I’ve been in the business of selling digital products for years now, so I know a thing or two when it comes to creating a digital product marketing plan that actually works. If you’ve ever felt panicked and overwhelmed at how you’ll actually drive traffic — and sales — to your shiny new digital products, I’ve been there! And that’s what I want to talk to you about in this blog.

Your digital product marketing plan doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. Here’s what you need to start marketing your digital products.

Create an opt-in

An opt-in offer, also called a freebie, is a type of inbound marketing strategy where your potential customer signs up for a company’s email newsletter in exchange for something of value. 

What kind of opt-in can you create? Depends what you’re selling and what your brand is all about, but there are lots of options! A handy checklist, a downloadable guide, a customizable template — whatever it is, it should align with the digital products you sell.

When you create an opt-in, you’re providing something free yet valuable that will build your relationship with your potential customers. If you want a little more info on creating a great opt-in, I talk about why you need something “free” in your shop here.

Once you start collecting email addresses, you can begin familiarizing people with your new brand through emails. And once your audience is familiar with and starts trusting your brand, it’ll be that much easier to convince them to buy. Which leads us to email marketing…

Focus on your email

Email lists are fantastic tools for promoting digital products! The more email subscribers you have, the more potential traffic you can drive to your digital product shop, but you want them to be the right type of people. We use ActiveCampaign to segment out our subscribers for The Contract Shop® (and for my coaching brand), so that people get targeted emails that fit how they found us.

If they purchase a contract template, for example, they get funneled into our new purchaser sequence. If they download a freebie, though, they get funneled into a new customer sequence that also includes a discount for their first purchase. This way, we can nurture that relationship! We also send weekly newsletters to our whole list, excluding folks who are in the introductory sequence, so we can continue to stay top of mind and also so we can share valuable content.

Writing a newsletter might sound like an outdated marketing tool, but guess what? They still work! A 2020 study found that 81% of B2B marketers used them for content marketing in the last year. Oh, and the return on investment (ROI) average was $42 — the highest of any marketing channel out there.

(Psst: I talk more about email nurture sequences here.)

Be present on social media

Fun fact for ya: There are now more than 4.5 billion social media users worldwide. That’s huge, considering there are nearly 8 billion people on the entire planet! But what that means for you is that social media is an awesome platform for marketing and promoting your digital products.

And no, you don’t need to pour money into ads on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. You can use social media to boost your sales with the right strategy.

Social media marketing is a beast on its own, so we’ll stick to a few helpful tips and keep this blog short! To market and promote your digital products on social media, you should:

Know which platforms work best for you. 

Picking the right social media platforms is part of finding the best buyers for your digital product. You need to meet your potential customers where they are online so you can sell to them.

Share content consistently. 

Don’t show up only when you want to push sales! Social media works when you take the time to build relationships with your followers. Nurture that connection with them by posting regularly, and they’ll be more likely to buy later.

Be interesting. 

What content should you be sharing? Mix it up with content that educates, entertains, or inspires. Switch up your formats, too! Put your Stories, Reels, and Lives to use.

Host an exclusive community. 

Create a Facebook Group! People hate FOMO and like exclusivity. You can share deals, bonuses, exclusive content, and other goodies in your group to build rapport with your audience.

Don’t forget to track what works and what doesn’t on your social media platforms. Is there a certain format or type of content that’s outperforming all the others? Or a certain time of day or week that your followers seem to be the most engaged? Analyze your results and see how you can use them to improve. 

Show up online with a blog

Speaking of sharing consistent, valuable content…I hope you have a blog up and running as part of your digital product marketing plan. (Actually, that’s a key part of having a strong brand in general.) 

Like your social media content, blogs can educate, inspire, or entertain your audience, and eventually encourage them to buy what you’re offering. In a non-pushy and natural way. Drive sales to your digital product shop by sharing blog posts that make sense for your products! 

Plus, blogs are great for search engine optimization (SEO). In a nutshell, that means your blog can help your brand rank better in search engine results. Search engines will see your blog as a relevant, trustworthy answer to your potential customers’ questions, so your site will be seen by more people. 

Start marketing your digital products today

I hope this blog (and the video) helped you feel more confident about your digital product marketing plan! For even more tips on creating and selling digital products successfully, browse through my YouTube channel. 

Not quite at that stage where you’re ready for a digital product marketing plan? Looking to take your idea for a digital product from a design in your brain to selling like mad in your digital shop? My Ultimate Digital Download Product Creation Plan can help! 
This comprehensive guide teaches you everything you need to know about creating a digital product, launching a successful digital shop, and enjoying passive income as it rolls in. Grab yours today!