The future of digital products: trends for the coming years
It's no secret: in recent years, the digital product market has seen explosive growth. In part, that was driven by the social isolation of the covid-19 pandemic. But now that online learning has taken off, the trend is for it to keep growing from here on.
No wonder universities are investing more and more in online classes. And experts from every field imaginable are also positioning themselves as online tutors.
In this context, staying one step ahead is essential to stand out among so many options. That's why, in this article, the experts at Cademí, Brazil's first Member Hub, will help you understand the future of digital products.
Keep reading to learn about:
- The digital product market in 2024
- Trends for the future of digital products
- How to start an online business from scratch
The digital product market in 2024
According to IBGE (Brazil's national statistics agency), 83.3% of Brazilian households have fixed broadband internet access. On top of that, some people use only mobile internet or radio and satellite connections, which are common in smaller inland towns.
This means most of the country is connected. And it explains why the demand for online courses keeps growing in 2024 (an upswing that started in 2020).
In fact, it's fair to say online courses are no longer just a product. In most cases, they're the core digital marketing strategy for many people.
Names like Bianca Andrade (Boca Rosa) and Renato Cariani launched their online courses in 2024. Meanwhile, Felipe Neto started a book club, which is also a digital product, on a subscription model. And those are just a few names.
While this shows the strength of the digital product market, it also raises a red flag: you need to stand out to be seen. That's why it's important to always keep an eye on trends and stay one step ahead.
Trends for the future of digital products
1. A wider variety of content formats
When digital products arrived in Brazil, they were basically e-books and courses. That's no longer the case. And the trend is for the market to adopt more and more formats.
Today, digital products include, for example:
- Courses;
- E-books;
- Mentorships;
- Webinars;
- Consulting;
- Subscriptions;
- Podcasts.
Over the coming years, this list should grow even longer. In short, the better you know your persona, the better you know which format to offer them. And with the way younger generations consume content, more and more formats are likely to catch on.
2. Integration with AI and other technologies
Artificial intelligence is already part of our daily lives. So why isn't it part of your online business yet?
In 2025, this integration needs to be a reality.
And beyond integrating artificial intelligence, you should also keep an eye on other technologies that may emerge. More than ever, these innovations need to become part of your online business quickly.
3. Hyper-niche
Acquiring leads has never been this expensive. And costs are likely to keep rising. To get around this, the way forward is to work more and more with niches.
That way, your messaging will be as on-target as possible.
To illustrate, imagine that in 2020 an expert sold baking courses. Now, the best path might be to split that into several courses:
- Baking fundamentals;
- French pastry basics;
- Recipes to make extra income at Easter;
- Recipes to make extra income in the summer;
- Christmas sweets.
The more niche it is, the more targeted your ad creatives should be.
4. Fewer launches
Along the same lines, launches are likely to be spaced further and further apart.
If a creator used to run a launch every month, they may move to one per quarter or even less. Besides lead acquisition getting more expensive, another factor behind this shift is that customers already know how launches work, and the obvious result is that fewer of them sign up and take part.
- But does this mean the end of online businesses?
No. It just means new strategies need to be put in place, such as internal sales.
5. More channels
Which social networks do you use?
A few years ago, there was a clear split over which audience was on which network. Today, things aren't so clear-cut. Everyone is everywhere.
So, if you answered just one or two, now is the time to claim your handle on the others and start creating content on more channels.
How to start an online business from scratch
Made up your mind to get into this market in 2025?
Then, now that you know the trends for the future of digital products, you're probably wondering how to get started. On the Cademí blog you'll find plenty of tips. But here's one that will open doors for you: the first step isn't recording your content.
In fact, it shouldn't even be the fifth step.
Before you start recording, there's a pre-production process that matters and shouldn't be overlooked. That's where part of the success (or failure) of your digital product lies.
So start by defining which market niche you want to work in. Figure out which skill you want to share and what angle you'll give it. To do that, it helps to study the market and try to understand:
- Which successful products exist in that niche?
- Which angles are most common?
- What shows up most often?
Also, work on understanding your ideal buyer persona. In other words, your ideal buyer.
And don't forget to rely on the best platforms for your business. Cademí, Brazil's first Member Hub, is the only one where you can make internal sales and count on a whole range of other frameworks and features.
Click here to schedule a strategy call and start your online business on the same level as the biggest players in the market.
