36 replies
Hey everyone! This is my first post here. Ive been stewing over creating an original ebook/video product lately. Im a bit intimidated to start. Im not sure where ill take the product or how I will sell it. Also, im not sure how much money I can make from the product which makes me wonder about how much time I should put into it. If anyone has any advice or experience, I would be really interested in hearing. The product will be in the IM niche and I would like to say it will be high quality but I suppose that will be in the eye of the viewer. Thanks guys and nice to meet everyone.

Mike
#creating #product
  • Profile picture of the author Nickolie0990
    Well First, welcome to the Warrior Forum and I wouldn't start in the internet marketing niche, it is extremely competitive. Start with something you know a lot about, niche markets are were the money is made. Also, if you have some money to invest, you could outsource the job.
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      Thanks for the reply. I have researched the product I plan to create and there are not many competitors really. I may have wrongly claimed that it was in the Internet Marketing niche when really its more specific than internet marketing as a whole. Basically, a guide to making money doing a specific thing and all the steps involved.
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  • Profile picture of the author Graham Maddison
    Mike, welcome to the forum.

    The fact that you have decided to make your own product demonstrates that you are an "action taker" or at least you will be once you have done it, so fair play to you.

    Once you have your product, there are any number of ways to market it but one of the favoured ways would be to get a blog featuring your product then do some article marketing with links back to your blog/ sales page.

    I would suggest you read through the forum a bit as there are many threads to be found which can help you in the marketing process.

    Good luck.

    Graham
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Jennings
    It would be really cool to have a Magic 8-Ball that will tell whether a potential product will be a hit or not, but I don't think anyone has one.

    If you do some research you probably won't lose money on whatever you put together -- I talk about that in the article at this link:

    Profiting from Software as a Product

    If you don't want to read the entire article, scroll down to the Case Study heading and read that part (but the whole article is good if you're thinking about doing a software product).

    Jay Jennings
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  • Profile picture of the author sahi
    If you've completed your book and don't know how to launch it then you can find many resources here in the forum about doing a product launch in any niche including the IM.

    If you can get your hands on Product launch Formula either version 1 or 2 that'll be great but if you can't then you can check the wso section for a cheap book on doing a product launch.
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      Thanks for the great info guys. Your replies might have just given me the extra push I need to create the product. I planned on creating a sales page/blog about the product and doing article market. Ill search the forum for product launch and im sure ill find some great info.

      Should I plan my process before I start. I mean, should I plan my marketing strategy prior to creating the product?
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    Mike, congratulations on making the bold decision to take that first step toward creating your own product. I can totally understand what you're saying about whether all this effort you put into product creation will be worth it, and produce a good profit for you. I'd like to suggest a less intimidating and daunting first step. Instead of creating a full-blown high quality comprehensive product, why don't you come out with a "lighter" version first that is a short to medium length report, just to gauge what the initial response is?

    You mentioned that there are not many competitors. Competition is not a really a bad thing in my book, because it shows where there is money to be made. If you say that there is very little competition, perhaps it might be prudent to come out with a shorter and easier to produce report first. Besides, if you're brand new to this you probably don't have a lot of credibility or reputation, so don't expect your first product to be a blockbuster hit. In my opinion, it'd be better to come out with a decent smaller product first, gain some raving fans and credibility, and THEN launch the full-blown product once you have proper feedback and know what your market wants!
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  • Profile picture of the author Keywordology
    Originally Posted by iMikeDesigns View Post

    Hey everyone! This is my first post here. Ive been stewing over creating an original ebook/video product lately. Im a bit intimidated to start. Im not sure where ill take the product or how I will sell it. Also, im not sure how much money I can make from the product which makes me wonder about how much time I should put into it. If anyone has any advice or experience, I would be really interested in hearing. The product will be in the IM niche and I would like to say it will be high quality but I suppose that will be in the eye of the viewer. Thanks guys and nice to meet everyone.

    Mike
    Best advice I can give is to not overthink it to the point of paralysis. It's easy to do and it's probably the most frequent mistake newbies make.

    IMO, pick a "desperate buyer" niche that isn't oversaturated, but isn't so obscure that no one is searching for it online.

    Think of keywords as potential niches. So spend some time with the Google Keyword Tool. Their numbers aren't completely accurate, but you should be able to get a good idea if there is demand for a potential niche and how easy/hard it would be to rank for those terms.

    Lastly, build a killer affiliate section with banners, articles, email copy, etc for your affilaites to use. Affiliates will promote your work if:
    1. Your product is good.
    2. They can see it will convert for them (so have a solid sales page)
    2. You make promoting easy for them.
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  • Profile picture of the author thriftgirl62
    Hey Jay Jennings! I see you up there...the 80mph winds and
    jury duty is over as I wait for your answer. Did you forget to
    mention that 8 MB Flashdrive deal or is that over?
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    When you make at least $100+ per month, we split the profit 80/20 and YOU get the 80% Until then, you keep 100% and I'll help you drive traffic, get backlinks and put the domain in your name too!
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    • Profile picture of the author Tasso Pepi
      Hey Mike welcome to the warrior forum...

      Mike i will keep it short and sweet a book that was instrumental to me in my early days online was The Big Yellow Ebook.. you can download it free.....

      I got it as part of Johns membership site and it is really cool... Just so you know this is not an affiliate link or anything like that all you have to do is click the link add your email to John and you have a great tool to help you get started...

      Like I said this is a great book, I hope you enjoy...

      here is the link....The Big Yellow E-Book Of Turbo Marketing Secrets

      I hope this helps..

      Tasso
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  • Profile picture of the author WD Mino
    Hi,

    I did a thread a little while back on quick product creation found here you can also check my blog for the video part it is quite simple to make one marketing it is not so hard I can help you with that too Oh and welcome to the Warrior Forum!
    -WD
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      Thanks WD. I checked out your thread. Good information. Ill be sure to contact you when my product is finished for some marketing tips.
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  • Profile picture of the author ExpertWriter
    welcome to the forum! I also am new, and just wanted to welcome you =) I wish you the best of luck! Everyone in this forum are wonderful, helpful, and very sweet. I'm sure you will find all the answers your looking for in no time at all!

    -Cindy
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  • Profile picture of the author 900sal
    I agree not starting with the IM niche as it is too competitive up against the medium to big players, not to mention the 'gurus'
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  • Profile picture of the author Kate C
    Creating a poduct is definitely the easy part. Letting people know about it is the hard part but it can be done with persistence ,focus and consistency. If you are going to use links ,free ads, articles or anything else you choose, you have to keep doing it day in and day out. To get the best results you really have to make sure that not a day goes by without advertising your product one way or another.

    You need to choose a few methods and stick to them.Of course this forum is a goldmine of information and advice. You can get other people to do things for you if you are interested in outsourcing. This would really free your time and speed things up for you a lot.

    Good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      @Cindy

      Thanks for the warm welcome here. I was reading a post by you earlier and it mentioned that you were a great writer. I tried you sig link but its pointing to an invalid ezine page. Id love to read some of your writing.

      Originally Posted by Kate C View Post

      If you are going to use links ,free ads, articles or anything else you choose, you have to keep doing it day in and day out. To get the best results you really have to make sure that not a day goes by without advertising your product one way or another.
      Thanks Kate. That seems to be a very solid piece of advice. Ill definitely try my best to use that as a foundation for my marketing when the time comes. Ive read some great posts and articles about article marketing and the quote above seems to sum them all up.

      Thanks to everyone else as well for the warm welcome and helpful tips. After posting this thread last night I have started on my product and so far I am about 12 pages into the ebook portion. Im not using any PLR so im going for completely original material. Not that I am against it... its just that im not so sure that PLR will be of any use with this product. When the ebook is completed im going to create a video course to accompany it. The videos should make everything in the ebook seem more practical to the reader/viewer, simply solidifying everything already written with visual examples.

      Thanks again everyone. Yooz Guyz is the nicest people i've met on any forum related to web dev/internet marketing
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      • Profile picture of the author ExpertWriter
        [QUOTE=iMikeDesigns;1637447]@Cindy

        Thanks for the warm welcome here. I was reading a post by you earlier and it mentioned that you were a great writer. I tried you sig link but its pointing to an invalid ezine page. Id love to read some of your writing.


        Thanks so much. Yeah I had some problems with it,, I will fix it soon. Working on a squeeze page! You can PM me if you'd like
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  • Profile picture of the author Imran Naseem
    Banned
    Niche marketing is profitable too... Trust me..there is more to then MMO niche..
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      Originally Posted by Imran Naseem View Post

      Niche marketing is profitable too... Trust me..there is more to then MMO niche..
      Could you elaborate a little more. What is MMO? Make Money Online? It seems you are simply saying there is also money to made in other niches like weight loss, finance, or insurance for example. If so, then I agree completely. Ill cut my teeth with this product and take what I learn to other niches that im comfortable with. Thanks for the advice.
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    • Profile picture of the author samar
      Originally Posted by Imran Naseem View Post

      Niche marketing is profitable too... Trust me..there is more to then MMO niche..

      Yeah,I agree with you..
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  • Profile picture of the author kaos
    Mike, I have found that you need to get the project going and you will find out that there are many points that you have to work on because you did not think of them or that your plans have to change.

    Like a trip, know where you want to end up, how much you have to spend, when do you need to be there, how are you traveling and what do you need to get there.

    Sometimes the trip ends up being nothing like you plan. That can be good or bad.

    Just get going on your trip see what you learn along the way.

    Doug
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  • Profile picture of the author Nathan Denton
    Hey Mike. Congratulations on taking some action and getting involved in product creation. You want to make sure that your product is unique and offers valuable information to your prospective purchasers. if you are planning on doing a product launch I would suggest beginning to build your mailing list so that you have a group of people that you can send the offer out to once completed.

    Best of luck. look forward to seeing what you come up with.

    Nathan
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    Online marketing, offline marketing and various other things.
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  • Profile picture of the author basefunding
    Just do it for the experience. I've found that over time my ability to find profitable niches has improved and my past efforts have been incredibly valuable in everything I do now. Whatever you do don't get bogged down in trying to figure out what to do without actually doing something.

    The first steps are the hardest...
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    A good way to develop a product is to first write the sales copy. Think of all of the things the product will do for the buyer and then list all the features and benefits. Take a couple of days to ponder how you want to deliver the maximum value to your customers.

    Then write it all down. And when you walk away from it and think of something else that would add even more value, write that down in a little tablet you keep with you. At this point it doesn't matter whether your sales letter is great, just that it has all the stuff you want to deliver.

    You can even ask people you know what they might want in an information product like yours. Take the time to explain what it's supposed to do for the customer. You'll be surprised that people who aren't even interested in stuff like this will come up with some great ideas if you just ask them.

    If you do this creating the product will be easy because all you have to do is use the sales outline (or letter) as your guide. This is a really good way to brainstorm and create a product. Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      @travlinguy

      Thanks so much for the tips. That seems like a really logical way to develop a product. Once the sales page is drafted, you'll end up with a solid outline or blueprint for the product and at the same time, the sales page is already prepped for polishing. I especially like the idea of keeping a notepad with me to write down ideas as they come to me. Many thanks... If I can't develop a a product after getting all of these tips then something is very wrong.

      Hopefully, the product doesnt fall short. Im starting to wonder. The product will target semi-newb marketers looking for a way to start making money. I know that if I would have come across a product like the one im developing when I started online, I probaby would have purchased it, especially if the graphics were eye catching.

      Ive noticed that the graphics on some products are so slick that they sell the products by themselves. Some of the graphics done by the guy from
      Code:
      platinumresellrights*com/
      are amazing. I think his name is Aaron Danker. Im not sure if he is the graphic artist but they really are amazing graphics. But, im not gonna get ahead of myself and start worrying about packaging just yet. That seems like the best way to lose focus on product development.
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      • Profile picture of the author darrenmonroe
        Wow this is really a great advice to a post! Usually when I am reading the forum there is really some serious wars going on LOL. Thanks Leah for the post.

        As for product creation here is my 2 cents.

        Fail fast forward.
        Only way to find out what works is to put something out there.

        Survey
        Plus wouldn't hurt to "Ask" the people you are targeting. If you are marketing your niche on Twitter for example a survey via there or any other social media or email or across all would bring back some amazing results if you make the survey say no more than 5 questions.

        Last: Keep it simple and solve a problem.


        All the best with your creation I know with great advice here you are going to do superb!
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        • Profile picture of the author thriftgirl62
          Who have YOU found to be helpful, trustworthy and beneficial to your business? Does anyone else want to know where to find the best of the best...instead of the self-proclaimed guru always taking center stage with nobody making any money after 10 launches and 17 re-launches in 3 years. :confused:

          Here's all the proof you need right here: http://wealthlpp.com/jvsecret
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          I retired in 2005 at 43 and now I give away websites like these for FREE [hosting excluded]

          When you make at least $100+ per month, we split the profit 80/20 and YOU get the 80% Until then, you keep 100% and I'll help you drive traffic, get backlinks and put the domain in your name too!
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          • Profile picture of the author darrenmonroe
            Thank you Leah for the great words. Always good to see a great customer speaking well about me. Especially in the mighty kick your asset if you step out of line WARRIORS forum LOL

            PS you should put your actual pic on here. She is a looker fellas if thats your pic in twitter and in your gravitar


            Originally Posted by thriftgirl62 View Post

            I wasn't the least bit surprised to see that Darren Monroe wasn't a member until now...he teaches entrepreneurial skills for real online business and probably off-line too. Anyway, "serious wars going on" and bashing is how forums are perceived by mainstream business. Let's change that!

            Who have YOU found to be helpful, trustworthy and beneficial to your business? Does anyone else want to know where to find the best of the best...instead of the self-proclaimed guru always taking center stage with nobody making any money after 10 launches and 17 re-launches in 3 years. :confused:

            Here's all the proof you need right here: Our Proven System Guarantees You A Monthly Income For Life Go straight to the PRODUCTS and for $9.95 you will find 3,000 or more of the SAME products we've all purchased -- some just last week. SKIP the Hype and the matrix crap - that's irrelevant. LOOK AT THE PRODUCTS No guru would ever put this package together and they certainly won't promote it. The man behind it is a billionaire from Detroit...now that's all the help we need!!


            If I'm seeing double or cross-eyed, PLEASE let me know.
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  • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
    Ok so ive began to re-think my idea on what product im going to create. My original idea was to create a product teaching how to get started in earning online. But, ive started to think maybe a different niche altogether would be better.

    If I were to create a good ebook in a highly competitive niche, could I sell it here as PLR in a WSO? Also, would actually sell here? It could be very useful to anyone promoting the niche. Please give me your thoughts.


    Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author iVentureBiz
    I'd also advise starting in a less competitive niche... IM is sooo saturated these days that it's nearly impossible for the average joe with an ebook to make any money at it....

    However if you REALLY want to get into that niche and write that book I'd say focus more on just building a targeted list then a base product.

    A good ebook can be a great lure for a squeeze page. And since it's high quality and not the typical garbage people give away you'll immediately be in a position of trust with your list.

    Then as time goes on you can carve out a nice little profit by just promoting all the other IM products out there and save yourself the hassle of trying to compete with a billion others.
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  • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
    Thanks for the reply. What im saying is, lets say I create a guitar lesson ebook(only an example... not the niche im working in.) If I create this ebook and sell it as PLR here on warrior forum, would it sell? It seems most WSOs are geared toward the IM niche but every now and then I see someone selling an ebook as PLR.
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    • Profile picture of the author iVentureBiz
      Originally Posted by iMikeDesigns View Post

      Thanks for the reply. What im saying is, lets say I create a guitar lesson ebook(only an example... not the niche im working in.) If I create this ebook and sell it as PLR here on warrior forum, would it sell? It seems most WSOs are geared toward the IM niche but every now and then I see someone selling an ebook as PLR.
      exactly... You MAY make a couple sales because 1 it's PLR and lots of people here are in all sorts of niches (like guitar) and they may find a use for it. And 2 because some people just like to play guitar... and may in fact suck at it lol

      BUT I wouldn't bank on it, you'd be better to sell directly to people looking for that, on a guitar site for example... And in that case I don't even think there is a point including PLR since people that just want to learn guitar aren't going to really care (or even know) what plr is.
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  • Profile picture of the author kaos
    Decide what you want to work on and move forward.
    Focus on that one idea and complete it.
    I like many others have a tendency to get distracted.
    Very easy to do.
    Get your product finished and promote it.
    Clarity, focus and execution
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    One mistake that many newbies make is creating a product that THEY want, instead of what their market wants. An easy way to avoid this is to do some market research, and find out the needs and "pains" of the market, address those in your long form salesletter by writing it out first, and THEN creating your product based around those needs and "pains". When you do things this way you come off almost like a "mindreader" to your target market, but all you're doing is merely tapping into the deep needs and wants that they have through initial market research! Try it, and you'll see what I mean. You'll end up with a product that is much easier to market and sell if you create it using this process.
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    • Profile picture of the author iMikeDesigns
      Thanks a lot Paulie. That sounds like a great idea. Do you have any suggestions on doing research to find out what the needs of my market are? I'm sure there are many ways but if you have any tips that would be awesome.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    @iMike - one of the easiest ways to do so is to go to where your target market congregates offline and online (forums, groups, etc.) Also go to authority sites to see what is being discussed/featured most often.
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