Product creation is one of the most important topics for web marketers. Honestly, I believe product creation should be a goal for just about everyone involved in IM. Sure, you can make great money by promoting products as an affiliate. You can earn money creating mini money sites and blogging and tons of other things. But still…
When you own your own products, you have real assets in your business. Suddenly, you’re the one who other affiliates are promoting. That can lead to passive income for many years to come. You’ll grow your list when you put products out there—each customer gets added to that list (if you do it right), which leads to more affiliate sales and sales of the additional products you come out with.
When you have your own products, it’s easier to make your mark as an authority in your niche. People tend to respect those who have their own products. There’s something about it that sets you apart from others. When you have your own products, you’ve truly “made it.”
If you’ve stayed away from product creation to this point, consider your reason. Is it because you’re not sure you have the skills it takes to create a product? Push that negativity out of your mind, because you absolutely can create a product.
When many people think of a digital product, they think of the standard written infoproduct. They think they have to create an ebook or a report or something like that. And written infoproducts are definitely a wonderful path. But they’re not the only path.
You can create written products, audio products, video products, courses, memberships, and combinations of all of the above. There’s bound to be a type of product you can create that will suit your personality and skills.
Before You Create Any Product...
I can’t say this enough. It’s so important to do some digging into your market before you actually create a product. Make sure there’s a need for the type of product you want to create and the specific topic you want to tackle.
Generally, there are those who appreciate each type of product in each niche. Some will love video, some will love a written product, and some will love audio. Pay attention to the different learning styles and the existing, successful products in your niche so you can be sure there’s a place for the product you want to create.
Creating Written Products
Written infoproducts are a great option. You can create fantastic reports and ebooks that teach people something or help solve a problem they have.
That’s what it’s all about—you have to find a desperate problem or desire people have and offer a solution. You can write an extensive how-to or guide related to the problem or topic. Or, you can write something shorter that zeros in on it more specifically, perhaps even just a simple one- or two-page checklist.
Start out with an outline so you can easily write when the time comes. Consider how long you want your product to be. Generally, a report might be around 4,000 words or so and an ebook anywhere from 5,000 words to 50,000 words or more. It totally depends on the specific topic you’re tackling. It’s often the case that the more specific, the better. Written ebooks of around 5,000-20,000 words are probably about average.
You can write the product in something like Word, Pages, Scrivener, or Open Office. It really doesn’t matter. Use whatever is comfortable for you. Then, you’ll save the document as a PDF. That’s usually a matter of just selecting the “save as” and saving as a PDF. Your PDF will be the finished product.
Creating a Video Product
Many people are visual learners. They need to see the information that’s being presented in action.
Maybe you’d like to target people like that in your niche. Creating video products is appealing, especially if you don’t enjoy writing or don’t think you have what it takes to create a written product.
There are many different types of video products you can create. If you’re showing how to do something on your screen, you can use screencast software to capture it all. Camtasia is a popular one.
You can also choose to create slides that teach something. This can be as simple as creating slides with information, graphics, and more using PowerPoint, etc. You can save as a video file and add a voice over to create a video product.
Or, you can create a talking head video. This will be a video of yourself giving a lecture or demonstrating how to do something. Think of yourself like a professor teaching students.
The choice is yours—consider what will be most helpful to your audience.
Creating an Audio Product
Sometimes, it’s easier for people to listen than it is to read or watch. Many people listen to podcasts in the car or while they’re doing things around the house, for instance.
It’s very simple and fast to create an audio product. You can simply download something like Audacity and record yourself talking about something or teaching something. That’s what I use for The IM Inside Track podcasts.
You’ll save the file as an MP3 or similar and sell the file for people to listen to.
Courses, Memberships, and Coaching
You can also present your product in a different way. Sometimes, you might want to offer more one-on-one or group help with coaching. You might provide written, audio, or video material as well as your help. Your personal help can be a great add-on to a product.
Or, you can create a membership site as a product. Memberships are all different, but some offer written content and forum help, and/or a mixture of other types of content.
Courses are another valuable option. You can deliver courses over time. You’ll usually start with more beginner level information and share more advanced information as students/customers progress through the lessons. Your lessons might include written, audio, or video content, or a mixture.
Combinations of styles often work well, especially for your higher end products. It’s really helpful to pay attention to the different learning styles that exist. Some learn better by hearing, others by doing, others by reading, others by listening. Some need to learn in a variety of different ways before the material really sinks in.
Start Creating Your Product
Hopefully, you now see that creating a product doesn’t have to be all that difficult. It’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all. There’s a product creation style and method that will suit your talents and skills. And you’ll hit on a different segment of your market with each type of product you create.
Product creation is very exciting. It can change your life as well as the lives of those who buy your products. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, choose a type of product to create and get started right away.