Make Money Creating the Perfect Information Product

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How to Create the Perfect Information Product and Make Money Doing It (Day 13)

http://www.robertplank.com/information-product/



Concepts:

Robert, money, sales, posts, marketing, Robert Plank, Jeanne, video, niche, ebay, product creation, forum, Terrie Wurzbacher, bought, information product.

Summary:

You have at least one idea for a product in you. Maybe you haven't made a product yet you are poised on bye verge of a product breakthrough.
But I hear you ask, "How do you know that my big idea is something that everyone else will pay money for?"

We're going to figure out right now if your idea will be profitable in two stages â¬" the research stage and the creation stage.
I don't believe in doing more than 30 minutes of research to figure out if your idea will make you money.
I say this because I know of too many marketers who have spent a month or 6 months or a year researching as an excuse not to do anything.

Let's spend 30 minutes and figure out if your idea is worth it.The first thing you should do is check forums.

What's the hot topic inside the #1 forum in your niche?

When I go to my favorite marketing forum, I find that the threads with the most replies are about articles, membership sites, and ClickBank.
When I go to my favorite programming forum, most of the replies are about PHP frameworks, WordPress plugins, and outsourcing.
Don't bother making a report about something unless it's a hot topic that a lot of people in your small niche are talking about. I'm not a believer in going mass market unless you have a lot of money to invest.

If you're just starting out on a niche, start in the niche.

Now that you know what everyone is talking about, figure out what people are paying for.

You have friends in the same niche you're in, right?
What big launches are going on in your niche?
There's no point in getting into a niche unless people are willing to spend a bare minimum of $100 on you.


I have bought products showing me how to make a software outline, how to write faster, how to create video, how to make audio products, and they have all accelerated my path towards getting things done.


The final part of your research now that you know what people are talking about and what people are buying is finding out what your competitors are doing.


Go to Google and search for the niche you're in.


If you are thinking about creating a course on how to sell on eBay, search the forum you're on for the word "ebay."


Go on amazon.com and look for books in that niche and DVDs in that niche as well.


This is good because not only does it show you what areas to target but also what your price point should be.


You should match your price point fairly well to your competitors but price slightly higher, that way you will have a higher perceived value.


Now that you've done your research, you should know how to adjust your idea to deliver the best solution by answering people's questions on forums, figuring out what they're paying for and duplicating or doing the job better than your competitors.


Now, it's time to create the product.


I have never spent more than a few days making a simple lead generation product, and by lead generation, I need a product that's $100 or cheaper.


Your product will be a lot better if you write it without distractions and write it as fast as possible.


You can always go back and make version 2.0 later.


What's more important than spending or wasting a lot of time on creating a product is to add your own "how to" information.


I can go online right now and find lots of tips and advice about placing an eBay ad.


I can find lots of videos on YouTube showing me the mechanics of placing an eBay ad, but I want you to show me what makes an eBay ad profitable.


I want you to tell me exactly what steps I should take from start to finish from having something to sell on eBay to actually placing the ad and making the sale and what to do after that.


Also think about what simple problem can you solve for them.


For some people, an eBay problem might be that they cannot get people to read their ad.


The sooner you make your info-product not just "how to" but also problem and solution-based, the more people are going to benefit from your book, the better reviews it's going to get and you'll have an easier time making a sale.


And finally, what success stories can you gather from the people who use your product?


If someone has not yet bought your eBook or home study course, all they have to go on is your pitch page or sales letter.


That's why you need to make your sales letter as best as it can possibly be and the way I like to make a sales letter better is to gather testimonials or proof and show that on the sales letter â¬" so, people who have not yet bought can see that others have benefited from this training.


And that's how you're going to create the perfect info-product and make money doing it.


First, researching it in forums by what's making money, what your competitors are doing, and then create that product by offering your own unique how to, solving a problem, and gathering success stories from those people whose problems you have solved and place it back on the sales letter.


Did this help you make your next info-product?


In the research stage or in the creation stage?


Leave me a blog comment below right now while it's still fresh on your mind.


I think the research stage is the place where most of us fail.


I agree with your principle that ½ hour should be enough to decide whether the idea is worthwhile.


But certainly your second principle about getting things out of the sandbox is a good idea.


When people know they will get version 2.0 they are more tolerant of a minor flaw in version 1.0, and getting things into the field is indeed the best way to get user feedback to make final adjustments.


So not that flawed products should be released, but you're bound to find a minor bug once something lands on thousands of desktops globally.


But next time I'm doing research, I'll follow the 30 minute rule and move on to either another research, or getting the product ready for launch in as short a time as possible.


Thanks for outlining your product creation strategy.


What I find particularly difficult is coming up with the right plan that will ensure me getting to the 'finish-line' with my product creation.


There are so many details you need to take care of.


Here's how I do it: *Research- write down as many characteristics as I can about a particular topic that's in-demand.


*Product creation - I extend every sub-topic by writing 1-2 pages about each.


This way you can have a ready-made infoproduct in a couple of hours because you are focused and you know what you need to do.


I think research is fun to do and it never bores me.


i love to tackle into topics and sub-topics and find out more about what people's needs are.


I'm catching up on reading blogs this morning.


Yours, as always, is thought-provoking and informative.


It's still taking me too long because I get bogged down with the tactics of how all the pieces fit together.


But, I'm better than I was 3 months ago, so I will continue and be even better yet.


I have been lacking on the research part, but on the pro site, this has meant that I've created a lot of products.


The people who like me had started to podcast, all figured it out themselves, and the non-geeks hadn't started to podcast, so they didn't want the book.


I've written an ebook about how to get fresh and free content on your blog, it has really good reviews, and it's been selling some, but far from the number of copies it would have sold, had the author name been somebody else, like e.g. Robert Plank

Maybe it's that I'm not entering the right key words or key word phrases to get to the right places.
Or maybe there's additional info I should be typing into the search bar along with the key words to direct me to the desired destinations.


Robert, As always your posts are insightful and seem to hit the problem nail right on the head.


Terrie Wurzbacher: Robert about the action comments where can you put that it should redirect you?


Melanie Kissell: Well, here's a big fat chunk of honesty --- I didn't know a blinking thing about split testing till I landed on your blog today.


Roboform: Software Program That Gives You 120 Extra Hours Per Year?


Sending an E-Mail Every Day is Scary, Right?


Who Do You Want To Be Like?


Roboform: Software Program That Gives You 120 Extra Hours Per Year?


I have known about split testing for years b...


You'll be ready for split testing at so...


Jeanne Kolenda: This was new stuff for me, Robert.


Robert Plank: You can edit the individual post to do it....


Terrie Wurzbacher: Robert - about the action comments - where can you put that ...


Guess the Word I Hate the Most?


Why Are You Trapped in the Sandbox?

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iPad - Frequently Asked Questions Answered

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

iPad FAQ: Your top 14 questions answered

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Source: msnbc.msn.com

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Article Summary:

Does my iPad have a hard drive?

Instead, it uses NAND-based memory to duplicate the functions of a spinning hard disk, which would suck up enough power to send battery miser Steve Jobs over the edge.

All your applications, videos, photographs, downloaded music, movies, television programs and other data goes into the flash memory.

Depending on how much money you decided to throw at Apple, your iPad has 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of storage space.

Compared to a new Mac or PC, the iPad's storage is Lilliputian: The low-end MacBook Pro, for example, has a 160 GB hard drive, while the cheapest iMac sports 500 GB.

But it's in line with the capacity of its closest cousin, the dinky iPod Touch.

Can I print from the iPad?

No. Apple didn't stick a USB port in the tablet.

You'll have to shunt what you want to a print to a PC or Mac using e-mail, or sync the iPad using iTunes or MobileMe, then print from there.

I want to read some books. What do I do?

Apple's supposed to add its free iBook app to the App Store on Saturday.

Install it and you'll be able to purchase e-books from the limited stock - limited compared to Amazon.com's e-book inventory, at least - that Apple's put together for the launch.

Last week, Amazon announced it would rewrite its Kindle software - already available for the iPhone, as well as the Mac and PC - for the iPad.

On Friday, the Kindle iPad app became available.

And how does the iPad do as an e-reader?

We haven't put hands to one long enough to find out.

Can I watch movies, TV?

You can rent movies or purchase television episodes from iTunes, or if you're a Netflix member, download the free app to stream movies and TV shows to your iPad.
ABC has also posted viewing software (ABC Player) on the App Store, the only major television network to do so by late Thursday.

Can I do real work on my iPad?

Depends on how you define real (as opposed to fake work, which for us means a nap or ESPN), but you can write and crunch numbers and craft soul-sucking presentations if you buy the three apps that make up the iPad version of Apple's iWork suite.
Apple's used a way-back machine to return to the days of the unbundle, when suites weren't collections with a single price, but an agglomeration of separately-purchased programs that worked together, more or less.
In other words, you buy the three applications - Pages, Numbers and Keynote - separately from the App Store.
Of course, if you're a numbers person and wouldn't know a gerund from a gradated background, you pay for only what you want and the hell with the rest.

There's no camera on the iPad, so how do I get photos onto the thing?

Out of the box, the sync cable is your friend: Use it and iTunes to synchronize collections on your computer with the iPad.
By the way, you'll need to update your Mac or PC to iTunes 9.1 - Apple slipped that out Tuesday - to sync with the iPad and organize the books you buy with the iBook app.
If there's $29 burning a hole in your pocket, you can spring for the iPad Camera Connection Kit.
One of the two adapters accepts a camera's SD memory card; the other links your camera's USB cable with the iPad.
Too bad the kit doesn't ship until later this month.

I tried the on-glass keyboard and hate it.

The iPad also syncs with Bluetooth keyboards, so if you have one of those, you should be able to link and use it without any trouble.
Apple sells a combination keyboard and iPad dock - called, not surprisingly, the iPad Keyboard Dock - that also includes an audio jack for connecting the iPad to speakers or a stereo system.
While some reviewers have received a dock, Apple's not shipping to the rest of us until late this month.
An Apple-branded Bluetooth keyboard - basically, the same keyboard as in the dock - also costs $69 and is available now.

I have a MobileMe account. Can I add the iPad to the list of my devices to sync?

To MobileMe, Apple's sync and storage service, the iPad is just another device.
You can sync the mail, contacts and calendar on the iPad with your iPhone, Mac or PC; use MobileMe's 20GB iDisk to store documents, like those you create with the iWork apps; register with the Find My iPad feature; and remotely wipe a lost or stolen tablet.
If you don't have a MobileMe account, you can try the service for 60 days free of charge.

Review of Remote App

Image by Paul Mayne via Flickr

Remote Review

Free app dramatically improves Apple TV’s music playback and works well for video

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macworld.com

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Compatibility: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch.

With Remote you can control the music on your computer or Apple TV from your iPod touch or iPhone.

See your songs, playlists, and album art on your iPod touch or iPhone as if you were right in front of your computer.

Remote works with your Wi-Fi network, so you can control playback from anywhere in and around your home.

It's no surprise that Apple's Remote application headed up the App Store's list of Top Free Apps immediately after the iPhone application store launched.

After installing Remote on an iPhone or iPod touch, the portable's touchscreen becomes the best remote control I've yet seen for controlling an Apple TV -- or iTunes running on a computer -- located on the same local network.

(Your iPhone or iPod touch must be connected to that network via WiFi.)

App makes controlling a speaker system with iTunes incredibly easy.

Has an interface just like using iPod app.

I'm going to start off by saying the only thing you need to hear?

It lets you control music, request and rate songs in iTunes DJ, and edit playlists.

This app works very well to control iTunes.

The concept is very cool, I only wish I had the money to connect a Mac to my home stereo.

What's even cooler is if you have friends with an iPhone, then can access your library while you're playing music via iTunes DJ and request songs to be played.

As the owner, once you've paired your phone with your iTunes, you have total control over the play order and other things going on within iTunes.

This app demonstrates again how much attention Apple pays to its products.

This app is so useful in many ways.

Especially using Airport Express with this app make it even more useful.

You can be anywhere in your house and control what music is playing.

Even my wife likes to use this app.

It has a lot of potential and I look forward to apple TV support.

The Apple Remote App allows us a lot of flexibility now.

When watching a movie one can quickly go to any part of the movie without having to fast forward to get to that spot.

Just move the slider to the time point you want.When doing a slide presentation with background music, not only can you see what track that is being played on your iPod Touch or Phone, you can also change the song within the playlist or even another album altogether.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

All this without interrupting the slide show on your TV.Neat job on the PodCast viewing.

While watching a PodCast, you can view on your Apple Remote App other PodCast episodes in a list view for alternate choices.The response time is quick.

This is a great app but does not completely replace the Apple TV remote.

It works great with iTunes and works as a keyboard for the Apple TV but it is missing some useful features.

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How Can I Import Apple Mail to Thunderbird

Image by davidcrow via Flickr

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Source: twistermc.com

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Import Apple Mail to Thunderbird

Concepts:

thunderbird, folders, apple mail, importing, mac, converting, local folders, mbox, Thomas, windows, George, account, Alan, mailboxes, mbox format.

Importing mail from Apple’s Mail.app isn’t built into to Thunderbird. That’s a major oversight I think, however the work-around isn’t that bad. There are a dozen steps or so, but really, it’s not hard.

This works for folders that are considered ‘On My Mac’ in Apple’s Mail.app aka ‘Local Folders’ or inboxes, outboxes, sent boxes whatever. Remember, that if you have IMAP mail, or your mail is all stored on a server somewhere, this is all not necessary. Set up Thunderbird and it’ll import all that stuff on the server. This tutorial imports email from local folders that are saved on your actual hard drive.

First things first, back up your mail! This is very important because loosing anything sucks. Second, get Thunderbird and get you account all set up.

All set up? Wonderful! Now there are two things to consider. Are you importing the inbox? Or a folder? Each way is similar, just slightly different. If importing the inbox, sent, or other main boxes, you won’t have to create folders. Just basically follow the instructions below. If you need help, let me know.

Lets import a folder. For the example my folder is called George

1. Create new local folder in Thunderbird called George
   
2. Quit Thunderbird
   
3. Go to Home -> Library -> Mail -> Mailboxes -> George
   
4. Right Click on the file named George.mbox and choose ‘Show Package Contents’
   
5. Find the file named just mbox, copy it to the desktop and re-name it George
   
6. Open a new finder window
   
7. Go To Home -> Library -> Thunderbird -> Profiles -> [your profile] -> Mail -> Local Folders
   
8. Find the file called George (no extension) and overwrite it with the George file from step #5
   
9. Start Thunderbrid.
   
10. Done
    

When you click on the George folder all the emails will appear. They’ll all be marked read so you’ll have to sort though that. However, they’ll all have their attachments still there which is nice!

I think that covers it.

Note: This worked fantastic for me on 10.3.9 and Thunderbird 1.0.x. Should work in 10.4.x also.

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