Information Marketing: Launching an Info-product Into a New Market

Infopreneurs marketing info-products to a market for the first time must build a relationship with prospective customers so they learn about you, learn that you understand their problems and trust you to provide the solution.  Until recently, info-marketers building a relationship with a market were limited to submitting articles in the industry trade journal.  While that is may still be effective, with today’s technology, there are a lot of new tools you can use to build a trusting relationship with your prospective customers.

As the President of the Information Marketing Association, I host monthly coaching calls for info-marketers who have questions and are trying to launch their infopreneur business.  Here is a question from Dorin in Canada about the methods and materials that can be used to launch a new info-marketing business. Since this is a common question, I have decided to prepare an article about this challenge to help you.

Dorin recorded several audio briefings about different challenges his prospective customers face within his market.  The audio briefings contain information about the problem, they give them strategies to overcome the problem and invite listeners to invest in his product for all the details on how to implement those strategies.  These audio clips allow prospective customers to learn more about Dorin, learn about his strategies and grow to trust him. 

Dorin is also working on a post card direct mail campaign.  He was concerned that a sales letter may be better than a post card in generating a response; however, since a sales letter is more expensive to produce and mail, he wasn’t sure it would be worth the investment.  It’s always important for information marketers to test both tools.  Split your list in half; mail half the list your post card and the other half your sales letter.  Allow the market to determine the best marketing tool. 

Many info-marketers are using forums to build a sense of community with their customers.  A lot of information marketers post articles or clips of video or audio to their blogs and forums to get feedback and build interest for your program. They sometimes survey their customers to find out what they want, it can be as simple as posting the question, “what is the biggest change you face?” or “what challenges does your company need to overcome?”  Then, you can create an information product or a coaching business structured to help them overcome those challenges.

A newsletter can be a cost efficient and beneficial way to keep those interested clients hooked into your information.  For Dorin, I gave a quick template for an eight-page newsletter, eight steps guideline is as follows: the first page is an article in your voice, talking directly to your reader about current affairs within your business, family or business philosophy so readers get a sense of who you are and what you are about. Dedicate the second page or two to the successful members who have used your techniques to help them make a successful start. The rest of the pages, excluding the final page, are articles about things within your program or company, articles on the real world and real world issues and about how the readers can become more involved in your program, making sure to address any conflicts or problems in which the readers might be involved.  You could also include an article about personal development, goal setting, discipline or motivation.  A lot of readers like these articles and good news help put customers into a buying mood. The last page should make the reader look forward to the next month’s edition of the newsletter.

There have never been greater, more diverse, more lucrative opportunities for everyone—experienced, successful entrepreneurs to rank beginners—in the field of information marketing. If you can name a topic, there is a market for providing information about it. People buy information about almost everything—from hobbyist topics like dog training, to business topics like how to sell over the telephone, to self-improvement topics like fitness walking. The key is to find a responsive market and then package information that customers want in convenient forms such as DVD’s, books, eBooks, CD’s, magazines, websites, teleseminars, webinars, coaching programs, seminars, and conferences.  Watch a free video revealing several info-marketers created their products and became infopreneurs at www.InfoMarketingStartup.com.