In today’s digital marketing world, there are all sorts of ways to grow your audience and get more eyes on your business. You can run ads, write blogs to boost your SEO rankings, partner with affiliates, and even do crazy dances on TikTok (if you’re into that… I am not 😂).
But something that’s becoming more and more popular are digital product bundles.
If you’re unfamiliar with this type of marketing, digital product bundles are curated collections of digital products, such as eBooks, online courses, templates, stock photos, memberships, or software, all sold together at a discounted price for a limited time.
These bundles are often created by a single business or a group of contributors who combine their products to offer high value to buyers while reaching a wider audience.
The way that it typically works is every contributor of the bundle has to do their part of promoting it to their audience so that the other members get introduced to new people!
I’ve personally been a part of various digital product bundles and I’ve gotta say, I’m a big fan. They really can work when ran correctly, but with one caveat…
Without clear agreements and protections in place, you could run into serious issues like contributors backing out, disputes over revenue, or even copyright infringement claims.
That’s why having a solid legal foundation is just as important as your marketing strategy for your digital product bundle!
SO, if you're planning to host a digital product bundle, this blog post will serve as a checklist to help you make sure it’s not only successful but legally secure.
Your Guide to Creating a Successful and Legally Secure Digital Product Bundle
Define Your Bundle’s Terms & Structure
First things first, before you ever reach out to potential contributors for your digital product bundle, you need a clear plan for HOW your bundle will work.
During your planning phase, ask yourself:
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What type of digital products do I want to include? (Courses, templates, eBooks, memberships, etc.)
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Will the bundle be free or paid? If paid, what’s the price point?
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How long will the bundle be available for purchase?
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Will customers get lifetime access or limited-time access to the products?
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How will contributors be compensated (profit share, flat fee, exposure, etc.)?
Having a well-defined structure from the start will help you set expectations and reduce confusion with your contributors later on.
Use a Bundle Contributor Agreement
Like anything in business, you need to make sure that your digital product bundle contributors put things in LEGAL writing and that’s where a Bundle Contributor Agreement can come into play.
Just like you use contracts with your clients or affiliates, this should be no different!
And no, a casual email agreement won’t suffice. You want a REAL, legally backed contract so that there’s no confusion or misunderstandings AND you have a way to protect yourself if needed.
A solid Bundle Contributor Agreement should cover:
✔️ Ownership & Licensing – this is going to be a biggie! Since you’re dealing with lots of different people and lots of different products, you’ll need to be clear on who owns what. Does the contributor retain ownership of their product, or are they granting you certain rights? Can the product be used elsewhere?
✔️ Payment Terms – like in any business partnership, people will want to know how they will be paid, if at all. Will they receive compensation for the people who opt in or purchase the bundle from their direct promotion? Is there an affiliate program? If there’s no compensation, that needs to be clearly defined as well!
✔️ Usage & Access – when you’re handling a lot of different products at once, it’s important for people to know how to access the bundle. Will contributors provide direct links, or will you host the products? Be super clear on the expectations here or else you might find yourself in an incredibly stressful situation.
✔️ Marketing Expectations – as a bundle contributor, what are the requirements for promotion? Detail how and when contributors are expected to promote and even outline what could happen if they don’t.
✔️ Legal Disclaimers & Liability – if there’s one thing you can be sure of in business, it’s that someone along the way isn’t going to be happy. When dealing with various products from various people, it’s important to identify who is responsible if a customer has an issue with a contributed product.
✔️ Termination & Removal – lastly, you need to consider what to do if a bundle contributor wants to withdraw their product after the bundle launches. Is it allowed? Not feasible? Lay it all out so they know exactly what to expect!
Overall, this Bundle Contributor Agreement protects both you AND your contributors, ensuring everyone is on the same page!
Get Contributor Assets & Permissions in Writing
Once contributors agree to be part of your bundle AND you have your Bundle Contributor Agreement ready to go, it’s time to collect the key materials you need to make the bundle a success!
Typically you’ll need:
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The product files or access links for the product they’re contributing
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A product description and promotional images
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A bio and headshot (if you’re featuring contributors on your sales page)
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Confirmation that they own all rights to their product and can legally include it in your bundle
For this part of the process, it’s wise to create some sort of submission form with clear deadlines and requirements so that you aren’t dealing with a ton of emails and trying to keep things organized
Ensure Compliance with Privacy & Data Protection Laws
In addition to your Bundle Contributor Agreement, another huge legal consideration for your digital product bundle are privacy and data protection laws.
If you’re collecting customer emails or personal information during the bundle sale, you MUST comply with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.
To stay in compliance, make sure your website has:
✔️ A Privacy Policy that outlines how you collect, store, and use customer data.
✔️ Terms of Use that outlines how customers can (and cannot) use the bundle products.
✔️ Email Marketing Compliance ensuring that users consent to being added to an email list when they opt in to receive the products in the bundle
This not only keeps you legally compliant, but also builds trust with your audience.
(For more on the importance of a privacy policy and why it really can’t be skipped, CLICK HERE!)
Have a Clear Refund & Support Policy
If your digital product bundle is a paid bundle, you’ll need to consider refunds. Will they be allowed? If so, under what conditions? Will you have a no refund policy?
In addition to that, you also need to consider the customer support aspect. The thing is, people ALWAYS have questions. Someone won’t be able to find the link, someone won’t understand how to access their products, and another person will have a different question that you weren’t expecting.
Allll of which mean that you need to have a plan for customer support! Will contributors be responsible for questions about their specific product? Or will you as the bundle host be responsible?
These details should be included in your Terms of Use and communicated clearly on your sales page so that people understand how everything works before opting in or purchasing!
Plan Your Marketing Strategy (and Set Contributor Expectations!)
The entire point of hosting a digital product bundle is so that contributors can get in front of new audiences and everyone has a chance to grow their following on social media and their email list.
But the only way this can successfully happen is if everyone does their part in promoting the bundle!
To help your contributors easily promote the bundle, it’s best to create a marketing plan that includes:
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A launch timeline with key dates so they know when to promote
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Email swipe copy to help them write promotional emails with ease
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Optional social media posts and graphics
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Easy-to-share links that they can grab when needed
The key here is that the marketing for the bundle is EASY so that the contributors don’t have to spend too much time thinking on how or when to promote the bundle.
Ready to host your own digital product bundle?
Overall, hosting a digital product bundle can be a new and fun way to market your business and get your name in front of new people!
But without the right legal protections, it can quickly turn into a nightmare. 🫣
By following this checklist and using a Bundle Contributor Agreement, you can confidently collaborate with your contributors and create a smooth experience for both your partners AND customers.
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