How To Use Information Products To Boost Your Credibility

We are all very familiar with information products (info products). We see them every where, we use them every day. Any time information, content, articles, video, instruction, etc is packaged and sold, you have an info product. A book, the daily newspaper, websites,magazines, dvd’s. They all count. When you go out and buy a book, you are not paying for the cost of the paper and the ink, you are buying the content contained inside of it. That is the part that has value to you.

Did you know that you can create your own information products to promote your own business? First we will look at why, then we can look at how…

There are a couple of reasons that you might want to consider this. First of all, it will give you an instant boost in credibility. You automatically appear as an expert if you publish information. In people’s minds, if you are published, you must be the person that knows something. For that reason alone, it can be worth doing. You can use this credibility to set yourself apart in your marketplace.

Another reason is that, depending on your business, you might find that there are things that you keep having to show people, or explain, the same things over and over again. Maybe you could create a product that would do that for you. A dvd or online video showing “how to” do something. Maybe a short manual, report or white paper that can explain a process or procedure.

The fact that you keep repeating the same things to diferent customers will indicate that they all have similar questions. So by creating a product that answers those questions, you will do three things. You will decrease the time you have to spend on that information with each client because you can refer them to the product instead. You have a great way to generate leads because you can run an advertisement that reads “to solve problem xyz, come to my website for a free video” and you look like an expert becuase you have published information that your client is looking for and know you have just gained their respect.

Yup, all from one measley little info product!

OK, so how do you make this? Well, some of that is going to depend on your business but just look around at the questions you keep answering and see if they can be best answered by video, audio file, or printed information. Then create the product and publish it. There are many self-publishing services online and it is very easy and inexpensive to create a workbook or dvd. A simpler way will be to publish the information on your website itself. Online video is commonplace and you can simply upload your video on to YouTube and embed a link on your site that will display it. Printed material can be released in .pdf format and linked to from your site for download. You can have people download it directly or (the better option) use it at a teaser to collect leads and then follow up by email to close a sale.

If you can have information on a topic that requires updating or is changing frequently, then offer a membership service. Either a website or a program by mail where you can charge people a recurring monthly fee for access to the information. This will add another revenue stream to your business.

Feel free to contact us for more details and help to get started.

What Is The Point Of Advertising?

I was recently looking through some of my local Yellow Pages and also local business websites in my area when I started to think about the purpose of advertising. I get the weird feeling as I am flipping through some poorly constructed ads and websites that some (ok, a lot of) businesses don’t understand the purpose of advertising.

I think that some businesses advertise in the Yellow Pages or get a website or on the radio or on local TV… because they feel they have to. They think that this is the “thing to do”, they do it because it is expected. They also see it as an expense.

Now, this last one blows me away because advertising is not an expense. Advertising is an investment to be made in your business and it should be using a tested and proven method. You should have a good idea what your return will be and it is best if you can turn it on and off at will. If your advertising is costing you money and you don’t know why you are doing it,

THEN STOP!

Because you are flushing money down the toilet.

You don’t advertise when you can afford it, you advertise when you want to produce results (typically sales). When times get tough for a company, they often cut back on their advertising first. Oh dear. How can a business expect to make money if they are not advertising? They should be advertising more to boost sales, revenue and profits.

The problem is that most advertising is done poorly and is wasted money. Poor headlines don’t connect with customers, poor copy doesn’t interest them, poor (or no) call to action doesn’t invoke the driving urge to run to their phone and call you right now to place their order.

If your advertising does not produce a predictable, positive result for your business, then stop wasting your money on it. Get it fixed. And then turn on the tap of new profits.

Why Does Your Small Business Need A Website?

As a small business owner, you are likely familiar with the internet. You likely use it for email, maybe researching products or services before you order, maybe ordering right online. But is your small business connected?

Many owners think they need a website, some don’t see the benefits. A lot of businesses have websites, some do not. I say, what a shame! I believe that EVERY business can benefit from having a presence online. Let’s take a quick look at how the internet can help your business grow.

First of all, there is the “credibility” factor. Websites are so commonplace that in many cases, if you do not have one, you are automatically perceived to be less professional or legitimate. Your customer is thinking “why don’t they have a website?”, “maybe they aren’t worth doing business with”. It is like not having a phone. Not having a website can reflect poorly on your business.

Having a website acts totally in reverse… it makes you look more professional and trustworthy. You look like an expert – someone who takes their business seriously. If you have an established local business that did not previously have an internet presence, you can take this opportunity to develop one and use that as an excuse to hold a sale or combine it with a face-lift of your business or whatever. Make your website launch an event and use it to draw attention to your business.

What can you do with your website? Well, the answer to that can almost fill a book (in fact, I will be releasing one on the topic in the near future). Here are some quick ideas…

You can use your website to interact with your customers. You can set up a blog to keep people up to date on your ideas, products or new services.

Use your website to position yourself as an expert in your field. Use it to post articles and information on your area of expertise. You can post “how to” videos or audio files so that your customers can come to your site and learn how to do something and what you are about. If you do something better than your competition, make a video that explains why the way you do it is better.

All this leads back to positioning yourself as an expert in your field. And yes, as a business owner, you should feel that you qualify as an expert in your marketplace.

A website can be used to get feedback from your customers, what did they like about your product or service or experience? What changes would they like to see and why? Are there other services you could offer that are complimentary? And so on.

These are just a few quick ideas to get you thinking in the right direction. For more information, just shoot us an email and watch this site.