Digital Products for Your Instructional Design Business
Digital products are a natural extension of instructional design work. As you build your service business, the templates, frameworks, and processes you develop become valuable assets you can package and sell independently. Unlike services that trade your time for money, digital products generate ongoing revenue from a single creation effort—and they establish you as an authority in your field while you’re working with clients on custom projects.
The instructional design community actively seeks proven tools and resources. Business owners, learning managers, corporate trainers, and fellow instructional designers will pay for products that save them time or teach them your methods.
Digital Products You Can Create
Course Design Templates and Frameworks
What it is: A set of editable templates (in Google Docs, Word, or PDF) that walk someone through the course design process using a specific methodology like ADDIE, SAM, or your own hybrid approach. Include worksheets for needs analysis, learning objectives, assessment design, and module outlines.
Who buys it: Corporate trainers, small business owners creating training programs, and new instructional designers building their portfolio.
How to create it: Document the process you already use with clients, breaking it into discrete stages. Create templates for each stage with instructions and examples. Test it with one actual client project to identify gaps, then package it as a downloadable bundle.
Where to sell it: Gumroad, your own website, or Teachable work well for this. You can also list it on specialized marketplaces like Instructional Design Community or Learning Design platforms.
Realistic income: $500–$3,000 per month if priced between $29–$79 and marketed to your existing network and relevant online communities.
Assessment and Evaluation Toolkits
What it is: A comprehensive resource covering how to design learning assessments—including question banks, rubrics, test item templates, and guides for different assessment types (knowledge checks, scenario-based, performance assessments).
Who buys it: Corporate training departments, K–12 educators adding digital literacy, and compliance training coordinators.
How to create it: Compile the assessment designs you’ve created across multiple projects. Anonymize client data and reorganize by assessment type and learning level. Create a guide explaining when and how to use each tool, with real-world examples.
Where to sell it: Gumroad, Teachable, or your website. Also consider listing on Teachers Pay Teachers if your content serves that audience.
Realistic income: $400–$2,500 monthly, priced at $39–$69, with stronger sales if you promote it in training and HR communities.
E-Learning Storyboard and Script Templates
What it is: Pre-formatted storyboard templates (in PowerPoint or Google Slides) and scripts guides for different course formats: microlearning, interactive modules, scenario-based training, and video-based content.
Who buys it: Learning and development professionals, instructional design consultants, and training companies who need faster production timelines.
How to create it: Extract and refine the storyboards and script templates you use in your current projects. Build in branching logic examples and interaction patterns. Create a quick-start guide showing how to customize the templates for different course topics.
Where to sell it: Gumroad, your website, or Etsy. This product works especially well bundled with other templates as a complete “ID Toolkit.”
Realistic income: $300–$2,000 monthly at $24–$59 per template set, depending on how many you create and actively promote.
Learning Objectives and Bloom’s Taxonomy Workbook
What it is: An interactive guide teaching how to write measurable, actionable learning objectives using Bloom’s taxonomy. Include verb banks, worked examples, self-assessment tools, and a checklist for common mistakes.
Who buys it: New instructional designers, corporate trainers without formal ID training, and subject matter experts asked to design training.
How to create it: Draw from your experience coaching clients on objective-writing. Create progressive examples from simple to complex. Use visuals to show the taxonomy and include a downloadable reference guide.
Where to sell it: Gumroad, Teachable, or your website. This product also works well as a paid lead magnet—offer a free intro version to build your email list.
Realistic income: $200–$1,500 monthly at $17–$39, with higher income if you use it as a funnel into higher-ticket services.
ADDIE Process Masterclass or Video Course
What it is: A self-paced video course walking students through each phase of the ADDIE model—Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation—with your specific approach, examples, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Who buys it: Corporate training teams, instructional designers transitioning into management, and business owners building their first training program.
How to create it: Record yourself walking through your ADDIE process using screen recordings and talking-head videos. Organize by phase, include downloadable worksheets, and add quizzes to reinforce key concepts. Host on Teachable, Thinkific, or your own website with video hosting.
Where to sell it: Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, or your own WordPress site with video hosting. You can also promote it through LinkedIn and instructional design communities.
Realistic income: $800–$5,000+ monthly priced between $49–$199, depending on course length, promotion effort, and email list size.
Learning Management System (LMS) Setup and Configuration Guide
What it is: A step-by-step guide for setting up and configuring popular LMS platforms (Moodle, Canvas, or others) with best practices for course structure, user experience, and accessibility.
Who buys it: Small companies and nonprofits implementing their first LMS, trainers unfamiliar with platform administration, and HR departments.
How to create it: Document your process for setting up and configuring an LMS end-to-end. Create video walkthroughs, written guides, and template course structures. Include troubleshooting tips and common configuration mistakes.
Where to sell it: Gumroad, your website, or directly through the LMS platform communities (like Moodle’s marketplace).
Realistic income: $250–$1,500 monthly at $29–$79, targeting a smaller audience than broader ID products.
Training Needs Analysis Toolkit
What it is: A complete toolkit for conducting training needs analysis, including interview guides, survey templates, observation checklists, and an analysis worksheet to identify performance gaps and learning solutions.
Who buys it: HR professionals, training managers, and consultants who need to justify training investments or diagnose performance issues.
How to create it: Compile the needs analysis tools and processes you’ve used. Create templates for interviews, surveys, and data analysis. Write a guide explaining how to conduct each phase and how to synthesize findings into actionable recommendations.
Where to sell it: Gumroad, your website, or HR-focused communities.
Realistic income: $300–$2,000 monthly at $39–$69, with potential for upselling to your consulting services.
Getting Started With Digital Products
- Start with your most-requested template or tool: Look at the resources you’ve created for multiple clients or been asked about repeatedly. This product has already proven demand. Format it professionally, add instructions, and launch it within 30 days.
- Price it conservatively: Your first product should be priced lower ($19–$39) to build momentum, reviews, and email list growth rather than optimize for revenue immediately.
- Sell through one channel initially: Choose either Gumroad or your own website. Don’t spread yourself thin across five platforms. You can expand later once you understand your audience and selling rhythm.
- Create a simple sales page: Write a clear description of what the product is, who it’s for, and what they’ll be able to do after using it. Include a screenshot or sample page so buyers know exactly what they’re purchasing.
- Promote to your existing audience first: Email current and past clients, mention it in your LinkedIn posts, and share it in relevant online communities. Your warm network will generate initial sales and testimonials faster than cold traffic.
- Collect feedback and iterate: Ask early buyers for feedback. Most will happily tell you what’s missing or unclear. Update the product based on this input, which also gives you new marketing angles.
- Create your second product once the first is selling: Wait until you’ve made at least $300–$500 from product one before launching product two. This prevents resource drain and ensures you’re building on a working system.
Pricing Your Digital Products
Instructional design professionals and their buyers respect value and expertise. Price your products based on the time and knowledge they save, not just production time. A $49 template that saves someone 8 hours of work is underpriced; those 8 hours represent $400–$800+ in billable time for most professionals. Don’t feel pressured to undercut competitors on price—your target buyer prioritizes quality and proven methodology over finding the cheapest option.
Test pricing at two tiers: a lower entry point ($19–$39) for awareness-building and reaching price-sensitive customers, and a premium tier ($69–$149) for comprehensive bundles or advanced courses. You’ll quickly learn which price points work for which products. Most instructional design digital products sell best between $29–$79; higher prices require more marketing and social proof but can work for video courses or complete toolkits that clearly save significant time.