It was bound to happen… the search engine attention payed to content has always been a target of manipulation so when you see the misuse of Web1.0, Web2.0 and beyond sites being overtaken by those who neglect the powerful social aspect to these platforms, we shouldn't be surprised. 

Perhaps that's an advantage to Web2.0 and coming Web3.0 platforms though as the built-in social feedback function will go a long way to weeding out the manipulators from the users. 

Yes, there are definite SEO benefits to blogging - but the biggest bang comes from sites that post timely, relevant and quality content in a consistent, natural way.  Oh…and if you are able to attract content-rich comments along the way - even better. 

Social network sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and whatever is next will no doubt evolve in the same way where today's spammers and manipulators will either kill the platform or be weeded out in favor of those who use the system to build dynamic social networks. 

Max Kalehoff has put it well in his latest blog posting… "Beware of Blogging Simply For SEO" where he does a good job of outlining the balance marketers must seek in delivering relevant (to their market and to the social network they are involved with) content, becoming a critical part of social networks and knowing how to subtly attract the network toward them much as thought leaders are able to do in any industry. 

In my own case, becoming part of a network on Myspace, frequent content-oriented blog postings, and some admittedly brief work on expanding the network has proved quite successful in driving traffic and sales through various sites we have - but here's the interesting part…almost entirely those visitors and sales have come through visits of our profile rather than through any specific links put in our blog postings or on other parts of the site. 

The lesson then is that using social networks and blogs as intended, focusing on what your marketplace wants to read about will end up generating traffic, attracting search engines and making sales — doing anything less actually limits your potential rather than improving it.

Do you agree? 

Jeff

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Hi folks…there's a ton of relationship building, insider's information and marketing going on over at Twitter these days, and if you are not involved, you are missing out. 

Twitter is a real-time social network tool that allows you to follow and get involved in near real-time conversations with your marketplace. 

My twitter site is here - you can see how the various discussions evolve.

It doesn't cost a thing and you can be running within a few minutes.  Go ahead and signup over at the Twitter main page, then go ahead and head to my twitter site HERE, if you like, you can add me as a friend to follow to get things rolling - I'll do the same.

THE POWER OF TWITTER

Last night I had conversations with marketers including Tony Blake, Marlon Sanders, Chris Vendilli and followed several discussions with Ed Dale, John Reese, Jeff Walker and dozens of other big name, very intelligent online marketers. 

What's great about twitter right now is that it is completely new so you have all the big names flocking, active - a great way for you to do some serious networking and get plugged in to the latest discussion on what they are doing in their business, their life and more…little snippets of insight into their lives. 

Here's what I have found to be most useful…

1. You get to network.  There is still only a small handful of the internet marketing community plugged into Twitter - so you can get great visibility and share jabs with some top marketers who would normally be inaccessible.

2. Business and life…it's great to see snippets of info on how the top marketers, and those who share your interest in marketing, spend their time…even some pretty deep insights into their psyche - sometimes WAY too deep!

3. You begin building your list of "followers" - these are people that follow your discussions.  What is it really?  Another list!  Yes, social networks are quickly becoming a list building technique - a way for you to attract people from within your niche market, build a relationship with them and yes, every once in a while you can promote your blog, product, videos, etc…

4. Taking the pulse…when you join various friends active in your niche market you can get a real-time feel for the pulse of your marketplace.  You get to watch the types of questions, comments, recommended  resources these people live and breathe each day.

If you are wondering if Twitter is really worth your time - after a few weeks of being active you will find it IS worth your time.  Build some friends, post through the day and you will also find your own friend network beginning to grow.  It's viral too since posts of yours appear on all who have chosen to follow you which means that your posts can easily be seen by thousands of eyeballs after just a few weeks. 

 

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When you are learning the powerful business of creating and selling information online there are many distractions and aspects that can bog you down.  The result, you can never seem to get rolling with any kind of momentum on your online business. 

If I had to put my finger on the #1 reason most new online entreprenuers fail to build their business to the next level based on packaging information products for profit it would have to be getting sidetracked by the least important aspects and NEVER making progress on the primary function of getting your product defined, outlined and launched. 

Over at InfoMarketer'sZone we have helped hundreds of highly motivated internet marketers, writers, speakers and professionals re-focus their enthusiasm, desire and effort on the most important tasks helping them get their infoproducts out much faster. 

Instead of wondering how many pages your ebook should be, whether you should have a cover page, or how to take payment or distribute your ebook, we first focus on the MOST important part of create a top selling information proudct - the very basis of building a strong and vibrant online business. 

IT'S THE SYSTEM THAT SELLS

Think about it - when you buy a "how to" or informational product you are starting with an objective in mind and will buy if you are convinced that a given product or product creator has the system, process, or experience that will help you achieve your objective in less time, with less pain with more effectiveness.

If your goal is to lose weight - then you need to be convinced there is something both unique about the program you are considering AND it needs to be easier or more effective in some way for the type of person you are. 

TAKING YOUR PROSPECT FROM A-Z

Most high quality infoproducts are built upon a system for getting from A-Z in a simple and more effective way. 

You identify Z then put yourself back in the shoes of A - walk them through each step of way. 

But don't stop there, test the system either on yourself or on some initial beta testers (just like software companies test their new code to discover bugs or enhancements required).

Once you have a system that works, then you have endless choices about how to turn that system into a product or series of products. 

For example, perhaps your system is quite simple, but execution of the system is tough.  Then you give away your up-front system (or sell it as a low-priced product or even create an affiliate program where you pay affiliates majority of up-front revenue) while you create a back-end membership site, coaching program, monthly insider's club to keep them up to date. 

On the other hand, if the biggest value is in the uniqueness or clarity of the system itself, you can get more money for the up-front product - perhaps launching right into a high-end product immediately which will work as long as you have some proof (testimonials and case studies) that your system that you tested really does work. 

In any case, focus less on trying to write the first chapter of your ebook and more on outlining and testing the system you will offer - then worry about packaging it - hell, get someone else to package it for you at that point.

Something I have found works very well for me and in teaching those who have been struggling with "getting started" and "getting their infoproduct finished" for years is to NOT look at your project as a product at first, instead look for a nagging, emotionally charged problem to solve and outline a set of steps that would allow anyone to solve the problem. 

Most high quality infoproducts are built upon a system for getting from A-Z in a simple and more effective way. 

You identify Z then put yourself back in the shoes of A - walk them through each step of way. 

But don't stop there, test the system either on yourself or on some initial beta testers (just like software companies test their new code to discover bugs or enhancements required).

Once you have a system that works, then you have endless choices about how to turn that system into a product or series of products. 

For example, perhaps your system is quite simple, but execution of the system is tough.  Then you give away your up-front system (or sell it as a low-priced product or even create an affiliate program where you pay affiliates majority of up-front revenue) while you create a back-end membership site, coaching program, monthly insider's club to keep them up to date. 

On the other hand, if the biggest value is in the uniqueness or clarity of the system itself, you can get more money for the up-front product - perhaps launching right into a high-end product immediately which will work as long as you have some proof (testimonials and case studies) that your system that you tested really does work. 

Regardless, instead of focusing on the details of your ebook or business online, get your system down first - after that you have dozens of options about how to package that system into ebooks, books, membership sites, services and more. 

Let me recommend heading over to InfoMarketer'sZone where we work each and every day to help our members focus on high-profit niche markets and topics, design their information product business, get their "system" developed and pakcaged right through to launch. 

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Thought I would pull out some of the more common questions we get week to week both from our subscribers, on this blog and inside of InfoMarketer'sZone. 

Specifically, when someone sets out to write an ebook, they question…

1. How long should the ebook be?

2. What should they start with…should they just begin writing their ebook, outline it first or how do they get started?

3. How do they make sure their topic is a good one - or at least targeted in the best way possible?

4. Can you promote other products in your paid ebook through including affiliate links?

So, here are some tips from our own ebook writing businesses that I think should help you with these questions, and perhaps more:

1. When you set out to write an ebook, begin with a purpose, and that purpose should be to help your reader achieve a highly desired result in their life.  The desire may be to avoid a challenge or pain OR it may be to gain pleasure.   You may have a system to avoid arthritis pain or lose weight or you may have a system for getting over shyness or getting the perfect date.  You want to focus on something achievable, something specific you will help your reader achieve.

2. Next, outline your chapters, typically you start with an overview of the problem, then the chapters become the steps or critical pieces of information toward achieving the solution.

3. How long should your ebook be? Tough question, general guidelines would be in the range from 30 pages toward a couple hundred - any more than that I would tend to split it up into separate products.

4. Finally, if you're ebook is looking too long, pull out a section or two and put them into special reports you offer as bonuses and/or turn them into audio recordings to enhance the value of your package.

If you offer good information and target a solid topic I've never had a problem adding a few affiliate links throughout the ebook. In my case I typically add value by offering a no-cost way of doing something (if it's available), then the paid way (with affiliate link) and add additional value by giving my experience with the program I'm promoting so they can see exactly how to use the product or service.

If you have any other questions or have other tips to help those who are about to write an ebook, leave a comment and enjoy your writing!

Jeff

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So we're supposed to be in the era of content generation - where your best shot at getting mass traffic to your site is to generate valuable and useful relevant content targeted at your niche market. 

But once you go about trying to put together an action plan toward building out your content strategy, some immediate questions come to mind like  "What sort of content should I be generating?" and "Where do I submit my content for best results?"

We share weekly secrets and results of our various advertising and traffic generation tips inside InfoMarketersZone to keep our members up to date on the latest and greatest techniques…but here are some very important tips that may be quite different from what you are hearing in the wider internet marketing community.

ARTICLES:

Yes, articles still are an excellent source of "food" for both the search engines and your niche market to get important information, find your site, assess YOU as a source of information and drive traffic to your lead generation systems.

But…you'll often hear people who have dozens of articles created that target specific keywords, throw this junk (that's really what articles written around keyword optimization are) up on their sites and wonder why they only get a trickle of traffic and nobody actually clicks through and buys their product.

Honestly — I often wonder if any of these people really put themselves (for one second) in the mindset of their customers who are urgently looking for answers to questions online, type in keywords and then arrive at this crappy, useless article.  For me, I get angry!  Do YOU buy from people you are ANGRY with?

No!

A much better approach is to research leading questions in the minds of your readers, write thoughtful answers to their questions (a few paragraphs will sometimes do…longer isn't always better), post the article to your OWN information portal and then focus on relevant linking strategies back into that article to get it quickly indexed by the search engines.

In my experience, having written well over 1,000 articles in the last few years you will get minimal advantage (perhaps even some disadvantage) from automatically spewing your articles out to a bunch of article directories. 

A better approach is…

1. Build your own article portal so you get search engine credit for having the articles on your site. 
2. Submit an article or two a week to Ezinearticles - you can then link back to other related articles, your sales site or your article directory in the signature
3. Write an excerpt about the article on a blog you run in separate directory linking back to the article - this will get you inbound links to the articles so they get indexed much faster (as any regularly updated blog gets daily visits from Google as well as all major blog directories if they are in your ping list)
4. Form relationships with other blog publishers and authority site owners in your marketplace where you will write an article a week or even one a month where you trade off exposure…

VIDEOS

We are living in the time of massive video adoption - the result of which means both opportunity and challenge.  The opportunity is that people are now willing and have the means to search for video and play that video given the highspeed bandwidth supply to most homes. 

The challenge is that there is a massive glut of video hitting the net and that means you need to really stand out by:

1. Making sure your videos are spot on in terms of targeting in-demand topics

2. That you keep your videos as brief as possible.  Most questions can be answered in less than 5-minutes, so don't ramble - get to the point, offer your value and mention your site driving traffic back to an opt-in. 

3. Consider getting someone else to do your videos for you if you have a rough command of the English language or have trouble communicating via videos

Google Video/YouTube are still the major portals for video - you must be present on these systems to get full exposure, but lately I've also had very good success with Myspace and Facebook in terms of drawing interest from both within these massive social networks as well as being picked up by search engines.  For now, I would focus in on these 4 places to upload your video. 

Keep in mind, when you produce a short informational video you want to answer a question, create interest, lead people back to an opt-in site where they can get more free information - you can do this within the video itself AND via the description you post alongside your videos.  Just as important as the video itself is your PROFILE that you setup on each of these video aggregators - you will find that hundreds of visitors will click through to see your profile and may access your site via links you post in your profile.  So - spend time getting your profile setup in an exciting and interesting way with links back to your major sites. 

Content works to get more traffic…just maybe not the way you are hearing people speak about it in the internet marketing forums. 

Jeff

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One of the decision you need to make when growing your information product business is whether to include a continuity offering into your product portfolio.

What is a continuity offering?

Any recurring revenue generation model that brings you continuous, repetitive revenue is consider continuity.  For example, our InfoMarketer'sZone private information product members site grew out of the fact that customers of our Ultimate Information Entrepreneur's Success Package required ongoing support, motivation, tools and advice as well as instant examples of what was working in our various infoproduct businesses. 

Offerings like membership sites, paid newsletters, paid coaching clubs, insider clubs, some software models generate recurring revenue where the customer is billed automatically each month, quarter or year to keep the information coming.

A choice many information entrepreneurs are faced with is do they offer one-time products such as ebooks, reports, audio or video products only or should they focus on continuity products?

We operate both continuity and one-time sale products and I would suggest that most information product businesses could benefit from having both.

The short answer is that you should plan for both models in your business.  Not only does it give you more flexibility, multiple streams of revenue but it really does meet the needs of your customers in most markets.

We like to issue systems, process guides, how-to guides in the form of manuals, home study courses, guidebooks, etc… and then augment the one-time products with continuity where they get extra updates, personal help, tools, or other associated ongoing value.

Also - we often see a one-time sale product leading to high rate of conversion on the continuity side. We also do a good many cross-sell and upsells where we get the one-time sell and either drive continuity through a one time offer reduced subscription rate or trial.

So, when you set your information product business strategy consider what information lends itself best to one-time teaching versus information that can be provided month over month in a continuity business model…planning for both will give you a much higher profit level and consistency in revenue generation within your business.

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So you have a few ebook ideas in the back of your mind…you've done some basic keyword research and discovered that although there is interest in the market you are entering, there isn't clear-cut evidence of people searching under the keywords you have in mind for your new ebook topic. 

Will it sell?  What should your next step be to test the market before developing your ebook idea?

I typically like to see some sign of buying activity around your chosen topic…for many that scares them because it means competition but for me it means less risk that the topic isn't HOT enough emotionally to have people spend their money.

But..the opposite is the real problem - when you become so scared of competition that you convince yourself there is a topic with no (or little) existing competition and surely your customers will buy the information you package against that topic, but WAIT!

Many of the members we now have over at InfoMarketer'sZone thought that way too…but then quickly changed their minds after taking the courses and reviewing the processes we have outlined in this InfoProduct Entrepreneur's Private Site. 

For example…

Ask yourself this…"Is the problem you are targeting a problem you THINK or feel people will buy a solution to or is it a problem where you see EVIDENCE of money being spent?"

Money being spent could be…

1. Other products being sold on Amazon

2. Magazine articles that target your specific topic

3. eBooks or online digital infoproducts

4. Seminars, workshops, and higher-end products and services

5. Affiliate programs on Clickbank, commissions junction, linkshare, etc…

In addition to using these research techniques (we outlined exactly how over at InfoMarketer'sZone) - you should also begin by setting up a "mini-content site" where you can quickly begin to attract traffic and build a smallish list of a few hundred prospects to which you can survey and get some additional, direct input into your ebook idea and infoproduct business plans. 

If you follow the research techniques above AND begin by building a core prospect list you WILL get the answers as to what topics hold the most potential within your niche removing risk and significantly reducing the time to profit for your new online business.

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I still remember well the first ever sale that came through for my first online information product - an ebook on Idea Generation for book writers and infoproduct marketers back in the fall of 2000. 

The first sale happened within days of getting my very first website up and building a small list of just 40 subscribers - and yes, the page was UGLY….but went on to convert at well over 5% in the first few months of business. 

Even better than the first sale though was the power of PROOF -  knowing this business really does work for the average person and that people really will eagerly buy your products - even in very competitive markets.  Along with that knowledge comes even greater desire, enjoyment, excitement and hope where there perhaps had been none before. 

Since then, I've had many emails and telephone calls from other information product marketers who have turned their faint dream for selling their own infoproducts online into their own very first sale…

After all…even multi-million dollar book writers, information marketers and internet marketers all started with their first sale didn't they.

Over at InfoMarketersZone we have recently added a 45-day, step-by-step workplan with video tutorials to move people with a desire to make money online with their own products into an easy-to-follow plan for actually getting their product launched, reaching their first sale and then driving a flood of traffic to their online business.

So far it's working terrificly - we've received dozens of testimonials over the last two months from people who have been struggling with their own projects (ebooks, reports, membership sites and the like) for months and even years. 

What is perhaps most interesting of all is to see people who have followed just a portion of the steps outlined in the 45-day system are STILL getting good results.  In other words, you don't have to follow the system perfectly for you to see results. 

In fact, I've seen some products and sales processes that are just 10% of what they could be…yet they are still generating sales and have created a brand-new source of income for their excited entrepreneurs. 

So, the message then is that if you want that second source of income, the ability to build a product-based business where YOU own the products and can become the expert in your field…it doesn't have to be perfect.  With the systems and support over at InfoMarketersZone you can get it 75% wrong and still be generating sales and profits - and absolutely…you will always remember the first time you get a "Notification of Payment Received" message in your inbox and see that you have added pure profit to your bank account. 

Jeff

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Hi folks, I wanted to talk about a common misconception about growing your information product business - it is 1 part mindset and 1 part tactics…but it is IMPORTANT.

In response to the various videos and content we've produced over the last few weeks on starting and growing your own infoproduct business (our latest video is over at http://www.infomarketerszone.com/public/305.cfm?sd=2 ) I've noticed a trend toward people asking technical questions about how to write their ebook or how to turn a MS Word or Open Office document into a PDF format or what format should they write their ebook in.

In addition, there are many questions about the techniques for taking payment on your ebooks, web hosting and ways to secure your ebooks when they are ready to put up for sale.

Now yes, all of these questions are important and necessary to answer prior to you launching your business, but when I see brand new people interested in starting their ebook or infoproduct business asking these sorts of questions…and ONLY these sorts of questions I WORRY.

The reason is that there are basically 4 BIG things that will make the entire difference of whether your ebook or infoproduct will make money for you or not…and no, one of them is not how you convert MS Word into PDF.

Here are the 4 most important questions you need to answer before you can really start making serious sales and profits from packaging information into ebooks…

1. Is My eBook Topic In Demand - what is the compelling desire for information that you will fill with your information product - ebook, report or any other form of packaged infoproduct.

2. What is your overriding business goal - is this your entry into a marketplace where your plan is to build a business involving multiple infoproducts, a consulting service, - what is your medium term objectives with your project?

3. Who will be the expert content generator - will it be you or will you find someone else who is to help you put the content together?  NOte, I use expert here not in the context of someone with dozens of years experience but someone who has some experience and can master the content. 

4. Do you understand your distribution channel - a major part of generating income with ebooks and infoproducts has to do with selling through distribution channels…content channels, joint ventures and affiliates, Web2.0, etc…

So, if you are thinking about writing an ebook or developing your own infoproduct to sell online, then sit down with a sheet of paper right now and answer these 4 critical questions. 

If you are already running an information marketing business…this exercise will make you even more money.

Give it a try, post a comment with your questions or comments…let us know how you answered your questions by leaving a comment. 

Jeff

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One of the biggest errors made by entrepreneurs, but is especially deadly for information product marketers is holding back your product development, website launch or big launch until its perfect.

Having helped dozens of people work through their successful information product development and launches - there are some critical points where perfection-itis kicks in and threatens to hold up putting money in their pocket.

A massive benefit of being a member of http://www.infomarketerszone.com is the ongoing education, support and motivation we (and the other members) can provide to get your products out FAST.

Until you get your product out - no matter what shape it's in or what format — you won't make a single dollar.

And…each day, week, month that goes by that you delay developing and releasing your first (or next) infoproduct is lost profits that you SHOULD have in your pocket. 

Let me ask you this very personal, but meaningful question:

Is it REALLY perfectionism that is keeping you from making progress on your online business?

Or, is it insecurity? 

I'm not asking this from an outside perspective but rather from the perspective of someone who continually pushes beyond the comfort zone and feels the exact same feelings you do…fear, anxiety, that lump inside that SCREAMS not to move forward but to stop and make sure you have got it right.

Is it the fear that you will pick the wrong market or develop a product that doesn't reflect well on you or release a product that fails to sell in the marketplace? 

It's completely natural and expected…human nature is such that we're fearful of rejection, of picking a wrong direction, that we'll be critisized or miss out on key opportunities. 

But…consider the RISK and PAIN associated with inaction. 

You've GOT to get over inaction…it's the deadliest disease stopping YOU from realizing all that you know you could be.

Even though holding back, delaying, perfecting and re-starting all seem completely legitimate, well-reasoned excusees for not making forward progress on your information product business, consider these very important points:

1. Even the best products are only 50% of what they could be when they hit the market.  This is the same for ANY product - software, consumer goods, and infoproducts.  There is always room for improvement BUT, by having your product in the marketplace and building momentum you are GUARANTEED to get the "insider" feedback you need to build your infoproduct business to meet 80-90% of the requirements because you will have first-hand, inside knowledge. 

2. You only need 1 or 2 RAVING fans to create a greater buzz and sell you a TON of products.  When you first start out you may think that you need to turn 100's of your customers into raving fans…NOT TRUE.  With just a couple of customers who rave about your product, you can build momentum like crazy. 

3. With information it's often about how you package the information rather than what the information is.  I could today take the information from a book on the market about any given topic, re-package it and re-word it into my own system and make a TON of money…by packaging this information into a system, course or workshop that readers can actually use, apply and try…you have created immense value from the same information contained in a $27 book.

4. The crappiest product in the world will still make more money on the market than a perfect non-released product - ALWAYS!! 

How much longer can you stand to spend your valuable time and energy earning NOTHING? 

Is it really that bad to get your product developed and at least test it on a subset of your market to get their feedback — even if their feedback is ONLY on ways you can make it better?

Any day I would use the technique of rapidly getting a rough product to market with the express intent of collecting critical feedback which will let me turn a so-so product into a GREAT product in much less time than I could by guessing or stewing over the topic for weeks. 

The one SUREFIRE way to ensure MONSTER momentum with your own online business is to take planned, rapid action…build in ways of collecting feedback, adjust your course and persistantly carry on. 

Remember, nobody is perfect - so the sooner you get your product to market, the sooner you will be INVOLVED in your marketplace and the sooner you can architect your own infoproduct marketing fortune.

What do you think…is it perfectionism, insecurity, fear of failure or something else holding you back?  Leave us a comment below this post and let us know.

Jeff

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