As a creator and product owner, making your first sale online can be very symbolic. It’s the validation you need to believe that someone is interested in what you have to offer.

The issue, however, is that making your first sale is a hard nut to crack. Sometimes, it never comes and you eventually give up on the product.

While there are a couple of reasons for this, the most important thing for you to know is that it’s the internet. And there are a lot of things that capture the attention of your audience, so they are not ready to buy immediately.

Let’s look at a couple of things to do to help you make your first digital product sale.

1. Build an audience

The first step to making a sale is to have people who want to buy from you. Because if no one knows you have a product or feel the need to get it, how will you sell?

To sell online, you must prioritize audience growth over everything else, and one of the best ways to accomplish this is to build a valued and distinct brand. 

This involves sharing content that is valuable, relatable, and engaging enough to spark an interest in someone. The key is to share content that can only be found on your page.

This means if you decide to create fashion content, it doesn’t make you the only fashion creator. More than creating a quick Get Ready With Me (GRWM) video or showing your latest collection, think of how you can apply your uniqueness to it. Because it’s just another fashion video until you personalize it.

Another method is to network and connect with other creators. Attend industry events and gatherings and chat with other creators and entrepreneurs. You never know who might become a customer or recommend you to someone looking for a digital product similar to yours.

LEARN: How to Build an Audience Without Social Media

2. Have a content bank 

Ten years ago, who would have thought that just sharing your opinions and knowledge consistently online could turn out to be an income opportunity?

Today, it’s the new order of the day. To sell online, you need to have an audience. And to build an audience, you need to share content. So think of this point as the most important thing you need to make your first digital sale online.

A content bank is a collection of useful and shareable content that can be used to promote your product. It is useful in two ways. Firstly, it will assist you in establishing your brand as a thought leader in your sector. You can establish yourself as an authority, build trust with potential clients, and ultimately make it simpler to sell your digital products by providing relevant, valuable, and relatable content. 

Secondly, it will provide you with enough material to sell your products. Your content can be repurposed and used to drive visitors to your website, generate leads, and build relationships with potential clients.

So, how do you create a content bank?

Begin by knowing what your target audience is interested in. It could be from checking out a competitor page to putting yourself in your audience’s shoes and figuring out what you’ll want to learn.

Look for their most often asked issues and challenges, and produce content to meet their needs. Keep in mind that your content should be useful, valuable, and shareable.

Ultimately, it’s social media for a reason. So when creating a content bank, give room for memes, trends, and general online discussions that give you an opportunity to share your knowledge online.

LEARN: 5 Tips For Creating High-Quality Social Media Content For Your Small Business

3. Make it easily accessible 

According to Forbes, over 50% of consumers will switch to a merchant with less friction in the shopping experience while 41% will pay more for simple, fast, and efficient shopping experiences.

This shows you that people are more inclined to buy anything if it is straightforward and convenient for them to do so. Applying this thought means selling your product on an easy-to-use platform to increase your chances of making a sale.

Rather than using a Google Drive link to host your products or even share them, you can use an e-commerce platform to sell your products to anyone, anywhere in the world. One such platform designed for you as an African creator is Selar.

Selar is an e-commerce platform that makes it easy for you to sell all kinds of digital products to anyone anywhere in the world. You can also get paid in any currency, as Selar makes it easy to receive payments from anyone anywhere in the world.

Making your product easily accessible comes with a lot of benefits. But one of the major benefits is that it reduces the amount of abandoned transactions that you have.

For example, if a customer tries to download your ebook from the Google Drive you just shared and they have any friction whatsoever, they’ll likely abandon it with the intent to come back later. Something that almost never happens.

And just like that, you’ve lost a customer whose review you’d never get because they couldn’t access your products.

But with a platform like Selar, all you need to do is upload your products and share your store link across your channels.

With it, your customers can easily access your products and complete their payments. And if there’s any reason they couldn’t complete the purchase, Selar sends them a reminder email telling them to complete their transaction. 60% of the time, it always works.

So, while you focus on creating a good product that offers valuable content, also make a plan on how to make your products easily accessible to all.

Remember, customers will move to the next merchant if you make it difficult to get what they want.

4. Promote it on social media 

Social media platforms have become one of the most successful ways to sell products and services today. In fact, if you are not building your brand on social media, what are you really doing as a creator?

To promote your product on social media, you must first know who you are speaking to. With this, you can tailor your content in a way that appeals to your audience. Next, create a content bank that makes it easy for you to always have content to share online.

It is important to however note that “promotion” doesn’t always mean running digital ads. It’s every effort you put into advertising your product online. It could be by sharing content, hosting online events like webinars, IG Lives, and Twitter spaces, collaborating with other creators, and engaging with your followers.

The key is to identify how you want to promote your products online. But a rule of thumb is to ensure you tell your customers everything about your product such that their questions are answered before they ask it.

Respond to queries, validate your product, and tell people how it’d make them better, save time, or do something more efficiently. The goal is to make them see how your product will help them improve their lives.

LEARN: 5 Tips For Creators New to Social Media Marketing (from successful creators)

5. Offer discounts 

Discounts are a tried-and-true approach that performs exceptionally well in digital marketing. Offering a discount to potential customers is an effective approach to entice them to buy your digital goods.

It instills a sense of urgency and a sensation of missing out, both of which can encourage the consumer to act quickly.

However, while discounts are good, be careful to not overdo it. Excessive discounting can lead to a bad brand image, as people will only remember your brand because you offer discounts. It can also lead to a reduction in repeat sales and increased acquisition costs.

To offer discounts, do your maths properly to know its effect on your business. You don’t want to offer discounts and encounter a loss because you want to make your first digital product sale.

LEARN: How to Offer Discounts Without Affecting Your Profits

6. Leverage affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to tap into the networks of other marketers and increase sales of your digital goods. This marketing strategy entails paying affiliates (individuals or businesses) a commission to promote and sell your digital products.

To begin, consider the platform you use. An ideal Affiliate marketing platform allows you to automate the payment for your affiliates. So you get your profit and the affiliate gets their commission.

This is why Selar’s affiliate network is your best option. You can easily host your products on Selar, and apply for your products to be listed on the Selar Affiliate network.

Next, you set up the commission you want to pay, whether 20%, 40%, or 50% of the original price of the product.

With this, thousands of Selar Affiliates can promote your products and automatically get paid when they make a sale.

To succeed with affiliate marketing, consider providing your affiliates with enticing commission rates, high-quality promotional materials, and detailed product information to assist them in making smart marketing decisions.

LEARN: How to Use Affiliate Marketing to Boost Your Digital Products Sales

7. Collaborate with creators 

Finally, collaboration is the untold secret to making your first sale as a creator. By working with other like-minded individuals, you can tap into their existing audience and gain valuable exposure.

One approach is to offer a bundle deal. Collaborate with another creator to package your products together at a discounted price. This will give potential buyers a chance to sample your product and make a purchase without spending too much.

Another way to collaborate is to offer each other cross-promotions on your social media channels.

Collaboration not only benefits you in terms of increased exposure but it can also provide an opportunity to learn from other creators and refine your digital products. By collaborating with others in your niche, you can develop stronger connections and ultimately increase your chances of making your first digital product sale.

LEARN: How to Collaborate With Other Creators to Grow Your Brand

Conclusion

It’s only when you create a digital product that you discover that creating the product is the easy part. The difficulty is in promoting it and getting people to see the value to enable you make your first sale.

And when it eventually happens, it feels surreal. Because you now believe you have something people want and there’s someone who believes in your creativity and is willing to pay for it.

So, use the tips listed in this article to help you make your first sale. We’re rooting for you.