One of the biggest mistakes coaches make with digital products is thinking of them as merely something to sell when in reality they’re relationship building tools.
I don’t know about you but my favorite kind of buyers are repeat buyers so I treat every part of every transaction and every page of every product as a relationship-building opportunity.
This mindset shift in your offer suite can become extremely lucrative and potentially reveal your most profitable offer yet if you’re willing to take action with the steps in this post.
Deepening Connections with Digital Products:
Imagine a digital landscape that feels personal, where every product you offer fits perfectly into your customer’s life, answering their silent questions and soothing their pain points even before they arise. This isn’t a pipe dream—it’s entirely possible by marrying your digital products with a deep understanding of the customer journey.
- Craft with Purpose: Start by mapping out your customer’s journey, from awareness to decision. Identify key moments where your customer is calling out for a digital product can serve as a guide, solution, or comfort.
- Solve, Don’t Sell: Design your digital products to solve specific problems and overcome their biggest objections. An eBook that addresses a common challenge or an online course that equips customers with a new skill can transform a transaction into an enriching experience.
- Feedback Loops: Integrate feedback mechanisms into your digital products to keep the conversation going. Use surveys, comment sections, and social media interactions to understand your customer’s evolving needs.
Let’s imagine you’re a coach looking to take less clients by selling digital planners that facilitate the same result as a coaching session. How does this product or planner offer opportunities to develop the relationship beyond the transaction itself?
When a customer purchases a digital planner from a coach, it opens up numerous opportunities to deepen the relationship. Here are ways the purchase can enhance this connection and foster long-term engagement:
- 1. Automated Progress Tracking: The digital planner can include features that automatically track the customer’s progress towards their goals. Seeing their progress visually can motivate customers and reinforce the value of the coach’s methodology.
- 2. Built-in Reminders and Notifications: Timely reminders for important tasks and goals can keep the customer engaged and on track. These notifications show that the coach’s system is actively supporting their journey.
- 3. Personalized Content within the Planner: Based on the customer’s input and progress, the planner could offer personalized tips, encouragement, and resources directly related to their current stage or challenges, making the coaching presence felt in a passive yet impactful way.
- 4. Reflective Prompts: Including thought-provoking questions or prompts for daily or weekly reflection directly in the planner encourages customers to think deeply about their journey and goals, fostering a deeper connection with the coaching philosophy without direct interaction.
- 5. Milestone Celebrations: The digital planner could automatically celebrate milestones based on the customer’s achievements. These virtual celebrations make the customer feel recognized and supported, reinforcing the value of their relationship with the coach.
- 6. Feedback Loops: Integrating simple feedback mechanisms within the planner, such as rating the day or logging mood and energy levels, can provide customers a way to reflect on their progress passively. Over time, this data can offer insights to the customer, making the planner an indispensable tool for personal growth.
- 7. Resource Library Access: Automatically unlock relevant resources, like articles, videos, or mini-courses, within the planner based on the customer’s progress or the time of year. This passive delivery of tailored content enriches the customer’s experience without requiring them to seek out these resources actively.
- 8. Integration with Daily Life: By integrating with other tools or apps the customer uses daily (like calendar apps or health trackers), the digital planner seamlessly embeds itself into the customer’s routine, making the coach’s presence a natural part of their daily life.
- 9. Adaptive Planning Tools: The planner could adapt its planning and goal-setting features based on the customer’s usage patterns and progress, offering a more customized experience that passively guides them towards their goals more effectively.
- 10. Inspirational Quotes or Messages: Randomly generated inspirational quotes or messages from the coach within the planner can provide unexpected moments of motivation and connection, reminding the customer of the coach’s role in their journey even in a passive context.
By incorporating these features, the digital planner not only becomes a tool for organization and goal setting but also a dynamic component of the customer’s growth journey, continually nurturing the relationship between the customer and coach without requiring direct action from either party.
Enhancing Personalization Through Data
One of the most powerful aspects of digital products is their ability to be personalized at scale. Unlike physical products, digital offerings can be easily adjusted to meet the individual needs and preferences of each customer, creating a highly personalized experience that fosters loyalty and trust.
Leveraging Customer Data:
- Collect Insightful Data: Use analytics tools to gather data on how customers interact with your digital products. Pay special attention to usage patterns, preferences, and feedback.
- Segment Your Audience: Break down your audience into segments based on behavior, demographics, and engagement levels. This allows for more targeted and relevant product offerings.
- Customize the Experience: Use the data and segments you’ve created to personalize the customer’s journey. From customized email courses to personalized content recommendations, make every interaction count.
Scaling Personal Touch with Technology
The beauty of digital products lies in their scalability. Technology enables us to maintain a personal touch with a vast audience, something that was nearly impossible in the pre-digital era.
Automation with a Human Touch:
- Intelligent Automation: Use automation tools to deliver personalized experiences at scale. Tools like CRMs and email marketing software can automate personalization based on customer actions and preferences.
- AI and Machine Learning: Implement AI and machine learning algorithms to predict customer needs and offer solutions in real-time. Chatbots, for instance, can provide instant support and guidance, emulating a human-like interaction.
Building Deeper Connections Through Storytelling
Digital products offer unique opportunities for storytelling, allowing brands to weave their narratives into the customer’s journey, thereby deepening the connection. Courses that leverage a storytelling theme (like the secret garden one I designed below) are powerful examples of how you can help your otherwise common solution stand out in a saturated niche.
Story-Driven Content:
- Embed Your Story: Use your digital products as platforms to share your brand’s story, mission, and values. Whether through an eBook’s narrative, the curriculum of a themed online course, or the content in an app, make sure your brand’s personality shines through.
- User-Generated Content: Encourage and incorporate user-generated content into your digital offerings. This not only adds a layer of authenticity but also creates a sense of community among your customers.
Continuously Evolving with Your Audience
The digital landscape and customer preferences are always changing. Especially with AI! Staying attuned to these shifts and being willing to evolve your digital products accordingly is key to maintaining and deepening customer relationships over time.
Stay Agile:
- Regularly Update Offerings: Keep your digital products fresh and relevant by regularly updating them based on customer feedback and emerging trends.
- Embrace Innovation: Don’t be afraid to experiment with new technologies and formats. Virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive video are just a few examples that can offer immersive experiences to your customers.
Actionable Next Steps for Deeper Engagement:
- Implement a Data-Driven Approach: Integrate analytics tools to gather actionable insights on customer behavior and preferences.
- Personalize at Scale: Use automation and AI to deliver personalized experiences to a large audience without losing the personal touch.
- Foster Community: Create platforms within your digital products for customers to share their stories and experiences.
- Keep the Conversation Going: Use feedback loops to make your customers feel heard and involved in the evolution of your products.
- Innovate Continuously: Stay on top of technological advancements to keep your digital products exciting and engaging.