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One of the areas I specialize in is the creation and development of information products. If they don't know it when they first come to me, within a short period of time my clients learn the importance of packaging their knowledge into information products. Once developed the need to distribute becomes a key concern. Who your market is and what their needs are determines how you will distribute your product. Distribution costs must be factored into your overhead costs and what you charge, and the distribution channel (method used to distribute) you choose impacts your marketing decisions. Distribution on the internet is much more cost effective than traditional methods because you can use your own channel and those of joint-venture and affiliate partners. Match the distribution channel you choose to your branding. Stay current with changes in the market so you can change your distribution channel as necessary. Consider: •Who will buy your product? •Is there a primary or secondary target market (a niche within a niche)? •What factors influence their decision to buy? •Who is involved in the purchase decision? •How often will they buy? •Where do they currently buy, when, and how much? •Is there opportunity to turn casual buyers into loyal buyers? •Can you build a long-term relationship with your market? Other considerations •Is what you offer lucrative? •How will you reach your potential customers? •What Does Your Customer Want? Pay attention to what your customers are asking for. Avoid developing your books, ebooks, teleseminars, etc., in a vacuum if serving your market and making a profit is important to you. The One-Product Wonder Although you must start somewhere, your offerings and development should be ongoing processes in your business. This does not necessarily mean you need to be the person developing the products, but don’t make the mistake of developing one product and never thinking about product development again. If you subscribe to this way of thinking you will either quickly be out of business or you will constantly struggle to generate revenues. However, going to great lengths to develop a product without knowing whether or not it will sell can also cripple a business. Begin by introducing a very low-risk item such as an article, e-report, audio, or short ebook to test the waters. You can use a low-risk product as a springboard for others. And you can repurpose virtually anything you create. My first product from 1995 was a cassette tape called Living Life with Serenity. What a laborious process it was to get that product to market! Creating information products in the nineties was very different, and much more difficult than it is today. In today’s online arena, just about anyone can create a simple product such as an MP3 with a computer, a microphone, and editing software. Actually, you don’t even need a microphone because a telephone works just fine with many software programs. With print-on-demand technology you can send a master file to any one of hundreds of companies that create the product only as orders are received. And there’s always the option of digitally downloaded products with extremely low production costs and very high profit margins. Regardless of what method you decide on, the main decision is to get started in packaging your information as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner your business will generate multiple streams of income.
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Information products, online marketing, making money online,
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