How To Make Money Selling Digital Products

If you have an expertise that you want to share with the world, then you can easily turn your knowledge into a digital product. You can create an online course, digital download, membership, or coaching program to share your knowledge with others.

How To Make Money Selling Digital Products.

Creating a digital product might seem overwhelming, but with the right tools, you can build a profitable online business with the knowledge you already have. 

Learning platforms like Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific make it possible for you to package your knowledge into a digital product like an online course, coaching program, or membership.

What Is A Learning Platform?

A learning platform (aka teaching platform or knowledge platform) is software that gives you the ability to create digital products. They’re a popular option for online coaches, course creators, and therapists because they make it easy to monetize your knowledge.

Most learning platforms give you multiple options for how you can ‘package’ your knowledge into a digital product. Here’s a list of the common options you could use.

Online Course: An online course is a learning program that’s organized into bite-sized units. Online courses make it possible for you to take a complex subject and break it down so that your clients get a complete understanding in an easily digested format. Online courses are a good option if you want to create a learning program with flexibility so that your clients can learn at their own pace. 

Coaching Program: Online coaching programs are typically more hands-on. Unlike online courses where your clients usually work independently, coaching programs are designed so you can work more directly with your clients. You can do one-on-one coaching sessions, build a cohort, or do a mix of both. Coaching programs are a great option if you want to create a personalized coaching experience for your clients. 

Digital Download: Digital downloads (or digital products) are any product that you can sell through digital means like ebooks, stock photos, and templates. You can sell your digital product over and over with very little overhead costs. Many online coaches, course creators, and therapists sell digital products for passive income. 

Membership: Memberships are online communities that offer access to exclusive information, products, and services. They are ideal for sharing a lot of information with a group of people. If you’re considering building an online course or starting a coaching program, then a membership could be a great way to add more value to your offer. 

These different product types give you the flexibility to share your expertise the way you want. It’s important to know how you want to package your knowledge before choosing a learning platform. It will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. 

How To Find The Right Learning Platform For You.

Not all learning platforms are built for the same purposes. Some are designed for online courses only and some give you unlimited packaging options. So, research is key to finding the right learning platform for you. 

You should also consider that not all platforms offer the support you may need. Look for a platform that will help you plan, create, and sell your digital product.

To help you narrow down the options, here's an honest break-down of the most popular learning platforms.

Kajabi: Kajabi is an all-inclusive platform. You can create your digital products, build a website to market them, process payments, schedule meetings, host live events, share digital resources, send emails, and build sales funnels. Kajabi is best known for its comprehensive marketing tools. For example, Kajabi Pipelines are built-in sales funnels that make selling your digital products much easier. If marketing is a top priority for you, then Kajabi is your best option. The only downside is the price (but you won’t need to spend money on any third party integrations).

ConvertKit: ConvertKit is also an all-inclusive platform. You can design your website, create automated email campaigns, and build sales funnels. Kajabi and ConvertKit have a seamless integration because it’s so common for ConvertKit users to ‘upgrade’ to Kajabi. The only difference between these top two platforms is the scalability. The ConvertKit pricing structure is based on user count (the more clients you have, the more expensive it is to use the platform). Kajabi and ConvertKit are the most popular learning platforms for coaches, course creators, and therapists by far. 

Teachable: Teachable is a great platform for building online courses. The course builder is easy to use and gives you lots of customization options. However, the base plan on Teachable forces you to give the platform 5% of your profits (which is not common on learning platforms). You’ll also need to learn how to write code in order to customize your website on the complex website builder. Teachable is a good option for you if you only want to sell courses and don’t mind doing the back-end/tech work. 

Thinkific: Thinkific is another popular platform for building online courses. The drag and drop course builder is easy to use so that you can set up your online course relatively quickly. The customization features are what make Thinkific stand out. You’ll get a lot of flexibility when it comes to structuring your course so you can add as much detail as you want. However, the website builder lacks customization features and you will be forced to use third party integrations for your marketing strategy. Thinkific is ideal if you don't mind putting in a little extra effort to market your digital products. 

Here’s a few more resources to help you get started on this exciting new journey! Remember, building a business takes patience, dedication, and community - never be afraid to reach out for help!

Free Content Calendar template for Google Sheets - Download the free Google Sheets template and learn how to customize your own social media calendar. 

What is a Landing Page? - Learn what a landing page is, why your online business needs one, and how to design a landing page that converts!

5 Must-Have Email Sequences for Course Creators and Coaches - Get the sequences that your email marketing strategy needs. 

And don’t forget to check out our FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY!