The Art of Marketing on Marketplaces

When you launch a digital product, you want sales, right?

Of course!

The obvious advice is what everyone else says:

Create social media posts,
post consistently,
master the platform’s algorithm, and go viral.

On paper, this sounds perfect.

But in reality, building a community comes with its fair share of challenges.

Content creation is definitely not for the faint of heart, especially for beginners.

You’ll need fresh ideas,
consistent messaging,
and a strong way to build trust with your followers.

But what if I told you that you don’t have to rely on social media to market your digital products?

There’s an easier way to promote them —
and you guessed it:

Marketplaces.

What are Marketplaces?

Marketplaces are simply websites that connect buyers and sellers.

Got a digital product? Marketplaces provide you with the buyers you need to make it all worthwhile.

A quick search online will show dozens of marketplaces that allow beginners to sell digital products for free.

In most cases, all that’s needed for a beginner to get started on these platforms is a free account.

Amazon KDP
Etsy
Fiverr
Teachers Pay Teachers
Udemy
Skillshare
Creative Fabrica
Design Bundles

…to name just a few.

All of these are marketplaces where you can promote your digital products to an already established base of buyers.

As a beginner, this is a dream come true.

But how do you use these marketplaces to their fullest potential?
How do you maximize the opportunity?

Here’s how!

How to Market your Digital products on Marketplaces

1. Master the Art of Keyword Research

Keywords are to marketplaces what followers are to social media.

They’re essentially how you’ll get exposure on these platforms.

Think about it: when you go on a website like Amazon to buy gifts for the holidays, you have a specific search intent, right?

You know what words to type into Amazon and what to expect in the results.

On the seller’s side, when you sell on a marketplace like Amazon KDP or Etsy, you need to understand the search queries people are likely typing in.

You need to answer these questions:

What do buyers want to buy?
How do they describe it?

By answering these two questions, you’ve already tackled a big part of your keyword research.

The rest is analyzing the keywords you find.

So, grab a pen and paper and make a list of everything you’re

skilled at,
knowledgeable about,
or have experience in.

Then, for each item, ask ChatGPT to give you specific keyword ideas for topics people might be searching for in that niche.

Note any ideas that spark that “aha” moment and write them on a separate sheet.

For each of those keywords, analyze the competition and demand on the marketplace of your choice.

Personally, I like to focus on keywords with:

High demand
Low competition (fewer than 1,000 search results)

2. Master the Art of Optimizing

Your journey on marketplaces doesn’t end with finding the right keywords; as you’ll also need to learn the art of keyword optimization.

It’s less about the keywords you find and more about what you do with them.

To keep it simple, keyword optimization means strategically adding the keywords you’ve identified for a product idea into the

title,
tags,
and description, while sounding professional and human.

So don’t stuff your keywords — infuse them naturally.

This is also known as SEO — Search Engine Optimization —

which essentially means optimizing your product listings for search on these marketplaces.

Because while you want to win over the algorithm by getting your listing indexed and recommended to buyers,

you also want to win over the buyers themselves.

3. Master the Art of Beating the Competition

While we’d love marketplaces to be a perfect fairytale, the reality is different.

On competitive platforms like Etsy, it can be nerve-wracking to win over buyers and get them to choose you over other sellers.

But it’s doable.

Here’s how:

Focus on your product images (buyers will judge your “book” by its cover).
Stand out from the competition (offer discounts, competitive prices, bonuses, etc.).
Build customer loyalty (encourage customers to return to your shop for related digital products by providing an exceptional first-time experience).

Conclusion

Marketing your digital products doesn’t have to follow the traditional route — you don’t need thousands of followers on social media to succeed.

Marketplaces are your best friends, and mastering the art of marketing on them can be the passive income asset every beginner needs.

That said, if you’re looking to get started on marketplaces, I have a free list of high-quality Amazon KDP keyword ideas across broad niches like Parenting, Career, Pets, and more.