Chapter 4 | How To Create Lead-generating Information Products

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Information products are a great way to generate leads and establishing yourself as an expert in your field but there are few things that should always be kept in mind. Whatever you write, it must come with an attention-grabbing title at the top. Often articles comprising useful information are left unread by many due to the lack of an enticing headline.

Do not forget the relationship management rule: Customers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

If you are starting from scratch, start with something simple. Let people connect with you and know you as a person. Let them see who you really are.

Here are few tips on how you can benefit from tremendous opportunity information products provide:

• Give your readers an insight into how you dealt with a crisis or problem in your own work or personal life.
• Share your experiences to build rapport and connect with readers. Establish your credentials by showing them how you solved the problem that they might be facing now.
• Engage reader’s interest by providing them with testimonials of your own experiences with products and services. It will help you build a bond of trust.
• People are looking for practical solutions. Write about real solutions for real people.

Effective lead-generating information products can be created using some of the most popular formats mentioned below:

• Write a short how-to eBook.
• Write a short eBook to offer free tips.
• Convert your how-to or free-tips book into an eCourse or Webinar.
• Write an article that connects with one of your current business requirements.
• Produce your own video cast or podcast.

Following are the four Rs that you should always put into practice while internet publishing:

Review

Review an old product from a new perspective. Often having a fresh look at something you have done in the past can get your creative juices flowing and you might end up discovering solution to a business problem that was long standing by.

Rethink

Rethink and write on an old topic from a different angle to create new information products. An article or an eBook that provides different perspective on a topic is a very effective tool for driving traffic and generating leads.

Rewrite

Rewrite your old articles from a different vantage point taking into account where your target market is heading today. Strive to provide your customers a fresh view or insight of a topic.

Recycle

Old articles can be recycled into new podcasts and eCourses by minor tweaking here and there. Leverage your new product into as many different formats as you can to achieve the full potential of information products.

Information Products plus Permission Marketing equals rapid-fire Lead Generation

Information Products and Permission Marketing work in tandem to harness the potential of internet marketing.

A database of e-mail addresses has one of the most significant parts to play in your business system. A list makes it possible to offer products and promotions that add value to the lives of your prospects and customers and helps you building a lasting relationship with them.

Information products in the form of special reports, consultations, free trials and web seminars that provide real solutions to people’s problems effectively entice visitors to leave their e-mail addresses or contact information. With every information product that goes out under your name, you take a step forward in building your brand as an online expert.

Permission marketing implies permission for the marketer granted by the prospective customer to send them promotional messages that could be advertising in nature through emails. Permission marketing has been proven for building and maintaining customer relationships. It begins by inviting customers to opt-in to a database in order to receive special promotions. When visitors opt-in by voluntarily entering their name and e-mail addresses on your website, they give you permission to start building a relationship.

An effective web site must do four things:

1) Sell products and services.
2) Build your brand.
3) Capture names and email addresses of visitors.
4) Foster affiliate relationships.

Information products are the single most effective point of entry into the sales cycle as they are ideal tools for:

• Generating leads by driving traffic to your web site or squeeze page.
• Building your brand as an expert and separating you from the competition.
• Creating multiple revenue streams.