Profit Like Mad by Selling Information
If you follow me long enough, you'll hear at least one concept from me over and over and over again. The foundation of the Internet is information based. Keep that in mind - follow the rules of the Internet as an information posting-storage-and research device - and you will succeed online. I have gotten many objections, I have heard lots of ideas for outwitting the mighty Web with bells & whistles.
But the bottom line is ... the Internet craves information, and if you want to succeed you must supply the Internet with relevant, fresh, keyword rich information on an almost daily basis. Get the major search engines to view you as an expert in your field, and the major search engines will refer their loyal visitors to you, and the end result will always be the same. Increased traffic from a targeted and qualified customer, eager to learn what you have to teach them ... or in the case of Information Products ... eager to buy what you have to sell them!
A great magazine to get your hands on - if you own a website, or promote your business using a website - is Website Magazine (http://www.websitemagazine.com) I've subscribed for a while, and every issue has at least one article I ear mark and try to blog about. I was impressed by the article titled "Selling Information" by editor-in-chief, Peter Prestipino. And although it was a just a single page introduction to the idea of selling information online - it was a great introduction for the novice to brush up against. I'll do my best to summarize for you - and offer some of my own insights.
The bottom line is the bottom line. And in an economy continuously pressed on all sides by increased costs - what better way to increase profits than by reducing your costs. Keep more of the revenue stream you worked so hard to earn by selling an information product. Information products can be reproduced infinitely at no cost, shipped immediately at no cost, stored indefinitely at no cost. Info products also take many forms. You can write an e-book, or record cell phone ring tones for sale and instant download. You can write a piece of software, or create series of how-to videos delivered by paid subscription.
In the end - your information product is only limited by your experience in a field of study that people want to know more about. Think about your favorite hobby or interest - or the business you are running now - and you are certain to think of dozens of question people ask you everyday. By answering these questions you have already started to form the basis of a rough information product. How you refine, produce, and sell that information product is another matter entirely.
There is a ton of work involved in the conception, research, development, production, promotion, sale, and delivery of a top-quality and highly successful information product. Information and ideas you have a lot of - time and energy is what most people lack. Find someone experienced with the many steps involved with bringing a successful information product to market. But there are some things you can always do on your own to smooth the road ahead and speed up delivery to your eager audience.
The steps you must first take are explained by Peter Prestipino as Identify, Analyze, Develop, and finally Promote & Sell. Not to breeze by these too fast - but the steps are really very logical when you slow down and take a moment to plan your information product. The first step in producing a product is knowing that there is an active, and eager customer ready to snatch up what you took time to develop. Without taking the time to properly research your target customer's needs, you set yourself up for failure. Visit forums and competitor websites to see what already exists, what can be improved upon, and what simply has yet to be created! Once you match the target audience with the need - you can begin to Develop your product.
Develop your information product by outlining the information you want to pass on to customers. From that outline you can begin researching more depth on the topic, alternatives remedies that have been tried and failed. Finally, you can write about your one complete remedy and deliver that single remedy in the form of an information product. Promoting and Selling your final information product is the fun part!
There are many channels you can use to promote a product being sold online. Of course traditional methods are always an option - print, radio, television, and even pay-per-click ads or online banner placement - but your primary goal is increased profits through reduced costs. Right? OK - then many of these traditional marketing methods are simply off the table. Some alternatives to consider are still just as valid, and may even work better to reach the online target audience you developed your product for in the first place. You can promote, sell, and deliver your information product directly from your own website - unless your brand awareness is still lacking recognition or credibility. In which case, the alternative (to using your own website) is to enlist armies of affiliates swarming the Internet for products to sell from their websites!
OK - So you think you have a killer idea for an excellent information product for consumers in your industry. What steps should you take to get started? Well, for starters, re-read the article... You glossed over some really great Do-It-Yourself points back there... Then give someone with experience in this area a call to help you research, develop, produce, promote and ultimately sell your information product faster. Ensure that your product comes off the digital presses sizzling hot - ready for an eager audience to snatch up and pay good money for again and again! Also ensure that the end result is much more professional than most of the out-dated, amateurish attempts at information products that flood the Internet today.
You'll see - this is going to be fun and fairly easy - AND PROFITABLE!