The Artist’s unfair Advantage: Value.

As you may know I love going to the Maritimo Sauna and Wellness Resort around the corner here. I love to go swimming there and I love to lie in the pool just thinking about my business and everything else, it sorts my mind. So last time I did exactly that I noticed that we, as artists, have ONE unfair advantage: We can give our customers more.

And with more I mean more value. I talked about this with Matt, the Co-Founder of Designcuts and he said something similar but I didn't really "get" it until I really thought about it and noticed: He is right. What makes me actually buy at DesignCuts and other marketplaces is the value hidden in the package. I can go a step further: What makes me buy an online course for a few hundred Dollars is, you guess it, the value it promises me to give.
While the online class promises me a transformation into a better life the illustration package helps me to finish my next project which also might result in a step forward to change my life. If I create a printable from a package which sells 1000 times it's not "life changing" but it's definitely a step into the right direction!

How this can be your Advantage

No question that this is a great advantage for us as customers. But it also is a great advantage for us as artists and creators of digital products. It means in the end that, if we give our customers enough value, they won't hesitate but buy!
So let's explore how the well-known artists do it.

Lisa Glanz

I know I often use her as an example. It's not just because she is a really nice woman but also one who "understands" her customers. And I guess she does because she is an artist herself.
So let's grab one of her sets as an example:

Usually you could say that one of Lisa's "unfair advantages" is that she creates super cute creatures that you just "have to" buy. In this case it's not about cuteness and that's why I picked that bundle.
It comes with over 430 elements and that's already a good reason to give it a look. Beside that the preview tells me that I can use it for Illustrator and Photoshop which gives me, as an illustrator and designer, another advantage.
The question I need to ask myself though is: Why does a graphic designer needs a branding kit? Shouldn't she be able to do that herself?
Yes and no. Actually yes because she definitely have the skills to do it. A reason for "no" might be because she is not really inspired nor does she find access to the project or her own brand. Yes, that can happen as well. Sometimes it takes some time until you really find your voice and when that happens it might be a great option to use such a branding kit.

It's not about getting a set from Lisa you can open and have a branding for your business. It's more about getting elements you can use to build your own brand (or one for your customers). And because there are not only ready-made objects you have the feeling that you get so much value that this branding kit is a really must have.

No question - as always such a set is not for everyone. First of all you have to like Lisa's whimsical style. And by scrolling through all the preview images you must feel inspired.
If you do you will most probably consider to buy this kit 

The reason why we do is because we see so many different elements that we can hardly not feel inspired. So in the end it's the value Lisa puts into her Branding Kit - and the fact that she even updated it.

How you can use this "unfair" Advantage for your Designs

Most probably you have already heard the quote "Go the extra mile - it is never crowded.". Nothing could be true more. There are 100s of 1000s of design packages out there. So yes, the market is crowded. But yes, you can still make decent sales and a good living from selling your designs. The question is just how you give value to your customers and communicate that. 
So: Add "more", be there, show how to use your product, update it and add a little bonus - these are good reasons for other designers to buy. 
Bevor you start working on a new package make sure that you really think about it. Explore the market, check out what other designers added to their packages and: Go the extra mile. Ask yourself what you would expect to get or what would make you even more excited.
Go for it and add even more 🙂