You Might Be Overthinking Digital Products

12 steps To Doing it Differently

Image created by yours truly with DALL-E

I first heard the term “Internet Marketing” in 2006.

I attended an event in San Francisco called “The Wealth Expo,” which was put on by the Learning Annex (Now defunct but was once an education company).

Like most big events, you could attend different breakout sessions/workshops, so my friend and I went to one about Internet Marketing.

The speaker shared how he was making $8-10k a month selling ebooks.

These weren’t ebooks about making money online; they were niche ebooks (he was making $2k monthly on a book about pet rats! 🤯).

That was when I knew I would figure out how to create and grow a business online.

I won’t go into my whole story here, but within my first official year of business (2008), I became “The WordPress Chick.”

Screenshot courtesy of the Wayback Machine (this was the 3rd iteration)

Before I began doing service work (which was never my intention), I hosted a live training session and then shipped people the physical DVD of the training. Anyone else remember Kunaki?

The workshop was “How to set up Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools for WordPress.”

The live webinar and DVD were $24.95 (clearly, before everything in this space had to end in a 7 or 9).

It didn’t bring me a full-time income or anything, but it validated that it was possible to earn a living online.

Here’s the thing with this…

The problem this workshop solved was very specific.

Instead of trying to do an extensive course (courses weren’t the ‘thing’ in 2008), I picked one thing I had figured out and decided to share it with others.

When I look back on the products that have done well for me, they all follow this pattern.

• Something I was frustrated with

• I figured it out

• I practiced it

• I taught it

Another product that did well for me when I was “The WPChick” was my ‘Diving into Genesis’ book, which eventually became a course. Genesis is a framework for WordPress themes (pretty big at the time) by StudioPress.

It was pretty revolutionary when it first came out (I won’t go into why). It was a whole new way to create WordPress sites.

I’m not a developer or coder, so my audience was primarily everyday users who wanted to manage their WordPress sites themselves.

I had a problem => I was my target audience => I figured out the problem => I taught the solution.

The same thing happened with the content planner I created with a friend. We sold almost half a million dollars of that planner (we closed the brand in the fall of 2022). As someone who loves her pen and paper as much as I love tech, I always found myself writing things out when I wanted to create a plan.

So, we created the planner I wish I had had while planning my content.

You see where I’m going with this, right?

If you’re trying to figure out what type of digital product to create, instead of looking at what other people are doing or jumping in full force with an extensive course, create something that solves one specific problem first.

This is Marketing 101.

But we (myself included) get caught up trying to “come up” with the right idea.

Your “right idea” doesn’t have to be a huge launch right out the gate (it rarely is). Right ideas tend to start small and take on a life of their own.

Or, as my friend Lesley says, “they grow arms and legs.”

This is precisely how and why I created “The Visual Guide to Substack.”

I signed up for Substack a few years ago but only recently decided to go all-in with it.

I started with my other publication, “Women, Wisdom, & Wealth,” since it was brand new, and I got pretty frustrated going through the setup process.

I’m pretty savvy when it comes to using marketing software (after almost 17 years, I would hope so 🤪), so to be that frustrated, I knew there was an opportunity to solve this problem.

I created the Visual Guide I wish I had had.

And guess what?

With zero fanfare or a big launch, this guide (only a couple of weeks old) continues to sell (I’m creating an evergreen marketing plan for it).

I’m not trying to become ‘The Substack Chick,’ and I won’t be writing about or teaching people how to go from 0-500 subscribers on Substack or specific tips, tricks, and hacks.

That’s not my jam.

I have a long-term plan for my business and life; I’m not about to pivot.

That said, I see an opportunity for other ‘Visual Guides’ and will start another next week (where are my other visual learners? 🤚).

The bonus to doing this is the depth of learning I get to do for myself.

If you want to understand how to use something fully, create documentation for it - you’ll be surprised at what you learn.

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Here are 12 Steps to Doing it Differently

1. Reflect on Frustrations and Challenges: Think about tasks, processes, or problems you frequently encounter in your work or personal life. Make a list of anything challenging, especially if you've figured out a solution.

2. Identify Your Target Audience: Consider who would benefit from this solution. Often, the best audience is people like you—those who face similar frustrations or have similar goals.

3. Evaluate Your Skills and Strengths: Consider areas where you have expertise or developed a unique process. Your best product ideas often align with things you've solved or improved.

4. Start Small with a Specific Problem: Avoid tackling broad, complex topics. Instead, focus on solving one particular pain point. This could be as simple as a guide, template, or mini-course addressing a single, straightforward issue.

5. Validate Your Idea: Talk to potential customers or share your idea with a small audience. See if they resonate with the problem and would be willing to invest in a solution. This doesn’t have to be formal—just gauge interest (I had a handful of friends say they wanted the book AND… have gone through it!).

6. Outline a Simple Solution: Design a straightforward, actionable guide, ebook, template, or workshop that delivers a solution without overwhelming details. Aim for clarity, utility, and ease of use.

7. Create a Prototype or Test Version: Develop a basic version of your product and share it with a few trusted people for feedback. This can be a PDF, video series, or an email-based course. Their insights can help you refine your product.

8. Market with a Focus on the Solution: Emphasize how your product addresses a specific issue. Use real examples from your experience or testers' feedback to show its value.

9. Launch Without Perfection: Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Put it out there, even if it’s a simple version, and plan to iterate based on customer feedback.

10. Plan for Evergreen Updates: As you learn more and gain feedback, over time refine the product. This iterative process will help it stay relevant and valuable for customers.

11. Share Your Personal Journey: People love stories. Sharing why you created this product and how it solved your challenges makes it relatable and can help you connect with your audience.

12. Consider Future Product Additions: If the product gains traction, think about complementary products or guides. Small successes often lead to larger ideas—let your product "grow arms and legs."

I don’t plan on retiring from these Visual Guides (although, never say never 😉). They’re an additional stream of revenue that keeps my business going while I stay focused on my long-term plans without derailing me.

At this stage in the game, I’ve learned to deploy some patience… the fantastic thing about slowing down is that it’s usually the catalyst for what you want to show up sooner.