As we’ve moved more of our lives online, the demand for digital offerings—everything from ebooks to full-fledged online courses—has skyrocketed. 2024 already shows a 45% increase in online course enrollments compared to the prior year, highlighting the continued global appetite for digital learning and entertainment.
Why Amazon? Well, in 2023, it held 37% of the entire US eCommerce market. Yes, you read that right—with the next retailer trailing at only 6%! This is a golden opportunity for digital product sellers looking for a massive audience to tap into.
And with over two and a half million third-party sellers already on board, understanding Amazon’s landscape is critical. This vast network of sellers shows the platform’s capacity to support diverse businesses and helps you gauge your competition and plot your pathway to success. Let’s dive into how you can make Amazon work for you digitally.
Skip ahead:
- Why sell digital products on Amazon?
- Understanding Amazon Digital Services
- What can you sell? Best-selling digital products on Amazon
- Step-by-step guide to selling digital products on Amazon
- Marketing your digital products
- Leveraging Amazon Advertising
- Dos and don’ts of selling digital products on Amazon
- Top FAQs about selling digital products on Amazon
- Your pathway to digital product success
Why sell digital products on Amazon?
Choosing Amazon as your platform for selling digital products has many compelling advantages. First, you can get started immediately—no need to deal with the complexities of physical goods like storage or shipping. Just upload your digital content, and you’re in business. This means very low upfront costs—there’s no need for a physical inventory or a large team.
The profit potential is also significantly higher. Since digital products can be sold repeatedly without additional production costs, each sale increases your profit margin. Plus, once your product is listed, it generates income with minimal effort—true passive income.
What’s more, your products are exposed to a global audience. Millions of customers browse Amazon daily, giving your digital goods a chance to shine in a vast marketplace. And for 2024, Amazon has tweaked its algorithms to even better highlight digital products, enhancing visibility and boosting your potential sales.
Understanding Amazon Digital Services
Amazon Digital Services is the hub that powers the distribution of digital products, ensuring creators like you can deliver content seamlessly to consumers worldwide. This division supports a variety of offerings, from Amazon’s own products like Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music to creator-focused services such as Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and the Amazon Appstore.
2024 brings exciting enhancements to Amazon Digital Services. The platform has introduced new features designed to streamline uploading and managing digital content, making it easier and more intuitive than ever. Whether you publish your latest eBook through KDP, sell custom software, or offer an online course, these improvements are designed to help you succeed on Amazon’s vast marketplace.
TL;DR Amazon Digital Services allows you to offer digital products such as books, music, apps, and more to a broad audience. This division ensures that your products are delivered smoothly and efficiently to consumers, whether you’re an author using Kindle Direct Publishing to reach readers globally or a developer offering new apps via the Amazon Appstore. It’s your one-stop shop for reaching out to customers and handling all the technical aspects of digital sales.
What can you sell? Best-selling digital products on Amazon
Amazon’s platform offers a diverse range of categories for digital products that you can tap into based on your skills and interests. Here’s a look at some of the top-selling and innovative digital products on Amazon:
Ebooks
Amazon Kindle is by far the largest platform for ebooks worldwide, with millions of titles on offer. Lots of formats are supported, including PDFs.
You also don’t have to only write fiction or business books. Be creative and publish travel guides, case studies or textbooks—anything that might interest your target audience.
Digital art and prints
Amazon Merch is a great platform for artists and graphic designers who would like to merge powerful digital and physical products together.
Become an Amazon Merch on Demand Content Creator
Items such as printable wall art and educational materials are in high demand. These can range from coloring pages to workbooks and greeting cards. Printable posters are lucrative digital products, too, and can be easily sold on Amazon. You can create a downloadable print, upload it on Amazon, and enjoy a passive source of income.
To start, you’ll need to upload a great piece of art to Amazon Merch, and the service will automatically print it on t-shirts and other physical goods. You don’t need to handle inventory—new products will automatically ship to customers as they order them.
Music
Source: Tunecore
Platforms like TuneCore integrated with Amazon Music allow musicians to upload and sell their music through more than 150 stores worldwide (e.g. iTunes, Google Play) as well as streaming services, such as Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music and social media. To use TuneCore, just create an account, upload your music and get approved.
Games and software
If you know how to build software, you can sell a variety of mobile apps, ecommerce themes, and website templates on Amazon Appstore. While Amazon’s commission on sales is 30%, you still get ahead due to the increased reach of the platform.
Online courses
Another popular category of digital product on Amazon is online courses. Anything you know how to do well, from copywriting to photography to yoga, can be turned into a video course and sold online to thousands of people.
Video games
The indie gaming market has increased in recent years. While most of the games that are sold on Amazon and other platforms are developed by large gaming studios, if you are an independent game creator, you can easily sell it to Amazon. It allows you to write a description, highlight the important themes of your game, and also upload images and screenshots to entice customers.
Templates
Templates have a huge market as most people want an example from which they can build their own projects. Some examples of templates you can create include business planning templates, business contracts, DIY home projects, and even PowerPoint presentations.
Audio files
Audio files differ from music, including speeches, voice-based instructions, and even short lessons. You can use your imagination to create different audio files and sell them on Amazon to a discerning audience. Be sure these are not music, as Amazon will require you to sell them under their music platform.
Step-by-step guide to selling digital products on Amazon
Follow these three essential steps to turn your digital product into a success on Amazon. From initial research to creating and finally launching your product, each stage is crucial. Here’s how you can navigate these steps using the latest strategies for 2024.
Research and ideation
Begin by diving deep into Amazon’s existing market landscape. Identify what’s working and draw inspiration from successful products—never copying, but rather learning and improving upon what’s already there.
- Use advanced tools: Leverage tools like Jungle Scout or Helium 10 to perform detailed market analysis. These tools can help you understand keywords, competition, demand, and potential revenue.
- Example approach: If you’re aiming to create an ebook on digital marketing, start by analyzing popular search terms related to your topic on Amazon. This will show you what potential buyers are interested in and how saturated the market might be.
Content creation and validation
Once you’ve honed in on your product idea, it’s time to bring it to life.
- Develop an MVP: Start with a Minimum Viable Product. This could be a basic version of your app or a few chapters of your ebook. The key is getting something tangible to test and iterate on.
- Gather feedback: Use a focus group or beta testers to evaluate your MVP. Pay close attention to their feedback to refine and improve your product.
Product listing on Amazon
With your final product ready, the next step is to list it on Amazon effectively.
- Choose the right seller account: Decide between an Individual or Professional account based on your expected sales volume and budget.
- Optimize your listings: Use the latest SEO strategies to make your product easy to find on Amazon. Incorporate keywords that you researched earlier into your product title and description.
- Enhance with A+ Content: If available, utilize Amazon’s A+ Content feature to enrich your product listings with enhanced media like high-quality images and comparison charts.
- Submit and list: Submit your digital product to the appropriate Amazon program (KDP, TuneCore, Amazon Merch, etc.) for approval. Once approved, go ahead and list your product.
- Promote your product: Use Amazon Sponsored Products to boost visibility. This pay-per-click advertising tool can help drive more traffic to your listings. Additionally, consider cross-promoting your product on social media platforms and through email marketing to enhance exposure and attract a broader audience.
Marketing your digital products
Once your digital product is listed on Amazon, the next crucial step is to ramp up your marketing efforts. Leveraging both Amazon’s robust internal tools and external channels can dramatically increase your visibility and sales. Here’s how to effectively use these tools and strategies to promote your digital offerings.
Leveraging Amazon Advertising
Amazon Advertising offers a powerful way to reach potential customers exactly where they shop. Here’s how you can make the most of it:
- Sponsored Products: These ads allow you to promote individual listings and appear directly in search results and on product pages. They are ideal for increasing the visibility of your new digital product.
- Sponsored Brands: This format helps build brand awareness by featuring your brand logo, a custom headline, and multiple products in your ads.
- Sponsored Display Ads: These ads reach customers on and off Amazon, which helps retarget those who have viewed your products but have yet to purchase.
Using these tools effectively involves targeting the right keywords, setting an appropriate budget, and continuously optimizing your campaigns based on performance data.
Enhancing listings with A+ Content
A+ Content is a feature that allows you to enhance your product descriptions on Amazon with rich text and multimedia components such as:
- Images and videos: Show off key features of your product or explain complex information that can help convince customers at the point of decision.
- Enhanced brand content: Tell your brand’s story and create an emotional connection with potential buyers, which can increase trust and conversion rates.
Utilizing external traffic sources
Don’t just rely on Amazon shoppers—draw in new customers from other platforms:
- Social media marketing: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be excellent traffic sources. Share engaging content that links directly to your Amazon listing and consider investing in social media ads for targeted reach.
- Influencer collaborations: Partner with influencers who resonate with your target audience. They can review or feature your product in their content, directing their followers to your Amazon page.
Strategies for gathering customer reviews
Customer reviews are crucial for boosting your product’s credibility and helping it rank higher in search results. Here are ethical strategies to encourage reviews:
- Follow up with buyers: Use Amazon’s ‘Request a Review’ button to ask customers for feedback. This tool complies with Amazon’s policies and sends an automated message optimized for high response rates.
- Provide excellent customer service: Respond to customer inquiries and quickly resolve issues. Satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews.
- Create post-purchase email sequences: If you’re using Amazon’s email system or your customer list, craft engaging follow-up emails encouraging buyers to leave an honest review after purchasing.
By combining these internal and external marketing strategies, you can significantly enhance the reach and appeal of your digital products on Amazon. Test different approaches, measure the results, and refine your plan to find what works best for driving sales and building your brand presence online.
Dos and don’ts of selling digital products on Amazon
Navigating the rules and guidelines for selling digital products on Amazon ensures your content remains compliant and enhances customer trust. Here’s a concise guide to the dos and don’ts across various Amazon platforms, helping you stay on top of the policies and optimize your sales strategy.
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
For authors and publishers looking to use KDP, Amazon enforces strict rules to maintain quality and accuracy:
Do:
- Correct errors: Before uploading, ensure your book is free of typos, grammatical errors, and duplications. Utilize tools like Kindle Previewer for a thorough check.
- Use correct metadata: Accurately describe your book with appropriate metadata to improve discoverability. Avoid misleading information, which can lead to content removal and lost sales.
- Invest in quality cover art: Design a clear, professional cover that resonates with your content without any promotional messages.
- Ensure proper formatting: Format your book for optimal readability. Avoid formatting issues such as forced alignment or incorrect spacing.
Don’t:
- Misrepresent your content or include any form of misleading information that could confuse your readers.
TuneCore
Musicians distributing through TuneCore must adhere to specific artwork and formatting guidelines:
Do:
- Own your artwork: Ensure you have the rights to use your cover art, which should be square (at least 1600 x 1600 pixels) and in RGB color mode.
- Follow style guide: Accurately include only the title and artist’s name if text is used. Ensure the image is clear and properly aligned.
Don’t:
- Include any external contact information, pricing, or promotional content. Avoid references to digital or physical formats.
Amazon Merch on Demand
For artists and designers selling on Amazon Merch on Demand, maintaining compliance with platform guidelines is crucial to avoid any potential legal issues and ensure product listings are not removed. Here are the specific dos and don’ts:
Do:
- Use original artwork: Ensure that all designs are your own creations. If you are using elements that are not original, they must be licensed or free of copyright restrictions.
- Ensure appropriate content: Designs should be suitable for all age groups, especially if the merchandise will be available in youth sizes. This helps avoid any age-related content restrictions.
- Match text and design quality: Any text included in the design should accurately reflect the product listing’s description. The artwork must be uploaded in high resolution (300 dpi) and RGB color format to ensure the product looks good when printed.
Don’t:
- Promote inappropriate content: Avoid designs that could be seen as promoting hate speech, violence, or containing profanity. Content that exploits children or other sensitive subjects is strictly prohibited and can result in immediate removal from the platform.
Audible
For authors and publishers looking to place audiobooks on Audible through ACX, it is important to adhere to specific audio quality and content standards:
Do:
- Maintain consistent sound quality: The audio should have uniform volume and clarity throughout the entire audiobook to ensure a pleasant listening experience.
- Include proper credits: Opening and closing credits are required, and the title, author, narrator, and publisher should be clearly stated to provide listeners with complete information.
- Provide a representative audio sample: The sample should give a fair preview of the audiobook’s content without including any explicit material, adhering to Audible’s content guidelines.
Don’t:
- Mix audio formats: Your audiobook should be entirely mono or stereo, not a combination of both. This ensures consistency in the listening experience.
- Exceed length restrictions: Each audio file uploaded should be 120 minutes at most to facilitate easy downloading and listening.
Amazon Developer for Apps
When developers submit apps to the Amazon Appstore, following these guidelines will help ensure their apps are approved and maintain a good standing on the platform:
Do:
- Comply with laws and policies: Your app must adhere to all applicable laws and Amazon’s strict content policies, which aim to protect users and provide a safe app environment.
- Implement adequate safeguards: Apps targeted at children or general audiences should include features that protect young users from inappropriate content.
Don’t:
- Include offensive content: Apps should not contain any material that could be considered offensive or harmful. This includes but is not limited to hate speech, excessively violent content, or sexually explicit material.
- Infringe on rights: Ensure that your app does not violate any third-party intellectual property rights, which could lead to legal issues and app removal.
Prime Video Direct
Content creators using Prime Video Direct must be diligent in following platform rules to ensure their videos are accepted and remain available for streaming:
Do:
- Adhere to copyright and trademark laws: Your content must not infringe on any copyrights or trademarks and should be distinctly different from existing titles on the platform.
- Submit quality, feature-length content: Prime Video prioritizes feature-length movies and TV shows. Ensure your submissions meet these content criteria and maintain a high production value.
Don’t:
- Submit non-qualifying content types: Avoid uploading content that falls into categories typically not accepted by Prime Video, such as vlogs, product reviews, unboxing videos, and other user-generated content types that do not meet the platform’s standards for professional media production.
Top FAQs about selling digital products on Amazon
How can I get more Amazon reviews legally and effectively?
To ethically increase your Amazon reviews:
- Use Amazon’s Request a Review feature: This automated tool prompts buyers to review their purchased products, ensuring compliance with Amazon’s policies.
- Provide excellent customer service: Outstanding service encourages customers to leave positive reviews.
- Follow up post-purchase: Send a follow-up email (if customers have opted in for contact) thanking them for their purchase and kindly asking for a review.
Remember, Amazon strictly prohibits paying for reviews. Any breach of this policy can result in account suspension.
What strategies can increase my eBook sales on Amazon?
To boost eBook sales:
- Invest in a high-quality cover design: A visually appealing cover can significantly affect your book’s click-through rate.
- Optimize your book’s metadata: Regularly review and update your title, description, and keywords to ensure your eBook appears in relevant search results.
- Run Amazon ads: Utilize Amazon’s advertising tools to promote your eBook to targeted audiences.
How can I ensure success when selling merchandise on Amazon Merch?
To succeed with Amazon Merch:
- Create unique and original designs: Focus on creating unique content that can’t be found elsewhere.
- Understand your audience: Develop designs that resonate with your target demographic.
- Monitor trends: Stay updated on what’s trending and incorporate relevant themes into your designs without infringing on copyrights.
Can I sell digital books in PDF format on Amazon?
Yes, Amazon accepts PDFs for digital books, especially for content that benefits from a fixed layout, like graphic novels or illustrated guides. Ensure your PDF files are properly formatted for the best customer experience.
How do I determine the ideal word count for an eBook?
The length of your eBook should align with the expectations of your target audience and the standards of your genre:
- Short-form eBooks, like how-to guides or pamphlets, might only need 1,000 to 5,000 words.
- Standard non-fiction books typically range from 40,000 to 80,000 words.
- Fiction works can vary even more widely, depending on the narrative structure.
Is selling digital products on Amazon profitable?
Yes, selling digital products on Amazon can be quite profitable due to low overhead costs and the platform’s massive reach. Success often depends on the quality of the product, effective marketing strategies, and the ability to tap into the right niches.
How do I start selling digital products online with Amazon?
To start selling digital products on Amazon:
- Create an Amazon Seller account and register for the digital selling program.
- Upload your products to Amazon’s platform, setting appropriate prices.
- Market your products both on and off Amazon to increase visibility and sales.
Your pathway to digital product success
Jumping into the world of digital product sales on Amazon might seem daunting, but it’s absolutely achievable—and potentially very profitable—with the right approach. Understand the platform’s guidelines, optimize your product listings, and market your items effectively to set yourself up for success.
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The bottom line? The Leap empowers you to build a sustainable income by transforming your expertise and creativity into profitable digital products. It’s more than just a platform—it’s your creative and commercial growth partner.
Ready to take the leap? Sign up for free today and start turning your digital aspirations into reality. Let’s make your journey into digital sales not just possible, but a resounding success.
This blog was originally published in March 2023, it’s since been updated in May 2024 to include more relevant information.