Author | Jackie

You may have heard people go on and on about having a digital product for your business. But why? What are the advantages and should you bother?

It depends. It requires time and being prepared to expand your skill set if this isn’t something you’ve done before. You have to market your digital planner, just as you would any other product or service. Nothing, alas, sells itself!

You are already running an online business, so I don’t need to tell you how precious time is! Your time needs to be planned carefully and spent on things that move the needle in your business.

So, I’m not going to tell you it is a must have. Rather, I’m going to outline five reasons why they can add real value to your business, and why I feel they are worth the time investment.

1 | Adds another income stream to your business

Making money online

For those of us who sell online, we are all too aware of the seasonal ups and downs of online income! And, if you work offline with clients, say as a coach, you know clients come and go, and a reliable income level month-to-month isn’t guaranteed.

Platforms and the dreaded ‘A’ word

If you currently sell on a platform other than your own website, you will know you are at the mercy of the dreaded ‘A’ word - the algorithm!

Platforms can change their algorithm on what feels like a whim. And, if you use platforms like Amazon KDP or Etsy, you can be shut down or temporarily suspended with no notice. 

Spread the risks

One way you can buffer the ups and downs of online life is to spread your risks. Having multiple streams of potential income, even if it isn’t your main income, can be a wise investment of your time.

Multiple small pots of income add up and if one income stream goes down, the other streams buffer the impact and help keep you afloat.

My Own Business Example

When I started my digital stationery business, I began with an Etsy shop. This was perfect for a beginner as there was clearly an audience for digital stationery already on Etsy, and you can have a shop up and running in an hour! 

Once I had a good range of products in my shop, I started to develop my website. It has allowed me to create a second income stream and I’ve moved into producing EBooks and Courses. 

Make Your Own Digital Planner with Affinity Publisher & Templates

2 | Adds value to your existing services

Builds on what you have

This is perfect if you are already a service provider. Creating digital stationery is not only a second income stream, it is a way to add value to your existing services.

Workbooks, Planners and Journals, or combinations of these, are a great way to add value to your client experience. You can customise a planner into a branded, one-of-a-kind digital product to:

• reinforce your process, and
• guide your customers through your service

Boost your marketing

They are also a great way to attract new clients. They can be offered as a bonus when they sign up or pared down into a tempting lead magnet. Or, if you want to create a lower-cost entry product, they can be sold as a standalone item.

Where to start

If you are ready to start thinking about adding value to your existing services, grab this free guide. It will walk you through the questions you need to ask before you sit down to design. It is a workbook which includes space for brainstorming ideas on how to turn your service or process into a digital product.

3 | Adds a unique lead magnet to your website

A marketing asset

The wonderful thing about digital planners and stationery is, they can easily be sized to meet a specific need. You don’t have to give away a daily digital planner with its 400+ pages! Create a daily or weekly page to give a flavour of what your full products offer.

I use my digital planner design skills to create a range of free Guides and Workbooks. They are designed with hyperlinked tabs and are used in much the same way as a digital planner. 

My Own Business Example

One of my most popular lead magnets is a Quick Start Guide to digital planning. It includes a digital notebook, stickers and covers, so readers can follow along with the tutorials in the guide. The notebook is a pared down version of my bigger notebooks I sell. It didn’t take me long to create but has produced a well-converting and truly valuable freebie for my audience. 

Digital Planner Quick Start Guide | includes free notebook, stickers & covers

4 | Adds a bonus to your online course 

Who doesn’t love a bonus!

How often do you see courses or memberships for sale where they include a Bonus Workbook (or journal or notebook)? 

That’s because they are a genuinely valuable addition to any product. They don’t just serve to pad out an offer. They are something customers and clients love and will actually use. I know I personally love using workbooks and notebooks when I’m taking an online course.

My Own Business Example

I include a Course Workbook in my Make Your Own Digital Planner using Templates & Affinity Publisher course. 

The Workbook is 22 pages long and includes a checklist, with help and note-taking space for each of the units in the course. It is designed to keep students on track, and really is useful to anyone taking my course.

Make Your Own Digital Planner | Course Workbook

5 | Adds a popular product to your catalogue

Isn’t the market saturated?

Yes, there are a lot of digital planners out there. This is not a new or emerging trend. But, a lot of those planners are generic. Is the market saturated for niche, well-designed, customer-focussed digital planners and stationery? No, I don’t believe it is. 

The key to producing a product that sells is producing a product that helps people.

As an online business owner already, you have the biggest advantage. You already know who your customer is. This is the key to digital planner success - meeting a need and knowing who you are helping. If you have access to your customers, you can go one better and ask them what they want in a planner.

Digital planners, journals, workbooks, in all their shapes, sizes and niches, are incredibly popular. And, as you can see from above, they can be used in more than one way. 

Make Your Own Digital Planner | Free Guide and Workbook

Creating a digital planner to sell (or give away!)

I hope you can see how flexible and creative digital planner design can be.

Digital stationery can add real value to your online business. Whether that is by:

• building a new income stream
• complementing your existing services
• designing an eye-catching lead magnet
• creating bonus material for an course or membership
• adding a popular product to your offerings

Ready to have a go? Why not take a look at the Free Guides section.

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