From Expert to Earner - part 3

This is the second episode in a free 3-part series where we build a digital product from scratch, in Adobe Express, to generate leads or revenue.

Plus: space for you to share and promote your final products at the end.

So you’ve created a product and it’s branded and ready to go.

Now, let’s get it to your audience!

If you want to find the perfect white shirt, would you rather:

a ) spend hours looking

b) having someone show you exactly what you need?

People want solutions: your job is to make it as easy as humanly possible for them to do so.

Good work deserves visibility.

Try fitting your product’s description in this formula:

I help [who] to achieve [outcome] by [how].

For instance: “This workbook helps young people fix their job search overwhelm, by giving them seven exercises they can work through in an afternoon.”

Or “I help solopreneurs and freelancers get press coverage by teaching them to do their own PR in an hour.”

Highlight the transformation. Our friends from BABES ON WAVES have done this on their grant funding guide. They name the transformation and provide background information about who built it.

Building with Adobe Express means that I can easily adapt it to any other format, from an IG post to TikTok to even flyers! You can print a ton of products straight from the platform.

Here’s a quick run-through:

TOP TIPS

• Group your elements so they scale and reposition as one unit

• Tick multiple sizes at once if you want several formats

• Downloading (my favourite!!): When you download, choose All pages. It exports every asset in the right format (MP4, PNG etc), all into one ZIP.

• Sharing and remixing. You can publish a link so people view or embed the design, or you can allow people to remix it as a template. If your product IS a template, an Instagram layout, a planner, something people are meant to change, this is how you deliver it.

I mentioned Gumroad but there are others (Stan etc). I used GUMROAD as an example so you can see what it looks like. It also serves as marketplace research and I uploaded the document there so you can check out the interface.

Please note: all of these platforms have different rules and payout tiers. Check rules and regulations ahead of signing up.

Other ways to host a product:

1. As a download they receive when commenting on a social media post

2. As a download once they subscribe to your mailing list

3. On your website

4. On a dedicated website

Tips: Put a trackable link in your bio, a trackable link in the newsletter, and make sure you can see how many people clicked and where they came from. A link shortener like Bitly will do it (not affiliated, it’s just an example). Then, when one channel works, you double down on that one.

Try Adobe Express

You sent in a LOT of questions!!! We tried to answer as many as possible, let us know in the comments if you have any more.

How do I make sure what I’m building is valuable?

• What do people ask you ALL the time?

• Which of your posts got saved and shared the most?

I’ve got a non-digital design background. What’s the most cost- and time-effective way to start small?

Obviously we’re biased but try Adobe Express! You will see how easy it is to set up. If you have a validated idea (see above) and people trust you, you can do it.

How do I price it?

• You’re pricing by the value of the outcome to the buyer. How much is that worth? How many days/weeks/years of experience did you need to accrue to build this?

• Market research: look at similar products in your range to get a sense of pricing

• Know your audience. Who are they? How much could they afford? What is the goal for this product? Do you want a few people to pay a higher price or tons of people accessing it now?

I’m an introvert and I struggle to promote my work.

Sending an e-mail to 10 warm contacts and writing one clear sentence about who you help is not dependent on being an extrovert. The product is doing the talking for you. Also: remove the ick!!! Think about the people who would LOVE to find you.

How do I find a niche in an oversaturated market? Is it best to stick to one?

It depends on what you’re doing but in general. I’d say the more specific you are about who you serve and what they get the better. Jess Bruno is great at this! So, don’t say “A guide to social media”. Say: “A guide to social media for small heritage organisations with no budget and one part-time staff member”.

How do I build an audience alongside the product instead of waiting until launch?

How about sharing the problem before you have the solution? Ask people what they’d want in it. Build audiences AND validation at once (look at episode 1 for this)

How do I break something complicated into easy, fun, digestible pieces?

If you’re struggling to break it down, it could be you’re trying to do too much in one product. It can be helpful to think in steps, not chapters. Add checkboxes, prompts and exercises and test it. Beta readers and beta testers can give you feedback early on.

How do I choose the right FORMAT for my idea?

• Workbook: Best when the value is in the customer applying it to their own situation.

• Reference guide: checklists and cheat sheets, to be used on repeat rather than read once.

• Template: a ready-made structure they adapt.

• Bundle: the core PDF plus a video, spreadsheet or community invite. Higher price, more work.

• Also: ask your community! And you can always do a bundle. We run the newsletter and also have perks, for instance.

I want to learn how to use Adobe

On this series we show you how to use some elements such as create a presentation, a brand kit and assets. But Adobe Express has TONS of tutorials and I’d say the best thing to do is to try it out.

How do I support learners as they go?

You can offer a higher-ticket price to include group online sessions or a monthluy call. Or add case studies.

I’m a writer and I’m curious what digital product can complement my writing to be developed as a business.

I guess it depends who the business is for. Who is your audience and what do they need? Are you creating copy for someone? Are you working with other writers and then could create a submission tracker, an editing checklist, a structure template? Your value could be in the process

I want to sell digital products and to make them printable for sale

You can export PDF’s at print quality and print products directly from Adobe if that’s what you need. You can edit the page with the margins and bleed as well.

Newsletters subscribers (even on the free tier) can download the finished workbook free, so subscribe now :)