Aug

31

Use Your Blog to Create Profitable Information Products

Filed Under Online Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Information Products, Blogging, eBooks, Information Marketing, Internet Business | 3 Comments

Here are some quick ideas for creating a profitable information product from your very own blog…

1.  Expand one fruitful post into a much larger piece.
Look for posts that you could easily expand into chapters or subtopics.  Perhaps it’s a post you’d love to write more about but felt limited by the blogging medium.  Here, you’re putting passion ahead of testing and viability, but that’s not always a bad thing.  Remember, you’re just looking for something fruitful to get the wheels turning.

2.  Use a post-series and add supplementary materials for added value.
I can think of a number of great series out there in the blogosphere that have really contributed to my life and, frankly, I probably would have paid for the information.  Unfortunately, once material is available for your readers, it’s a bit hard to justify simply collecting all the posts into one easy-to-download ebook for a price.  But… you might be able to take that series and “repackage” it along with some other additional “exclusive” material. 

3.  Rank your posts by popularity and create a related product.
Figure out what your readers really like.  Then, use that post as a starting point for your brainstorming process.  Connect this idea with #1 above for extra punch.

4.  Work on a joint venture product or co-author an ebook with regular commentators.
This idea makes the most of the “social” or “networking” benefit of being a blogger.  You might find another avid info marketer out there who wants to team up under your lead.  Or, you may find a handful of folks who’d willingly contribute to the work for a kickback – link to their site, royalty, etc.  Two minds are always better than one.  Three or nine are awesome!

5.  Review natural search hits to uncover profitable keywords.
Are you using HitTail?  Well, you really should be by now.  Whatever your method, figure out how people are getting to your site and create a pool of keywords for generating ideas.  Sometimes the audience has a way with words, if you know what I mean. 

These are not fail-proof plans for creating an information product – just helpful starting points or hubs for creating something truly great. 

If you’re a blogger and you enjoy writing and communicating with a hungry market, then information products may be a shoe-in for you. 

On the other hand, you may just uncover lots of new ideas for future blog posts.  Either way, it’s all right there at your feet.  Have fun!

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Aug

1

Info Product Brainstorm

Filed Under Information Products, Online Business Ideas, Information Marketing, Internet Business | 1 Comment

Product development is a crucial area in any business. Investing plenty of time in the initial phases of product creation can make or break the success of your release to the market.

I have been hard at work in developing my next information product and thought I’d share some of my insights into that very important first step: brainstorming…

1. Generate a list of niche areas based on your own expertise and interests.
It’s always best to look to your own life in the early stages of brainstorming. The idea here is to chase something you’re actually interested in from the start. The greater your own level of interest, the longer you’ll manage to sustain the idea over the course of its “shelf life.”

2. Choose one specific area and solve one of its problems.
Sometimes the obvious move from step one to step two lies in solving a problem in the first place. If you generate a list of 10 interest areas in the step above, but only one seems to have a problem you’re interested in solving, you’ve already narrowed the list.

Also: avoid getting “hung up” on the problem itself. The trick here is to effectively combine productive problem-solving with attentive market research. You’ll see what I mean soon….

3. Develop some general ideas for products.
Perhaps the best way to approach problem-solving by product-idea is to put yourself in the market. Become your own customer. Ask yourself, “If I were searching for a product to solve problem X, what would I want in the product? What benefits would I look for? How would I want to get the product/solution?” And so on.

When you arrive at a good idea (hopefully, a few good ideas) it’s time to start testing - the next phase in the product development process. We’ll look at that process in a later post.

Happy brainstorming!

Reader Toolbox:

Since always, professionals have favored 310-200 more than 642-533. They even deem it more than enough experience to write 642-444.

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May

16

3 Reasons Your Web Site Does Not Make Money

Filed Under Marketing Strategy, Online Marketing, Information Products, Online Business Ideas, Creating Wealth, Information Marketing, Internet Business | Leave a Comment

Leaving money on the table in your internet business? Not satisfying your “hungry market”? Not confident in your ability to make real money on the web?

Let’s look at the three most likely reasons your web site is going broke…

1. You Have a Mental Block

It’s bizarre, but oh so true: Your ability to make money (in any venture) has a lot to do with your ideas about money.I know what you’re thinking: “Not more of this ‘Law of Attraction’ and ‘The Secret’ hullabaloo.

I’m not going to tell you that all you need to do is sit quietly in a room and meditate on your piles of money. That would be about as effective as telling you that all you need to do is sit at a computer all day and create website after website Field of Dreams style.

The key is… you need to do both. And you need to balance both according to your specific needs. Some people need to focus more on the meditation and mental mindset stuff, while others need to work a bit harder at the desk.

In my experience, this balancing act never ends, and if you learn to accept that now, it makes things fun.

But if you’re working really hard and seeing little or no results, the problem is almost always in your head. If so, it’s time to do some mental reconfiguration.

Start with these key questions:

  • What is the difference between the you TODAY who makes X amount every year and the you TOMORROW who makes X+Y per year?
  • How hard do you think a person MUST work to make X+Y?
  • Do you think it’s possible to really enjoy your work (so much that it’s hardly work) and still make a boatload of cash?
  • What feelings of guilt are you still harboring about making (or having) a lot of money?

2. Your Prices are Too Low

Here’s another common problem: guilt-reducing price cuts!

Can you believe that many people are out there selling their own products and services for prices far lower than they actually deserve? Believe it. Chances are, you’re among them!

When I started working as a freelance copywriter, I had the hardest time quoting my prices to clients. Some part of me actually felt guilty charging the industry standard for my valuable services.

Despite the fact that I was qualified to do the work, my copy was always effective, and I gave my all to every project on my desk, I still managed to come up with tons of reasons to lower my prices.

Let’s start here: If you don’t believe in the value of your products and services, who will?

Ask yourself: how much is this product/service really worth? (Spend some time really thinking about what it’s going to do for your customer.)

Also: how much is my time really worth? This question alone can change your life. If you decide you’re worth $100 per hour, then absolutely every minute of your working day becomes incredibly valuable to you.

But, alas, problem #2 here is DIRECTLY related to the opening problem #1 above.

3. You’re Giving it All Away for Free

This last problem is especially true on the web.

Yes, it’s a good idea to give some things away for free, especially if it’s going to result in kickbacks later (email sign ups, client referrals, future purchases, etc).

But… You can’t give it all away all of the time. The key here is knowing how much is too much.

Blogging provides a useful example: In the beginning, as you’re building a readership, you’re going to give it ALL away for free. But you absolutely must have an end game in mind.

What are you giving away every day that you could easily package for sale? (Bloggers, for example, might consider creating ebooks).

How can you stop or cutback on the giveaways? (Write shorter blog posts, be more disciplined during “free consultations” – you get the idea.)

The worst mistake any business or entrepreneur can make is leaving money on the table. As Dan Kennedy once suggested, the goal is actually NOT “zero resistance selling” - it’s better to turn some customers away because of higher prices than to get all the business at rock-bottom prices!

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May

1

The Information Marketing Business System

Filed Under Marketing Strategy, Copywriting, Information Products, Online Business Ideas, Information Marketing | 4 Comments


We all love systems - they make life easier!

In all parts of my business, I think in terms of systems whenever possible to conceptualize the total process.

The best thing about systems is repeatability. If you can handoff a simple checklist with instructions, you have a fantastic system. Of course, this is the key to any entrepreneur’s success…

Here’s a simple system for marketing information on the web:

1. Pick a Niche
You must begin by picking a topic. It’s best to research before jumping in, but sometimes you have to lead with your heart.

For an excellent discussion on picking a niche, check out Sterling & Jay’s Internet Business Mastery podcast – Episode #26.

2. Write a Blog
With a comfortable niche in mind, it’s time to start building your presence on the web.

Blogging is the easiest way to get started. Blogger and Wordpress both offer free blogging sites on their domains, but I strongly recommend getting your own URL and implementing the free software on your own.

3. Market Affiliate Products
Let your blog-website also serve as an income generator by building affiliate links for other information products in your niche.

This is a great way to earn some cash upfront as you begin building your own products and services at the backend of your sales funnel.

4. Learn Copywriting
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Copywriting is the most important skill in the info marketing world.

It’s not necessary to become a world class copywriter, but you will need to read a handful of books on the subject and learn from the experts.

Of course, you can always hire a professional to help, especially for those critical sales letters.

5. Create Your Own Products
OK – so the blog is posting new content to your site every day, you’re making some affiliate sales, and you have a basic understanding of copywriting principles – now it’s time to build the core of your business…

Create your first information product! Ebooks are a great place to begin, but you can also shoot higher and begin with a full blown CD/DVD package if you’re so inclined.

Each niche lends itself to different types of info products. Let your niche be your guide in this place.

6. Rinse and Repeat
Some folks prefer to concentrate all of their efforts in one niche area, while others like to branch out.

This is entirely up to you, but either way you should still “rinse and repeat” if you expect to watch your numbers grow.

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Apr

25

Find the Top Keywords for Your Next Information Product or Website

Filed Under Copywriting, Affiliate Marketing, Information Products, Blogging, Information Marketing | Leave a Comment


Here’s a classic keyword tool for your information marketing success:

Overture Keyword Selector

Many of you may already know about and use this keyword generator, but I’m often surprised by how many still don’t.

If you’re not thinking in terms of “top keywords” for your projects, you may be missing the boat in a big way.

Try out Overture and start enhancing your blogging, web development, and information products today!

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