Unlock the potential of your digital product! Getting the word out about it early and often is key to reaffirming its value with your audience and making sales.
In this article:
Optimize Your Product Listing (Including Cover Images)
A clear, eye-catching cover image is the best way to represent your digital product. That image will appear as the cover for your product page, a thumbnail in Skillshare search results, and even in places like Google Shopping. A strong cover image should be simple & eye-catching with minimal text. For more best practices and examples, check out Optimizing Cover Images for your Digital Products.
Now your cover image can focus on simply highlighting what the product is in an aesthetically satisfying way without you worrying about cramming all the info about your product into one image. We’ll keep you posted on when this multi-image feature is live on the Skillshare experience.
In addition to a compelling cover image, how you promote your product starts with how you’re describing it to users. Start with optimizing your digital product listing, as follows:
- Use a clear and descriptive title for your product.
- Write a description that sells. Lean into the value proposition of your product — the value of the product, who it’s for, and how that audience will benefit — and include that in your description. Share specifically what the product includes.
Learn more about how to optimize your digital product on Skillshare in Create a Digital Product for Skillshare.
Where to Promote
Right now, we are evaluating if and when digital products can be integrated into your Teacher Profile and Class Details pages. In the meantime, think about the many spaces available to you to drive your audience to your digital product.
For the best buyer experience, we recommend linking to your Skillshare digital product URL in any social media posts and promotions you share with your audience. This allows non-Skillshare members to discover your Skillshare content. Likewise, Skillshare members browsing your digital products will see links to your teacher profile, leading them to your classes and/or 1-on-1 Sessions.
Here are our top suggestions for where to promote your digital product:
In Your Skillshare Classes
You can absolutely add a link to your digital product on your class’s About page, or in the Projects & Resources section. Here’s some suggested messaging:
- "If you want to use the exact [creative tools] I'm using in this class, you can purchase them on Skillshare by clicking the link below.”
- “I’m excited to see your projects and what you create in this class! If you’re interested in purchasing digital prints of my final product, you can do so here.”
Your Teacher Profile
Add a new content section to your teacher profile to showcase what digital products you have to offer! Here’s some suggested messaging:
- “These are products I use in my own creative practice and now you can purchase them directly on Skillshare.”
- "Purchasing digital goods here helps to support me and my creative business."
YouTube
YouTube is a strong driver for new referrals to Skillshare, and it’s also a great way to showcase a digital product too. Some teachers have found success with leveraging a video tutorial to demo their product in action — posting a tutorial resulted in an uptick in sales of that product. Sharing a couple of examples to inspire you:
- Top Teacher Mel Armstrong launched her Procreate Repeat Pattern Toolkit on Skillshare, and she subsequently posted a tutorial on how to use one of the brushes from that kit to her YouTube channel.
- Similarly, Top Teacher Tom Froese launched his Inky Stampers for Procreate brush pack alongside a YouTube tutorial and a post on Instagram (which mentions the YouTube tutorial).
While purchasing a digital product can't be required as part of a Skillshare class, seeing a product in action is key for users to understand its value and proper use. Plus it gives a more compelling reason for purchasing it to keep learning!
Social Channels
Mention that you’re now selling digital products wherever you have an online presence: in your social profiles and posts, and in YouTube video descriptions. Here’s some suggested messaging:
- "If you want to use the [creative tools] I'm using in this video, you can purchase them on Skillshare by clicking the link below.”
- “You can buy this [creative tool] on Skillshare and get a free 30 day trial of the membership where you can access all of my classes on [a technique or app].”
In a Discussion Post or Email Newsletter
Whether you’re using Skillshare’s built-in discussion feature to send a message to your followers, a class discussion post, or an email, sharing your digital product is a great way to get the word out!
Top Teacher Fatih Mıstaçoğlu used the Discussion feature from his teacher profile to showcase his digital art prints now on sale, while redirecting students to the class where they can learn how to make their own in a similar style.
Launch a Purpose-Built Short Class
Instead of tacking a digital product on to an existing class, make a new short form class on Skillshare to showcase a digital product! Short form classes can be between 2 and 15 minutes in length, and while they don’t need a formal introduction video or conclusion, you do need to add a project.