Do You Sell Your Own Non-Info Product? (Or, The Freelance Copywriter's Dilemma)

I don't understand why you would stay away from info products. They have by far the highest profit margin of anything you can sell, and the pricing can go to the sky if you understand positioning.

Your info products don't have to be about copywriting. Nick Usborne, for example, has a nice little side business around coffee-related information, because he is passionate about coffee.

Marcia Yudkin

I believe Infoproducts are a good move.

I have a half dozen niche sites, all selling simple subscription type offers (newsletters) or ebooks. They're not huge money makers, but enough to cover living expenses and then some. Someone else manages them so the fulfillment side of things is really a non-issue.

Gives you a lot more "walk-away power" when negotiating copywriting and consulting deals.

I make and sell gorgeous wood sculptures in the range of $3-10k

Selling anything other than an info product. Unless you love extra work. Inventory, shipping, returns.

Says you. I'll be caked in sawdust from head to toe till mid December, and still people will be trying to order at the last minute.

Well, when I was into golf, I sold products, but, some of those were MY info products in the form of cassettes (remember those) CD and DVD. As well as newsletters.

I ran ONE ad on Thanksgiving Day and it pulled in over 12k in new business in the next few days, before I was even open for business.

Black Friday always comes, start preparing now for next year, and like the woodworker, my sister, a One Stroke artist in S. FL, could be working 24/7, her stuff is in such demand.

Even today, Nov. 5, you could still find a product to sell for Black Friday. How about a dollar hot chocolate for the Walmart early birds, just stand aside when the doors open, ha!

GIFTS are big this time of year, I had a golf game, you hit plastic balls with velcro on them to a target, like golf darts. Sold a ton of those. Also, customized children's books, were a staple of my Holiday season. Sold thousands of Chinese Yo-Yo's one year at a buck a piece (cost less than 10 cents).

But, as a copywriter who has proven to his clients you can produce results, I, like Marcia, am sort of miffed about not wanting to do information, this sub forum alone has scores of people who want to get started in copywriting, so there is a coaching opportunity for you too.

Many of the marketers/copy writers I've known over the year also had absentee owned business, or, were members of small investment groups (general partners) who simply let their money make them money. When I rec'd my GRI as a Realtor, REIT's were pretty hot ways to go.

But, if you, or anyone, is looking for a hot holiday product for fast cash, listen, once again to Sir Gary Halbert..."starving crowd"

Grab a few dozen of the Dunkin NOT Cronuts, some coffee, and park outside the Apple store on Black Friday (metaphorically speaking).

gjabiz

Matt,

A lot of it has to come down to what you're good at, what you want to do most, and how you want your day to be set up. In other words... create the kind of lifestyle you want and then work backwards to find the kind of work/business that can help you achieve that most.

In all honesty, not every good copywriter even WANTS to create products. Too much of a headache... they can make just as much, if not more, from just writing copy if the deal is structured right.

I've talked to copywriters who don't want the hassle of creating products, finding traffic, doing the numbers, etc... they're just direct response marketing guys and that's what they want to create.

Sure, you could always outsource most of creating info products... but you still have to find the right people, build the team, manage, etc...

Again, many copywriters don't want to wear all those different hats... they just want to focus on creating copy.

I've been on both sides of the coin... creating my own info products and doing quite well.. .and also working as a copywriter helping other clients increase sales.

Both come with their own set of unique challenges/pitfalls/rewards.

Sure, as an info-product owner, you don't have to deal with clients all the time, but you still have to deal with customers and make sure all aspects of your biz are firing on all cylinders.

So, this is a question best answered by yourself... after asking yourself the kind of questions about how you want your day to be set up, your lifestyle, the kind of biz you want, etc...

If you don't mind wearing all the different hats a biz owner needs to wear... then creating info products is certainly lucrative because of leverage.

But then again, so is creating copy for clients who have the systems in place to really get your copy out there... and then pay you accordingly for results.

Both sides of the coin work... and many copywriters do both. It simply comes down to your own personal preference and whether you want to focus on all aspects of a biz... or deal with writing copy and let others handle the numbers.

More than anything it's an individual and sometimes a financial preference.

But I think there is a absolute, unshakeable, rule 1 proviso.

Which is ...

Do the thing you are most passionate about.

If you are blessed with a talent in "crafting" something and wake everyday saying "Woohooo, I can't wait to get into the workshop and finish off the (whatever it is)."

Then life would be hell if you didn't.

If writing copy for others or for yourself brings you great joy and happiness.

You need to be hammering away on the keyboard.


Steve