10 Powerful Tips For Selling Digital Downloads

One of the easiest revenue streams you can generate for your content creator business is to sell digital products. Not only can they be quick and easy to make, but because they’re digital, they can be sold to users globally without the need to factor in things like postage or customs costs.

Below, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about creating, marketing and selling digital downloads as a content creator. If you’ve been wondering if digital downloads could be a good avenue for your online business, now is the time to find out.

What are digital downloads?

Digital downloads are products in the form of digital files that can be paid for and downloaded to a user's local device. We’re already familiar with digital products in our day to day, from downloading an mp3 to purchasing a movie on a platform like Amazon or YouTube.

For content creators, digital downloads can be a great way to include some passive income streams into their overall business model. They are products that can be instantly sold and delivered, giving you the ultimate hands-off approach to making money.

Let’s have a look at some of our top 10 tips for selling digital downloads and creating a lucrative new revenue stream for your creator business.  

Identify and choose the most popular type of digital download for your niche

Some of the most popular types of digital downloads are PDFs, MP3s, video files like MP4s and MOVs and also Ebooks. Which one is best for you will depend on your niche, industry and what the purpose of your product is.

Here are some of the best digital products to sell based on different subject areas:

• For photographers/videographers - Selling presets that people can download to make their own content look like yours is a popular option.
• For writers or educators - Ebooks are a great way to flesh out your core messages and establish your brand while building a credible audience.
• For coaches or trainers - PDFs like workbooks and guides sell really well and are practical, allowing your followers to actively ‘work with you’ without needing you 1:1.
• For musicians and DJs - Offering audio downloads like MP3s of your songs or mixes is perfect, especially if your work is not yet available on streaming platforms.

Of course, these types of downloads aren’t exclusive to individual industries. It’s always best to think about what the idea is, and then choose the best vessel to help you deliver that idea to your audience.

Ensure your digital download has value

The most important thing to think about is how much value your offering will give to your potential customers. Just like any product or service, whether digital or physical, it needs to have a clear value for your audience.

One example of a content creator doing this successfully is UK influencer and entrepreneur, Grace Beverly. Grace started her career as a content creator on YouTube and Instagram and one of the first products she sold to her growing community were her digital fitness planners and workout guides. These products packaged all of her tips and personal workouts into an actionable guide that her audience could take to their own gyms and use.

The value of these products came from the practical advice and guidance Beverly provided. She identified why her audience loved her content and used that information to create a product that helped them achieve what they were trying to achieve by watching her workout vlogs.    

Match your digital downloads with your target audience's needs and desires

This brings us to our next point, making sure your digital products have your audience in mind. Your audience's needs should be the top priority when it comes to deciding what type of product to create.

Think about why your audience consumes your content already. How could your digital product help them achieve their goals, improve a skill, or entertain them in a new and engaging way?

Remember, your audience and followers are your potential customers. In order to turn followers into paying customers, you need to know how a product meets their needs.

Experiment with different ways of monetising your digital downloads

There are a few different ways you can offer digital downloads to your audience. The preferred way is to set up a shop on your website where you can easily sell and upsell your products to your target audience. However, if you want the safety of a third-party marketplace, you can also opt for setting up a store on sites like Etsy or Creative Market.

Another option though is our very own ecommerce service, which allows you to easily create your own online store where you can sell all of your digital products. Plus, as your revenue streams expand, you have the option to add more features to your website, such as offering subscriptions, affiliates, livestreams and more.  

Get clear on how much you want to charge for your digital downloads

One of the best things about digital downloads is that they are flexible when it comes to how much you can charge for them. However, this can be daunting to new content creators just getting to grips with digital products.

Here’s what you’ll need to keep in mind when deciding how much to charge:

• What is the value of your product i.e. how helpful, impactful or entertaining is your product?
• What costs went into the creation, hosting and selling of your product - think about selling fees you may have to pay if you choose third-party marketplaces or payment software, as well as the cost of any programmes, freelancers or plugins needed.
• How much is your time and expertise worth? This is something many people forget, but if you’ve been a content creator for years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience in your subject, then you can charge more than someone just starting out.
• What is the average income of your target audience? Although you don’t want to undersell yourself, you also don’t want to outprice your existing audience.

Many content creators will start small with digital downloads, keeping price points low and using these digital products as ‘entry points’ they can then use to upsell higher ticket items.

Market your digital downloads

Even if you want to sell your digital content as a passive income stream, you’ll still need to have funnels in place to consistently drive new users and audiences to these products.

Think about the content you already create and how your digital offerings can complement the value your content already offers your audience. One way that content creators like to do this is by including clear links and calls to action on their websites, blogs, videos, social posts and podcast intros/outros. Make sure people are aware that your digital products exist and know exactly where they need to go to buy them.

Think about scaling and business growth opportunities

In order to successfully use digital downloads to grow and maintain your creator business, you need to know the role it plays within your content ecosystem. If you want to use digital downloads as lower-cost, passive income items, then these can straddle the line between a marketing tool and a revenue stream.

You may consider adding digital download elements to products or services you already sell. For example, if you create content for on-demand or subscribers, then you may be able to enhance your offering by including exclusive digital downloads for those willing to pay for a higher-tier subscription.  

Protect your digital products

Copycat content creators are not uncommon and in some cases, digital content can be stolen and used for profit by those that haven’t created it.

In order to protect your digital content you can look to include things such as watermarks if you create visual content. It’s also worth looking at copywriting your work, especially items such as Ebooks and PDFs. This blog post from Digital Guardian has some great advice for those worried about IP theft and digital copywriting.

If you develop a core product that proves to be a pillar of your overall revenue streams, then you may also look into patent protection and registering your product to prevent others from copying your ideas or even brand/product name.

Track your success and learn from your data

Although the more technical admin side of owning a creator business can seem daunting, it’s essential that you know how to track your successes and failures. This is especially true when it comes to selling digital downloads.

Learning to use tools such as YouTube analytics, Google Analytics, Instagram Insights and other built-in analytics tools is essential.

If a product launch doesn’t go to plan, it’s important that you are able to view the data and see where you might have gone wrong. This allows you to make adjustments, better understand your audience and their needs and help you understand what products might work better for future launches.

Some key performance indicators (KPIs) to keep an eye on might be:

• How many downloads your product has had and where did those downloads come from e.g. did they come from social media, an affiliate link, or a link in your podcast show notes?
• How many people viewed your download’s landing page and how long are they staying for? If you get a lot of people to the page where you’re selling your product and yet nobody is buying or they’re leaving the page straight away, you may need to look at any potential technical glitches preventing people from purchasing. It may even be that you need to change your page messaging and make your call to action clearer.
• How many abandoned carts do you have and what does this tell you about user behaviour? A large amount of abandoned carts i.e. where a user has started to indicate they wanted to purchase your digital product but haven’t gone through to the checkout stage - could mean that people are seeing the price of your product and changing their mind, or again there could be a technical issue preventing checkout.

Without collecting this data and knowing how to analyse it, you could be missing out on some easy income on your digital products.  

Use your digital downloads to support and complement your free content and higher ticket income streams

As we mentioned earlier in the article, opting for lower-cost digital downloads can be a great top-of-the-funnel option. Not only are they easy and low-cost to create, it also means you can showcase your higher ticket content and nurture those who want to test your expertise before investing in higher-cost content.

If you are looking to monetise free content you have already created, it’s a great idea to start offering digital downloads as an ‘add-on’. For example, photography content creator Peter Mckinnon started making photography tutorials in 2010 and would offer low-cost presets that his followers could purchase in order to get a similar photography style.

Fast forward to 2025 and Mckinnon now has just under 6 million subscribers and continues to sell the lower priced presets and sound FX packs, but also sells physical prints of his work, as well as working with brands and sponsorships. His lower-priced products act as a way to keep his audience engaged, keeping his views high, increasing his value as an influencer and allowing him a great source of passive income in the process.

How to get started selling your digital products

The first step in getting started with selling digital products is coming up with an idea that not only fits your brand, complements your existing content and products, but also offers your followers - new and existing - high value.

Check out our awesome video from the team on how to sell digital downloads:

Once you have your idea, choose the format you feel fits the idea best and get creating.

To discover how Kliq can support you with your content creator business, why not get in touch or book a demo?