Last Updated on October 11, 2024 by Arif Chowdhury

You ever catch yourself scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, and boom—someone’s flexing a lifestyle that seems so easy but totally out of reach?

Yeah, been there.

They’re sipping lattes, sharing some random PDF template, and claiming they made $10k in passive income selling digital planners.

Seems too good to be true, right?

The thing is—it’s not.

Selling digital planners and journals online isn’t some “pie-in-the-sky” dream.

It’s a real way to make $7,400 a month (or more).

I’m talking about designing simple digital products people love and actually making sales.

It’s not about having a million followers or hiring an expensive designer.

It’s about getting smart, getting creative, and starting with what you have.

Let’s break it down.

Why People Buy Digital Planners and Journals in 2024

First off, people are busy.

We live in an age where time feels like it’s running out faster than ever, and staying organized is the new flex.

Whether you’re tracking habits, planning your week, or journaling through your morning routine, people want structure—but they want it their way.

That’s where customizable and reusable digital planners come in.

No need to haul around a physical planner anymore.

Just download it on your iPad, tablet, or phone, and boom—instant organization.

The digital planner and journal industry is set to hit $1.5 billion by 2027.

That’s some serious cash, and people are willing to pay for tools that make their lives easier.

It’s a need.

A solution.

And yeah, a massive opportunity if you know how to get started.

Step 1: Know Your Niche—Pick Your Tribe

Before you start slapping together templates, hold up.

Who are you making these planners for?

If you don’t have a clear niche, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Here’s the thing:

People don’t just buy a planner because it looks pretty (though that helps).

They buy it because it solves their problem.

Maybe your tribe is busy moms trying to juggle work, school, and life without losing their sanity.

Maybe it’s fitness junkies who want to track their macros and workouts every week.

Maybe it’s entrepreneurs who need to plan their content and manage their crazy schedules.

Whoever it is, you need to speak their language and deliver exactly what they need.

Here’s how you can nail down your niche:

• Ask yourself: Who do I relate to?
• Research: What types of planners already exist? Are there gaps you can fill?
• Test: Create a few rough drafts and get feedback from your target audience (hello, Instagram stories or Facebook groups).

Step 2: Create Your First Digital Planner (It’s Easier Than You Think)

No, you don’t need a fancy design degree to make a digital planner.

I’m not about to tell you to drop hundreds of bucks on Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.

Here’s the no-BS version of what you need:

• Canva: This free (or super cheap) design tool lets you drag and drop your way to a professional-looking planner.
• Google Slides or PowerPoint: Yeah, that’s right. These tools work wonders for creating digital pages.
• Procreate (optional): If you’re into drawing, you can add some cool custom elements to make your designs pop.

Start simple.

Create a weekly planner layout, a habit tracker, or even a daily gratitude journal.

Focus on the essentials:

• A clean, functional design.
• Easy-to-edit text fields.
• Sections that help people get organized quickly.

Once you have the layout, save it as a PDF or, even better, a GoodNotes file (for the iPad crowd).

You can easily charge anywhere from $7 to $47 per digital planner, depending on the complexity and what’s included.

Now, let’s run some numbers.

How to Hit $7,400 a Month with Planners

The math is simple.

If you sell a digital planner for $20, you only need to sell 370 of them each month to hit $7,400.

Seems doable, right?

Break it down even more:

If you sell 12 planners a day, you’re making bank.

Still sounds like a lot? Let me make it even easier:

Create a bundle.

If you offer a planner bundle for $50 (which could include a fitness planner, a habit tracker, and a meal planner), you’d only need 148 sales a month.

That’s 5 sales a day.

The point is, don’t just think about how many planners you can sell.

Think about how much value you can pack into one offer.

Now let’s talk strategy.

Step 3: Where to Sell (Spoiler: You Don’t Need a Website)

You’ve got your niche and your planner.

Now, where do you sell it?

Etsy.

It’s hands down the easiest platform to start with. No coding. No complicated setup.

In 2022, Etsy had 96.3 million active buyers.

That’s a goldmine.

Here’s why Etsy works:

• Built-in audience: You’re tapping into millions of people already searching for planners and journals.
• SEO-friendly: Etsy’s search engine helps people find your product if you optimize your listing with the right keywords.
• Simple setup: Listing a digital product takes minutes, and you can start selling right away.

Tip: Don’t forget to take high-quality images of your planner. People need to see what they’re getting.

You can also sell through:

• Your own website (once you’re more established).
• Creative Market.
• Gumroad.

But honestly, stick with Etsy in the beginning and grow from there.

Step 4: Build Hype on Social Media (Without Being Annoying)

Social media isn’t just for sharing what you ate for breakfast.

It’s your key to building an audience and getting more eyes on your planners.

No, you don’t need to post every day or chase followers like a maniac.

But here’s what you should do:

1. Show Behind-the-Scenes: People love to see how things are made. Share how you’re creating your planner, from rough drafts to final designs.
2. Offer Freebies: Give away a free weekly planner or a page from your journal in exchange for an email address. Build that email list.
3. Collaborate: Team up with influencers or accounts in your niche. Maybe a busy mom blogger shares your planner with her audience, or a fitness influencer promotes your journal.

Social proof matters.

People are more likely to buy if they see someone they trust already using your product.

Step 5: Scale Your Business (Let’s Go Big)

Now, here’s the real kicker.

You’re making $7,400 a month, but why stop there?

Once you have a few winning products and some solid sales, it’s time to scale.

• Create more planners for different niches (student planners, business planners, self-care journals).
• Bundle your products together at a higher price point.
• Offer custom planners where people can get personalized versions (and charge premium prices).

You can even create a membership site where people pay a monthly fee for access to exclusive planners, journal templates, and other digital goodies.

This isn’t a one-and-done hustle.

You can create a legit brand with loyal customers who come back month after month for more.

Real Talk: Is It Easy?

No.

Nothing worth doing is “easy.”

But selling digital planners and journals online is simple.

The steps are clear. The demand is real.

And the potential? Huge.

It just takes action.

So, stop scrolling, stop doubting, and start creating.

You could be one digital planner away from hitting your first $7,400 month.

Let’s go.