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The Ultimate Guide: How to Make A Digital Planner

The Ultimate Guide: How to Make A Digital Planner

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🎉 Welcome to the ultimate guide on how to make a digital planner with Planner Pizzazz!

When I first started my journey to make planners there was a lot of fluff out there, but no step-by-step processes that worked for my brain. Let me help you!

My Planner Pizzazz has a lot of buzz… haha. Let’s talk about creating a planner. It doesn’t really matter if you are creating a digital or printable planner because they all start with the same process.

If you’re looking to get organized, stay productive, and streamline your planner creation, this guide is for you! I know it can be overwhelming to know where to start. But that’s where Planner Pizzazz comes in!

I’ve created a six-phase Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Method that takes you from ideation to sales with passive income, so you can create a custom planner that meets your specific needs and stands out from the competition. 🤩

To get started, download our free Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Checklist that guides you through the first 5 steps of the process and ensures that you don’t miss any important steps.

The 6 Phases Of Planner Creation

Ideation phase: We’ll help you get creative and brainstorm unique ideas for your digital planner. We’ll also show you how to research your target audience and their specific needs, so you can create a planner that resonates with them. 🧐

Planning phase: We’ll help you outline the structure of your planner and choose a project management tool (project management tool) to keep you on track. We’ll also provide tips for setting realistic deadlines and creating a roadmap for your design process. 📅

Planner creation phase: We’ll show you how to use different design tools and programs (design tools) to create your planner pages, elements, and templates. You’ll learn how to incorporate digital stickers, text boxes, and other design elements to make your planner visually appealing and functional. 🎨

Testing and feedback phase: We’ll provide tips for getting feedback from beta testers, friends, and family members, and incorporating their feedback to improve the design and functionality of your planner (important details).

Launch phase: We’ll show you how to launch your planner on different sales platforms, including your own website, Etsy, and other online business platforms. You’ll also learn how to create effective product descriptions and showcase your planner’s features and benefits using AI prompts. And we’ll even show you how to incorporate affiliate links and other passive income strategies (affiliate links, passive income system) to generate additional income.

Passive income phase: We’ll talk about you how to create a passive income system for your digital planner using different strategies like SEO, affiliate marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing. You’ll also learn how to automate your marketing and sales processes to generate a passive income.

I give you the steps, but I’m not a “master” at all of them. My zone of genius is teaching you the tech and automation for various processes.

To help you, I will share with you the people I follow to help me fill in the gaps. In some places you will find affiliate links, meaning I may make a small amount if you choose to follow the same people I do. I only share the people and software I truly love and use myself!

So if you’re ready to take your productivity and organization to the next level with a custom digital planner, download our free Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Checklist and get started today! 🚀

Phase 1: Ideation (Get Creative) – How to Make a Digital Planner

How to Come Up with Creative Ideas for Your Digital Planner

💡 The ideation phase is all about getting creative and brainstorming unique ideas for your digital planner. Here are some tips to help you come up with great ideas:

  • Identify your target audience and niche
  • Analyze market demand and competition to ensure there is a need for your planner (market demand, competition).
  • Determine the problem your planner will solve (digital planning, types of planners).
  • Decide on the format of your planner – dated or undated (dated/undated planner).
  • Define the time period your planner will cover, such as a year or a quarter (different months).
  • Choose the templates to include in your planner, such as daily pages, weekly spreads, or habit trackers (templates).
  • Decide on the size of your planner – will it be standard letter size, A5, or another size? (different sizes, good idea).
  • Choose whether your planner will be digital, printable, or both (digital planner, traditional paper planner, paperless planner).

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a digital planner that meets the needs of your audience and stands out in a crowded marketplace. 🤩

It’s important to be creative and think outside the box when coming up with ideas for your planner.

Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment with different themes and styles and ideas.

I often start with ChatGPT for ideas for the niche I will be creating in. You don’t have to do only one type of planner, but it’s helpful to have several planners for that audience.

Here is my prompt to get started:

I want to create digital and printable planners for [audience]. What kind of planners do [audience plural] need? Give me the top 3 planners they may need. Act as an expert [audience/niche] that is trying to solve a problem in their [specific area], and help me create a planner stack that would help my [audience].

Chat Gpt Screenshot - How To Choose A Planner To Create
A screenshot of my research using ChatGPT for defining the planners I would create for mom bloggers.

And always keep your target audience in mind – after all, they’re the ones who will be using your planner on a daily basis. 🎯

Phase 2: Planning (Inspiration Station) – How to Make a Digital Planner

How to Plan and Outline Your Digital Planner

🗓️ The planning phase is all about outlining the structure of your digital planner and deciding what elements to include. This is one of the most fun and yet overwhelming aspects of creating a planner. We feel like we want to add everything, but adding everything is a surefire way to overwhelm your customer.

Here are some tips to help you stay organized:

  • Use a project management tool like Notion (project management tool) to help you stay on track and meet your deadlines.
  • Set specific goals for each phase of the planning process, such as outlining your planner pages, creating your graphics, and selecting your fonts (planning, outline).
  • Choose the graphics and fonts for your planner that match your brand and target audience (digital stickers, graphic design, target audience).
  • Choose the layout format for your planner pages and templates, such as lined, boxes, grids, or dots.
  • Create a roadmap for your design process that outlines the specific steps you’ll take to create your digital planner, including time for inspiration and design research.
  • Look to design inspiration on platforms like Pinterest and Etsy to help guide your design decisions to help with different themes of inspiration.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a digital planner that looks great and meets the needs of your audience. 👌

It’s important to stay organized and set clear goals and deadlines throughout the planning process. This process will allow you to repeat your process and create planners quicker and easier. A digital planner shop doesn’t have just one digital planner.

And don’t forget to take inspiration from other planners and design trends to ensure your planner stands out in a crowded marketplace. 🤩

Phase 3: Planner Creation (Build-a-Planner Workshop) – How to Make a Digital Planner

How to Create Your Digital Planner

🎨 The planner creation phase is where the magic happens! Here are some tips to help you create a digital planner that looks great and functions well:

  • Create a data map for your planner if it’s dated, so you can visualize how the information will be organized.
  • Take advantage of data merge in tools like Affinity Publisher, InDesign and Canva Pro to make quick work of dates, quotes, and some images.
  • Create the templates for each file, including daily pages, weekly spreads, habit trackers, and any other pages you’ve decided to include (templates, digital stickers).
  • Merge the files into a cohesive planner using a program like Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or Canva Pro. (Affinity Publisher is our favorite!)
  • Link the pages and sections of your planner so users can easily navigate between different sections and pages (interactive pdf).

For those using Affinity Publisher, consider taking our Affinity Publisher: Shortcuts to Create A Dated Planner course to help you build a better planner with a little pizzazz! 💥

For those not using Affinity Publisher, I have friends that can help you! They have an amazing background in creating planners with tools like Canva and Keynote. You can click the links to learn more about their programs.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a digital planner that is visually appealing and user-friendly. And don’t forget to incorporate digital stickers, text boxes, and other design elements to make your planner stand out from the competition! 🎉

It’s important to take your time during the planner creation phase to ensure that your planner is high-quality and meets the needs of your target audience. And don’t be afraid to seek feedback from beta testers and incorporate their suggestions into your design. 👍

Phase 4: Testing and Feedback (Share the Love) – How to Make a Digital Planner

How to Test Your Digital Planner and Gather Feedback

🔍 The testing and feedback phase is where you’ll ensure that your digital planner is error-free and meets the needs of your target audience. Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Export your planner in the correct format, such as a PDF document or interactive PDF (pdf document, interactive pdf, file type, file format).
  • Test your planner for errors, such as broken links or incorrect dates (testing).
  • Test the links for digital versions of your planner to ensure they work correctly (interactive pdf).
  • Gather feedback from potential customers on your planner, using tools like surveys or beta testing (testing, feedback).

📋 Consider using an Airtable form to request testing feedback from users – this software tool can help you gather feedback in an organized and efficient way. It’s important to limit your implementation of the feedback to correct the errors in the first round of revisions, so you can meet realistic deadlines and avoid overwhelming yourself with too many changes.

Remember to be open to suggestions and criticism, but also trust your instincts, and don’t feel obligated to incorporate every piece of feedback into your planner. And don’t forget – releasing version 2 of your planner is always an option to address feedback and increase sales! 🚀

Whether you’re launching an online business or starting a side hustle, taking feedback seriously is crucial for creating a successful digital planner. 💪

By following these steps, you’ll be able to ensure that your digital planner is high-quality and meets the needs of your target audience. And don’t forget to incorporate feedback from beta testers and potential customers into your design to make your planner even better! 🚀

It’s important to take your time during the testing and feedback phase to ensure your planner is error-free and user-friendly. And don’t be afraid to iterate and make changes based on feedback – after all, it’s the key to creating a successful product it just doesn’t have to be perfect the first time (error-free if possible, but perfection is nearly impossible to achieve). 💪

Phase 5: Launch (Launch Party) – How to Make a Digital Planner

How to Launch Your Digital Planner and Make Sales

🚀 The launch phase is where you’ll introduce your digital planner to the world and start making sales! Here are some tips to help you launch successfully:

  • Create a compelling product description for your planner that highlights its unique features and benefits (product description).
  • Create product mock-ups to showcase your planner and give potential customers a glimpse of what it looks like (graphic design).
  • Research pricing and determine your revenue model, whether it’s a one-time purchase or subscription-based (pricing, revenue model).
  • Determine your launch strategy and timeline, including which platforms you’ll list your planner on and how you’ll promote it (launch strategy, timeline).
  • List your planner on relevant platforms, such as Etsy, Gumroad, or your own website (online business, own website, Etsy shop).
  • Leverage affiliates and influencers to promote your planner and reach a wider audience (affiliate links, social media).

By following these steps, you’ll be able to successfully launch your digital planner and start making sales. And don’t forget to track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed to maximize your success! 📈

Remember, creating a high-quality digital planner is just the first step – marketing and promotion are key to getting your planner in front of potential customers. So don’t be afraid to get creative with your launch strategy and have fun with it! 🎉

Phase 6: Create a Passive Income System (Planner Pizzazz Passive Pay Day)

How to Create a Passive Income Stream with Your Digital Planner

💰 The final phase of the Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Method is all about creating a passive income stream with your digital planner. Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Create evergreen undated planners that appeal to your target audience and optimize them for SEO to attract organic traffic to your website (SEO-based blog posts, undated planner).
  • Offer a free digital planner or planner template as a lead magnet to entice potential customers to sign up for your email list and eventually purchase your paid planner (lead magnet, email marketing).
  • Create strategic add-ons for your planner, such as digital stickers or templates, that complement your planner and provide additional value to your customers (digital stickers, planner templates).
  • Leverage affiliates to promote your planner to their audience and generate more sales (affiliate links).
  • Create a system for regularly updating and improving your planner to keep sales consistent and generate repeat customers (updates, improvements).
  • Implement automation tools and systems, such as email autoresponders and sales funnels, to streamline your sales process and free up more time for creative work (automation, sales funnel).

By following these steps and focusing on SEO-based blog posts and evergreen strategies, you can turn your digital planner into a profitable and sustainable passive income stream.

This passive income model is not mine. It has been morphed from an amazing lady named Sadie Smiley. Her Passive Income Pathways is the best starting place I’ve seen. I’ve spent a butt ton of money trying to figure this out, and she has it figured out. It may be the best $7 bucks a month I’ve ever spent. (I started with the lite). 😉 Remember, building a successful business takes time and effort, so be patient and consistent in your efforts. 💪

Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Method: Your Path to Digital Planner Success 🎉

🎉 Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Method, and you’re well on your way to creating a successful digital planner business. With the right tools, strategies, and mindset, you can create a high-quality planner that meets the needs of your target audience and generates consistent passive income.

Remember, the key to success is to be patient, persistent, and open to feedback and improvement. And if you ever feel overwhelmed or stuck, just refer back to the free Planner Pizzazz Planner Creation Checklist to stay on track and keep moving forward.

We hope this guide has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. And don’t forget to check out our Affinity Publisher: Shortcuts to Create A Dated Planner course to take your planner creation skills to the next level!

So what are you waiting for? Start ideating, planning, creating, testing, launching, and creating a passive income stream with your digital planner today. Good luck and happy planning! 🚀

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links (including Amazon). This means that at no extra cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase

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