4 Questions You Must Answer to Sell Products on Your Blog
“Where do I start when it comes to selling my own products on my blog?”
One of the best ways to make a consistent stream of income blogging is by creating your own products. You have knowledge, expertise, and insights that others will gladly pay for.
When I started blogging in 2009, one of the very first products I created was a job search membership site. I had spent 7 years as an Executive Recruiter and it was an area I had a ton of knowledge. Even though I had only about 1200+ monthly readers on my first blog, I put up a sales page anyways. I was shocked when 15 people purchased my product on opening weekend.
The 4 Part Optimal Selling Strategy
In the bestselling book Ready, Fire, Aim, author Michael Masterson lays out what he calls his optimal selling strategy. The formula consists of 4 basic questions every entrepreneur (and blogger) must answer correctly if they are going to sell products.
I think it is a great reminder for all of us who want to create and sell products via our blog.
The one catch with these 4 questions is that you have to answer all 4 and not just some of them. Success only happens when all 4 levers get pulled.
1. Where are you going to find your customers?
Every time I am looking to start something new online, I ask myself this question: “Where is my audience already hanging out?” Your future audience is already online and they are out there somewhere. Most people, however, mess up the second part. They go to where their audience is hanging out and try to convince them to come see their blog or product.
That’s the wrong answer. Instead, go to where your audience is and serve them. Answer questions, join the community, buy the product, and add value. People will notice your giving spirit and come check you out.
2. What product will you sell them first?
This is such a great question. Do you have a great beginner product? Do you have a foundational course or service that makes it easy for people to get started? What simple need can you serve right from the start.
When I started my career coaching blog, my first product was a resume critique. After 2 days on my email list, you automatically received an email promoting a personal resume critique from me. It was an easy entry point.
Once I over-delivered on the resume critique, I would up-sell them on a $200-300 complete resume makeover. I would often get a high conversion rate because I already came through on the first product. What product or service will you sell first?
3. How much will you charge for it?
This is always the million dollar question. We often under-sell ourselves here. Still, it is good to experiment with price points. If you use a service like ejunkie, you can set your product high and offer coupon codes in order to test out different price points. It is often easier to offer a temporary discount over raising the price all together.
4. How will you convince them to buy it?
My first response to this question was: “Make a product so perfectly designed for them that you don’t have to convince them to buy!” While it is vital to know your audience well, you will have greater success by becoming a student of copywriting.
Copywriting is creating marketing copy that connects with your audience in a powerful way. It meets a need or stirs a desire. I love to use this 60 minute sales page template as a guide when I am creating a new sales letter.
Question: Which of the 4 questions above is hardest for you to answer?
