Have you ever wished you could cut through the noise and get to the heart of a topic quickly?

Enter the cheat sheet — a one-to-two-page wonder that condenses complex information into bite-sized, actionable insights.

But it’s more than just a reference guide; it’s your secret weapon for mastering new skills, streamlining tasks, and establishing yourself as an expert.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to choose the right niche, create visually compelling content quickly, price, and sell your custom cheat sheet through multiple channels.

By the end, you’ll have the blueprint to develop high-converting cheat sheets that attract leads and grow your business on autopilot.

Ready to unlock the power of this simple yet potent product?

TL;DR so you don’t have to scroll for days. Keep reading for a deeper explanation of making your own cheat sheets with examples:

What is a Cheat Sheet?
- Cheat Sheet Use Cases
- Benefits of Creating Cheat Sheets

Reasons Why You Should Create Cheat Sheets

Choosing a Profitable Niche
- Research Audience Needs
- Consider Your Expertise
- Choose a Specific Focus
- Validate Demand

Create Compelling Content
- Use an Online Design Tool
- Focus on Skimmability
- Balance Text and Visuals
- Use Succinct Text
- Identify the Core Concepts

How to Price and Monetize
- Sell Directly
- Offer as a Lead Magnet
- Sell Cheat Sheet Creation Service
- Create Recurring "Update" Packages

How to Promote Your CheatSheets
- Content Marketing
- Repurpose and Recycle

What Exactly is a Cheat Sheet?

A cheat sheet is a short, typically 1–2 page document that summarizes the key information, facts, steps, or concepts related to a specific topic. It acts as a quick reference guide, checklist, or simplified introductory resource on a subject.

Cheat sheets help simplify complex information for readers by breaking it down into the most vital elements.

SQL Cheat Sheet by The Query

Some defining features of effective cheat sheets include:

• Short— They contain brief text focused only on need-to-know information. Bullet points and checklists are commonly used.
• Scannable — Content is organized with headers, bullets, and visuals so readers can quickly skim and absorb the information.
• Visual — Icons, charts, tables, and other graphics help convey concepts visually for better memorability.
• Condensed — Cheat sheets condense a broad topic down to its core elements, typically fitting on 1–2 pages.
• Actionable — They provide instructions, steps, or a checklist so readers can take action on the subject.
• Informative — The goal is to educate readers on essential info to perform a task or understand a concept.
• Accessible — The simplified format makes complex topics more accessible to beginners.

Overall, a well-designed cheat sheet makes learning or referencing key material on a topic much easier for readers. The one-page condensed format provides immense value.

Cheat Sheet Use Cases

Cheat sheets can cover a wide range of applications. Common uses include:

• Software tutorials — List keyboard shortcuts, interface guides, step-by-step workflows
• Process overviews — Summarize stages of a methodology at a glance
• Study guides — Provide key facts before an exam in a simplified format
• Job aids — Give employees quick access to policies, instructions, or standards
• Marketing guides — Share the latest tips, stats, and best practices
• DIY instructions — Provide steps for completing projects or recipes

Benefits of Creating Cheat Sheets

Cheat sheets offer many benefits both for creators and their audience:

• Demonstrate expertise on niche topics
• Establish authority and thought leadership
• Showcase the ability to simplify complex information
• Help users efficiently digest and apply knowledge
• Versatile as lead magnets, free resources, or paid products

Cheat sheets are simple yet powerful one-pager reference guides. Beginners and experts can benefit from their concise, focused format on nearly any topic or niche imaginable.

5 Reasons Why You Should Create Cheat Sheets

I’m a sucker for those 5-minute DIY craft videos. The things I have learned to do with a hot glue gun would make your head spin. Those videos taught me that people like learning minus the fluff.

No long preambles or complicated instructions. Give steps 1–10 so users can implement what was learned immediately.

Here’s why you should consider adding cheat sheets to your list of products:

1. In Demand Across Many Niches
   The simplified one-page reference format has universal appeal. Cheat sheets are handy resources on topics from marketing tactics to content creation tips. There is a healthy demand for them in every niche.
2. Use as Lead Magnets
   Cheat sheets make excellent lead magnets to grow your email list. Give away your cheat sheet in exchange for an email address to convert website visitors into subscribers you can market to.
3. Easy and Fast to Produce
   You don’t need fancy technology or in-depth research to create a quality cheat sheet. The simplified format means you can research and assemble one much faster than a 50-page ebook.
4. Branding Potential
   Cheat sheets allow you to reinforce your brand. Maintain consistent colors, fonts, and visuals across all your cheat sheets.
5. Shareable on Social Media
   The digestible one-page format makes cheat sheets extremely social media-friendly. Share them natively on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn to spread your brand.

Cheat sheets check many boxes as valuable yet straightforward digital products. The combination of simplicity, utility, and flexibility makes them a prime choice to create for your business and audience.

How to Choose a Profitable Cheat Sheet Niche

Selecting the right niche is crucial to creating cheat sheets that resonate with users and drive sales.

Follow this process to identify lucrative categories worth exploring:

Research Audience Needs

Explore the audiences you want to serve to identify their biggest questions, problems, and knowledge gaps.

• Explore Google Trends, Pinterest Trends and Answer Socrates to see common topics discussed across the internet. What are people asking for help with?
• Check Amazon book bestsellers for popular informational topics.
• Use Google’s autocomplete and related searches to find keywords people search for within your niche.

Choose areas where people clearly need educational resources. Cheat sheets on fast and new technology are a great place to start.

In the past 6 months, I have seen hundreds of ChatGPT cheat sheets across the internet. That’s because AI and prompt engineering is relatively new to the public. Low understanding and high intrigue are the perfect cross.

Consider Your Expertise

Leverage your own knowledge and interests when selecting a niche. Some ideas:

• Previous jobs or education
• Hobbies or skills
• Life experiences
• What content do you enjoy creating?

It’s easier to create compelling cheat sheets quickly when you already have expertise in a niche.

Choose a Specific Focus

Rather than a broad niche like “marketing”, focus your cheat sheet on a specific aspect like “Instagram marketing” or “copywriting tips”.

The more targeted your topic, the better.

Validate Demand

Before spending time creating a cheat sheet, validate demand.

Share a social post polling your audience on their interest in the niche or summarizing key points and see if it gets engagement.

By narrowing in on profitable niches where people want cheat sheet-style guides on focused topics aligned with your knowledge— you can develop valuable resources readers will love.

How to Create Compelling Cheat Sheet Content

Once you’ve chosen a profitable niche, it’s time to create awesome cheat sheet content.

Proper formatting transforms your content into an eye-catching and easy-to-use reference guide.

Follow these cheat sheet formatting best practices:

Use an Online Design Tool

I’ve said it before, but Canva is the GOAT!

It’s simple for anyone to create professional, polished documents without advanced design skills.

The drag-and-drop functionality and ready-made templates, make it easy:

• Insert and format text
• Add charts, icons, and visuals
• Align elements
• Change colors
• AI-generated images

This enables you to create branded cheat sheets that establish you as an expert. But if design is not your strong suit, try Google Docs instead!

Focus on Skimmability

Leverage bullet points, numbered lists, headers, and bold text to highlight key information so readers can skim quickly.

Break content down into small digestible chunks.

Balance Text and Visuals

Find a 50/50 balance between text-based and visual content.

Too much dense text is difficult to scan. Too many visuals without context is overwhelming.

Aim for an integrated mix of both.

Use Succinct Text

Write copy in short, scannable bullet points rather than lengthy paragraphs.

For example:

• Keep bullet points under 20 words
• Use active voice for clarity
• Include one key insight per bullet

Identify the Core Concepts

Review existing material on your topic to determine the 5–10 most vital concepts, facts, statistics, or steps to include. Resist cramming in too much. Focus on need-to-know info.

How to Price and Monetize Your Cheat Sheets

Once you’ve created an amazing cheat sheet, it’s time to leverage it to generate profit.

Here are effective monetization strategies:

Sell Directly

You can sell your cheat sheet as a digital download directly through:

• Your own website or blog
• eCommerce platforms like Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy
• Creative marketplaces like Etsy or CreativeMarket

Price based on factors like:

• Your audience’s ability to pay
• The perceived value of the knowledge
• Competitor pricing for similar products
• Your goals (maximize sales or profit)

Typically $5-$15 works for most informational cheat sheets.

Offer as a Lead Magnet

Give away your cheat sheet in exchange for an email address to rapidly grow your email subscriber list.

Popular email course platforms include:

• ConvertKit
• Beehiiv
• Aweber
• MailerLite
• Email Octopus

You can then monetize this audience over time through back-end offers, affiliate promotions, paid products, and more.

Sell Cheat Sheet Creation Service

If you excel at researching and creating cheat sheets quickly, offer it as a service. Find clients who need informational guides created for their brand or products.

Set pricing based on difficulty, hours required, and client budget.

Create Recurring “Update” Packages

Offer monthly or quarterly cheat sheet update packages. Provide updated versions with new stats, tips, and visuals to keep it evergreen.

The easiest way to do this is with shareable links.

The downside to selling your cheat sheets as a PDF or image file is the inability to update or add new information. The ultimate secret for selling your cheat sheets is with a shareable link.

Platforms like Notion and Google Docs allow users to share direct links to their workspaces.

Example of Notion workspace from Productivity Prodigy OS via the author

Instead of creating your cheat sheet in Canva, input all of your cheat sheet information onto Notion and include the link to your workspace when you make your sale.

This way you can sell your cheat sheets as a subscription with new details added over time.

How to Promote Your Cheat Sheets Effectively

Creating amazing cheat sheets is only the first step. You also need to master promotion to get them in front of your target audience.

Here are effective strategies for cheat sheet promotion:

Content Marketing

Turn your cheat sheet topic into a long-form piece of content like a blog post or video.

Then link to the full cheat sheet as a downloadable asset for readers. Content marketing gives readers a taste of your knowledge before accessing the cheat sheet.

Example of data analyst platform The Query sharing their SQL Cheat Sheet on their blog

Repurpose and Recycle

Repurpose your cheat sheet content into social posts, graphics, excerpts, videos, podcast clips etc.

Maximize reuse!

Cheat sheets are so versatile.

Check out this design resources cheat sheet by designer UI Adrian:

Design Resources Cheatsheet Twitter post by UI Adrian

Instead of taking a screenshot of a PDF and posting it on Twitter, Adrian branded their cheat sheet. They categorized the best design resources online and created a slideshow to share on Twitter.

Yes, I know… they’re a professional designer so of course it looks great.

But you can do this too!

When transforming your cheat sheet into a piece of content, remember these key design principles:

• Use contrasting colors, fonts, etc. to make key elements stand out
• Make important text larger or bolder to draw attention
• Repeat colors, fonts, etc. to create a consistent look
• Leave breathing room between elements for an uncluttered look
• Add diverse visual styles to keep things interesting

You can see UI Adrian’s Twitter shared cheat sheet carousel hits all of these design principles. With the right distribution — your cheat sheets will reach and benefit your target audience.

With the right strategic approach, cheat sheets are an easy yet highly effective way to demonstrate expertise, capture leads, and bolster your business.

Start small, collaborate, seek feedback, and relentlessly promote. Now get out there and start creating some game-changing cheat sheets!