In a prior article, we discussed why informative products are the ideal kind to offer online.
A digital book, sometimes referred to as an e-book, a white paper or report, software, audio or video files, a website, an ezine (an electronic magazine), or a newsletter are examples of informational products.
An information product is any kind of product that has an instructional, educational, or informational purpose.
You might want to uncage yourself long enough to read last week’s column if you missed it, so you can fully grasp this week’s topic, which is how to make your own information product.
Information is the ideal thing to offer online for the following reasons, which were thoroughly discussed in the previous chapter:
It can be produced and sold quickly.
There is nothing to stock.
There are few beginning expenses.
The sales and delivery procedures can be automated.
There are no extra fees for handling or delivery.
The fact that information products can be produced without a manufacturing facility or a product designer is one of their best features.
Additionally, you don’t have to work on product development for months on end.
You can quickly and easily build a best-selling information product with just a computer and word processing software.
You remark, “Great,” but I’m not a writer.
How in the world can I work in the information industry?
The good news is that producing a quality information product doesn’t require you to be a gifted writer.
There are a few paths you can follow to learn about product success if you lack the skills to develop the product yourself.
Write beside a writer
Expert knowledge is, in my opinion, far more difficult to come by than excellent writing abilities.
If you are an authority in a field that people are willing to pay to learn about, all you need is a skilled writer to distill your knowledge into a format that will appeal to readers.
I know plenty of subject matter specialists who would struggle to write their names in the snow, and I also know plenty of talented writers who lack the specialized knowledge needed to produce a profitable educational product.
If a fair co-authoring agreement can be reached, co-authoring can be a match made in heaven.
When you co-author a product, you split the earnings and receive credit for its creation.
Find a writer to co-author the project with you if you are an expert on the subject but not a writer.
On the other hand, if you’re a writer without specialized knowledge, collaborate with a subject-matter specialist to produce the work.
Employ a ghostwriter
A ghost writer is a person who would write an eBook under your name without giving you any credit for it.
The ghost writer organizes the knowledge and direction you provide in a readable manner.
Depending on the size of the assignment, you can employ ghost writers on an hourly basis or for a fixed price.
Hiring a ghostwriter to put your ideas on digital paper is quite acceptable.
You honestly believe all those Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes can’t create 300-page books these days?
Release a directory
Not sure what topic you’re competent to write about?
Consider creating a directory.
A directory is a set of specific, targeted information that you sell to a certain group of consumers.
For instance, my business lists business names, addresses, phone numbers, and website addresses in a directory of the dropship and wholesale industries.
All I have to do is hire someone to conduct industry research, put their findings into a directory format, package it attractively, and sell it for $27 online.
Join an affiliate network and promote their information items.
Thousands of businesses offer instructional items, and the majority of them allow you to join their affiliate networks.
Essentially, becoming an associate entails reselling the company’s goods.
You market the product, close the deal, the business ships the item, and you get paid a commission.
The material in an info product needs to be significantly more valuable than the cost of the ebook itself in order to be effective.
Your product must offer the customer many times the price in perceived value if you’re charging $27 for it.
I asked co-author of “How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook in as Little as 7 Days,” Jim Edwards, a specialist in information products, for his tips on crafting a standout info product.
Jim offers these five top tips:
Niche It:
Avoid trying to sell to everyone by making sure you are aiming your marketing at a well-defined niche market.
Teaching life insurance agents how to discover more people to purchase $250,000 policies can earn you far more money than trying to market a course on improving general sales abilities.
Aim for Their Pain:
When creating an information product, consider what a real pain point your target audience is willing to go to great lengths to overcome.
Their willingness to pay increases with the severity of the suffering.
Give Them A Taste:
By providing a sample, you can allow them to experience what your information product has to offer.
You can entice individuals to purchase your knowledge by allowing them to read the first chapter or listen to the first few minutes of an audio, much like the wholesale clubs do when they convince you to buy tater-tots in a 50-pound bag by giving you one to try.
Keep Them Entertained:
People detest being idle.
By including drama, humor, and other entertaining components in your offering, you can increase its power and leave your customers wanting more and more.
This will not only keep your refund rate low and boost word-of-mouth marketing, but it will also aid in future sales to happy clients.
Keep it Evergreen:
Avoid the error of developing a product that caters to a passing trend or segment of the market.
Make information products that require less work to update.
This enables you to produce a product just once and reap the benefits of years and years of sales!