I tried selling digital products for 90 days

Embarking on a journey to sell digital products can be both exhilarating and challenging. Over the past 90 days, I dedicated myself to this venture and learned invaluable lessons along the way.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my process and the insights I gained from selling digital products.

Step 1: Growing on Instagram

Why Instagram?
Instagram is a powerful platform for reaching a broad audience. With its visual-centric format, it’s ideal for showcasing digital products and building a community around your brand.

My Approach:

• Consistent Posting: I posted regularly, ensuring my content was engaging and relevant to my niche. I uploaded an Instagram reel every day for the last three months.

• Strategy: Recreating my own variations of viral content in my niche.

I came across a YouTube channel talking about a "sniper strategy" for going viral. The strategy was to find reels in your niche that had recently gone viral and make your own variation. These reels are proven to work, increasing the chances of your version going viral as well. I started by finding popular accounts in my niche, listing their best reels, and creating my versions.

Lessons Learned:
You can’t just post random reels. You have to create reels that are proven to work.

Step 2: Creating a Free Product

Why a Free Product?
A free product serves as a lead magnet, attracting potential customers and building your email list. It provides value upfront, encouraging people to engage with your brand.

My Approach:

• Identifying Needs: I researched my audience’s pain points and created a free product that addressed these issues. This was a crucial step in my journey.

• Design and Quality: I ensured the free product was professionally designed and offered real value, making it irresistible to my audience.

Initially, my strategy did not work well. I struggled to get more than 2k views on my reels and had only about 100 followers after the first month. I then shifted to repurposing viral Twitter threads into reels, which dramatically increased my engagement and followers.

Lessons Learned:
A well-crafted free product can significantly boost your email list and lay the groundwork for future sales.

Step 3: Sending People to the Free Product

How I Did It:

• Instagram Promotion: I used Instagram stories, posts, and reels to promote the free product, highlighting its benefits and how it could solve my audience’s problems.

• Landing Page: I created a dedicated landing page for the free product, making it easy for people to sign up and download it.

After some trial and error, I started using ManyChat to automate sending links to people who commented on my reels. This significantly increased my engagement and lead generation.

Lessons Learned:
Clear, compelling calls to action are crucial. Make it as easy as possible for people to access your free product. Simplify the signup process to increase conversions.

Step 4: Upselling to the Paid Product

Why Upselling?
Once someone has downloaded your free product, they’ve shown interest in what you offer. Upselling a paid product can be a natural next step, providing more value and solving deeper problems.

My Approach:

• Email Sequence: I set up an automated email sequence that nurtured leads and introduced the paid product. Each email provided additional value and gently guided recipients toward the purchase.

• Exclusive Offers: I offered limited-time discounts and bonuses to create urgency and incentivize purchases.

Lessons Learned:
Automation is your friend. A well-planned email sequence can effectively convert leads into paying customers. Creating a sense of urgency with exclusive offers can significantly boost sales.

Step 5: Promoting the Paid Product

Promotion Channels:

• Instagram Stories: I used stories to share testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, and success stories related to the paid product.

• Direct Upsells: When people downloaded the free product, I offered the paid product as an immediate upsell.

I started posting high-comment reels related to my offer, which helped me grow my email list to over 8k people and made $500 in digital product sales.

Lessons Learned:
Testimonials and social proof are powerful. Sharing real success stories and feedback from users can build credibility and drive sales. Direct upsells can be very effective when timed right.

Conclusion

Selling digital products over the past 90 days has been a transformative experience. Here are my key takeaways:

1. Build a Solid Foundation on Social Media: Growing a loyal and engaged audience on Instagram laid the groundwork for successful product launches.

2. Provide Value First: Offering a high-quality free product helped build trust and grow my email list.

3. Automate and Upsell: A strategic email sequence and well-timed upsells can significantly increase conversions.

4. Leverage Social Proof: Using testimonials and success stories in promotions can enhance credibility and drive sales.

By following these steps, you can streamline your process and increase your chances of success in selling digital products.