How to gain traction for your Digital Product Business - a few strategies to try

Hello digital product creators. I answered a post in another discussion about how to get your first 100 users for your product and I felt compelled to talk about one of the best ways to getting traction for your digital product business. I have helped previous digital product clients with the launch of their product and the best approach that have worked for us is taking a multi-channel approach. Now why multi-channel? Because in the digital world, users are scattered across various platforms and mediums. A multi-channel approach ensures your product isn't confined to a single space. Each channel represents a unique opportunity for exposure. So by diversifying your presence, you tap into different user bases, increasing the likelihood of reaching potential customers. I like to think of it as maximising visibility and accessibility, ensuring your digital product is where your audience is, leading to broader recognition and engagement. If you have the capacity I would recommend choosing 3-5 platforms in the beginning and focusing your efforts in those to see which one gives you traction. You may need help to execute, if you don't have a team so consider hiring freelancers. I use Upwork. So here's how I've been able to do this and the strategies that we've used to help us achieve our goals. This list might inspire you in your own way so feel free to give them a try: 1. Cold email and LinkedIn. I always suggest cold email or LinkedIn because a direct approach is so powerful to getting your first early adopters. Think about who your target audience is. It's important that you think about who the decision-maker or buyer is and build a list of prospects with validated email addresses and start emailing them. When creating your emails I find that personalised and concise emails work best. Address the recipient by their name and explain why your product could be valuable to them based on their needs or interests. I do not recommend generic templates; it might be tempting to use these but you'll find that you get a higher response rate with genuine, tailored messages which stand out. 2. I've also partnered with bloggers and influencers in the past. For example, I would create a free workshop where bloggers/influencers can share it with their audience and invite them to attend. This has been not only impactful, in that the blogger/influencer's audience learn something valuable but for generating leads who have a problem that you can solve, it helps get more prospects in the funnel who could check out your product. If you don't want to offer a workshop, try partnering with bloggers and influencers by giving them access to your product for free in exchange for an honest review. Honest reviews and targeted collaborations can introduce your product to a wider audience which you would not ordinarily have access to. 3. In your niche, there are individuals respected for their deep knowledge and influence. These experts are your ticket to gaining trust and credibility within your community. You can identify experts relevant to your digital product. If you're just getting started and don't have a big budget, I would recommend looking for individuals who have a significant following but not too large that it makes it difficult to get noticed and attention. For example, think micro-experts or nano-experts. They could be bloggers, thought leaders, influencers, or even professionals with substantial experience. You can reach out to them to collaborate with them or share access to your product for free where in return they might give an honest review or even share it with their audience. The power of influence is so amazing. Just by mentioning your product to their audience, could lead to many people checking out your product and potentially generating sales. 4. Another strategy is video reels on Instagram and TikTok. This may not be for everyone but if your product will appeal to a younger audience, it's definitely one to consider. A launch that I did some years back for a client actually used IG and TT as a strategy helping us get tons of visitors to our website as well as email subscribers for the actual product launch so don't be afraid to give this one a try. Quick tip, if you're using reels to help with virality pair your video with trending music and relevant hashtags. You never know which video might catch fire and like they say "you're only one video away from changing the future of your business". 5. You could invest in ads but I say this with a huge caveat. Ads is not the solution to a lack of sales. Ads will not help you get sales but you do need to have a good strategy to get in front of your audience. I like using Google Search Ads because they target people who are actively searching for a solution and you could target them and give them trial access to your product and then upsell them to a sale. If you're using social media ads, be careful not to pitch your product directly. Use storytelling ads, that tell your story of why you created the product or use blog posts that drive traffic to a blog that talks about the problems of your target audience. This will help build credibility, trust and a relationship first of all. Once you've built an audience of readers or engagers, retarget them with a product pitch or generate leads for future nurturing. I'm actually trying this strategy for a new launch and it is working perfectly! I would recommend that you allocate a reasonable budget of about $1k per month for six months. Experiment, analyse, and refine your ads strategy as you go. 6. Another way is to actively participate in online forums and social media groups where your ideal clients hang out. Create a promotional strategy focused on education and engagement and then from time to time introduce your product. So I've given you some strategies to try but there are two things that you need to pay attention to - consistency and data. Consistency is your best friend. Commit to these efforts for at least six months. But remember, consistency without data is like sailing blind. I suggest setting up Google Analytics, measure your traffic sources, and analyse conversion rates. So for example, you might use cold email, forums and reels and realise that forums is driving a lot of traffic but actually cold email is converting people into customers much faster. So therefore you can focus the remainder of your time to only using cold email, until you have enough customers that you can start working on other brand awareness tactics like content marketing. In this digital age, getting noticed is about being strategic, not extravagant. Find your audience, connect genuinely, and let your passion for building something that will create impact be your drive to continue on your journey. Remember too that Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your digital empire be. Keep pushing, keep experimenting, and keep adapting. Your breakthrough moment might be just around the corner. I hope these tips helps someone. If you have any questions, please leave them below and I will make sure to answer them for you.