The Power of Having Your OWN Product...

by 132 replies
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Are you good at something? Do you have a lot of knowledge in a particular area or subject?

If so, you may seriously want to consider creating your own product.

I never achieved as much success as I did when I launched my first eBook back in 2007. Since then, I have been creating products in niches that I am knowledgeable in and good at.

For instance, I was a music teacher for many years... So I put together several eBooks on how to play the piano, guitar, etc. and have made THOUSANDS of dollars selling them online.

I have since then learned quite a few ways to make money online (through selling my music instruction eBooks) and turned those tried and tested methods into eBooks and reports which have also earned me thousands of dollars.

I now have a six figure business selling only products that I have created. Now, it might seem "easier said than done" but if you take action and set your mind to something, it's amazing what you can achieve.

If you aren't good at writing, you can always make a list of bullet points that highlight the tips, techniques, advice and methods that you want to teach in your eBook -- and hire a ghostwriter to help you make it look nice and read smoothly!

eBooks and reports do not have to be hundreds of pages long and can be rather short... And still bring in lots of money.

If eBooks aren't your thing, software is another type of product where having your OWN to sell can prove to be far more rewarding than just promoting some other person's product as an affiliate... And again, can be outsourced just as easily.

I don't want to go on forever, but if you haven't considered developing your own product... I strongly suggest thinking about it and asking yourself "What would I have to do to put together a quality product?"

It could be the best decision you ever make... It was for me!

Best,
Shane

P.S. - I am not suggesting that you just slap together a product and start selling it to people... You would of course need to use due diligence, research your topic, provide quality content and value as well as make sure you aren't plagiarizing or taking part in anything immoral, unethical or illegal.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #power #product
  • Nice post Shane.

    Yeah, it is very simple to create a product, but it's another thing to create a product that you 100% stand by.

    Having said that, that's why many people don't create their own products...they don't think they have anything to offer.

    It's tough to get past that first step of thinking someone will actually want to listen to what you have to say. After you get some positive feedback and some traction, it becomes a lot easier.

    And the actual logistics of creating a professional product- product images/boxes/covers, banners, etc...- are made easy by using people here at this forum.
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  • Very true, I couldn't agree more.

    Selling your own product is not only one of the most leveraged things you can do but it will also explode your affiliate results. I've made 100s of times more money as an affiliate since having my own products than when I just did straight up affiliate promotions.
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    • Great point and I've just recently experienced the same to be true.

      Cheers
  • I second your post, Shane.

    Creating a product of your own is not only fun, but also very profitable.

    Videos are also very good products for people like myself who HATE writing but LOVE speaking and talking

    YS
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    • That's a great point! For those who hate writing and don't want to outsource... Creating a video or audio product could prove to be much easier since many people can speak a lot better than they can write.

      Also, there may even be a higher perceived value for a video or audio product than just your regular old everyday eBook.

      Best,
      Shane
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  • I have something I call "Quality OCD" (I know, lame ) so I am never satisfied with my products and so they never appear on the market.

    I gotta figure out a way to get over this.
    • [5] replies
    • I suffer from this debilitating condition as well
    • Get over it by putting your product out there and committing to fixing things your customers have issues with.

      I sell software so I know it's going to have bugs when I first sell it. I wish that wasn't the case. I do my best to make it as good as possible. But you never get it 100% perfect and no one expects you to.

      But they do expect you to fix them in a timely fashion.
    • You'll never be satisfied with your products.

      Ever.

      Set a price point. Make your product worth that. Then release it. You will not be satisfied with it, but oh well.

      Keep improving the product. When it's worth more, raise the price and send all your customers an update. You will still not be satisfied with it, but oh well.

      Repeat until you lose interest. You'll never be satisfied with the product. You'll just abandon the latest update to go work on something else.
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    • simples join up with a jv partner let them critique your work, PM me I`ll have a look.

      Best Mike.
      • [1] reply
    • I think I have a bit of your problem, heh heh.
  • Is there such a thing as being able to buy a completed "ready to sell" product? One that is worth selling -- for us AND the buyer?

    If anyone knows of such a thing, please PM me.

    Thanks!
    • [4] replies
    • I'm not sure if anyone offers a ready-made product with exclusive rights to just ONE person, however, you can certainly hire someone to create one for you, from scratch! There are ghostwriters, product creators, or you can even assemble a team (someone to write the eBook, someone to make the sales page, graphics, etc.)

      This way, you can design it to be "worth selling" from the beginning and oversee it's creation to make sure.

      Best,
      Shane
      • [1] reply
    • Yes, of course. You could go through a ghostwriter that is experienced at creating ebooks, and of course one of the premier "one-stop" sources for this type of product is contentdivas.com

      They're a little pricey, but from what I've heard the quality of what they produce is absolutely top notch.

      Paul
    • Yes, it's PLR but you have to be creative.
    • You should look for great products that don't sell well. There are many people who are great at creating products, but not to great at marketing those products.

      If you find one of these, you can ask the person for exclusive private label rights. This basically means that only you and the product owner have rights to sell the product.

      Many times a product owner will gladly take a couple grand for their product because they haven't made anything.

      you are not going to be competing against others because you have the Exclusive rights too.

      Finally, just market the product in a much better manner than the product owner.

      You can also purchase entire businesses and websites and Flippa.

      ***Note about Flippa*** - Flippa is addictive. I find myself scouring the place nearly daily for products and can become a bit of addiction kindof like the Warri... I'll stop there
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  • I agree Shane, creating your own products is by far the biggest thing to me that gets people over the hump from struggling Internet Marketer to Successfull Internet Marketer. It opens up so many more doors and you aren't just marketing for other people building their income and reputation while you do all the work. (aka Affiliate Marketing)
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  • Banned
    Hey, may i ask how and where you get people who buy your products and for how much you sell an ebook?

    Thanks.
    • [1] reply
    • I get buyers from right here on the Warrior Forum, also through article marketing, email marketing and blogging.

      Also, the price of the eBook depends on the demand for the information contained within as well as a number of other factors such as the length of the eBook, the potential profit it could bring the reader, the exclusivity of the offer, etc.

      Most of my eBooks sell in the $9.97 - $27 range.

      Best,
      Shane
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  • I agree, Having your own product is awesome for List building as well. also affiliate marketing is a huge trend, and there is people out there that will go crazy to promote your stuff
  • Great post shane most people get caught up in the hype in trying to make fast easy money, but when you put your head down create your own quality products and treat it like a real business that when you start making the real money.

    People don't want to put in the hard work because it can take sometimes month to create a quality product and all that time not getting paid, but people can look to you as an example that if you follow a proven system it works and anyone can do it.
  • Another point here is that your future customers want you to be focused in your products. They WANT that! Think about how much power that gives you. Now you can create products that don't have to be the answer to everything. Just pick one or at most two problems or questions that are common in your niche. Focus like a laser and create a product that addresses that one thing (or two things). I promise that your customers will appreciate your focus (as long as you don't sell it as anything more in your sales pitch). So they win. And now you haven't depleted your arsenal to the point of having nothing left to say (and sell!) to that niche's customers. So, you win too.

    John
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  • With an own product you have an uinque selling proposition. You can recruit affiliate, but you must offer a lot of tools and material to get started. It costs a lot of time
  • I think if you create your own product rarther than just outsourcing everything, it would plant a seed in your mind about giving back. Thinking "Wow, people are loving this, im helping people, SWEET - AND Im making money.. win-win." rarther than "WOW i invested $300 and just made $1000"

    Your personal value to the rest of the world (or community) is worth more than your paycheck in my opinion.

    Just my 2 pence
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    • I agree with you so much on this point Josh! I happen to create ALL of my own products without outsourcing one single thing.

      However, even people like Bill Gates made fortunes by outsourcing things that they couldn't do themselves or didn't have the time to do (Bill Gates outsourced the original MS DOS to Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products)...

      As long as the product or the parts of it that you've outsourced are of good quality and help people, you can still feel good about knowing that your product is solving problems or helping people in some way.

      However, I still agree that it feels best when you've done it yourself!

      Best,
      Shane
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    • AGREED! It's a little less "What's in it for me?", and a little more "How can I help?".
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  • I have a few of my own products and it does feel good to have my own stuff. I would definitely suggest creating your own products to anyone looking to make more money and not just being an affiliate.
  • Hey Shane,

    When you sell your products do you use Clickbank, Amazon?
    • [2] replies
    • which method do you use to promote your product. Please update us
    • I've used both, but currently I am mainly using PayPal. I have the PayPal debit card and I just love the way the whole system works. It's like a checking account.

      Do you have a preference?

      Best,
      Shane
  • Shane

    Cool post.

    Another potential way to produce eBooks if you hate writing is to dictate them and outsource the editing and transcription of them. Gary Vaynerchuk did this for Crush it.

    Not sure where you would get a good editor - but if you hate to write it could be another avenue worth pursuing.
  • Yeah Shane, you might need a cartoonist/illustrator some day

    Anyhow, you've probably saved an army of newbies months and years of misery on how to make money with IM. Content is king.
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  • Also a strategy that may work for Mohammad, if you've got a list then create a sales page for a product and pre-sell it to your list a month before it's 'ready.' That's one of the biggest motivators you can ever have for getting a product out - knowing that a bunch of good people have already put down good money for your product.

    And CD is right - it will never be as good as you originally envisage it. Aim for 80% and you'll be fine....
  • Have you Heard ... An "IDEA" can change your life...

    You can be an expert on anything on Rocket Science but if you dont have that "IDEA" that ticks people's beliefs, and if you dont have clarity in your own beliefs and you dont know WHY you're doing what you do ... None of your experties will work.

    Try to find the underlying Core IDEA behind your product, the reason for that product, the purpose.. the CAUSE ... if you're somehow able to figure these things out correctly, it becomes a SNOW BALL EFFECT and you wont be able to stop the surge of market going crazy for your product....

    THINK !!!
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    • Great point. Without an idea you are definitely going to have a tough time, however, there is a demand for topics and subjects that already exist too... No need to re-invent the wheel... Just make one that stands out above the rest.

      Best,
      Shane
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  • Good advice. I've launched my own product a few time and saw a nice return on investment :tu
  • This is very true. I've watched Tiffany Dow create her own product and I think she made 13k in one week. She shared her earnings on a few videos. I was in shock. Her product is really good too. Now that is powerful!
  • I agree Edge Storm.

    I've got a friend, a classmate of mine who is only 22 years old. The kid made his own webisode action adventure series with just his friends, a camera, boom mike, and Photoshop.

    He's now packaging it into DVDs and he's won a few awards and more recognition.

    People ask him all the time how he did it and I'm convincing him to put out a video tutorial. He's got hours and hours of behind the scenes content for it.
  • [QUOTE=Shane Natan;2788656]Are you good at something? Do you have a lot of knowledge in a particular area or subject?

    If so, you may seriously want to consider creating your own product.


    Oh yes.... Everyone has his/her own cup of tea, but the question is "are they aware of it"?

    Anyway, this post of yours is very uplifting for us who have this goal to create own product and market it, maybe not now but in the near future.
  • That's true Shane,

    You know when I review any new launched product, I start searching who has done it and how long he/she spent on that product..
    I really trying to collect their ideas and implement it on mine..

    Finally I like your post so much..

    Accept my respect..

    Anwar
    • [1] reply
    • Thanks for your kind words and respect Anwar, I really appreciate it.

      It's a good idea to do your research, use due diligence and spend the appropriate amount of time on a project before you really go with it.

      Best of success to you!

      -Shane
  • Could not agree more ... the only thing I would add is learn how to create sales funnels as well.

    Inspiring stuff Shane

    John
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    • Let's say you know a lot about listbuilding. As a perfectionist, you might want to write "the ultimate listbuilding encyclopedia".

      That will take some time to write, to say the least. And as you write, you will learn more and more, and more and more stuff will have to be included in the book.

      And as you learn more and more, you'll probably want to rewrite the stuff you've already writen, in light of your newfound knowledge.

      And so the story goes :-)

      A faster way from start to finished product is to set some boundaries for your project before you start it.

      Let's say you set these simple boundaries for your new product:

      Media type: Ebook
      Max production time: 24 hours
      Max page limit: 15 pages

      Well, you still know a lot about listbuilding, but with these boundaries, you can obviously not write all that.

      So you force yourself to be specific and focus on 1 sub-topic of listbuilding.

      So your basic project description might be:
      Topic: "How to set up your first autoresponder list in Aweber in 15 minutes"
      Media type: Ebook
      Max production time: 24 hours
      Max page limit: 15 pages

      Now you will have a greater chance of completing your product.

      And when you have written a bunch of these "sub-topic" reports, you can compile those into your "ultimate book".
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  • Hey Shane - nice post.

    I really hope people take note of it.

    I know there will people reading it and saying "yeah, tell me something I don't know - but making a product might be easy for some but even if I made one - how would I sell it" and not even starting.

    When people are so focused on the make-money niche and IM it's easy to think that you've missed the online boat and everything's been done now and if you can't make videos like Frank Kern then you're wasting your time but it's completely not true.

    People want - value. That can come in many forms and with video, sure it's nice to have slick videos but people care about the content, so even if you have an accent and poor grammar you can still do well. Look at the viral videos on Youtube - a cat dressed in clothes and being held to look like it's playing the piano is storming the world - that's about as low-budget as you can get but people love the video.

    The same with that Numa Numa video - originally it was just a chunky kid jumping around with a broom handle and it was popular then - before all the remakes that other people did. That kid did practically zero work and no production on the video - it was just taken and uploaded.

    Doing well is not all about having slick operations and killer high quality presentations.

    ANYONE here can make decent money with their own product.

    If your focus is on helping people then you'll create value - if it's on making money then you could have a slick but useless product, so the logic is obvious really.

    As for people never finishing their product or not wanting to put it live because they're not happy with it - well, all I can say to that is - get over yourself!

    Who is your product for?

    Value is in the eye of the beholder. You may think your product needs work but, in reality, if you've put a lot of effort and focus on making it useful for it's intended target audience - it probably does have value to them. In all probability you're gonna under-price it too, but that's a different issue.

    The only way to know whether you're right about it needing more work is to try and sell it and see what your target market say - you never know, you might be wrong and they may love it and it would be a real shame to not give them the chance.

    If you make a crap product and try to sell it - people will tell you, either directly or by not buying it.

    People are buying, so if you're not selling someone else is.

    Andy
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    • Cheers Shane for starting a great thread. Picked up a lot of little
      nuggets from others as well.

      Just in the process of creating first product (ha that perfectionist
      syndrome going on for awhile, now just doing it anyway) so I couldn't
      of found this at a better time.

      Thanks again
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  • I've never been more happy with a choice then I was when I decided to make my own products. Your spot on Shane.

    You have so much control and freedom over what happens with your business when you create your own product. You can have sales when you want, you can change the product any way you want, it's all up too you.

    And like you said Shane, products don't have to be huge products. I have multiple $7 minibooks out there in multiple niches that are no more than 20 pages long. These of course build the intrigue towards my $50+ products, but still If I only sold the $7 products, I would make enough to live a comfortable life.

    Product creation is killer!

    My favorite aspect of being a product creator is that you can make a fortune without having to build traffic to your site. You have the power to build a more powerful beast....the affiliate!!!!!

    That first day that you look at your bank account or email and you see that someone else made a sale for you is quite exciting. You make money for doing nothing.

    The first day this happened to me changed my life and my whole business approach from that point on. I started only searching for affiliates. I started only improving the way they could sell my product. This had some gigantic effects for me in weeks time.

    I will never stop creating products. It's not only great for business, but it's just plain fun.

    Try it out.

    Travis
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  • Banned
    Thanks Shane for this post

    This is very up lifting indeed for me. I have been in the IM world for almost a year now, i made money but I've always wanted to create my product to feel satisifed with what I've done.

    I have been creating my product for quite some time now (something I am deeply passionate about) and this is the product of months of trial and error a research and its going to be in PDF format with videos.

    The thing is though I am not exactly sure how I would promote it, and how to set up a merchant account to create my first product for launching in the WSO section.

    Is there any tips or a post anyone can point me to read more on?

    -Brandon
  • Affiliate marketer promoting someone elses product = $500 a month
    Product owner with 50 affiliates promoting my product = $25,000 a month

    Easy peasy lemon squeezy
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    • Banned
      EXACTLY!

      I like to be in control. Why work so hard to promote someone else's product when you can promote your own and get affiliates and make more moolah?

    • Now THAT's funny! <---in Kevin Spacey voice from movie "A Bug's Life".

      As I was producing a product recently I had gotten irritated that so many IM terms had not been in a glossary. So when I finished my product I added a glossary of sorts and then realized I could monetize that glossary by adding hyperlinks to the keywords to sites, programs, and upsells.

      A well done product that helps people can be a windfall. The tips on this thread are a formula I've followed for years in comics by making my own comic book characters. Other people sell the books and merchandise. I get royalty checks and studio and licensing options.

      I just wrote an article for eZine and they approved it in less than a day as I give some tips on how cartoonists can use the web for generating money. Now I'll expand on that method and offer it up to affiliates.

      There are a ton of products I can create that you affiliates would LOVE and I'm setting up my studio as of this minute to do that level of production. Too excited to sleep!
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  • The opening of this thread was extraordinary ... For all you US warriors - I could relate it to a perfect kick on SuperBowl night - you see it ... and as it gets kicked you just know its golden ...

    Thanks I have been procrastinating with a product for 3 months now .. Just got a swift kick ...

    davewebsmith out
  • Made you a video response Shane...

    YouTube - Creating Your Own Info Products (Warrior Forum reply)
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    • smart man
    • WOW Man, that was definitely a first! Never had a video response to any of my threads before! Great advice too, even though I tend to stay away from the exit pop-ups, if you are getting sign ups to your list that would have otherwise just exited your site... Way to go!

      Thanks for the time and effort you put into making a video response.

      Best,
      Shane
  • very motivating, I was thinking about writing an e-book and this has given me just the inspiration



  • Sorry dude, couldnt resist!
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  • I think having your own product can be the best way of making money online, but if you can put together a continuity program, that is even better. That is because you work once and get paid many times.
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • I must agree that creating your own product is an excellent way to go. I wrote a 140 page eBook about Twitter Tools and have been lucky to get several warriors on board to help me promote.

    One thing to keep in mind is that once the product is created that is when the marketing begins, and it takes a ton of effort to get solid copy and a sale page that converts. But once you get there, it is nice to watch the commissions and sales start rolling in.

    I recommend listing your product in the clickbank marketplace if you want an opportunity at having the greatest amount of affiliates come on board to help promote your product.

    Cheers,

    Garin Kilpatrick
  • Yes, I realize the only way to really make alot of money is to be a product creator. I have choose the membership model and the content in the membership site would be my products.
  • I agree, as a product owner you not only can sell a product of your own, but you also can be an affiliate for other people.

    Plus you get affiliates to promote you that will build your list, so that you can make more sales!
  • Hey Shane,

    The numbers speak for themselves when you look at how much revenue per user a site makes on average, and split this between

    1) Adsense only sites
    2) Product / Service only sites and
    3) Affiliate only sites

    Here's the numbers taken from a sample of a couple hundred website for sale transactions




    So, based on this you have three sites that you choose to work on in the same niche. All are brand new sites and you spend the same amount of time doing exactly the same amount of work. Assuming you manage to attract 1,000 visitors per month on average for those six months

    - An Adsense site is statistically likely to make you $660 in profit.

    - A site selling a Clickbank product ($27 ave per sale after refunds, 0.6% ave conversion) statistically likely to make you $972 in profit.

    - A Product based site (e.g. ecommerce or your own DVD / Ebook product) is statistically likely to make you $6,360 in profit.

    Given the choice, it seems like a no brainer.

    J
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  • You can go for PLR or rebrandable software.

    Have sent you a private message.


    Regards,
    Ashish H Thakkar
  • Thanks to everyone for their awesome, well thought out and in-depth responses! I did not expect this thread to get so much attention, nor did I expect such fantastic, smart responses! Keep them coming, lot's of great ideas here.

    Best,
    Shane
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    • Thanks Shane for starting the thread.

      13 years ago I made a conscious decision to CREATE (or acquire) my own products and to have a small list of BUYERS.

      Prior to this I had been online since 1986, selling computer pieces and parts on the old bbs, where folks like "veronica" and "archie" ruled (old timers joke).

      The real POWER isn't the money (in my opinion), it is the power of NOT having the rug pulled out from under you. It is the CONTROL.

      My own products allow me to do things MY way, without a boss or corporation to answer to.

      I carefully thought out my MODEL. Low cost reports, a few a year to a list of BUYERS, whom I've established a good relationship with. In the beginning I gave a whole LOT more value then they expected. AND, I only offered a new product 3 or 4 times a year (splitting my list into segments, so no one got slammed). I liked what Paul Myers was doing with his "publish when I feel like it or have something to say" model, which has served us well with several ezines we've published.

      The products run the rainbow; video, audio, cassette, CD, DVD, mailed by USPS reports, 3 ring binders, and many virutal products too, ebooks, ezines, email.

      I've maintained the concept of "Fly Low and Collect the Dough" and remain relatively anonyomous in the IM world, where as my little list of BUYERS give me a renewable and sustainable lifestyle of my choosing.

      NEVER had the rug pulled out, no Google Slap, no Guru Retirements which upset my affiliate programs, no bursts of the bubble...just a steady stream of small potatoes income from a variety of products sold to a "handful" of people over the years.

      YEA, creating your own products has it's rewards. FREEDOM being one of the best ones.

      And the TIME and MONEY to do the things you love to do, while other people look like puppets on a string, it has been FUN to be the guy who gets to say yes, because I don't have to ask anyone else if I can.

      FREEDOM is certainly a worthwhile benefit of producing your own products.

      gjabiz

      PS. And I absolutely KNOW for certain, that everyone reading this post, has the ability to create their own products. They just don't know how to mine the gold from their own minds.
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  • Sure you could set up a biz producing 'ready made products'. Why you would is beyond me. Unless you're selling them for thousands of dollars. If it's good enough for someone to buy and sell and make $100k then why sell it and make the $100k yourself?

    Anyway, back to producing. The cool part about pdf files is that you can cram a mini website into them. Generally with all the functions of a dynamic website with links, hyperlinks, pics, flash videos, audio and more. That's the way I see it as I would do this for another form of marketing that was very successful.

    So far I've seen two types of pdf ebooks. Cookie cutter shmutz and quality craftsmanship. However the razzle dazzle doesn't beat the in-demand information, just makes it easier to chew.
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    • I couldn't agree more. If what you're selling is in-demand and valuable information, why sell a 'ready made' product just one time to a customer when you can sell it over and over again as your own product and build a solid reputation for yourself that can lead to JV deals and who knows what else?

      You might have to put a little more effort into creating a product that you're going to sell yourself, but the rewards are going to be immeasurably more!

      Paul
  • JV? Glossary time!!!
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  • Thanks V.

    Now the question is, after one has produced one's own work, where are the affiliates? Do you just upload to e-junkie or clickbank and wait for the tide or do you go through mass contacting? I'd assumed from what I've read so far over the past several weeks that once one has a good product and has uploaded it and set the costs and affiliate share, affiliates who are looking for products, niche products to sell will search and find them.
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    • You are correct... If you have a good product in a good niche and offer a 50-75% commission on the Clickbank Marketplace, people will find your offer and promote it.

      However, there are other ways to recruit affiliates too, such as right here on the Warrior Forum in the Joint Ventures section and the Affiliate Program Database section!

      Best,
      Shane
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  • After reading this post, it encourages me to create my eBooks to sell. I'm not a good writer and don't have good voice, therefore I need to outsource the eBook creation.
  • Working on my product ... do u guys think I should release it in December 2010 or wait till the new year 2011 ?
  • Nice one.

    "if you take action and set your mind to something, it's amazing what you can achieve."

    I think that's the key right there. Most people quit before they TRULY get started.
  • You are spot on!
    • [1] reply
    • This has truly been an inspiring thread for me. I've been going back and forth for a while now trying to decide about creating a product. Although the niche is full of desperate people, I'm not sure they will pay for the insider information that I have - but then that's most people's problem, right? As said before in this thread, we often do not realize the value that we can offer! Thank you to everyone in this thread for the tips and encouragement. I won't know what is possible until I try, so I'm off to try!
      • [1] reply
  • I created my first product, and it was a complete cow flop. I created product number two and made several thousand dollars. I'm working on product number three and fully expect to make Great money in the process. My point? Just do it. It may take you a month to write it, tweak it, even tweak it some more, but there's been nothing more satisfying to me vs all of my other online activities than creating and selling my own products. Even if YOUR first product is also a giant cow flop, it will get the creative juices going, and who knows where that might lead? Greg
    • [1] reply
    • Thanks for sharing, Greg. My experiences were quite similar too. My first product wasn't quite a flop, but sales were mediocre at best. On the other hand, my second product made me many thousands of dollars. You'll never know until you do it, and the more you do it the more proficient you'll get at producing winners!

      Paul
  • Making and selling your won ebooks is how many entrepreneurs got their first big break, and ofcourse you can get other people to sell it for you virtually on auto pilot with Clickbank
    • [1] reply
    • Very true dagaul... I got my first break with my guitar instruction ebook and then it really took off when I offered it with resell rights along with my other music instruction products. Never got that one up on Clickbank although I am thinking about doing it...

      Best,
      Shane
      • [1] reply
  • Banned
    Love the OP's post. It's so true. No matter where you go, the "big hitters" in any industry are those who are selling their own products or services.

    Plus, if you have an affiliate program, one advantage of selling your own product is that traffic generation is taken care of for you.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Yes it's true...

    I am slow, I happened to realize about this when I started to want to build my list.... Then suddenly the idea of having my own product hit my head... HARD!

    And just recently so, I saw a product owner with good funneling system behind his front end product, and it's obvious that he's doing well, because of how he structure his backend funnel!

    Gonna catch up with those 3 years which I've wasted without even building a LIST, let alone creating a product! LOL
  • I think this thread has proven, hands down, that creating (or outsourcing) your own product is perhaps one of the best -- if not the best -- investment of your time and money when it comes to your internet marketing endeavor.

    Would you [Warriors] agree?

    Best,
    Shane
    • [1] reply
    • Shane, this thread you started is THE goldmine.

      It establishes what those at the top of the food chain do.

      It lets newbies who've not created their own products know what the steps are required at each level from affiliate to producer.

      A person can gauge where they are on that food chain and what to do to rise up.

      For us who can produce, we see the workforce available and how to cater to them and to customers and other producers.

      This is orientation.

      I'm fortunate in that I can produce. I'm a professional writer, artist, guru in many areas and after studying WF for the past month I'm rolling with work and new projects to the point of amazement to say the least.

      It's at the point I don't ask 'if' I can produce, I ask myself 'what' do I want to produce. I see also how I can employ numbers of people who have no idea what's going on in IM. Writers and editors and artists, personalities in all walks of excellence thus 'creating jobs'. Creating, creating, creating.

      One good product keeps who knows how many affiliates and others earning income for quite some time. That's what the country needs.

      I'm so stoked I don't know where to start. Reorganizing my administrative infrastructure is the first place, making sure I have the tools, software etc.., and getting those discounts on tools like computers, cameras and discounts in reliable services.

      I'm optimizing my mobile studio too. There's a great new scanner for comic book sized pages that I can stuff into a backpack with a laptop, camera, microphones, art supplies and I am good-to-go!

      Now comes the challenge of fine tuning the configurations and other options. There's alot to do!
      • [1] reply
  • I agree Shane
  • Shane you've definitely inspired people. Now its time for action.
    V
    • [1] reply
    • Andy makes some very good points. From what I've seen and definitely from my experience most people are reluctant to make and if they get that far, release a product.

      Usually, again based on my experience, the reasons revolve around the product not being good enough or the author not being knowledgeable enough.

      I believe many people on this very board have said
      There will always be people who want to learn. Whether for a career, recreation, or a hobby information is something that will never go out of style and as you mentioned many of the middle men have been made irrelevant by the web.
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Not a writer? I am...

    I would be interested in a joint-venture.
  • I just created an awesome product... working on a WSO listing soon.. stay tuned.
    But besides my new product, I have developed multiple successful products...
    But I must say, it takes ALOT of hard work and many hours..
    It just may be easier for some to promote other peoples products. (ie: some people actually have real 9-5 jobs)
    Each can be very lucrative if there is a well thought out plan of success.

    I think everyone should once in their lives try to develop a product of their own... if not for the money, for the learning experience, if not that, just to come on WF and say they are a "product developer" =)
  • [DELETED]
  • I need to mention a few of my learnings from my own ebook inspiration:
    1. Do your market research FIRST. Is anyone looking for your content online? Offline?
    2. Not all topics are appropriate in ebook format (Example: 150 pages devoted to how to be a successful community-based youth mentor)
    3. Is your target audience even looking online for a product in ebook format?
    4. If it's an ebook, at least make the pages double space for easier reading
    5. Make sure you have a knowledgeable editor help you with the content
    6. Getting a Kindle version is a good thing.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Inspiring thread, Shane, thanks, but lets compare two models of product, ebook and video. I prefer ebook because I can read every time and not need much memory from my PC. And I spot video as second choice because make me boring quickly, especially if your sound quality is bad, your image is poor and your topic is off from main. So, just make a own course by video only 2-3 hours in several files, and do not make them longer until 25 hours! And make a one video only 15-20 minutes time, not 2-3 hours.
  • [DELETED]
  • Lots of good info on this site. thank you for it Shane
    • [1] reply
    • This is a great thread. I'm new & been trying to decide if I should start out with creating my own product first or become an Amazon affiliate first to try to learn how things work a little better.

      In any event, everyone is talking about creating your own product, but what kind of research do you'll do first to determine what niche you want to enter & to make sure the product you want to create is one worth pursuing? In other words, what kind of research do you'll do to find a niche that will be profitable? What resources do you use?
      • [1] reply
  • Stay focused and you may end up with a product like this:

    Fat Loss 4 Idiots / Weight Loss and Diet Center

    Was it this year it made $21million in sales or is it in total?

    Rob
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      Either way, it is a LOT. And that sales letter is just awful. But then again, it proves it doesn't have to look great to sell. I'm sure they tested the heck out of it.
      • [1] reply
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