From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur E-Book

Stephanie Chandler

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 338

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Infopreneurs sell valuable information online in the form of books, e-books, special reports, audio and video products, seminars, and other media. This definitive guide will show how to master the tools and tactics of the most successful infopreneurs, so you can succeed at producing, marketing, selling, and automating delivery of information products online. This guide comes complete with interviews of successful infopreneurs.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1 - Information Product Opportunities: Fire Up Those Revenue Streams

BENEFITS OF INFORMATION PRODUCTS

GENERATING INFORMATION PRODUCT IDEAS

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING INFORMATION PRODUCTS

CHAPTER 2 - Celebrity Sells: Achieving Expert Status

THE ANATOMY OF AN EXPERT

BUILDING AN EXPERT PLATFORM

MAXIMIZING MEDIA EXPOSURE

PREPARING FOR MEDIA APPEARANCES

CHAPTER 3 - Author Aspirations: Effective Writing for Books

NO TIME TO WRITE?

IF YOU DON’T LIKE TO WRITE

FINDING A NICHE

GETTING STARTED

SOLICIT FEEDBACK

CHAPTER 4 - Go Big: How to Get Published Traditionally

LITERARY AGENTS

FINDING AN AGENT

CONTACTING PUBLISHERS DIRECTLY

ELEMENTS OF A BOOK PROPOSAL

PUBLISHING CONTRACTS

CHAPTER 5 - Do It Yourself: Self-Publishing Demystified

SELF-PUBLISHING OPTIONS

STEPS TO SELF-PUBLISHING

GETTING BACK TO SELF-PUBLISHING VERSUS PRINT ON DEMAND

CHAPTER 6 - eBooks and Special Reports: Make Money While You Sleep

FORMATTING AND DELIVERY

eBOOK FORMATS AND COMPILERS

eBOOK LAYOUT

SELLING eBOOKS ON AMAZON.COM

CHAPTER 7 - Other Information Products: More Money in the Bank

TELESEMINARS

TELECONFERENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS

AUDIO AND VIDEO PRODUCTS

RESOURCES FOR AUDIO AND VIDEO PRODUCTION

SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, AND WORKBOOKS

ELECTRONIC CLASSES

TIPS BOOKLETS

SUBSCRIPTION NEWSLETTERS

PRICING STRATEGIES

ORDER FULFILLMENT

CHAPTER 8 - Your Web Site: Build It and They Will Come

DOMAIN SEARCH AND WEB SITE SETUP

SITE DESIGN SECRETS

SHOPPING CARTS AND CREDIT CARDS

WEB SITE CONTENT

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING ONLINE SALES

CHAPTER 9 - Online Marketing Techniques: Spanning the Globe

SEND A NEWSLETTER OR E-ZINE

PRESS KIT

TOTALLY TERRIFIC TIPS

ONLINE CLASSIFIED ADS

MAXIMIZE YOUR SIGNATURE

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

ONLINE GROUPS

FORUMS AND MESSAGE BOARDS

HOST A FREE DAY

START AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM

GET TESTIMONIALS

HOLD A CONTEST

PREANNOUNCE NEW PRODUCTS

CHAPTER 10 - Offline Marketing Techniques: Pounding the Pavement

WRITING EFFECTIVE SALES COPY

WRITING OP/ED PIECES

PUBLIC SPEAKING

WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE

RECOGNIZING HOLIDAYS

PROMOTIONS, CONTESTS, GIVEAWAYS, AND CHARITY EVENTS

DISTRIBUTING FLYERS

MAKING YOUR BUSINESS CARD A KEEPER

DIRECT MAIL

YELLOW PAGES

ADS IN LOCAL MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS

STARTING A REFERRAL PROGRAM

GETTING CREATIVE WITH GIFT CERTIFICATES

BUSINESS NETWORKING

CHAPTER 11 - Catch a Buzz: Book Marketing

STAGE ONE: BEFORE YOUR BOOK IS PUBLISHED

STAGE TWO: WHILE YOUR BOOK IS BEING PUBLISHED

STAGE THREE: AFTER THE RELEASE DATE

CHAPTER 12 - Carpe Diem: Put Your Plans into Action

INFORMATION PRODUCT PLAN CHECKLIST

DIRECTORY OF RESOURCES

INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Copyright © 2007 by Stephanie Chandler. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Chandler, Stephanie, 1972-

From entrepreneur to infopreneur: make money with books, ebooks, and information products / Stephanie Chandler. p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-0-470-05086-6 (pbk.)

1. Information services industry—Management. 2. Information resources—Marketing. 3. New business enterprises—Management. 4. Small business—Management. I. Title: Infopreneur: make money with books, ebooks, and information products. II. Title: Make money with books, ebooks, and information products. III. Title.

HD9999.I492C457 2007

381’.45002068—dc22

2006007863

PREFACE

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

—THOMAS JEFFERSON

Thousands of business owners have already discovered the secret to selling information via books, eBooks, special reports, teleseminars, audio recordings, workbooks, and other information products. Some use these products to add revenue streams to their existing businesses, while others earn the bulk of their income from their info products.

I noticed this trend and began to wonder if there was really money to be made from selling information. Then I realized that not only was I interested in becoming an information provider, but that I was already part of the customer base.

I have invested thousands of dollars in books, eBooks, audio recordings, seminars, classes, and workshops over the years. I love this stuff! I seek out smart people to teach me something because if I’m not learning something new, quite frankly, I get bored. I’m still out there investing in information products at every turn, supporting business owners that I admire, and eagerly seeking information.

I’ve learned a lot by consuming information. Not only have I read hundreds of books, but participating in teleseminars and workshops has been an invaluable tool in helping me grow my businesses. Not every product investment has met my expectations. Truly successful infopreneurs are the ones who provide value and make consumers want to return for more. The rest may make a first sale, but if they don’t deliver, customers won’t return. Then they must work twice as hard to make their information businesses profitable.

My own journey into becoming an infopreneur began by accident. In 2003, I kissed off corporate America and opened Book Lovers Bookstore in Sacramento, California. The challenge of starting a new business was invigorating and the process led me to discover a new passion: helping other entrepreneurs find the same freedom that I did. I wanted others to know that there could be life after corporate America so I began writing my first book, The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!

Long before the book was published, I realized that I needed a strategy for reaching my target audience. So I sketched out a rough business plan and launched a content-rich web site: BusinessInfoGuide.com. The mission of the site is to provide lots of free resources to entrepreneurs. I compiled business start-up resources for industries ranging from cleaning services and event planning to public speaking and virtual assistance. I learned about search engine optimization and Internet marketing and started publishing a monthly newsletter. Before I knew it, my site traffic and subscriber base were exploding.

Eight months after the site launched, the book was ready to meet its audience. Thanks to my prepublication promotion efforts through the site and e-zine, I started receiving preorders a full two months before the book was available. By the time it was ready, sales were occurring naturally with what felt like very little effort.

I knew I wanted to expand my knowledge transfer beyond books and began investigating how to sell eBooks, teleseminars, and other information products. Naturally, I looked for books to help me accomplish my goals. But I couldn’t find a single book out there that told me everything I needed. There were a few good books about self-publishing, a handful of poorly written eBook guides, plenty of marketing books, but nothing that brought all the information together. There wasn’t a single book that painted the whole picture or discussed the plethora of information product opportunities.

So in the same way I planned to start my first business (the bookstore), I began planning my infopreneur business. I interviewed existing infopreneurs. I studied web sites. I ordered eBooks, signed up for teleconferences, and purchased audio collections. I compared the quality of each and made note of what I liked and didn’t like, what worked and didn’t work. Before I knew it, I had a new book idea that I knew I had to write.

I also began to test what I had learned. I started by listing some special reports for sale on my web site. I was both shocked and thrilled when my first sale happened just days after the first products went live. I have continued to develop new products and maintain my legacy products. Not only are there financial rewards, but I love receiving messages from customers who have benefited from my products. Product sales occur with minimal effort while I sleep.

I have also developed products that I can sell at the back of the room when I speak. I sell workbooks, tips booklets, and CDs of teleseminar recordings. I believe that success comes from pricing my products fairly and making sure they are loaded with value. My goal is always to exceed my customers’ expectations, and this strategy has served me well in every business endeavor.

A lot of really intelligent people are out there making money by sharing what they know. There are also some people who are taking advantage of consumers by skyrocketing their prices and providing minimal value. As with any business, we all have a choice when it comes to conducting ourselves with integrity. If you’re reading this book, I urge you to be one of the “good” infopreneurs. Not only will you sleep better at night, but your business will inevitably flourish.

Each chapter of this book concludes with the story of a successful infopreneur. These smart and resourceful business owners figured out how to profit from what they know—and do so with integrity. These people are successful because they have each developed a formula for delivering quality information and generating repeat business. If you study their business models, you are sure to discover a world of opportunity all your own.

There is an eager market of buyers out there. My goal is to show you how to develop and market your own products. One of the greatest advantages of selling information products is that they can essentially become passive income—money you make while you sleep. Once the work is done and you’ve created a high-quality product, and you’ve automated the product sales and delivery process, your primary role will be to continue marketing your products. That’s where the real fun begins.

There is no single secret to success, though there are many tips to help you along the way. You’ll learn them as you read along, but here are some basics:

• Everyone is an expert at something: Whatever your expertise, whether it’s fly fishing, yoga, parenting, knitting, sales, or customer service, you have something to teach others who know less than you do.

• The Internet is a powerful venue for reaching customers: Learn to maximize your reach in order to run an efficient and profitable business.

• Marketing is aninvestmentin your business: Rare is the business that succeeds without marketing. Try a variety of strategies and repeat the ones that work best.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions: Nobody has all the answers and most people are willing to help. Just ask!

• Invest in other people’s information products: Not only will you have the chance to learn something new, but you can evaluate the content and begin to understand the formula for success. It’s also good karma to support people whose work you admire.

• Persevere: This is my favorite word in the English language. There will be days when you feel as if you are spinning your wheels for nothing. But eventually, with enough effort, something magical happens. It all starts to come together.

• Never stop learning: I don’t care what industry you are in. Things change. Rules change. People change. Stay on top of your area of expertise. Learn about new technology. Remember how much fun it can be to learn something new and how rewarding it is to succeed.

For months, I have been fielding questions from family and friends: “What is your new book about?” I watch as some of their eyes glaze over—especially those who don’t spend a lot of time on the Internet. “It’s about becoming an infopreneur,” I tell them. “I’m going to show people how to make money selling eBooks and information products.” The ones who own businesses—or want to be entrepreneurs—perk up. The rest of them look at me as if my face is melting.

Whether you want to start an infopreneur business or expand your existing business by selling information products, this book is here to help you. My hope is that I’ve made it easy for you to navigate through the business of selling information. More important, I want you to be inspired.

Get out your highlighter and sticky notes. Take notes as you read. Open your mind to new ideas and learn from the examples provided. And when you’ve launched your infopreneur business, drop me a line and tell me about it. My suspicion is that the information business is about to explode, and I can’t wait to ride that wave with you.

CHAPTER 1

Information Product Opportunities: Fire Up Those Revenue Streams

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

—DEMOSTHENES

The term infopreneur is a relatively new industry buzz word that is making waves because it opens doors for entrepreneurs to generate new streams of income. Simply put, an infopreneur sells informanew streams of income. Simply put, an infopreneur sells information. Information products are offered in many formats:

• Books

• eBooks

• Special reports

• Audio products

• Videos

• Teleseminars and web seminars

• In-person seminars/workshops

• Workbooks

• Tips booklets

• Virtually any format in which you can deliver information

Selling information can create new revenue streams for an existing business, or lay the foundation for a new business opportunity. Many successful business owners have been doing this for years. Here are some examples:

Tom Antion (www.antion.com) is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business, as well as numerous other books and dozens of information products including:

• Audio CDs and cassettes for $19.95 to $49.95

• Books, both self-published and contracted with major publishing houses