I made $38,172 of side income as a creator in the last year.
Here's everything I learned.
A thread.
Here's everything I learned.
A thread.
First, the context:
- I'm an independent web developer
- I've been in business for 12 years
- I wrote two eBooks and produced a video course
- The $38,172 was made between April 2020 and April 2021
Onto the good stuff...
- I'm an independent web developer
- I've been in business for 12 years
- I wrote two eBooks and produced a video course
- The $38,172 was made between April 2020 and April 2021
Onto the good stuff...
You're probably not going to write a short eBook and get rich quick.
You need to build interest in what you do first.
I started tweeting about my experience in August 2019, I launched my first product in April 2020.
You need to build interest in what you do first.
I started tweeting about my experience in August 2019, I launched my first product in April 2020.
While productising your expertise decouples your earning potential from your time, being a creator is not passive income.
When you stop:
- Talking to people about what you do
- Making new products
- Creating content
- Building in public
Interest (and sales) will slow.
- Talking to people about what you do
- Making new products
- Creating content
- Building in public
Interest (and sales) will slow.
Being a creator means making a deal with the people you're creating for:
- If you follow me
- I will give you valuable content
- If you follow me
- I will give you valuable content
If you like creating valuable content consistently, you're winning.
If you like helping people by sharing your experience, you're winning.
If you like helping people by sharing your experience, you're winning.
Build an audience before you build a product.
How to get started building an audience as a creator:
1. Pick one medium to focus on
2. Share what you know
3. Share what you're doing
4. Find people who interest you and talk to them
5. Be interesting to the people who interest you
(5 often comes as a byproduct of 4)
1. Pick one medium to focus on
2. Share what you know
3. Share what you're doing
4. Find people who interest you and talk to them
5. Be interesting to the people who interest you
(5 often comes as a byproduct of 4)
"What can I create a product about?"
Think:
1. What you've done before
2. What you're doing now
Think:
1. What you've done before
2. What you're doing now
Good products come from two places:
1. Earned wisdom
2. Wisdom being earned
1. Earned wisdom
2. Wisdom being earned
For your first product, ask:
"What can I get out in a week?"
For me this meant:
- Topic: Freelancing (something I knew well)
- Format: An eBook (something I could produce fast)
- Platform: @gumroad (something that handled payment complexities for me)
"What can I get out in a week?"
For me this meant:
- Topic: Freelancing (something I knew well)
- Format: An eBook (something I could produce fast)
- Platform: @gumroad (something that handled payment complexities for me)
If you have specific knowledge you can productise it.
You need fewer followers than you think.
1,000 people who're fiercely interested in what you have to say is a lot.
1,000 people who're fiercely interested in what you have to say is a lot.
Keep consistent eyes on your products.
The less vocal you are, the less attention they'll get.
The less vocal you are, the less attention they'll get.
6 ways to get eyes on your products:
1. Share most of what you know for free
2. Build a following on social media
3. Turn followers into email subscribers
4. Tell people you're creating products
5. Update people of all progress
6. Talk only about your product on launch day
1. Share most of what you know for free
2. Build a following on social media
3. Turn followers into email subscribers
4. Tell people you're creating products
5. Update people of all progress
6. Talk only about your product on launch day
6 ways to keep eyes on your products:
1. Launch again somewhere else
2. Show how you've helped others
3. Talk about adding a new chapter, module or segment
4. Share the kind things people say about your work
5. Talk about your experience of creating the product
6. Run promotions
1. Launch again somewhere else
2. Show how you've helped others
3. Talk about adding a new chapter, module or segment
4. Share the kind things people say about your work
5. Talk about your experience of creating the product
6. Run promotions
Put everything into your products and back them with confidence.
"How do I launch a product?"
Announce before it's done, build in public, launch.
Announce before it's done, build in public, launch.
Advantages of building in public:
- Get people interested
- Personal accountability
- Build rapport with other creators
- It's low effort because you're doing the work anyway
- Get people interested
- Personal accountability
- Build rapport with other creators
- It's low effort because you're doing the work anyway
How I launched a product in public on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1346441654182543368
Marketing that worked:
- Sharing my experience on @twitter
- Making friends with people
- Appearing on podcasts
- Creating a free product
- Building an email list
- Sharing my experience on @twitter
- Making friends with people
- Appearing on podcasts
- Creating a free product
- Building an email list
Marketing that didn't work (yet):
- Posting on forums
- Posting on forums
Marketing yet to try:
- Paid ads
- Paid ads
- Building an audience is simple
- Writing a newsletter is simple
- Creating a course is simple
But that doesn't mean it's easy.
- Writing a newsletter is simple
- Creating a course is simple
But that doesn't mean it's easy.
If you want to sell digital products, ask yourself whether you want to create content regularly.
(Even if it's a few tweets per day)
Because that's what you'll need to do to gain traction.
(Even if it's a few tweets per day)
Because that's what you'll need to do to gain traction.
"How can I create alongside working?"
On one hand, it's hard.
On the other hand, the work you do is what gives you material to create from.
There's a balance you can strike.
On one hand, it's hard.
On the other hand, the work you do is what gives you material to create from.
There's a balance you can strike.
Being a creator means building constant leverage.
The longer you create, the more your reputation compounds.
Each piece of content gets more eyes.
Each product you create gets a helping hand from those you made before it.
The longer you create, the more your reputation compounds.
Each piece of content gets more eyes.
Each product you create gets a helping hand from those you made before it.
After your first product, each thereafter has an increasing advantage because:
- Your audience will be larger
- You'll know what people want
- You'll be better at creating content
- You'll be better at producing products
- Your audience will be larger
- You'll know what people want
- You'll be better at creating content
- You'll be better at producing products
How to get a product finished:
1. Block time
2. Give yourself a deadline
1. Block time
2. Give yourself a deadline
A mindset tip for getting started as a creator:
Manage your expectations and stick to the task.
Manage your expectations and stick to the task.
Not all followers are equal.
A follower does not automatically make a customer.
A person needs to trust you before they'll buy from you.
A follower does not automatically make a customer.
A person needs to trust you before they'll buy from you.
The content you put out determines the following you attract.
Think about who can benefit most from your knowledge and create free content for them.
Think about who can benefit most from your knowledge and create free content for them.
A creators' best friend is the credibility of what they produce.
People make trust decisions based on what you share:
"Do I believe this person has earned wisdom?"
If you think someone could answer, "no" about something you're putting out, don't share it.
"Do I believe this person has earned wisdom?"
If you think someone could answer, "no" about something you're putting out, don't share it.
People make trust decisions based on what others say about you:
"Do other people like this person and their product?"
Social proof is everything.
"Do other people like this person and their product?"
Social proof is everything.
7 ways to build trust as a creator:
1. Be discoverable (website, social)
2. Be authentic (don't fabricate)
3. Be transparent (show results)
4. Be accessible (help people)
5. Be relatable (tell your story)
6. Be brilliant (do great work)
7. Be useful (spread value)
1. Be discoverable (website, social)
2. Be authentic (don't fabricate)
3. Be transparent (show results)
4. Be accessible (help people)
5. Be relatable (tell your story)
6. Be brilliant (do great work)
7. Be useful (spread value)
If you want to become a creator, prepare to become a marketer.
The marketing flywheel for creators:
- DMs
- Email
- Video
- Tweets
- Articles
- Podcasts
- Collaborations
- DMs
- Video
- Tweets
- Articles
- Podcasts
- Collaborations
Let's talk about price:
Pricing digital products and pricing bespoke services are two separate things.
Pricing digital products and pricing bespoke services are two separate things.
Some things are similar:
- Brand has a bearing on price
- The price paid correlates with the perceived value received
- Brand has a bearing on price
- The price paid correlates with the perceived value received
Some things are different:
- Upper limits
- Running sales
- Upper limits
- Running sales
Reducing the price of a product to boost sales is not the same as reducing the price of a custom project with more people waiting to hire you.
People can be price-anchored based on format.
For example:
What's the most you'd pay for a paperback book?
For example:
What's the most you'd pay for a paperback book?
Sales, when done sparingly, work.
My #GumroadDay bundle produced 62 sales for $2,480 in revenue.
In one day.
My #GumroadDay bundle produced 62 sales for $2,480 in revenue.
In one day.
Price becomes less relevant the better your offer looks.
Bundling products together for a discount is a useful sales strategy.
People don't always pay $0 when your product is available for $0.
Some people like to pay.
Some people like to pay.
How I priced my products:
- eBook 1 (10K words): Pay what you like
- eBook 2 (30K words): $19 pre-order, $39 full price
- Video course (12 modules, 3 hours): $24 pre-order, then scaling up monthly, $49, to $67, to $89 full price
- eBook 2 + course bundle: $109 full, $40-50 sale
- eBook 1 (10K words): Pay what you like
- eBook 2 (30K words): $19 pre-order, $39 full price
- Video course (12 modules, 3 hours): $24 pre-order, then scaling up monthly, $49, to $67, to $89 full price
- eBook 2 + course bundle: $109 full, $40-50 sale
How much each product made:
- eBook 1: $1,665.88 (tips)
- eBook 2: $18,659
- Video course: $11,813
- Bundle: $5,974
- eBook 1: $1,665.88 (tips)
- eBook 2: $18,659
- Video course: $11,813
- Bundle: $5,974
Landing page for each product:
- eBook 1: tomhir.st/10-steps
- eBook 2: tomhir.st/pfp
- Video course: tomhir.st/pwp
- Bundle: tomhir.st/tib
- eBook 1: tomhir.st/10-steps
- eBook 2: tomhir.st/pfp
- Video course: tomhir.st/pwp
- Bundle: tomhir.st/tib
Conversion rate for each product:
- eBook 1: 28.95%
- eBook 2: 4.27%
- Video course: 6.38%
- Bundle: 10.09%
- eBook 1: 28.95%
- eBook 2: 4.27%
- Video course: 6.38%
- Bundle: 10.09%
Conclusions on product price:
The only way to discover the best price for a specific product is to experiment regularly.
The only way to discover the best price for a specific product is to experiment regularly.
If you want volume and initial reach (network effect), a lower price works best.
If you want to uphold product value at all costs, go higher.
Though you'll likely need the volume stage to get to the value protection stage.
If you want to uphold product value at all costs, go higher.
Though you'll likely need the volume stage to get to the value protection stage.
You don't have to stick to the same pricing strategy for every product.
Raise your price the better your products get over time.
Raise your price the better your products get over time.
Product landing page tips for creators:
- Go long-form
- Write an FAQ
- Add a sample page or video
- Include free product updates
- Offer a money-back guarantee if no value
- Open yourself up to be asked further questions
- There's no such thing as too much social proof
- Go long-form
- Write an FAQ
- Add a sample page or video
- Include free product updates
- Offer a money-back guarantee if no value
- Open yourself up to be asked further questions
- There's no such thing as too much social proof
Software I used to create my eBooks:
- To write outlines: @GoogleDocs
- To write the eBooks themselves: Apple Pages (will use something like @vellum180g next time)
- To sell the eBooks: @gumroad
- To market the eBooks: @twitter + @mailchimp
- To write outlines: @GoogleDocs
- To write the eBooks themselves: Apple Pages (will use something like @vellum180g next time)
- To sell the eBooks: @gumroad
- To market the eBooks: @twitter + @mailchimp
Software I used to produce my video course:
- To write the curriculum and document time spent: @GoogleDocs
- To track tasks: @trello
- To record the videos: @loom
- To edit the videos: iMovie + @FFmpeg
- To sell the course: @gumroad
- To market the course: @twitter + @mailchimp
- To write the curriculum and document time spent: @GoogleDocs
- To track tasks: @trello
- To record the videos: @loom
- To edit the videos: iMovie + @FFmpeg
- To sell the course: @gumroad
- To market the course: @twitter + @mailchimp
Hardware I used to produce my video course:
- Canon M50 camera
- Sigma 16mm lens
- Rode NT-USB mic
- Dazzne D50 LED light
- LED strip lights
- Canon M50 camera
- Sigma 16mm lens
- Rode NT-USB mic
- Dazzne D50 LED light
- LED strip lights
If you want to be a creator, you have to commit to consistency.
It's possible part-time, but you'll soon want to go full-time.
Because creating products that help people is super fulfilling and the upside is exponential.
It's possible part-time, but you'll soon want to go full-time.
Because creating products that help people is super fulfilling and the upside is exponential.
With that said, being a creator isn't easy work nor money.
It's a balancing act for many. And you'll want to quit sometimes.
But the rewards become greater the longer you stick around.
It's a balancing act for many. And you'll want to quit sometimes.
But the rewards become greater the longer you stick around.
The trick is to enjoy creating the content you share.
If you're having fun, what comes with it is a bonus.
And this makes you hard to compete with.
If you're having fun, what comes with it is a bonus.
And this makes you hard to compete with.
How I'd start again:
1. Share earlier
2. Focus on @twitter quicker
3. Create a short free product with @gumroad
4. Turn free product downloads into emails
5. Spend time talking to interesting people
6. Create content every day to gauge interest
7. Produce new products regularly
1. Share earlier
2. Focus on @twitter quicker
3. Create a short free product with @gumroad
4. Turn free product downloads into emails
5. Spend time talking to interesting people
6. Create content every day to gauge interest
7. Produce new products regularly
If:
- People pay you to perform a skill for them
- You have specific knowledge about a topic
- You have experience that can help others
You have something to productise.
- People pay you to perform a skill for them
- You have specific knowledge about a topic
- You have experience that can help others
You have something to productise.
If you liked this thread:
1. Give me a follow @tom_hirst if you want more
2. RT the first tweet, it really helps!
1. Give me a follow @tom_hirst if you want more
2. RT the first tweet, it really helps!
https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1387746272011067394
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