Info marketing shelf life too short

Experience 10+ years.

And how many products/serviecs/re-inventions as Dan Kennedy had to go through in his time? Hey I am not saying it's not doable but be prepared to keep spinning that wheel.

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Alex Mensah

14 years ago

Originally Posted by sloanjim

Hi,

Look when you sell a How to guide, system, course etc....once it's out there it's out of your hands. It will be cloned, copied, pirated by 10,000+ in a few months. Seen it..been there.

And all this talk of "only sellnig 100 copies, etc.." Do not make me laugh. Once your system/method is out there it is only a matter of time before saturation is reached.

so..as a business I do not see how info marketing is really viable. It's kind of too much hit and run business. You hit somerhing great hard for a few months, saturation..move on.

Oh well ...that's my opinion. My point is i guess once you release your info. product you have no control over it any more. No exclusive rights to it any more and it will be cloned to death. So be ready to create the next one. How do you build a business around info. products?

hi there,
I think this is pretty much the case with all products not just info products...the only difference is that software products etc. can be controlled more. But does that mean we discontinue selling info products...No, info products really help us out a lot. How do you build a business around info products...I think we just have to find a way to further password protect our info products etc.

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jbsmith

14 years ago

Couple of comments...

1. Just because your product gets ripped off doesn't mean they are as good at marketing as you - once your infoproduct is finished, it comes down to marketing execution. You then differentiate based on having the best combination of product and marketing. This the same now as it always has been - that's why the 10,050th diet book can still make a big splash on the market in face of huge competition.

2. Your infoproduct should be looked at as one step in your overall information marketing business. You have acquired a customer that requires ongoing assistance to achieve their goals. They have walked in through your door by buying your product, now it is up to you to show them the house. Around the corner you have an even bigger room (another product or service, ongoing membership sites to help them, monthly teleseminar coaching package, audio updates, etc...) You can also offer them partner products that will take off where your partner left them.

3. Offer your customer a private members site where they will get monthly updates (that is something someone who has lifted your content can not as easily do).

By using these methods (especially #1) I have had products on the market for 8-years that sell as well today as they did back then - all I do is update with new info and customer Q&A twice a year...still largely passive income.

Jeff

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gjabiz

14 years ago

Originally Posted by jbsmith

Couple of comments...

1. Just because your product gets ripped off doesn't mean they are as good at marketing as you - once your infoproduct is finished, it comes down to marketing execution. You then differentiate based on having the best combination of product and marketing. This the same now as it always has been - that's why the 10,050th diet book can still make a big splash on the market in face of huge competition.

2. Your infoproduct should be looked at as one step in your overall information marketing business. You have acquired a customer that requires ongoing assistance to achieve their goals. They have walked in through your door by buying your product, now it is up to you to show them the house. Around the corner you have an even bigger room (another product or service, ongoing membership sites to help them, monthly teleseminar coaching package, audio updates, etc...) You can also offer them partner products that will take off where your partner left them.

3. Offer your customer a private members site where they will get monthly updates (that is something someone who has lifted your content can not as easily do).

By using these methods (especially #1) I have had products on the market for 8-years that sell as well today as they did back then - all I do is update with new info and customer Q&A twice a year...still largely passive income.

Jeff

I did THANK YOU Jeff, but, heck, Thanks again.

Let's see. Does FREE count? The original version of Before You Buy Anything was released 13 years ago and just recently (this month) was UPDATED. That FREE info product has produced tens of thousands of dollars for me.

My audio program, Think And Reach Par was originally recorded in 1992, and has been continuously sold since then, without updating the content, just the PACKAGING.

As for being "ripped off". Several things I do. And, OH by the way, one of my info products has been posted at a WF without permission. But, anyhow...

I always EMBED goodies in the product. An incentive to contact me again, call it an Easter Egg, or "if you read this", some reason for them to contact me...and if they do, I'll know if it is a "legal" copy or not.

But more importanly, shouldn't ALL good info products create a whetting of the appetite? I have all of Dan Kennedy's stuff, the Whole Enchilada, spent thousands getting it...and, if he writes something else...I'll BUY that too.

Have and have HAD many private forums to support my products. Just YESTERDAY, I started a new forum to support CHATTELING. Since I've written 3 works on the subject, I'm considered to be the "expert". Another "secret" of infopreneuring...be the expert.

In addition to the good ideas Jeff presented, you can also offer a Newsletter...and other products. SOME info does have a shorter shelf life than others. Some gets outdated, for example, not many people buying info on how to profit from AOL, are there?

So OP, I think you have a wrong impression of the Infopreneur. To have a long shelf life with information/education products,

Create products based on your EXPERTISE. (Or JV via an affiliate program).

Sell info people WANT, Sell to the people who want and can AFFORD to buy it. Have a PLAN (oh there's that most nasty of dirtiest words for so many warriors)...

Create and/or ACQUIRE. Affiliate. As the WF saying goes, "rinse and repeat".

I've been offering Information/Education for over 20 years and if I were to work 24/7, I couldn't meet all the DEMAND there is for just the handful of subjects I do have some expertise on. So, I pick and choose those that will produce the results I want...according to my plan.

Don't get discouraged, get some REAL LIFE tested and proven strategies from people who have been doing it for more than a NY Warrior MINUTE.

gjabiz

PS. You can download a FREE copy of Before You Buy Anything at the Seeds of Wisdom forum.

Thanks

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ShaneRQR

14 years ago

Well, you have more experience than me, then. The way I see it, the same kind of info is always "updated", given a new spin and then re-sold.
Of course, it may not be the kind of "create it once and make money forever" situation that we all wish we had, but it's fairly barable work, if you ask me.

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R Hagel

14 years ago

Some good solid advice above about how to make an info product pay off for years. Take a second look at Jeff's post in particular.

Here's a snippet:

You then differentiate based on having the best combination of product and marketing. This the same now as it always has been - that's why the 10,050th diet book can still make a big splash on the market in face of huge competition.

This point is so important.

Most people just churn out "me too" products that are practically clones of everyone else's products. And the market yawns because it's the same ol, same ol' stuff.

If you want to make a big splash and make your product last in the market, you need to develop (and use!) a good USP (unique selling proposition). Don't put out "me too" products. Instead, carve out your niche, find something that you can be the first in the market to do, and market both your product and your USP.

If you do a good job with this, no one can truly copy you. They may try, but the market will always know the original.

Let me give you an example...

The Rich Jerk.

He positioned himself in a completely unique way. Right away lots of others started coming out with their own spin on the "Rich Jerk," but folks couldn't touch it. The market knew the original... and everyone else who tried to clone it in IM circles just seemed laughable.

Or let's take an offline example...

Folgers coffee is "mountain grown." Truth is, all (or most?) coffee is mountain grown. But Folgers was the first to tack that label on themselves... and market that USP.

So let's say you start a coffee company today and market it based on your coffee being "mountain grown." What would happen?

The market knows that title belongs to Folgers. And anyone trying to swipe that positioning seems, well, laughable.

Point is, make your business and your products DIFFERENT... and you'll have staying power.

Cheers,
Becky

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Matt Bard 14 years ago

Originally Posted by R Hagel

If you want to make a big splash and make your product last in the market, you need to develop (and use!) a good USP (unique selling proposition).

Right. If there ever was a marketing "secret", it's right there. USP.

I have been preaching this for years and so many newbies (veterans too for that matter) don't really get it.

You can enter any profitable market you want and be very competitive if you develop your USP.

As Becky's example above with Folgers, Claude Hopkins (Scientific Advertising) told of a very successful ad campaign he did for a brewery and used the same technique above.

In his piece, Claude explained how this brewery went about the process of brewing and talked about how the water was filtered and then heated to a certain point that released the steam...

The point is, that he described something that every brewery goes through. The difference being that he explained the process to the public which is something the others had not done. Now they couldn't for fear of being a copycat.

Like Becky said with Folgers.

If you can find a unique way to present your product, then the product itself seems unique. If your potential customers think your product is unique, then you have no competition.
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Pragun

14 years ago

Simple fact -

Try to get someone to let go of a truly awesome info product, which really works, and which they paid well for. You'll get your answer.

Conclusion -

Bad info products have a short shelf life. Awesome ones don't. 'Nuff Said.

~Pragun

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statquo2010

14 years ago

I've bought products from some very good info marketers and what made me buy was the offer and the expertise they had of the field. Techniques and strategies can be copied but expertise can't.

In addition to that, the info product is usually just an entry point into their sales funnel where they can promote any number of different things.

Eric

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Info marketing shelf life too short

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