(by 17 people)
Owning Your Own Information Product
UPDATE: After realizing we were both being hounded by people wanting us to create lenses for them based on our own success, Lewis and I decided to team up and launch http://www.buildmylens.com.
That's right! A lens built for you while you sleep in. Let us do all the hard work.
We're having a blast building up some lenses as we test out our system in co-building, and we're going to put all of our test lenses up for auction after we perfect them, lensroll them, bookmark them, flesh them out with content, and "purty them up" with images!
Our first creation can be seen at Multiple Streams of Income, so go check it out, see how well we work together, and if you want it - bid on it! Oh, and be sure to rate the lens so we know how well we did.
In this lens, we're going to discuss the steps you need to take to create your information product from scratch. After you come up with an idea of what subject matter you want to cover, you have to create the product. You might be a do-it-yourselfer, but chances are, you're going to need help.
As a former ghostwriter to some of the top marketers on the 'net, I know what the consumers are after when it comes to an information product that won't generate massive refunds.
If you're adept at writing, then by all means try to create your own information product yourself. Why would a seasoned ghostwriter advise you to take business away from freelancers and take the DIY route?
Because it puts your own voice in it like no one else can create. If you go with a freelancer to create your information product, then you're going to have to rely on them to create your products for years to come - or else your audience of loyal consumers will be able to spot the change in style and tone.
What Area of Net Marketing Confuses You Most?
There are so many, but your biggest nemesis?
When you're trying to make money as an Internet marketer, there are always obstacles popping up. Some people may master the art of getting targeted traffic while others can't come up with a niche idea.
Information Marketing continued...
Expand Your Empire.
After developing your subject matter, you'll want to start creating products. While it is possible to start with just one, most people I know have several products created and then launch a library of info products.
Why would they do this? Because once you've captured the attention of a consumer, and they've proven that they're willing to buy from you, you want to be able to sell to them again - before they forget about you.
In this module, we're going to use eBay as our main example. You might think you'd develop a comprehensive eBay book to sell on the net. First of all, you're probably going to find the market flooded with like products. So you need to narrow down your topic to niche ideas.
Here's a few you could consider: How to Find Products to Sell on eBay; 101 Ways to Market Your eBay Listings; How to Create a Powerful eBay Listing; eBay Income without an Inventory (discussing dropshipments). See how it works? Many newbies think, "Well, then I'm narrowing down my market - I'll make less money doing that."
But the exact opposite is true. People don't want yet another random eBay book - there are millions of stay-at-home moms who might buy a book called "eBay Income for Stay at Home Moms" over an "eBay 101" book because its directly speaking to their needs. And what about eBayers who already know how to find products, but don't know a thing about marketing? Why would they want to shell out $49 for a book including several chapters on information they don't need?
Learn How to Build Your Information Empire
In Building an eBook Empire, I teach you how to take a niche idea and grow it into a full-fledged online business that spans over multiple products.I show you in a step-by-step fashion how to come up with an idea, flesh it out, compile it, and launch it, even going so far as to build backend products for it.
Information Entrepreneur Continued...
Expand Your Empire.
If you have the talent and the time, then go for it! Here's something to consider: If you write a hugely successful eBook that has your own "voice," and then you're busy marketing, handling orders, spending all that cash - will you have time to create a dozen back-end products to sell to your existing customers?
If you think to the future and believe you won't have time, or you possibly don't have time or talent to do it right now, then consider hiring a ghostwriter. Although I could insert some shameless self-promotion here, I won't. Okay, I will. I'll just tell you to follow my eLance feedback link in my link list - there - done.
What's the role of a ghostwriter? First of all, you have to find someone reliable and trustworthy, not to mention talented. I work in the industry and I'll admit I know tons of colleagues who cut and paste right off the net - or outsource work to a non-English-speaking person for $1 per page and pass it off as their own. They simply don't care if they anger one client because they've taken your money - and they can get another client in the future and do the same thing to them.
I can tell you that most writers are procrastinators. They're busy working on that next great American novel - and they write non-fiction as a way to pay the bills. You have to keep in contact and use their previous client comments to gauge how well they'll work for you. Now sometimes, things do happen that are genuine - I'm not saying all writers try to pull one over on you, but before you shell out $20 per page, make sure you're dealing with someone who's reliable - and who won't plagiarize the work.
Your info product should be conversational. Throw out the English rules - these are consumers you're dealing with. Instead of a salesperson standing in front of them to schmooze them, they only have your words to read. How long should it be? I have clients demanding 100 pages, 400 pages, 15 pages, and 50 pages. A professional writer can gauge how long it NEEDS to be - but some will just try to get as many pages out of you as your budget will allow. I recently had a customer who wanted 100 pages on the bird flu. I knew from writing 2 it should be 50.
Information Entrepreneurs Continued...
Expand Your Empire.
Back to cost - I charge $25 per page. I have clients who offer to pay me $30-40 per page just to fit them into my schedule. I accept. Word of advice - writing to some may be a hobby. Writing to me is a career. Don't offer me less than my current rates. Would you hire a divorce attorney and tell him you're only willing to pay ½ his fees? Want to tell the McDonald's cashier you won't shell out more than $0.25 for a Big Mac? Then don't insult me. Had to say this because I'll inevitably be flooded with offers at a fraction of my fees. And don't hire a ghostwriter who outsources. This is a disaster.
For audio and video productions, hire an expert. You do not want to put together an amateur recording or video when you're trying to position yourself as an expert. You only have 1 shot at making a 1st impression, right?
After you get the final product back, whether it's a batch of articles, an eBook, or a DVD, package it. You want professionalism again - nothing hand-drawn. You can download software to create eBook images for your website. Make sure you put protective measures in place to prevent the buyer from passing the product along. It can be password-protected, or downloaded onto a single computer system.
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Important Links
Link list
- New Affiliate Marketing Product in Hot Demand
- I literally made over $150 the first night I put this stuff into action. First book I've seen that doesn't leave out a crucial detail and it's all about making money without a website.
- Part 3 of this course
- The Art of Becoming an Information Entrepreneur part 3
- Part 4 of this course
- The Art of Becoming an Information Entrepreneur part 4
- Feedback Reviews for Top Ghostwriter
- Not your typical fabricated testimonials - hear what real clients had to say about my skills and performance. Click on the provider name Writertiff at the top of the landing page to see my profile and portfolio, too.
Products You'll Love...
Internet Marketing Information
Search Engine Advertising: Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales (VOICES)
Amazon Price: $25.54 (as of 10/15/2008)
The E-Code: 33 Internet Superstars Reveal 43 Ways to Make Money Online Almost Instantly---Using Only Email
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/15/2008)
E-Commerce Management: Text and Cases (Series on University Mathematics)
Amazon Price: (as of 10/15/2008)
The Complete E-Commerce Book: Design, Build and Maintain a Successful Web-Based Business
Amazon Price: $23.73 (as of 10/15/2008)
Web Metrics: Proven Methods for Measuring Web Site Success
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 10/15/2008)
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ann777
Great lens and great teaching, Tiffany! Posted April 22, 2008 |
