Please allow me to introduce you to Christina Scalera, founder of The Contract Shop® (a 7-figure online contract template store for creative entrepreneurs) and D-Commerce® coach who helps people turn their own services into digital products.
Fun fact: Christina is the person who first introduced me to the concept of digital products, and she’s inspired me to create more of my own in 2022.
To date, her online storefront (established in 2015) has brought in nearly $2 million in revenue, all of which is passive income. In other words, she’s no longer trading time for money — and as result, she’s living her very best life.
Interested in ramping up your passive income, too? You’re in the right place. In this podcast episode, Christina gives 5 tips for creating a profitable digital shop and explains why you should consider dipping your toes into the digital commerce world.
Tip 1: Use Affordable Products to “Hook” Future High-Ticket Clients
Some of your audience members may not be ready to invest at a high level, but low-priced items in your shop can be a great way to introduce them to your suite of products and services. For example, if you’re trying to build an audience on TikTok (which I am, lol), your audience will likely be filled with younger people who don’t necessarily NEED your high-ticket programs… yet.
An online storefront with affordable offerings, such as worksheets, templates or checklists, will help these audience members get more familiar with your brand — and they’ll be more likely to come to you for higher-ticket products or services later on. Christina notes that luxury brands do this often with pages on their websites devoted to gifts under $25 or $50; those small purchases add up, and building brand awareness is incredibly valuable.
Christina also points out that a younger audience is typically looking for quick results, so they aren’t as likely to purchase your more in-depth courses or invest in top-dollar coaching. Instead, they want something they can immediately get their hands on and put to use, and they’re usually willing to pay a reasonable fee.
Tip 2: Revamp Higher-Ticket Resources to Sell at a Lower Price Point
If you already have resources for your high-ticket clients, consider revamping or repurposing them to sell in your online shop at an affordable rate.
For example, if you have a high-level program or course, you can pull resources from them and rename and rework them to ensure they are more streamlined and easy to “digest” while staying true to the original concept.
According to Christina, people purchasing digital products are typically looking for lighter content with a low or nonexistent barrier to entry. They want products that are easy to use and implement right away, no explanation or teaching required. They aren’t looking for much education or training; they simply want a fast result. This is why digital products like simple Excel sheets are often so successful — customers in these instances want to be able to quickly accomplish their goals, and your product is making it easy for them to do just that at a no-brainer cost.
While it’s not necessary to completely reinvent the wheel when revamping resources, Christina notes that it IS important to change your existing content enough to guarantee it’s not the same as that which you’re providing the clients who have invested at a significantly higher level. Get creative!
Tip 3: Promote Your Online Shop and Products Regularly
It’s no secret that your audience has to know about your digital products in order to buy them, so speak up.
You can invigorate your followers and drive traffic to your online storefront in a variety of ways, including:
- Launch/promo events: Whether you’re unveiling a new product or reintroducing an old product that’s been improved or redesigned, building anticipation and excitement with your audience is a great way to boost sales. If the product is new, make sure your audience understands:
- why it’s so helpful;
- if the product has been refreshed,
- take the time to share the enhancements.
- Add reminders into your regular social media content: Casually mentioning your digital products in your Instagram Stories, for example, is another effective way to encourage your customers to head to your online shop. Although you may think your audience is aware of your product line, chances are they’ve forgotten (you’re not the only person selling to them, after all), and you’ve probably gotten new followers since your last launch.
- Show yourself using and enjoying your products: Selling a productivity journal or a mind-mapping exercise? Show yourself filling it out in real-time on social media and talk about why it’s been instrumental to your success. Not only does this create product awareness, but it also reinforces that your products actually work and are worth purchasing.
Tip 4: Focus On Your Brand’s Purpose and Core Message
Your digital products will likely vary, but they should all fit under the umbrella of your brand’s purpose and core message. In other words, every product or service you are selling in your online shop should align with what your brand stands for and should help solve a certain type of problem.
In the FastForward shop, for example, I offer an array of resources and materials, but they all fall under one distinct theme: Getting shit done and moving forward quickly. Despite the fact that it’s physical and not digital, my Perfectly Imperfect mug is a prime example; I talk about taking perfectly imperfect action often, and I often discuss how critical it is to set the vibe for the day ahead — what better way to do that than with a mug of your favorite drink? In short: Even though my brand has nothing to do with coffee or mugs, this product perfectly represents my message and mission, and as a result, it’s a perfect fit for my shop.
Ensuring your brand’s purpose and core message is both clear and evident throughout your product suite is important because it helps guarantee your customers continue to associate you with what you do best and will recommend your products to others looking for similar solutions and support.
Tip 5: Borrow Other People’s Audiences
No audience? No problem. That was Christina’s situation when she launched her online shop, but she didn’t let that stop her. Instead, she got creative.
Christina’s solution: Borrow other people’s audiences. To do this, she identified brands and creators who could benefit from her help and expertise and pitched collaborations (think: a guest blog post, an Instagram Stories takeover or a free presentation via an Instagram Live) — and it worked. Not only was she able to serve the creator and their audience by providing free content, but she was also able to connect with an entirely new group of people… many of whom would eventually become customers.
To put this into practice, comb through a brand’s content and see if there are any holes or gaps you could fill with your unique skills and talents. Once you’ve created a compelling pitch, ask if they would be willing to collaborate or if you could create free content for them. Before you know it, you’ve got an audience — and customers for your online storefront.
I hope these 5 tips will help you create a profitable digital shop!
I’ve included a quick recap of all the tips right here, so you can screenshot this article and bring these tips along as you launch your own online storefront with digital products.
Tip #1: Use Affordable Products to “Hook” Future High-Ticket Clients
Tip #2: Revamp Higher-Ticket Resources to Sell at a Lower Price Point
Tip #3: Promote Your Online Shop and Products Regularly
Tip #4: Focus On Your Brand’s Purpose and Core Message
Tip #5: Borrow Other People’s Audiences
For more help creating a digital shop, download my FREE guide: Start Your Online Shop! Follow this link to get started making money no matter where you are and what you’re doing, and FINALLY find the freedom you’re craving: www.fastforwardamy.com/startyourshop.
Watch this episode on YouTube or listen via iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and search for episode 112 of The FastForwardAmy Show.
PS: If you want to learn more on mindset and abundance, increase your authentic authority, scale your income and build a profitable business and brand, make sure to get on the waitlist for our Business Freedom Elevator™️.
Register here: www.fastforwardamy.com/elevator.
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