Haiden Hibbert
Many content creators rely on ad revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise sales to make money on YouTube. However, there is another lucrative way to monetize your channel and earn a steady income – by selling your own digital products!
In fact, YouTube is the second biggest search engine next to Google, which gives you another major channel to connect with your target audience where they spend time researching, learning, and consuming content.
So, whether you’re an online course creator, a digital artist, or a musician, YouTube provides an incredible opportunity to showcase your skills and reach a wide audience. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through how to sell on YouTube by promoting your products through video content.
Let’s start with some inspiration from successful MemberSpace customers to give you some video ideas for your YouTube channel.
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Table of Contents
1. Create a trailer for your fitness program
If your’re selling any kind of program, adding a trailer to YouTube is a must. In this example, MemberSpace customer Withsara walks customers through what they can expect to experience when they join the fitness platform. In the video description, there’s a link to the program’s website to encourage viewers to sign up.
2. Host a webinar and publish the recording on YouTube
This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone. If you already host webinars, simply upload the recording to your YouTube channel. Even though viewers won’t be seeing it in real time, they’ll still get valuable information and be exposed to your brand.
Caveday, an online community that offers facilitated work sessions, hosted a workshop to attract new members and offered a discount at the end, as well as link to redeem the exclusive offer in the video description.
3. Post video clips from podcast episodes
If you’re a podcast host, one of the best ways to sell your episodes on YouTube is to post clips of them and link to the full podcast in the description. MemberSpace customer, The Confessionals, uses this best practices to tease their paid podcast, which allows subscribers to listen to the episodes without ads.
4. Create a “top tips” video for your target audience
Offering tips on the topics your target audience is most interested in is a natural way to get them to check out your products. Take this MemberSpace customer for example. Ellen Fisher uses YouTube to share her wealth of health and wellness knowledge, while also linking to her website and ebooks in the description of each video.
5. Share free videos from your content library
If your current customers pay for a content library, one of the easiest ways to attract new prospects is to give away a small collection of those videos on YouTube. This allows viewers to see the value of your content before they commit to paying.
Mrs. Honeybee, a website that sells access to a library of kids’ bedtime stories, uses this strategy on YouTube and links back to their website within the video descriptions.
6. Create beginner tutorials for your followers
If you sell tutorials, lessons, or online classes, consider creating a beginner tutorial and giving it away for free on YouTube. Then, link to your website for more advanced paid lessons in the description.
MyMusicWorkshop has an entire playlist of free music lessons on YouTube that they use to promote their paid membership.
7. Conduct an interview with a thought leader and share it on your channel
Sharing a video interview with a thought leader in your niche is one of the most effective ways to gain the attention of new customers and share your digital product with them. Choose a hot topic in your industry and chat with an influencer that your audience will recognize.
In this example, Earth Speak Collective shares an interview with author Becca Piastrelli and links to their paid membership community in the description of the video.
8. Post how-to videos to give your audience advice in your niche
Another way to attract customers who will be interested in your digital products is to share how-to videos, like this one from Seaward Surf Training. This is a great way to share your expertise and earn your viewers’ trust before sharing your website with them in the description of the video.
9. Repurpose a blog post and discuss the highlights in a video
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creating content on YouTube. One easy way to generate video ideas is to simply repurpose your popular blog posts, like this video from Sweet Institute. This provides an organic way to link back to your website and promote your digital products.
10. Answer your target market’s FAQs in a video
Second to Google, YouTube is the largest search engine, which means your ideal customers are looking for answers to their questions on the video platform every single day. Take a page out of Rogue Running’s playbook and create short explainer videos to answer FAQs in your niche. In this example, the video address a common questions that runners have – when to change your shoes?
In the description of the video, they place a call-to-action for their membership: “Join our rogue training programs and find great at home live stream runner workouts here.“
Now that you have some video ideas for your channel, let’s walk through a step-by-step process of how to sell your digital products and promote them on YouTube.
Step 1: Figure out what you want to sell
Before you start selling on YouTube, you’ll need to create a product. Think about your niche and target audience. What unique knowledge or skills can you share? Consider what types of digital products would resonate with your viewers, such as ebooks, online courses, music tracks, or design templates. Understanding your audience’s needs and desires will help you create a product that truly adds value.
To give you an idea, here are some of the top-selling products that MemberSpace customers are selling:
- Memberships
- Community access
- Paid podcasts
- Newsletters
- Content library
- Videos
- Online courses
- Digital downloads
- Paid Zoom calls
- Digital magazines
Step 2: Launch your digital product on your website
Here’s how it works:
- Sign up for a free MemberSpace account.
- Connect to a new or existing Stripe account. MemberSpace will take care of all your payments through the built-in integration.
- Add your digital product to a landing page on your website.
- Add a paywall to your product page with MemberSpace, so only paying members can access it. MemberSpace will automatically grant access when a customer pays.
- Get instant payouts as soon as you start selling your product!
Step 3: Share free content on your channel
Step 4: Promote your digital product throughout your YouTube Channel
- Add CTAs to your video descriptions, inviting viewers to visit your product page or website. Make it easy for them to access more information and make a purchase.
- Use annotations, end screens, and cards within your videos to create clickable links, encouraging viewers to explore your digital product. Direct them to your product page, where they can learn more.
- Add a link to your website in your profile.
- Add a custom link to your product in your banner.
- Respond to your YouTube comments directing people to check out your digital product.
- Create dedicated videos or a playlist series including videos that provide additional insights, behind-the-scenes access, or bonus content related to your digital product. This will not only engage your audience but also serve as a subtle promotion.
- Run YouTube Ads to drive traffic to your product page.
- Partner with other YouTubers or influencers. Collaborative videos or shoutouts can introduce your digital product to new audiences, increasing your chances of making sales.
Final Thoughts
Creating digital products and marketing them on YouTube is a great way to earn extra income. With these 10 easy video ideas, you can get your digital product promotion off the ground right away! From sharing webinar replays to creating engaging “how-to” tutorials, the possibilities are endless.
And to make the most out of selling digital products through YouTube, consider using MemberSpace to help you accept payments on your website. MemberSpace makes monetizing your expertise easier than ever and takes just five minutes to set up. Sign up for a free account today!
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