I’m in the process of gearing up for an information product launch. Info products, as they’re called, are big news on the web and, as a writer, you can create your own info products and sell them. This essentially means that as writers we can now circumvent the publisher and sell directly to the public.
It’s a huge change. And it also requires writers like me to take on a bunch of new responsibilities. Not only do we have to write the materials, we know have to produce them, package them, market them and distribute them.
Don’t get me wrong–I love this stuff. But it requires lots of new knowledge and strategies. So let me in on the top 10 things to do to launch a product. By the way, you may notice that Internet marketers don’t often reveal their markets. I don’t know why exactly, but we guard this knowledge as zealously as old-school magicians protected their magic tricks. So I am not going to tell you what market I’m in, at least not today. But here are some things you need to think about.
1. Infilitrate forums. I just bought an exceptional educational packet recently from Frank Kern called Mass Control. It’s a big box of DVDs and books and stuff but it gave lots of marketing tricks and this is one I never did. I’m busy on a bunch of related forums now. My goal is not to make friends (although that’s happening), my goal is to find out what people on those forums seem to be interested in.
2. Create high-quality products. I don’t know where the notion came from that you can just throw anything out there and people will buy it. You have to deliver somethihng really cool. Whether it’s content, tips, information, or whatever, you have to be the answer to somebody’s questions (or even the answer to somebody’s prayers!)
3. Keep adding. You can absolutely sell an e-book that’s an e-book and that’s that. I’ve done that. But the market is getting so sophisticated now that you really need to think creatively. You have to deliver great content in several different ways. Add media. This launch, I’m doing DVDs along with printed materials.
4. Know your market. I don’t want to tip my hand here, but I’m marketing this product to a group of people who are not entirely comfortable online. I’m not kidding–this is the pre-technology generation. For that reason, I’m delivering content printed out rather than in downloadable format. I wanted to do some podcasts but I realized this is not the group of folks likely to own an iPod. The goal is not to use the media that I like best but to use the media that my buyers like best.
5. Be creative with bonuses. Online marketers live and die by bonuses, and I have to admit it’s often tough to come up with a cool bonus. But make no mistake, a bonus can make or break your deal. One of my bonuses in this package is going to be a book (autographed no less) sent to them a couple of months after the purchase. Why? Because in this population, printed books have a high perceived value. And as for content, it’s what they’re getting in photocopied format. My idea is that when I follow up with the book, I’ll have a great opportunity to pitch them on a backend product.
6. Always have a backend product. That may sound like jargon, so let me put it another way. Always know what you’re going to sell them next. I absolutely have some ideas for that next product. It’s not done yet, of course, but I already know that I want to talk to them about another product. An existing customer is an easy sell if you understand what they want and can deliver.
7. Mix media. I’m using print and DVDs plus a physical product. Approaching the content from different media is a great aid in adult learning plus it makes your “big box” product more inviting and seem more valuable.
8. Continuity rocks. Continuity is the buzzword these days and it means “continue to sell.” A magazine subscription is a continuity product; so is any blank-of-the-month club. The idea is to sell your customer once and then keep delivering on a schedule. I am doing the oldest known continuity product in the world with this launch–a newsletter. They get one issue with the big box and 2 issues free, then we automatically roll over into making it a monthly subscription. Membership sites are a great continuity product, but it wouldn’t work with my particular community.
9. Question everything. I’ve been a big fan of blogging but I’m not sure I’ll do a blog for this launch. I normally would be doing that now but there’s a problem … my audience is just not used to following blogs. Even if they felt comfortable enough online to look up my blog, I don’t think they’d read it the way they would a print newsletter. As a marketer, you have to be willing to get rid of ideas that you love if they don’t work.
10. Spend some money. I have never spent this much money on a launch before. I’ve hired an artist to do some book covers and ads; I’ll be printing an actual book; and I’m going to use professional videographers to tape my DVDs. If you’re a boot-strap (or maybe I should say shoe-string) writer, this may be out of reach. But for me it makes good sense–it frees up my time, helps me to deliver a top product, and allows me to concentrate on good content.
Anyway, back to work … just want you to know what’s going on here.
