I feel like this post is only going to be a paragraph long because the answer is so simple, it hardly needs explaining.
I’m sure you see a ton of bloggers that tout their six figure income from affiliate sales, products, courses, and the like. And many of them are good…very good. Worth every penny of investment.
But how did they do it?
Well, before I give you the answer, there is one thing to know…
They built a business strategy that includes A TON of passive income.
There are entire blogs dedicated to this topic of creating content, courses, books, etc. that will continue to churn out revenue even when you’re sleeping. Your blog must sell something besides your services, as there are only so many hours in a day! Create great products that your readers will love.
Here are a few blog sites that can help.
But even if you create great content that can be sold, it may not make you six figures. Let’s assume your product is amazing. Why doesn’t it sell like hotcakes?
Here’s why…
Unless your product promises to help your reader SAVE money or MAKE money, you’ll have to work 3x as hard to generate revenue.
That’s it. I told you it was simple.
It isn’t to say that there aren’t many bloggers who make a solid living on other types of products, but the kind of content that spreads like wildfire and sells fast and furiously is the kind that promises success to your readers.
Let’s use an example.
You’re a food blogger that specializes in vegetarian cuisine. You want to sell a course on how to cook this type of food. That’s awesome. I’m sure lots of people will buy it.
But what if you changed the strategy slightly to…
How to cook vegetarian cuisine and save hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill
or
How to grow your own vegetables so you can make your own food for a fraction of the cost it would be to buy
or
How to begin your own Farmer’s Market stand selling vegetarian recipes
Two of these options promise the potential buyer that your product will help them save money. The third gives them the opportunity to make money. Both are powerful motivators that drive sales.
Another example!
You are a mom/lifestyle blogger with a passion for organization. You’ve thought about creating an eBook on how to organize your home. That’s awesome. I’m sure lots of people will buy it.
But what if you changed the strategy slightly to…
Home organization using only upcycled goods
or
The basics of a creating a home organization business
or
Epic garage sales: Making money & decluttering your home
Here’s a way to test whether or not your product (or product idea) fits in the category of saving or making money. You know the old saying,
“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”
Does your product give your reader a fish or a fishing pole? With a fishing pole, they’ll always come back for more. More classes, courses, books, etc. Maybe you offer consulting on the side. If your course is good, the people who buy it will start saving or making money – which is exactly what you want from your customer. You need your customers to have money to use!
Currently my business model works as a combination of saving/making money. Building websites for businesspeople give them a marketing platform to begin selling their services/products. The teaching aspect of my business helps people become their own “webmasters” thereby saving money on tech costs associated with owning a website. I’m convinced this is why I’ve been so successful in a short amount of time {coupled of course with great customer service :)}.
However, I am only one person and there are only 24 hours in a day, no matter how hard I work. And this is why no matter how amazing my skills might be, I won’t make six figures only selling my services.
What I haven’t invested a lot in {yet} is passive income through products like books and courses. This is going to change. Over the next months, I will begin putting a lot of what I’ve learned about web design and small business to work here for you – so you can save money on your site, and of course – make money with it as well! You’ll see there is now a STORE tab up on the menu bar that I can’t wait to populate with goodies. But back to you…
How can you sell a product that brings success to your reader?
Find that sweet spot, create something amazing, and then sell it!
