When online content creators and business owners begin thinking about adding digital products to their blog or website, they all have one common fear: that their audience will think they’re a “sell-out” and get so turned off they’ll run away.
It’s a delicate tap dance between maximizing reader engagement and building income, but when done thoughtfully and strategically, adding products to your online brand can actually build authenticity - and provide a way to better get to know your audience.
Remember You Are the Expert
Perhaps the biggest reason bloggers and online entrepreneurs avoid selling is because they don’t think they’re good or popular enough to sway their online audience. This, obviously, is a false assumption. Everyone has relevant knowledge to share, and if you know enough about a subject to build out a full online product, you’re likely more knowledgeable than you believe.
Remember: you are the expert. Say it every day if you have to!
Come from the Art of Authentic Helpfulness
You could think, “I want to create a knitting tutorial because I love to knit!” While this is how an idea for a product usually starts, once development begins, try and have the product solve one simple, glaring issue. Think from your ideal customer’s perspective - what do they need to know? What are the gaps in the marketplace?
You could focus on knitting for beginners, or a specific type of knitting technique, but more than just a tutorial, try putting together a resource that you would want to buy, or wish would’ve been around when you were just starting out.
Still stumped? Here are 5 more online selling tips that describe in greater detail how to find your niche market and product.
Only Sell Products that Very Easily Align with Your Brand
Perhaps the easiest way to alienate an online audience is to begin selling products that don’t align with your brand or overall product offering. Today’s online readers and shoppers are very advertising aware, and they know when they’re being marketed something genuinely helpful, and something you’d simply like the payout for. Why risk it with your precious online following by promoting an item that doesn’t really “fit”?
When building out a first product, think about the greatest need. Then build out additional products united in theme or the problems solved. Product lines should complement one another; this makes it easier to cross and upsell to customers, but it also further increases your brand equity as an expert. Ideally, over time, you want to be the “one stop shop” for subject matter knowledge in your area.
Once you begin selling, here are five tips to help you get to your first $1,000.
Selling Products Gives Additional Opportunities to Create Dialogue and Solicit Feedback
Instead of thinking of online selling as a way to net more money, reformat your thinking to view selling products as an opportunity to get to know your customers better. With (x number) of products in your online income tool belt, you now have (x number) of ways to create a dialogue with your customers and readers.
If it feels intimidating, start with a simple follow up email to buying customers a week or so after their initial purchase and build up into a larger annual survey of all those who purchased. Ask them how they’re liking the product or if you can answer any questions.
Not everyone will answer, but those who do will be able to provide truly invaluable feedback on ways to improve the product, or, better still, you’ll learn how to better market your product.