3-2-1: What, Where, and How on Digital Products

You signed up for Side Hustle Creator because you are either:

A) A Founder/ CEO

B) A Creator/ Writer/ Marketer

C) Or All

Regardless of the right answer, that means you are always looking for the best place to invest your dollars and time.

As a Founder and marketer myself, making money through digital products will be part of the journey at some point. 

If you are a beginner within in few years or months, you will explore this path. But if you are already a seasoned creator or writer, you might have already explored this path.

I will be as simple as possible so more can take advantage of this path. Whenever someone explores this path, 3 questions stop them from making money:

1. What kind of digital products do people usually sell?

2. Where do people (Creators and Marketers) sell them?

3. Where can I create these products (tools/ software one needs)?

I believe these are core 3, and if you know and understand where you stand at this moment, chances of you selling our products sky rockets.

So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

P.S. Our 3-2-1 newsletter series will continue for the next coming months, too, so stay tuned.

What kind of digital products do people usually sell?

Many of you have heard or seen people selling e-books and courses on social platforms, people start copying them.

Is that all to the digital product markets, you now when you copy someone, it doesn’t means you will get the same results. 

That’s why before quitting (bc it doesn’t work), you need to explore different things and find out what works for you and resonates with your audience.

Types of digital products:

1. Ebooks & Audiobooks: Guides, novels, and industry reports.

2. Courses & Tutorials: Video lessons, PDF guides, slide decks.

3. Templates: Resume templates, business plans, Notion pages, etc..

4. Printables: Calendars, planners, journals, coloring books.

5. Design Assets: Fonts, icons, UI kits, and stock photos.

6. Music & Audio: Beats, sound effects, royalty-free music, and meditations.

7. Software & Code: Web apps, mobile apps, code snippets, and plugins.

8. Membership Content: Private communities, premium articles, exclusive videos.

9. Digital Art: Illustrations, wallpapers, 3D art, and AI-generated art.

10. Licensable IP: Usage rights for brand names, slogans, or frameworks.

Bonus hack: You must understand your audience. Don't jump into any niche just because you think people will love it. I once ran a poll on X and LinkedIn.

Few answered, but those who did gave me clear insights.

You can also pose the question directly to them on multiple channels like here I can ask you guys — using my newsletter.

Where do people sell them?

It’s an important question. Mostly, people know what to sell, but they fall into this trap and choose the wrong platform. When they don’t get the right results, they keep going.

But few actually change the platform to check if they made a mistake.

Top digital marketplaces:

1. Etsy: For printables, templates, and planners.

2. Creative Market: Fonts, graphics, templates.

3. Gumroad: Direct selling for any digital products.

4. Sellfy: eBooks, videos, and memberships.

5. Teachable or Thinkific: Online courses.

6. Udemy: A massive course marketplace.

7. Your Website: Use tools like Shopify, WooCommerce, etc., to sell directly.

8. Content Platforms: Patreon, Substack, Medium, etc. Monetize content.

Real Experience: I remember my friend with just a few thousand YouTube followers. He created a course and put it on Udemy. I don’t know his followers, but Udemy's massive audience loves his courses on mining.

A platform is key. It boosts your product reach. If you have a few initial reviews, many people will take the risk of buying.

That’s why you must choose a healthy platform where people love your type of product.

Where can I create these products?

Not all people are versatile in using different tools to create digital products.

It's also the last step that holds back many of us.

Whether they can even make this product or whether they can even use this tool. Many people hesitate to invest time in learning new things or making a change.

That’s why they follow others' actions and choose a path that requires less effort.

But remember, copying others doesn’t mean you will get the same results.

Which tool to use usually depends on your product type:

1. Ebooks & PDFs: MS Word, Google Docs, Canva, Adobe InDesign, etc.

2. Courses & Video Content: ScreenFlow, OBS, Loom, Premiere Pro, etc.

3. Printables & Templates: Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Notion, etc.

4. Audio Products: Audacity, GarageBand, Ableton, Logic Pro, etc.

5. Design Assets: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Suite, Procreate, etc.

6. Code & Software Products: VS Code, Android Studio, Unity, Webflow, etc.

7. Web & App Templates: Framer, Figma, Tilda, Bubble, Glide, etc.

Bonus Tip: You don’t have to be a master of all, but you should know how to use 3 to 5 tools related to your niches. For example, as a creator, you should know how to use tools for making templates, videos, e-books, and printables.

The same goes for developers and other professions. You should know a few tools that relate to your field.

P.S. I will end this here 😄 

But don’t forget to check weekly resource “TO-DO LIST” down there. I hand pick and share these awesome resources every week.

✅ New platform: Fast Company launches a creator network, republishing newsletter writers. The real benefit is that the outlet encourages readers to sign up for its paid newsletters.

✅ Get super inspired: Dying man uses his last months to perform community service in all 50 states.

✅ Beware: Maybe don't do this 🤦‍♂️

✅ This girl: How this girl grew to 75k in only 5 months.

✅ Be careful out their: Tariffs could hit ad spending if they lead to a recession.

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