Time and again at Internet Marketing seminars, forums and blogs, I see people who aren’t creating information products because they believe that creating information products is simply too hard.
There really is nothing to fear in creating your own products. There are enough tools and resources to help you with creating information products at a ridiculously low cost and even for free. Here’s a few ideas to help you get started making your own information products. Trust me, you know something that many other people want to know and are willing to splash their cash to find out.
Many people feel as though they have to do affiliate marketing because they haven’t got the resources or the skills to create their own information products. You may have heard me discuss in a previous post how I believe that there are changes in affiliate marketing which are better for the customer and the marketplace.
It’s now important to create products just to be able to do affiliate marketing. Customers can now shop for bonuses when they are going to purchase a product, so they can extract even more value from their purchase. In many cases, bonuses being offered are even more valuable than the product itself.
Creating Information Products
Ebooks
The most obvious type of media to consider when creating information products is an eBook. An eBook is usually a PDF document that contains valuable information that solves a specific problem for its target market. The eBook should be formatted in a specific way to provide optimum value to the customer. The eBook works best when it provides a solution to a real problem that requires a quick solution. People don’t want to be searching for solutions all night on different websites and are willing to a pay a premium for quick quality content.
When people have to pay for information, the perception is that the information is more useful and valuable, therefore much more likely to solve their problem. eBooks especially tend to work well for problems which require some immediate attention. For example, what must you do to keep your girlfriend, or how to get rid of acne (or other embarrassing health problems), repossession, property foreclosures or saving a marriage.
To create an eBook, simply type a document using software such as Microsoft Word or iWork on a subject that you have plenty of knowledge about. Alternatively, you could research the solutions and bundle it together in easily understandable format.
You can then ask someone on a site like Fiverr.com to design an eBook cover for you, so you can use it on the front page of the eBook and the sales/opt in page.
Audio Book
The next type of media to consider for creating information products is audio. This can simply be a case of reading your book in an entertaining way. You can use some free software such as Audacity which is free software included with Windows.
If you want to spend a little more money and want more options with your audio editing, a product such as WavePad can really help you edit audio easily. Simply plug in your headset to your computer and read your work.
If Podcasting and audio downloads are what you’re going to use to create your blog, it’s worth buying a decent microphone headset or a lapel microphone with good quality audio capture.
If you know your content really well, you can talk freestyle like a disc jockey.
Videos
The next type requires a bit of a change in mindset. It feels weird at first to sit in front of the camera and speak into it. You feel kind of weird and a bit like a freak because you’re not actually talking to anyone. You’ve got to remember that you’re talking with people.
One cool trick a good friend of mine taught me was to put a photo of someone with a funny face just behind the camera.
This made me feel like I was actually talking to a person as I had to maintain eye contact with the face behind the camera. The funny face also helps you to take yourself less seriously.
My chosen funny face was Jim Carey because I’ll always associate Jim Carrey with comedies like Dumb & Dumber, Ace Ventura and The Mask.
Screen Capture Videos
Screen capture videos have a higher perceived value than face on videos.
I use a basic rule of thumb when deciding whether I want to do face on video or screen capture video. Face on videos are better for connecting with your tribe and enables you to explain conceptual ideas and build relationships better. Concepts are massively important in Internet Marketing although most don’t see the value. The value lies behind you being able to apply the concepts to other areas. This means that you can grasp a concept once and benefit from the learning again and again without ever consciously knowing that.
Screen capture tutorials have a higher perceived value because they are more concrete in nature. Most people into Internet Marketing think that it’s all about the ‘how to’ and it does make a massive difference.
I, myself, am a massive believer in getting clear on the ‘why’ first and the ‘how’ will reveal itself along the way. You will not start your Internet mission with a totally clear vision. Martin Luthur King Jr. said it best:
You don’t have to see the whole staircase, you just have to take the first step.
Screen capture tutorials are as simple as using software such as CamStudio for Windows or Camtasia if you’re willing to invest in your product creation. If you’re using a Mac, then Screenflow is the equivalent. You simply work through your content on the screen and explain what you’re doing as you go along. Remember to explain what, why and how so different learning styles don’t feel isolated. If you feel strange doing this, you just need to keep doing it until that weirdness subsides – we’ve all been there and it’s simply a case of making that internal mindset shift.
Books
Your opportunity to become a published author has never been so good as it has been today. You can even sell your eBooks to a captive audience on Amazon nowadays. The credibility, authority and traffic that results from publishing a book is tremendous so you shouldn’t be quick to dismiss it. Sites like Lulu.com can help get you started as a self publisher very quickly.
Skype Calls
You can even play a game of interviewing the expert. Would you want to listen in on Frank Kern’s mate asking him for some insider advice while Frank’s in the bar having a few beers being very liberal with information? Well, you can! Maybe not Frank Kern, but still you can.
One person can take on the role of the interviewer (the friend in the bar) and the other can be the expert (Frank). Who wouldn’t want to get their claws on this type of valuable information? You may even know the type of valuable information that you can get as an Internet Marketer if you’ve ever had masterminding sessions with fellow Internet Marketers. If you have a focused session, you can often get so much from it that it is definitely worth the time.
Webinars
These are so popular nowadays and they have a high perceived value. They’re like screen capture tutorials except they are interactive in nature. You can actually ask questions whilst the content is being delivered. Does anyone want a seminar from their own living room? Of course! Webinars are becoming increasingly popular for delivering high quality content.
Seminars
If you’ve already got a name for yourself, you could even hold your own seminar. The beauty of a seminar is that you can possibly make four products from it. Firstly, the seminar in itself is an information product. Secondly, you could record the seminar and produce the entire seminar on a DVD set. You could then strip out the audio using something like WavePad and sell it. Finally, you could transcribe the product, so you have a written version of the product.
The Leverage In Creating Information Products
Unlike physical products, the margin on digital products is huge. I hope you can take away from this post just how easy it is creating information products. Simply uncover an unmet or poorly met need, create a high end information product around solving that need and market it with complete conviction and belief.
Creating information products enables you to break the relationship between time and money. You can do this by leveraging the multi-billion dollar distibution infrastructure that is the world wide web. Amazing times we live in, don’t you think?
Let us know what cool strategies and tips you have for creating quality information products that really deliver and stun your market.
To Your Online Success,
The Profit Share
The mutt's nuts or the dog's drivel? I double dare you to leave a comment! :-)
GREAT POST! For many years I was a transcriptionist for some major name internet marketing guru’s. They were always talking about how easy it was to create your own information products.
Doing the transcripts I didn’t realize how many doors that would open up for me. Now I have created several of my own information products and I’m here to tell you it is easier than the marketing funnels and all the other pieces of marketing!
On a personal level I’ve quickly learned that creating a few videos, an ebook and a special report will make the marketing portion work much more smoothly.
It’s amazing how much more people trust you when they can see your face on a video. It is very difficult at first. You feel quite silly. But once you realize that although no one may be in the room with you, you are talking to more people than you can even comprehend it makes it go much smoother.
I had to literally sit down and think about the people I wanted to help and the messages I wanted to share with them – picturing how much I would be helping them is what finally made me realize that it is of great importance to JUST BE YOU!
Thanks for this amazing post. I’m sure it will help multitudes of people.
Tammy
Tammy Matthews invites you to read Believe!
Hi Tammy,
I remember the hurdles too when I first started videoing. You feel stupid and self conscious talking to the camera.
Here are a couple of tips I used to get me going then. Now it is much more natural.
1) Always speak as if you are speaking to one person. Do not say “hey guys, it’s Wayne”. Instead, say “Hi, how are you doing today?”
If the user thinks in their brain, “who me?”, then you’ve done a good job. ;) I still have challenges with this even now.
2) Put a picture of a funny character (Mickey Mouse or Jim Carrey) behind the camera. This means that you have to look at Jim’s face and maintain eye contact with his photo to keep you looking at the camera (the people watching the video).
It also means that you don’t take yourself too seriously when you’re addressing your viewership.
Once again, thanks for stopping by.
Wayne
Wayne, this was an extremely well-organized and useful post that I thoroughly enjoyed! There really are a lot of options for creating information products.
Which of these have you created and what are your favorites or most successful? Thanks!
PS. I liked your sarcastic response when that spammer pitched an ad to your readers.
Stephen Guise invites you to read I Am Successful – Are You?
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the comments. The aim is to give my readers the message that creating their own products really isn’t that difficult.
I remember being afraid to create products when I got going. It was all mindset stuff though like…
“People won’t appreciate what I have to say.”
“People won’t like me.”
“What can I possibly teach anyone? I don’t have any experience of my own yet.”
Basically, all mindset stuff. I call mindset the #1 pillar of ‘The Internet Marketing Spectrum’.
It is the foundational pillar to all others and is the forerunner to success. Without a strong mindset, all the skills in traffic generation, list building, blogging and creating products just doesn’t matter.
Mental fortitude and an unwillingness to give up!
I have created eBook, videos, my membership site (of course), slides, Camtasia “how to’s”, viral reports.
A book is my future for sure. I want to become a published author and will definitely do that. But one thing at a time, eh?
I had no objection with the dude letting my readers know about his widget, just the way he went about it.
If he would of said something about the post, added value to the post and then presented his offer more casually, then no problems.
After all, I give people the opportunity to use CommentLuv wisely on my blog nowadays. :)
Hell, if he would have contacted me, I would of considered giving him access to my blog for a guest post. I do accept guest posts from people that understand providing value and then providing “to find out more…” offers at the end.
Wayne Lambert invites you to read Blog Topics That Make Money
Fantastic post Wayne!
I’m always sharing with people that they need a passive income model instead of an active income model, and a eBook is one of the quickest ways to implement that model into your life.
I love audio programs, so I dabble in those to.
If you own a Mac, out to box, you have a info marketing product creation machine. Most of the software PC users have to purchase to create info products come pre loaded on the Mac.
Keep up the fantastic work!
Which product type did you get started with?
Hi Dhane,
Creating an eBook is definitely a fast way to create a passive income model although it does come with its challenges.
Writing about a topic that has a proven demand, proving you are a credible authority on the subject where your prospect believes you will solve their problem and getting enough traffic to make it viable.
Sadly I have a PC and I have been told by many Mac users that they can revolutionize the way you work.
At the moment, I’m satisfied with my setup, so won’t be investing in a Mac just yet. I’ve got that much software on my PC that I don’t want to disrupt the production process.
I got started with eBooks, moved onto downloadable video courses but now believe that membership sites are the best way to deliver information through the Internet for many reasons.
I now release all my premium content through my membership.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts – much appreciated. :)
Wayne Lambert invites you to read Best Internet Marketing Tools
Really Informative post Wayne!
I love creating information products mainly because they do so well on the web.
But getting started for most people is tough. People will often say they can’t write or they just don’t have confidence in themselves. I think if they could just move past that, they would see the potential this business model has.
There are so many really knowledgable people out there that could really profit on what they know.
One thing that has excited me is the ability to get your ebooks out on Kindle.
You offer so many great suggestions that will inspire people. Thanks for the great post.
Liz :-)
Liz invites you to read How To Create Information Products Online & Rake In The Cash
Hi Liz,
Welcome to my blog. :)
You’re right… a lot of people do have some great marketable knowledge to share with the world. The three main issues they will face are:
1) Adjusting their mindset to one where they know they have value to share and that they can do it.
2) Using simple tools around them (often free) which will help them to produce high quality information products.
3) Marketing these products to the right audience at the right time and using the right channels.
Wayne Lambert invites you to read Increase Your Conversion Rate in Five Steps
Man…..great great article. I am looking at writing an info products on computers and online security. This content is awesome! I hope we can stay connected. Do you ever Skype or how do you work? I am working toward going full time in IM at some point. It would be great to have someone to talk with. Just let me know bud!
Scott
Hey Scott,
My name is Wayne and my domain is theprofitshare.com
Perhaps you could drop me an email telling me what you’re up to and we can have a quick introduction on Skype. :)
Wayne Lambert invites you to read Promote Yourself Online Here