How to Work Less and Earn More With Digital Products - Part 1

Now wouldn’t it be nice to work less while earning more? Here’s the good news: it’s entirely possible with digital products.

Digital products - like courses, templates, or ebooks - are an incredible way to create scalable income.

Once you’ve made them, they can sell themselves with minimal upkeep. It’s no wonder creators everywhere are jumping on this trend to diversify their income and stabilize their businesses.

Today, we’re diving into 24 unique digital product ideas for creators, with options for almost every niche.

Whether you’re an artist, coach, or foodie, there’s something here for you. These ideas are inspired by insights from Kit.com.

Why Create Digital Products?

Before we jump into the ideas, let’s talk about why digital products are worth your time:

Scalable Revenue: You create the product once and sell it over and over again without extra effort.

Most digital products require low maintenance after you create them. They’re perfect for anyone who is short of time.

Diversified Income: They offer an additional revenue stream, protecting you from seasonal slumps in other areas of your business.

Low Overheads: Digital products are budget-friendly to create. With tools like Canva or Gumroad, you don’t need expensive software to get started.

Hands-Off Management: Automation tools can handle sales and delivery, leaving you free to focus on growth.

With those benefits in mind, let’s explore the possibilities.

Subscription-Based Products

Paid Newsletters

A paid newsletter is a recurring subscription product where readers pay for exclusive content.

For instance:

A financial coach could write a newsletter on “Weekly Wealth-Building Tips.”

A creative writer might share “Behind-the-Scenes of Crafting a Best-Selling Novel.”

Paid newsletters work particularly well if you have a unique perspective or valuable insights to share.

Membership Sites

Membership sites provide exclusive access to ongoing resources, courses, or communities. They’re perfect for creators who produce a steady stream of content.

Ideas include:

A yoga instructor offering monthly classes and wellness tips.

A digital artist creating a membership for tutorials and downloadable templates.

Membership sites create recurring income while fostering a loyal community.

Templates

PDF Templates

PDF templates are ready-to-use resources that save people time and effort.

Some ideas:

A career coach might sell CV and cover letter templates.

A business consultant could offer productivity checklists or business proposal templates.

Templates are practical, time-saving tools that appeal to a wide audience.

Digital Templates

Similar to PDFs, digital templates are editable resources for platforms like Instagram, Canva, or Photoshop.

For instance:

A graphic designer could sell Instagram Story templates for small businesses.

A wedding planner might offer customizable wedding invitation designs.

These products are especially popular with small business owners and event planners.

Educational

Ebooks

Ebooks are one of the simplest and most versatile digital products to create. Whether you’re a writer, coach, or expert in your field, an ebook allows you to package your knowledge in an easily consumable format.

For instance:

A nutritionist could create an ebook on “Quick & Healthy Meals for Busy Professionals.”

A fitness coach might publish “10-Minute Workouts You Can Do at Home.”

An artist could share “A Beginner’s Guide to Watercolour Painting.”

If you already have a blog or regularly share content on social media, you can repurpose your existing material to create an ebook.

Tutorials and Guides

If you’re a creator who loves teaching others, tutorials and guides are a fantastic option. These resources show your audience how to achieve a specific outcome, step by step.

Consider these ideas:

A crafter might create a guide on how to knit a scarf, complete with video demonstrations.

A digital marketer could share a tutorial on setting up Facebook ad campaigns.

A photographer could offer a guide to mastering flat-lay photography for social media.

These guides don’t just teach - they inspire your audience to take action.

Recipes and Meal Plans

Food bloggers and nutritionists, this one’s for you. If you have a library of recipes, why not package them into a meal plan?

Simple Ideas:

A chef could create a “4-Week Meal Plan,” based on certain dietary requirements, complete with grocery lists and prep tips.

A fitness enthusiast might offer a “High-Protein Meal Plan for Athletes.”

Your audience will love the convenience of having a ready-to-go plan tailored to their needs.

Email Courses

An email course is an excellent way to share in-depth knowledge over time. Delivered straight to your audience’s inbox, these courses can include lessons, videos, workbooks, and more.

For instance:

A productivity coach could offer a 7-day course on “Beating Procrastination.”

A lifestyle blogger might create a 30-day “Declutter Your Home Challenge.”

Email courses are flexible, allowing you to adapt the content and length to suit your audience.

Workshops

Workshops are interactive, educational sessions that you can host virtually or in person. While workshops are typically live events, you can record them and sell the recordings as a digital product.

For instance:

A psychologist might host a workshop on “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome.”

A small business consultant could lead a session on “Creating a Killer Marketing Plan.”

Workshops let you connect with your audience in real-time while building valuable evergreen content.

Online Courses

Online courses are one of the most profitable and versatile digital products you can create.

They allow you to share your expertise with a global audience and package your knowledge into an engaging, step-by-step format that helps people achieve a specific goal.

For instance:

A photographer can create a course on mastering portrait photography.

A yoga instructor could offer a beginner’s guide to mastering basic poses.

A writer might share techniques for crafting compelling short stories.

Courses are also incredibly flexible. You can include video lessons, downloadable resources like worksheets, quizzes to reinforce learning, and even live Q&A sessions to create a more interactive experience.

Creative Design Products

Artwork

For visual artists, digital artwork is an excellent way to monetize your creativity.

Consider selling:

Printable wall art in popular themes like minimalism or abstract designs.

Custom digital portraits for customers to gift or display.

Customers love the flexibility of printing digital art themselves or using it in digital spaces.

Patterns

If you’re a sewer, knitter, or quilter, patterns can be a reliable income stream.

Ideas include:

Sewing patterns for clothing or accessories.

Quilting patterns with detailed instructions and measurements.

Patterns are timeless products that can generate passive income for years.

Printables

Printables are digital products that your customers can download, print, and use immediately.

Ideas include:

Planner pages for daily or weekly scheduling.

Educational worksheets for children.

Wedding planning guides for brides-to-be.

Printables are simple to create and appeal to a broad audience.

Fonts and Icons

If you’re a designer, creating unique fonts or icon packs can be a profitable venture.

Some ideas:

A font creator might design handwriting-style fonts for bloggers.

An illustrator could sell themed icon sets for web designers.

These products are in demand for branding, web design, and content creation.

Tech-Focused Products

Website Themes

Website themes are ideal for creators who know how to design for platforms like WordPress or Squarespace. Themes provide a polished, ready-to-use design for people who don’t have the time or skills to create their own.

Example: A designer could create a WordPress theme for food bloggers, complete with recipe pages and photo galleries.

Website Plugins

Plugins solve specific problems for website users, from adding advanced features to streamlining functionality.

Example: A developer might create a plugin that helps users schedule social media posts directly from their WordPress site.

Apps and Software

If you enjoy solving problems with technology, consider developing an app or software tool. You don’t even need coding skills - no-code platforms like Glide and Stacker make app creation accessible to everyone.

Example: A fitness coach might create an app for tracking workouts and meal plans.

This is not an exhaustive list of Digital Products you can create but is a good start for idea generation if this is an area you are interested in pursuing.

Hello, I’m Dave, and I publish this weekly newsletter for people looking to build a second income. I share actionable tips, success stories, news and business ideas to help you on your home-based business journey.

Quick links