A Smarter Way for Associations to Generate Extra Revenue

Associations are seeking innovative ways to remain sustainable while adding greater value for members, selling digital products directly from your website can be a game-changer. Whether it’s a research report, how-to guide, member toolkit or webinar recording, downloadable content offers a scalable and low-effort way to monetise your organisation’s expertise.

Digital products don’t just generate income - they can also increase your association’s visibility, highlight the value of membership, and attract potential new members by offering a "taste" of the benefits you provide.

1. Minimal Cost, High Return : With no printing, shipping, or storage requirements, digital resources are a low-cost way to create new income streams.

2. Scalable and Sustainable : Once your product is created, it can be sold repeatedly without additional effort—ideal for associations operating with lean teams.

3. Showcase Value to Non-Members : Selling a few of your high-quality tools or insights publicly can entice non-members to join once they see the value.

4. Support Members and Boost Retention : You can offer digital products for free or at a discounted rate to members—reinforcing their decision to stay involved.

5. Build Authority : Digital products are a powerful way to establish your association as a thought leader and trusted industry voice.

Here are just a few examples of what associations around the country are starting to sell or distribute digitally:

• Industry Research Reports: Publish insights, stats, or whitepapers based on your member data. Sell to stakeholders outside the network, great for policymakers, media, or academics.

• Business Toolkits: Create guides, templates, and how-to resources tailored for members’ businesses, ideal for compliance, marketing, recruitment, or growth.

• Training Videos or Webinars: Repurpose live content into paid downloads. Offer for free or at a reduced rate for members.

• Templates and Checklists: Risk management templates, policy frameworks, procurement checklists, induction packs—there’s high demand for ready-to-use tools.

• Industry Benchmarking Data: Share anonymised benchmarking data to help professionals evaluate their own performance.

• Conference or Event Recordings: Package up past event content as a "virtual pass" to increase reach and recoup costs.

• Supplier or Partner Directory: Offer a downloadable, curated supplier guide or procurement planner for industry professionals.

1. Be Clear About Usage Rights
Spell out whether your product is for internal, non-commercial use or allows broader sharing—this protects your IP.

2. Offer Member and Non-Member Pricing
Create a compelling incentive for membership by giving members free or discounted access.

3. Bundle and Upsell
Group similar resources together into toolkits, or offer buyers a discounted upgrade to full membership.

4. Keep It Simple
Your shop should make it easy for buyers to purchase and download in just a few clicks.

5. Use Limited-Time Offers
Promotions and short-term bundles work well to drive engagement—especially around industry events or calendar milestones.

6. Optimise with SEO
Your digital product pages should be discoverable—use keywords and structure that search engines (and prospective members) can find.

7. Refresh Regularly
Review and update your products every 6-12 months to keep them relevant and useful.

8. Collect Feedback and Testimonials
Let early buyers share how they used the resource—this builds trust and improves conversions.

9. Track Your Performance
Monitor what sells best, who’s buying, and where they came from. Use that data to refine your approach.

10. Support Buyers Well
Even simple downloads can prompt questions. Having a friendly point of contact builds goodwill and encourages future purchases.

We offer an easy-to-use shop that plugs directly into your current website, no need to redesign or rebuild.

With it, you can:

• Take Secure Payments
  Confidently process online payments for reports, toolkits and downloads.

• Control Access
  Set different pricing or access levels for members and the public.

• Automate Delivery
  Once purchased, your digital resource is automatically sent, saving time for your admin team.

• Gain Insights
  Use built-in analytics to see what’s working and where to focus your efforts next.

Whether you’re looking to boost revenue, enhance member benefits, or attract new stakeholders, digital products offer a practical and professional way to do it.

If you’re ready to explore how digital downloads can support your association’s goals, our team is here to help you get started, quickly, securely and strategically.