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Forbes
09-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What Every Creator Should Know Before Launching A Digital Product
Man podcaster influencer blogger smiling while broadcasting his live audio podcast in studio using ... More headphones, laptop and headphones. Male radio host making podcast or interview The creator economy is entering its next major phase, not one defined by followers or viral content, but by real product ownership and long-term equity. From digital memberships to full-fledged software ventures, creators are unlocking serious revenue streams and reshaping what it means to build an audience online. Miles Sellyn, VP of Creator Partnerships at Rare Days, has helped some of the biggest names in the industry, from Colin and Samir to Ryan Trahan, launch products that now generate millions. I spoke to him to unpack what's working, what's not and how creators can move from content to commerce with intention. 'What the market is telling me is the biggest opportunity right now are memberships and subscriptions,' Sellyn explained. 'It's a bit of an evolution from courses or communities. You might have a course within a membership. You might have a community within a membership. You might have AI chatbots. It's a flexible container for delivering content.' Still, Sellyn's eyes are on a more ambitious horizon: creators building software. 'The cost of developing software is dropping dramatically. That opens the door for creators to own the product rather than just being the face of it,' he said. 'It creates long-term enterprise equity value.' 'The eye-popping ones: we work with a creator who is making more than $15 million a year through their digital products,' Sellyn shared. 'Another did $300,000 within 30 days of launching. We have creators who have sold $15 million plus of courses.' But big numbers aren't the only metric. 'Even $60,000–$70,000 a month in digital product sales can change the game for creators relying on brand deals. It's great for mental health and strategic freedom.' So what makes a creator product-ready? 'A ruthless standard for quality,' Sellyn emphasized. 'That stems from a deep respect for the audience. The top creators care about the person on the other end of the screen. They're not just selling—they're delivering outsized value.' He also urges creators to go beyond intuition and mine their DMs and comments. 'That's where the product ideas are hiding.' Rare Days uses 'feature vignettes' to validate product ideas. These are low-fidelity mockups that gauge audience interest. 'We'll create 10 to 20 of these and test them directly with the creator's audience. That feedback is gold.' When creators don't have a product idea, that's not a deal-breaker. 'They're filmmakers, creatives, educators, not necessarily product strategists. But if they know their audience, we can find the opportunity together.' The timeline depends on complexity. A course or membership might take three to four months. Custom software can take up to a year. One warning: 'Creators almost always underestimate the content burden. They're already making a YouTube video every week. Creating a product is another layer entirely.' Pricing is both art and science. Sellyn recommends Jay Clouse's four-question pricing framework, based on the Van Westendorp Model: Then, price toward the lower end. 'You want customers to feel like they're getting 10 times the value for every dollar they spend.' 'One of the biggest mistakes? The creator launches and goes dark,' Sellyn warned. 'You need to talk about it constantly. Algorithms don't guarantee reach, so act like you're inviting your audience to a party. They need to know it exists.' Sellyn recommends a two-week pre-launch window, followed by strategic post-launch engagement. 'It's not 'Field of Dreams.' You can't just build it and expect people to come. You have to market it.' Entertainment creators can still sell, but it's tougher. 'If your content is a vitamin, not a painkiller, the product needs a lot more thought. But if your content solves problems, the audience is already primed.' One standout example is Hannah Williams of Salary Transparent Street. Instead of launching a course, she built a salary database and a job board. 'It fits her mission and audience. Not everything has to be an educational product.' Sellyn sees a wave of creator-led SaaS products on the horizon. 'Creators used to partner with software tools. Now they're building their own. We're seeing creators in 3D modeling, for example, realize they can build plugins for $20,000 and keep the upside, rather than just taking affiliate fees.' It's not just about products. It's about ownership. If you're a creator thinking about launching a product? 'Spend time in your DMs,' Sellyn said. 'Read every comment. Look for pain points. Then build solutions around those. That's your roadmap.' And when you're ready to scale? 'Your audience is your edge. But your product is your future.' This article is based on an interview from my podcast, The Business of Creators.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Small businesses brace for more pain with looming Canada Post strike
Alex Kravis (right), owner of GT Games in Carleton Place, worries about what another Canada Post strike could mean for his online business. Katelyn Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 ChatGPT Prompts To Boost Your Website Traffic Instantly
5 ChatGPT prompts to boost your website traffic instantly If your website isn't getting traffic, you're doing it wrong. People less smart than you have figured out how to optimise their website and get people there. They created content and got it in front of people. They set up their pages to attract attention and turn it into enquiries. Now it's your turn. Transform your invisible website into a client-attracting powerhouse that works around the clock. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through. Nobody searches randomly online. They hunt for solutions to specific problems using specific language. Businesses guess what terms their customers use. Get inside your customer's head and discover their actual search patterns. Learn which terms deliver visitors with their payment card in hand. Use these insights to create content that ranks and converts. "You are an SEO expert specializing in search intent analysis. I need to understand what my ideal customers are searching for when they're ready to buy [describe your product/service]. First, ask me 5 questions about my target audience, industry, and current website performance. Using my answers, suggest 10 high-commercial-intent keywords and search phrases that indicate someone is close to purchasing. For each keyword, explain why it shows buying intent and how competitive it might be to rank for. Organize these by estimated search volume and competition level." Most blogs exist without purpose or strategy. Break this pattern. Solve real problems, establish your expertise, and pull visitors toward becoming customers. Turn your blog into a client-generating machine with strategic content. Build authority on topics that matter to both your audience and Google. Create cornerstone articles that answer crucial questions and attract consistent traffic. "You are a content strategist with deep SEO expertise. Help me create an SEO-optimized blog content plan for my website. First, ask me about my business goals and existing content. Then, suggest 10 blog post titles that could rank well and support my business objectives. For each title, provide: 1) The primary keyword to target, 2) 3-5 related keywords to include, 3) A brief outline of what the post should cover, and 4) Why this content would be valuable to both search engines and my audience." Website copy fails when it talks about you instead of your visitors. Your potential customers care about one thing: their problems getting solved quickly. Keep their attention by showing you understand what they need. This is where you win the game. Speak directly to your visitors' deepest desires and frustrations. Use clear, compelling language that builds trust instantly. Write for humans first, search engines second. "Review my current website copy (or help me create new copy) that focuses on customer problems and solutions rather than company information. First, ask me about my target audience's primary pain points, desired outcomes, and objections to purchasing. Then, suggest a complete rewrite of my [home page/about page/services page] Technical SEO mistakes kill your rankings. Businesses wonder why nobody finds them online while completely neglecting the basics. They create content without fixing their foundation. Their websites send confusing signals to Google and everyone loses. Get the fundamentals right before anything else. Make your website structure crystal clear to both visitors and search engines. Optimize every page element from title to content to internal links. "I need to audit and optimize the on-page SEO elements of my website. First, ask me about my current website structure, CMS platform, and any SEO work I've already done. Then, create a comprehensive on-page SEO checklist for my website that includes: 1) Title tag and meta description optimization for my top 5 pages, 2) Header structure recommendations, 3) Image optimization guidelines, 4) Internal linking strategies, 5) Page speed improvement suggestions, and 6) Mobile-friendliness best practices. Explain why each element matters for search visibility and how to implement these changes correctly." Publishing content on your website accomplishes nothing alone. Distribution makes the difference between getting seen and staying hidden. Build a flywheel that amplifies everything you create. Take one central piece of content and transform it into multiple formats for every platform where your audience hangs out. Create a system where each piece feeds traffic back to your website continuously. "Help me create a content distribution strategy that will drive more traffic to my website. Based on what you know about my business, develop a comprehensive content distribution plan that: 1) Suggests the optimal platforms to share my website content, 2) Shows how to repurpose each piece of content into multiple formats (social posts, emails, videos, etc.), 3) Provides a weekly schedule for posting across channels, and 4) Includes strategies to encourage sharing and engagement that drives traffic back to my website. Focus on creating a sustainable system I can maintain consistently." Your website deserves serious attention and here's how to get it. Uncover what your audience actually searches for and create content they genuinely want. Write copy that converts visitors into buyers. Fix your technical foundations and build a distribution system that works while you sleep. The potential is clear. Study the game and play to win. Access all my best ChatGPT content prompts.
