💰 How I Made Money in My Sleep: The Beginner’s Guide to Selling Digital Products Online

Let’s be honest: the idea of making money while you sleep sounds like one of those overhyped Instagram ads. I used to think the same… until I sold my first digital planner on Etsy.

I didn’t have a huge audience, zero design experience, and my product? It was just a clean, minimal weekly layout I made in Canva. But when I woke up the next morning and saw my first sale—$4.99 in my inbox—I was hooked.

Digital products changed the game for me, and the best part? You don’t need to be tech-savvy or even super creative to get started.

Let me walk you through it, beginner to beginner.

So, What Are Digital Products Exactly?

Think of digital products as anything you can sell online that doesn’t require a box, a stamp, or a trip to the post office.

Some popular examples:

• Ebooks
• Online courses
• Planners and printables
• Templates (Canva, resumes, social media kits)
• Stock photos
• Notion setups
• Lightroom presets
• Sound effects, music loops

You create it once, and then you can sell it over and over again without touching it again. That’s the beauty of passive income.

Step 1: Pick Your Product

Now, here’s the fun part: choosing what to sell.

Don't overthink it. You just need to solve one small problem or make someone’s life easier.

Ask yourself:

• What do people come to me for advice on?
• What do I enjoy creating?
• What would I personally find useful?

For me, I’m big on organization, so digital planners were a no-brainer. My best friend loves photography and now sells Lightroom presets on Gumroad. Another friend of mine is a teacher and makes printable flashcards on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Everyone has something valuable to share—yes, even you!

Step 2: Create It (Even If You’re Not a Designer)

I promise, you don’t need Photoshop or expensive software.

Here’s what I used starting out:

• Canva – for making planners, checklists, and templates
• Google Docs – for writing ebooks or guides
• Notion – to build productivity planners or templates
• Gumroad/Etsy/Payhip – to actually sell the thing

Pro tip: Keep it simple. Clean design, useful content. That’s it. Your first product doesn’t have to be fancy—it just has to work.

Step 3: Where to Sell It

You’ve made something awesome—now let’s get it in front of people.

Here are great beginner-friendly platforms:

• Etsy – for anything visual: planners, templates, art prints
• Gumroad – ideal for ebooks, guides, presets, and more
• Payhip – super beginner-friendly for small digital shops
• Teachable/Thinkific – if you’re going big with online courses

Each platform has its own vibe, so play around and see what feels right. Most are free or only take a small cut when you make a sale.

Step 4: Promote Without Feeling Salesy

Here’s where most people freeze up—“But how do I get people to actually buy it?”

The good news: you don’t need to be a marketing expert.

Here’s what worked for me:

• Pinterest: I posted a pin for my planner with “Organize your week in 5 minutes”—it brought 500+ clicks in one week!
• Instagram Reels: Show a quick behind-the-scenes of you creating the product.
• TikTok: Share how your product saves time, solves a problem, or helps someone reach a goal.
• Medium/Vocal.Media: Write helpful articles with links to your product (hello, passive promo!).

Start by helping, not selling. Give value, be real, and people will click.

Final Thoughts: You’re More Ready Than You Think

Creating and selling digital products seemed overwhelming to me at first. I had zero background in business or design. But once I got started? It was surprisingly doable—and honestly, kind of addictive.

You don’t need 10 products or a fancy website.

• You just need:
• One simple idea
• One helpful product
• One place to sell
• One way to share it

Start messy. Start now. You’ll learn along the way—and if you’re lucky, you’ll make money in your sleep, too.