
For those dedicated to written content, transforming your book into a physical copy through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing for print-on-demand be more appealing.
In the current digital, people prefer consuming content in smaller, more digestible portions.
Investing in equipment for creating and editing video and audio content could be valuable for this purpose.
No need to fret about spending a fortune.
A quality webcam (like the popular Logitech C920, although newer options exist), a reliable microphone (such as RODE or Blue Yeti), Camtasia for screen recordings and editing, and Powerpoint for creating slides can suffice.
3. What is the best format? Video vs PDF vs Audio
As I mentioned in the previous tip, people like to consume digital products in bite sized pieces. They can pick up and put down a course when it suits them.
For that reason, if you have a fairly long eBook that has 20 chapters, it would be better to make that into a “workshop” type of product by breaking the chapters down to 20 or 10 mini instalments (depending on the chapter length).
Then give the buyer the option of downloading each module as they come to it or all in one go. It just has a more achievable feel to it than a massive tome.
I feel the best option, when applicable, is not to second guess what format the buyer prefers and offer all there – video, audio and pdf.
Some people prefer watching a video, some like to listen to audio while doing something else, others like to read. Let them decide!
If your course has a lot of screen recordings or screenshots, then the audio will need to be edited accordingly and may not even be possible but for what would normally be contained in an eBook, it works great.
Incidentally, if you have PLR that is in eBook format, these are great ways to breath some life into them and make them viable.
4. What about software?
Software often comes with a higher price tag for good reason.
If you’re not well-versed in software development, you may need to hire a specialist or work with someone who is.
There’s also the aspect of ongoing support to consider.
Let’s delve into it further.
Creating and managing a SaaS software application offers great potential rewards, but it also comes with significant costs.
With the right concept a solid product, it can truly be a game-changer.
Another avenue, although somewhat overused, is developing a WordPress plug-in.
The challenge here, especially if you’re not coding it yourself, lies in providing ongoing support and keeping up with WordPress updates.
The success of such a venture hinges on the functionality it offers and the demand for it.
The simplest way to incorporate software into your product lineup is by utilizing tools that automate software creation.
Over the years, I’ve had success with various software generators that follow a set formula.
One standout tool that I highly recommend is Saaset, which I’ve used in multiple projects for various purposes.
Ultimately, your decision to venture into software development will depend on your skills and resources.
Saaset, however, empowers individuals with no coding background to craft sophisticated SaaS applications that hold significant value.
5. The DIAL Method
A few years ago, one smart guy shared a clever method with me that involves getting paid upfront before creating any content, especially for video-based material.
This strategy involves using a webcam, Powerpoint (or a mind tool like Xmind), and a broadcasting application such as a webinar platform or Zoom.
Once your course material is ready and you have rehearsed your training, you can launch a sales page for a “Live Webinar Training” or a multi-day “Live Workshop” where participants pay a premium price for a full Q&A session with you.
This method, known as DIAL (Do It All Live), allows you to deliver live sessions and then edit the recordings afterwards to refine the content.
By breaking down the recordings into smaller videos and removing any errors or Q&A segments, you can create a comprehensive course to sell.
Additionally, using Otter.ai to generate transcripts for each video can provide an additional bonus for your audience.
6. Using PLR Material
One valuable lesson to remember is the importance creativity when working with PLR content.
Simply using it as is won’t cut it; you need to add your own touch to make it appealing and valuable to your audience.
By reworking and repackaging PLR materials, even a small collection of articles can be transformed into a high-quality product.
For instance, turning articles into videos and creating a mini-course for a membership site can add significant value.
Treat PLR as a starting point or a source of inspiration rather than a final product when incorporating it into your business strategy.
7. What type of lead magnets should you create?
In the past, the common advice was to provide more value by giving away a whole eBook instead of just a report.
However, nowadays people prefer lead magnets that offer one specific solution or build on existing content.
It’s crucial to understand what your audience wants before creating a lead magnet.
Focus on creating bite-sized content like checklists, cheatsheets, or resource files to attract and engage your audience.
Platforms like Beacon can help you create attractive lead magnets easily.
Offering a free membership to a community can also be appealing, with a mix of free and paid content.
While video content can be effective, keep it short as people are busy and prefer quick consumption.
8. Deep monetization
I always recommend maximizing your opportunities for monetization wherever possible.
This includes incorporating affiliate links to products in your lead magnets and creating a PDF resources file for online courses with affiliate links to recommended resources.
Don’t forget to monetize thank you pages, download pages, and members areas as well.
By strategically placing affiliate links throughout your content, you can generate income from various services and products.
Missing out on this monetization strategy means leaving potential revenue untapped.
9. Create products for others
One profitable method involves purchasing high-quality PLR content, repurposing it through various formats and revisions, rebranding it with a fresh look and name, and setting it up as a ready-made sales funnel.
Many PLR buyers overlook these steps, so by adding value through these enhancements, you can charge a premium for your services.
Another effective strategy is initially selling the product as your own before offering it as a white-label solution, showcasing the proven success of the sales funnel.
Enhance the offering further by including an autoresponder sequence and a membership delivery system, such as a WordPress plugin.
To increase the perceived value, consider limiting the number of available copies to 100.
10. Avoid “Feature Creep”
One common reason why some individuals struggle to bring their own product to market due to a tendency to endlessly refine and perfect their ideas.
Rather than completing a project and releasing it, they constantly add new features or improvements, never reaching a point of satisfaction.
This cycle often leads to multiple unfinished projects scattered in the past, hindering progress and success.
It’s comparable to composing a song – at some stage, you must declare it finished or risk never completing a full album.
While enhancements can always be made in the future, it’s crucial to launch the product initially.
Generating revenue from the initial release can fund further developments, such as a version 2.0 or a reloaded edition for subsequent launches.
The key is to take that first step and get your creation out into the world without succumbing to the endless pursuit of perfection.