by Tony Sanford

January 14, 2020

Are you considering starting an online business as a solopreneur? One of the biggest things that may be of concern to you is how will you compete with the big dogs of internet marketing? The bad news is that question alone has been a major deal breaker for many of would be online business start ups. The good news is it doesn't have to be that way. One of the best evergreen ways for any small online business to start out on a level playing field with the bigger businesses online is with digital product creation marketing.

What are digital products?

The definition here is the Wikipedia definition for Digital Goods. I have substituted the word "products" in place of the word "Goods" to create our definition for digital products below:


Digital products or e-products are intangible products that exist in digital form.[1] Examples include this Wikipedia article; digital media, such as e-books, downloadable music, internet radio, internet television and streaming media; fonts, logos, photos and graphics; digital subscriptions; online ads (as purchased by the advertiser); internet coupons; electronic tickets; online casino tokens; electronically traded financial instruments; downloadable software (Digital Distribution) and mobile apps; cloud-based applications and online games; virtual goods used within the virtual economies of online games and communities; workbooks; worksheets; planners; e-learning (online courses); webinars, video tutorials, blog posts; cards; patterns; website themes; templates.


So a A digital product can be an ebook, a software product, a membership site, an email series, an audio or video training program, etc. Essentially, it is a product that cannot be physically held in your hands like a physical book, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray disc, software box, etc. Thus, a digital product is a product that can be used for information or for features/benefits like a physical product, but cannot be physically held and can only be used on a PC/laptop or on a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet.

A common digital product that is used and sold online is an ebook. An ebook stands for “electronic book” because the book can only be accessed on an electronic device such as a PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or ebook reader (such as a Kindle or Nook, etc.). This ebook can have useful and interesting information in it, just as a physical book does.


The advantage with an ebook is that it doesn’t take up any space for the buyer/user. The advantage with an ebook for a seller is that you don’t have to physically ship anything to the buyer; it can be delivered digitally to the buyer, either to his/her email inbox via an attachment or via a download link where the buyer downloads it at his/her convenience.

Another common digital product that is used and sold online is a software program. Like the physical software programs you buy in-store and online, digital software programs provide the user with features that aid him/her in doing something, whether it’s creating graphics or infographics, composing emails or text documents, doing keyword or book research, etc. 

Digital Products Creation VS Physical Products a Small Online Business game changer

Due to the global nature of the internet the prospects for making money online are vast and exciting. One of those methods is the development of your own digital info products.


Given the many different ways that people are connecting to the internet today, developing new information products can take a wide array of different forms. Mobile applications, e-books, or even website plugins are all ideas that you may be considering.


The advantages


There are several advantages or benefits digital products have over physical products.  When it comes to ebooks, buyers don’t have to take up any space in their homes or apartments to store them.  Instead, they can just use their PC/laptop or mobile device (smartphone, tablet, or ebook reader) to access the ebook and the contents within. 


The advantages for a buyer when purchasing a digital software program is that he/she doesn’t have to use a CD or DVD to install the software onto his/her computer; he/she can either use it when he/she is online or can download the program directly from the Internet and install it.


The advantages for a seller when selling a digital software program is that he/she doesn’t have to physically ship the program to the buyer; instead, it is delivered digitally to the buyer, either to his/her email inbox via an attachment or via a download link where the buyer downloads it at his/her convenience.


When it comes to digital ebooks and software programs, they both have the advantage over their physical counterparts when it comes to updates.  If an ebook or software program needs to be updated with new information or a new feature, all the seller has to do is to modify the main file or program, then send a notification to buyers via email that the ebook or software program has been updated and that it should be downloaded again to take advantage of the new information or feature. 


To do that with a physical product, a seller would have to create the product again from scratch with the new information or feature, then advertise to the buyers that new information or features have been added and that the buyer should buy the product again to get the benefits of the new information or features.  Obviously, digital products make it much more convenient for buyers and sellers than their physical counterparts.


Thus, digital products allow the buyers/users to not have to store them in their homes/apartments, but can use them like their physical counterparts. Digital products allow sellers to avoid having to carry inventory of physical product; they just have to deliver the product digitally to the buyer either as an attachment to a message in the buyer’s inbox or as a download link inside that message for the buyer to download at his/her convenience.


Digital products allow sellers to avoid having to carry inventory of physical product; they just have to deliver the product digitally to the buyer either as an attachment to a message in the buyer’s inbox or as a download link inside that message for the buyer to download at his/her convenience.  In addition, updating digital products is much easier for sellers and more convenient for buyers to take advantage of than is the case with physical products.

Digital Product Creation

Benefits Of Building Digital Products Another Look

Instant gratification is probably the biggest consumer benefit that is offered by selling info products, but there are many more benefits when viewed from a business owner’s perspective. Here are a few reasons why you will want to make sure you don't overlook the opportunity to make money online using infoproducts:

  • Low-Cost – Online business owners that are just getting started don't want to spend too much money on something that they don't know will provide income or not. Infoproducts are low-cost to develop and have a very high return on the investment since millions can buy the product once it's done.
  • Requires No Physical Inventory - If you are just starting your online business, infoproducts are a quick way to generate a large inventory of virtual products and to create loyal fans that keep coming back for more. You don't need room to store infoproducts either.
  • No Shipping Costs – Since the infoproducts are delivered over the Internet in digital format, you don't have to pay for shipping or pass that cost on to your customers.
  • Versatile Formats – You aren't limited to just offering ebooks; you can also offer videos or audio files over the Internet. Some Internet marketers even sell software scripts. As long as you know how to create the files or where to buy the rights to these types of products, you can start to create a downloadable library that fits your market niche.
  • They Can Serve As Free Advertising – On top of already selling an item, that particular product can include links and advertisements for other products, whether they are your own or they are those of affiliate partners’ products or services.
  • They Can Go Viral – Infoproducts can also be promotional items that you give away for free to create a viral marketing program. Any info product that goes viral can create unrivaled advertising and increase your bottom line significantly.
  • You Can Sell Them 24X7 – Since there is no physical inventory or processes to deliver, you can sell them online any time of day or night. It's just a matter of setting up a system to deliver them for you while you cozily lie sleeping in your bed.
  • Always Something New – Unlike a physical product that can take a huge amount of time to create a new product, infoproducts have a short development cycle. All it takes is a good theme and some ghostwriters, and you can churn out new products at least every month.

Why Create Digital Info Products

You started your online business to make an income. Sure, you can make money promoting other people’s products or become an Adsense publisher. But if you want to make a solid income that is derived over and over again from your business, make it highly scalable and can be easily upgraded, there is no better way to go about doing this than selling your own product.


This is what 99.99% of the top 6-figure and 7-figure Internet Marketers do. They either own their own product or sell membership sites. This is why it is essential to learn how to create your own product to sell, if you want to be taken seriously in any marketplace you set your foot on. You will have an easier time making money and outwit your competitors if you develop your own line of products to sell.


That being said, when you are mapping out the creation of an information digital product. There are other important considerations to be made. One of the first and most important being why you are creating the product in the first place?


Of course generating an income is a reason, that is why most people start an online business to make money. But is that enough?


Why should you want to create your product anyway? What is your main motivation. It should be that you want to really help your customer. To make a positive difference in their lives. To provide real value. While making a profit is an important motivator it won't help you create a better product for your customers.


Providing a genuine value to your customer through the information your products provide should be key no matter what niche market you are in.

Digital Products Strategies

9 Strategies to Your First Profitable Digital Product

If you can find the RIGHT product, then the job of selling your product is half done. That’s because an in-demand product will do half of the selling for you.


On the other hand, the wrong product will mean you have to work ten times as hard to make a sale.


How do you come up with great product ideas? It’s tricky. It can feel like everything that can be sold is already BEING sold.


You look at the marketplace and there seems to be products for everything. But think of it this way… 5 years ago people thought the same thing. And yet, in the last 5 years, look at all the new products that have hit the market.


There is always a killer best-selling hot product that is just WAITING for you to find it, invent it or create it. You simply have to know where to look.


The key is to find a hungry market and then give that market what it wants. And it helps to understand the psychology of why people buy, too. Want to know how? Get started with the strategies below!

Solve a Customer’s Pain Point

Solving a customer’s pain point always has been and will be an effective strategy to develop a product people want.


Pain relievers like aspirin literally take away pain.


But more often than not, pain is a more abstract concept – the pain of stress, money problems, loneliness, low energy, out of shape, poor health, lousy job and so forth. All of these cause very real pain, and when you can relieve that pain, you make a sale.


Let’s say you’re at the dog park with your dog, and over and over again you hear dog owners lamenting the fact that dog toys are expensive and they don’t last. This is a pain point. You could solve this pain point by selling cheaper dog toys, selling dog toys that last longer, or even selling cheaper dog toys that last longer.


Pay special attention to when people say they are frustrated with a particular product or service. Notice when you find yourself thinking that something could be improved or something should be invented, if only somebody would do it. That somebody could be you.

Cater to Enthusiastic Hobbyists

The more passionate people are about their particular trade or hobby, the more money they’ll invest to get the exact product they want.

 
The classic example is golfers: They’re well-known for investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars to lower their score by a stroke or two.


I’ve personally seen collectors live on ramen soup for a month in order to afford their latest acquisition. And we’ve all seen online marketers buy yet another ‘how to’ course when they haven’t yet consumed the last dozen courses they already purchased.


Look for passionate people and you’ll have a hot market. Listen to what they say and watch what they do, and you’ll find product ideas worth pursuing.

 
Imagine you go through your day, observing people in their hobbies. You take a walk and you notice people out gardening. What can you offer them that helps them express themselves in their hobby, or makes their hobby even more fun?


Maybe you invent funny garden signs they can place amongst their plants, or t-shirts they can wear, or hats or even zany garden gloves that make them smile. Maybe you create an info product on 101 weird ways to grow the biggest, baddest, most glorious bug and disease free garden ever.
You see some people ride by on bicycles. They’d love some t-shirts that highlight their hobby, too.


And how about outfitting their bikes to represent their personality and style? Not to mention an app that shows them all the best places in the area to bike, including elevation gains for hilly areas and cautions against dangerous streets for bikes.

 
Next, you walk by the gym, where you see people trudging through the door, carrying their duffel bags. They don’t look all that enthused to be there, do they?

 
Is it because they get tired of having to drive there, compete with others for space and equipment and shower in public? Maybe they’d rather work out at home, or even at a park or the beach. You could create a series of exercise videos that use nothing but their own body-weight to get fit and trim in no time, with no gym membership and no equipment needed.


You get the idea. Keep your eyes open and watch for ideas because they are everywhere.

– Anonymous

“Our passions are the winds that propel our vessel. Our reason is the pilot that steers her. Without winds the vessel would not move and without a pilot she would be lost.”

Your Personal Passion

This one is a little tricky. There is an old saying that if you do what you love, the money will follow.


Well, not necessarily. The key is that a lot of other people who are willing to spend money also need to share your passion.


But if you can use your know-how to create and position a unique product in a niche you love, it can be extremely profitable.


When you love your niche, the hard work of building a business, staying motivated and overcoming obstacles becomes a lot easier.


One blogger started writing about how to make money online. But she kept using her scuba experiences to illustrate points. The more scuba crept into her blog, the more she realized that her real passion was diving. Soon she started a diving website and is now making money promoting diving trips and selling diving equipment, as well as taking paid advertisements.


Another entrepreneur had a real passion for artwork. She could spend all day hunting art online and finding the best upcoming artists. She finally quit her accounting job and started her own website, where she highlights new artists, sells art products and beautiful accessories designed by her artists, and caters to people who love art with a passion. She also donates 10% of all proceeds to benefit nonprofits that are close to her heart.

Use Your Professional Experience

If you’re been working in a particular industry, odds are you know more about certain aspects of that industry than 99.9% of people on the planet.


Plus, you’ve likely made important contacts in the industry, learned certain skills and had your own unique set of experiences. Do you realize you’re more knowledgeable than the average person on these particular topics?


Then turning your expertise into your own online business might be a smart way to enter the market with a leg up that isn't easy for others to duplicate or copy.


For example, a plumber might start an online business teaching people to do their own plumbing maintenance and fix small plumbing problems, as well as serving as a review site for local plumbers.

 
On the flip side, that same plumber can help new plumbers by teaching them the ins and outs of the business, as well as how to build up a large clientele fast, how to structure their business to limit liability, how to collect on slow paying customers, how to hire the right employees and be an effective boss and everything else related to a plumbing business.

Be an Early Adopter

Are you good at recognizing trends early enough to take full advantage of the opportunities? For example, maybe you spotted the opportunity with Bitcoin or cannabis before most people did.

 
Being first allows you to carve out a place in the market and establish yourself as a leader before others have a chance to.

 
Here’s the pitfall to watch out for when spotting trends – a trend is something long term with lots of potential. It should be profitable for at least a couple of years, and preferably a decade.

 
A fad, on the other hand, is generally here today and gone tomorrow. To capitalize on a fad you have to be super fast on your feet, and ready to pivot at a moment’s notice.


In the 70’s pet rocks were invented just for a kick. Each rock was nestled on a bed of straw inside a little box, with instructions on how to care for your new ‘pet.’ To everyone’s surprise, they sold like hotcakes. The problem occurred when others tried to copy the success of this product and couldn’t, because the pet rock was a fad, not a trend.


Of course, if you had started the pet rock fad yourself, you would have become a millionaire.


When you spot the right opportunity, act fast. It’s generally always the first movers who have an extreme advantage.

 
Here are a few ways to watch for what’s trending:

  • Social listening: Watch trending hashtags on Twitter or topics on Facebook. Use social listening tool software to identify and monitor trends over time.
  • Google Trends: Watch and monitor the popularity of topics over time, looking for upward trends that show no sign of tapering off.
  • Trend Hunter: https://www.trendhunter.com From the website - “Spark new ideas with the world's #1 largest, most powerful trend platform. We unlock insights with a global network of 237,694 Hunters, billions of views, AI and a skilled team of Researchers and Futurists. Join 3,500,000+ on the cutting edge.”
  • Reddit: http://www.reddit.com This “Front page of the internet” showcases forums about nearly every topic under the sun – even cat toe beans. Visit the popular page to see what people are buzzing about.


Read Customer Reviews for Existing Products

There is a wealth of insight you can glean from customer reviews.


Do you already have a line of products? See what your customers are saying about them. Look for areas where your product fell short. Look for trends and interesting feedback that you can use as inspiration for your next product.


Next, go to Amazon and other sites to read feedback on products in your niche. What are their complaints? What do they love? How can you either improve on what’s out there, or completely reinvent something?


This works especially well for information products. Make a list of everything customers love and everything they complain about on your topic. Then use this as a starting point for your next creation. 

Use Keyword Research to Find Product Opportunities

You might think this is doing things backwards, but by strategically looking for product ideas based on real search queries, you can gain valuable insight into what you can not only sell, but also get ranked high in the search engines.


Imagine you launch a product that Google immediately places on page one of the natural results – you’ll have free traffic for as long as Google is loving what you offer.


This approach is somewhat technical and takes a good understanding of keyword research and search engine optimization.

 
But by pairing product demand to existing keywords, you really can capture consistent organic traffic from Google. Of course, if Google changes its algorithm, that free traffic could disappear.


It’s important to remember that Google isn’t the only place where people start their search. Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, YouTube and other online marketplaces also have their own search functions, which means lots of keyword data as well.

 
Here are a few tools you can use to uncover popular search terms, which may help you find the next product to sell:

Test Before You Launch

Here’s a nifty trick to find out ahead of time if there is going to be a market for your product.


Create a web page that explains what’s so great about your product. It’s a sales page you put together without overthinking – sort of a “just get it done” type of page.


Send traffic to the page, either through your list and social media, or by paying for traffic.


You can approach this in different ways – take pre-orders and let customers know the product will be finished and delivered on a certain date.


Or explain the product and let them join a waiting list to be the first to purchase it.


The first option will give you a much better sense of how well the product will sell, since people are laying out their money for the product. But be sure you know exactly when the product will be ready.


If there is little or no interest in the product, and you’re fairly certain you targeted the right people, then count yourself lucky that you didn’t go through the hassle of creating the product just to find out it wouldn’t sell.

Always be on the Lookout

Above all else, just keep an open eye and an open mind.


Write down every idea you get, no matter how bad or good it is. This prompts your subconscious to find even more ideas.


Ideas can come at any moment, including in the middle of the night or the middle of a shower. Be prepared to write them down.


Then review your lists and see what you’ve got. Somewhere in there is a pot of gold just waiting for you.

 
Hopefully these ideas will get you on the road to lucrative product creation.

4 Kinds of Products

Every product falls into one of 4 categories, and here they are ranked by order of how easy they are to sell:

PRODUCT TYPE # 1

Relief of Pain.

This is always going to be the easiest thing to sell because people are willing to pay to relieve pain.

Think of the last time you had a toothache. I’m guessing you didn’t put off going to the dentist, and in fact you insisted on seeing your doctor the same day you called.

If someone wakes up to a flooded basement, they are on the phone searching for the plumber that can get there immediately.

And yes, this can also work with information products. Just think of the heart broken person who was just left by their spouse. How much would they pay to learn how to get their loved one back in their arms?

Any time you can convince your customer that your solution will relieve their pain, they will be eager to buy your product.

Product Type # 2

Solving a Problem.

This isn’t as urgent as pain relief, but it’s still highly effective for getting the sale.

If someone needs to make money and you can teach them how… or they have trouble getting dates, or need to lose weight, or they have no energy or can’t get a good job or… there are thousands of problems that need solving.

And often you’ll find there is also a pain element to problems.
For example, the man who wants to lose weight might be in pain because he fears his spouse will leave him for another, or because women don’t find him attractive and he’s lonely.

PRODUCT TYPE # 3

Giving Pleasure.

This is a huge category, and includes hobbies, sports, food, travel and a whole lot more.

People won’t do as much for pleasure as they will to relieve pain or solve a problem but take heart: The golf industry alone is a multi-billion dollar business, and that’s just one hobby.

PRODUCT TYPE # 4

Preventing Problems.

Preventing problems is hardest of all to promote, because hardly anyone wants to pay today to prevent a problem tomorrow.

Logically it doesn’t make sense, but we’re dealing with human nature.

Kinds Of Digital Products For Online Business

Digital Products

Ebook Product Types

  • Ebook – non-fiction
  • Ebook – fiction
  • Ecommerce product descriptions
  • Copywriting templates
  • Recipe books
  • Document templates
  • Reports/analytics templates
  • Email campaign templates
  • Creative brief samples/templates
  • Academic research, papers, findings
  • Magazines
  • Writing cover letters
  • Dispute letters

Audio Product Types

  • Songs
  • Beats
  • Jingles
  • Ringtones
  • Sound effects
  • Voice overs
  • Instrumental tracks

Video Product Types

  • Sell short films
  • Video animation intros
  • Stock video
  • Video tutorials
  • edited short videos
  • Documentary
  • Stand-up comedy
  • Deluts

Design Product types

  • Sell logo design
  • Wallpapers
  • Posters/prints
  • Emojis/bitmojis
  • Fonts
  • Photoshop/illustrator templates
  • Photoshop services
  • Branding services
  • Business card design
  • Infographic design
  • images into vector files
  • Powerpoint / Keynote presentation templates
  • Printout origami
  • Printable colouring book pages
  • 3D models
  • 3D printer design files
  • VR/AR templates
  • Icon sets
  • Animations
  • Wedding invitation templates
  • CGI models
  • Comics
  • Printable calendars
  • Printable journals

Photography Product Types

  • Lightroom/photoshop presets
  • Mockup images
  • LUTs (Lookup Tables)

IT & Tech Product Types

  • Apps
  • Games
  • Browser plugins
  • Website themes
  • Setup for online stores, blogs, websites
  • Selling domains
  • Hosting
  • Zapier templates
  • Code snippets

Knowledge Products types

  • Language lessons
  • Financial consultations
  • Financial planning
  • Coaching/mentoring sessions
  • Tutoring
  • Resume touchups
  • Essay-writing services
  • Translations
  • Social media marketing
  • User testing
  • Proofreading
  • Editing
  • Audits
  • Career consultations

Miscellaneous Product Types 

  • Courses – of any and all kinds
  • List Element
  • Sewing patterns
  • Knitting patterns
  • Architectural plans
  • Nutrition plans
  • Meal-prep plans
  • Workout plans
  • Custom vacation/travel planning
  • Virtual assisting
  • Worksheets (educational curriculum ideas)
  • Paid newsletters
  • Woodworking instructions – step-by-step tutorials
  • Custom beauty/style/skincare consultations
  • Drawing lessons – step-by-step
  • Board game printouts
  • Astrology readings
  • Car/equipment repair manuals
  • Meditation/subliminal programs
  • Stock market analysis software
  • Minecraft skins/renders
  • Painting tutorials

How to Determine what Digital Product is Right for your Business

The online world is a huge part of our lives in modern times and many people are experiencing success with digital product offerings. This might be e-books, a video series, or online course, but whichever you choose there’s no denying that some significant thought needs to go into selecting an appropriate product.


We’ve put together a brief list of points to help you determine what digital product is right for your business.

Know your audience

As with all product development, finding the right digital product should begin and end with your audience. After all, these are the people who will be buying your product. Understand their likes, dislikes, tastes, and preferences. What are they looking for? What can you offer them? How do they like to consume online content? This information will play a valuable role in guiding your product selection.

Use a pre-sale approach

Before you invest all your time, money, and energy into the development of a new digital product, test the market. Try a pre-sale approach to see if there is interest for the product before you actually create it. You might choose to hold an official pre-sale online to gauge interest, or simply get one of your existing clients on board. If you know they are interested, others will likely be too. They can also give you feedback that you can use to create the product and ensure it meets expectations.

Consider your brand

As you are brainstorming digital product ideas, always keep your brand in mind. The product needs to align with your existing brand image, strengthening this reputation rather than detracting from it. You want your product to be an extension of the brand. A product that seems disconnected or out of place will only make consumers question it.

Don’t forget your passion

Developing a digital product is a big commitment. Make sure that it is related to your passion and the purpose of your brand to ensure you won’t get bored of it. The development process is likely to be long and at times tedious, so you want to have that passion to act as a motivator when things get tough.

It can be challenging to find the right product for your business. You want it to align with your brand, while also providing new and additional value to your consumers. These tips will help to find the perfect one for your business.

–Uzo Onukwugha

"Your wealth is in the wealth of your knowledge. Transform your uncommon wisdom into uncommon wealth because nobody has your unique experience. Turn your thinking process into your word processor. Then take your packaged information to the marketplace where your good ideas make the cash register ring."

Before you build your digital product some questions you should answer

The online world is a huge part of our lives in modern times and many people are experiencing success with digital product offerings. This might be e-books, a video series, or online course, but which digitalever you choose there’s no denying that some significant thought needs to go into selecting an appropriate product. Below you will find 4 important questions to ask to help you determine what digital product is right for your business.

1. How large is Your Market

Before you do anything else, you need to determine if there is a large enough market for your product. If you market isn't large enough you're not going to be able to build a profitable business. That much should be obvious.

Also, if your market is large enough, you'll be able to splinter off and create more specialized products for different segments within that market. An easy way to determine if you market is large enough to build a business around is to determine how many newspapers, trade journals, or magazines cater to your market. If there are a variety of offerings, this is a sign that you have a good market.

2. Do Your Prospects and Customers Want Your Info Products

For this part, you want make two lists. One list will list the problems your customers have, and the other list will mention opportunities your customers want to take advantage of. For the sheet with problems, write down as many as you can in a brainstorming exercise. Now do the same for the other list. Follow through with this and write everything that comes to mind, even if you know it is wrong.

Now, read the lists and eliminate things that are useless, too difficult to turn into an information product, or of minimal interest to your customers. Now put the items on each list in order of most to least important.


Now, contact your customers or prospects and find out if they agree with your lists. This is most easily done with an email list of your own.

3. Is the Market Willing to Pay a Fair Price

Write a 3-4 sentence description of your proposed product. In each sentence, focus on the benefit your prospect or customer gets. Along with the description, assign a proposed price for each product. Now, after having listed the 3-4 sentence benefit driven description, ask the customers if they would pay your proposed price for the product. If they say no, give 2nd option, and if they say no again, give a third option.

4. Who Is Your Competition

Make sure your market has plenty of competition. Then, all you have to do is differentiate yourself a bit. You can do this in a variety of ways, some ideas include: offer a more comprehensive package, higher price (for perceived value), lower price, different packaging, etc.

Also, look to see where your competitors are marketing successfully. Those will be prime locations for your marketing as well. This will make your info product creation process much more likely to succeed


It can be challenging to find the right product for your business. You want it to align with your brand, while also providing new and additional value to your consumers. These tips will help to find the perfect one for your company.

–Uzo Onukwugha

"Your wealth is in the wealth of your knowledge. Transform your uncommon wisdom into uncommon wealth because nobody has your unique experience. Turn your thinking process into your word processor. Then take your packaged information to the marketplace where your good ideas make the cash register ring."

How to Create A Simple Digital Product

Digital products come in many types, formats and sizes. For the sake of this article we will talk about creating a simple information product for your business. A small report or eBook of 7-31 pages that can be given away to build your list or sold $7- $27.00. So let's get started.

 

There are many different approaches to actual methods of creating digital products. The method you choose may depend on the type of product you want to create. As we have discussed earlier in this article there are many types and formats that digital products can take.


Because one product format can be repurposed into an entirely different product using a different format. Say, a PDF eBook into an audio or video product. As stated above this article will describe a method for creating a simple PDF product for download.  


Even then, simple eBooks and reports as products can have different methods of creation. So often product creation trainings will basically tell you to;

 

- Write about something you know.


or

-Take someone else's product and rewrite it as your own.

That being said, that's two simple ways to do it, but it's also kind of unclear instruction.
So, I thought I'd share  a more specific example of how I would do it, so that you will be able to do it as well.

To start with, you don't need to write a word yourself. You could speak into a mic and record yourself talking about your chosen topic. Next you can go to an online marketplace for digital services like Fiverr to have a freelancer to transcribe your recording. After that you can find another Fiverr freelancer to edit the finished transcript and write it over for you.

But for the examples, I will be showing you it will call for you to write it yourself. It's not as hard as you may think. 


Make it your own info product.


You don't want to start out by rewriting someone else's product. Many new digital product creators do that. They end up with a rehashed version of the same bad content that was in the original product.  By writing the content yourself you can truly make it your very own by adding your own unique personality. While the idea in the content may be the the same, it will become your unique product made in your own words, vision and style.

 

By adding your own style and point of view you will add more value to your product than other similar products out there.


Then you'll be creating original content and that's value people gladly will pay for!


That being said we'll look at how to go about getting great ideas for your digital product.

Doing Digital Product Creation Research

Product Research

1. Market research and product Ideas.

Where do our Product Ideas come from, and how likely are they to be successful from the moment they pop into our heads?


Without doing some market research before you launch any kind of product you will have better success trying to hit a target's bullseye while shooting at it in the dark. The problem is lots of people automatically cringe at the idea of doing any kind of research at all. Just the word research puts fear in the hearts of the most able would be product creators.

Without research the very basic ideas for a profitable info product can not be realized.

This is where most people fail. Before they even register a domain name, write the headline or begin creating the product itself. Most people fail from the moment they choose to follow an idea that is based only on hunches, “feels right” and seems like it could make a ton of money.

The problem with this is most people’s ideas aren’t based on any kind of facts, statistics or research. Most people think of a product, get excited about it and go to work – taking their best shot at success. They don’t bother with any kind of research, or even testing their ideas out before they commit to them – this is a highly risky and uncertain way of doing business online, it’s hit or miss.


So, our first step is to start our research by adding an effective strategy to the way we generate product market ideas.

We must give ourselves guidelines that will insure the ideas we come up with have a realistic chance at success from the very start. So the first thing we must do is define the different markets we are interested in by using a predetermined criteria as follows:

Kind of market to look for...

  1. 1
    Personal Interest / Experience: As I’ve stated before, I want to choose the Markets that I have the most Interest and Experience in. I want to be excited to learn about new Markets, and don’t want the work to feel like a daily grind. So when I narrow down the list of potential Markets, I usually choose the ones that interest me most.
  2. 2
    A market used to to paying out money: If the market does not regularly spend money - and normally, a good amount of money, then there’s no reason for putting the effort in it. “having people under 21 years of age would not be a useful target market mainly because the majority of them won't have any money to spend. Having said that, markets like health and beauty, relationships and pet care” spend a great deal of moneyeach year in these markets These markets are the kind of markets that fit our criteria.
  3. 3
    Availability of Traffic / Scalability: Whether the markets I choose are general and broad or more niche and targeted, I want traffic to be available on tap and the sky to be the limit in terms of potential.
  4. 4
    A market that could be served with a wide range of additional offers: If your market is restricted to what can be sold to it, that's another warning sign that that market is not for you. You should be able to provide a variety of offers relevant to the overall subject of the target market you've decided to go with.
    So, let’s consider for example the "pet care" market. You can market a wide range of both digital and physical products to this target audience, for instance:
  • Reports, ebooks, access to membership sites, videos and live events on a wide variety of topics, including pet nutrition, pet strength training,
  • Physical products such as pet clothes, toys, specialized food products, training equipment and similar merchandise.
  • Pet owner coaching, animal nutrition consulting and other services such as pet behavior counseling, personal training and similar services.

    The idea is, people within this marketplace never only buy one product then consider it a done deal. Actually, they are usually open to a wide selection of services and products. Lots of people in this market tend to buy various relevant goods and services throughout their lifespan.
  1. 5
    A market that you have been yourself interested in: Even if this isn’t completely needed, it’s definitely an advantage. When you can uncover a target market / audience that matches points 1 and 2 - Plus you've got a powerful interest in it as well, then you’ve made your decision.

    A personal passion, expertise or familiarity with a specific market offers you an edge in lots of facets of growing your online business. While it's not mandatory it does really help a lot.
  2. 6
    A market that is evergreen: This kind of market is just as in demand today as it was last year and it will be in demand (and sought after) two years down the road. Evergreen markets provide you the benefit of being able sell your products to it year after year.

    A general rule would be to, ask yourself if the market your looking at has been around for a long time, if it has it’s apt to remain around for a quite a while to come. 

That by going to GOOGLE TRENDS, this site can show you an overview look at how hot a topic is through many years, that provides you an idea of if it’s an evergreen market or not. And what's even better, you'll find it will show what direction the market is trending. If you find your market has been trending upwards for a number of years, that’s a strong sign of a market well worth going for.

Google Trends

Google Trends can give you insight into the growth of a market over time.

Google Trends By Region

Knowing where your market is performing best is another helpful indicator for helping you choose a profitable information product idea

Related topics and related queries is research you can use to create additional content for your product.

That choosing a market with a lot of people buying products and services with a lot of marketers helping them proves that the market is big, profitable, and healthy.

Doing just a little research online and off you can determine if a market is big. Doing an Amazon search in addition to Google search for your market’s main keywords (such as “Health and Beauty” or “Self improvement”) will provide important information to help you see the size of any market. Then ask yourself questions like:

  • Do I know for sure that there are a lot of assorted services and products selling in the market? This shows that you have found a market that is willing to buy a
    wide range of different product offers.
  • Does it have a great deal of competition? This really is a positive thing, since it indicates that the market is strong.
  • Have I noticed shops and service providers in my area offering for this market? Such as, when you perform a search for weight loss, you’ll find gyms in the area , personal trainers, nutritionists, exercise supply stores, vitamin and supplement supply stores and similar commercial enterprises all selling their products and services offline.

    The basis for this being important is because you ought to make certain the market is big enough that it’s not only limited to Internet users.
  • Is money being spent by marketers to reach this market? Are they paying to place ads in offline publications and also on websites (which include banner ads or the sponsored listings in the major search engines)? I said before, these are definitely nothing but good indications of a strong market, since none of us spends hard earned cash if they aren’t earning their investment back and more.

Your goal is to choose a market that you can answer yes to for the above questions.

An additional way to get a feel for the size of the market is by using keyword tools like:

Ubersuggest.com (or even /as well as Google’s Keyword Planner). You do it by entering your market’s general keywords in the search box (like “Pet Care”) then the tool will show you the number of times that specific keyword is searched. Your ideal market's keyword should have a search volume of six figures or more.

If you log into Facebook and pretend you’re going to set up an ad, Facebook will tell you how many people on their network you’ll be able to reach by searching for specific user interests.

Now, once you use all the tips above, it will become fairly clear which markets are big and
profitable. Then you need to choose one. If it’s clear that one of your markets looks bigger and
more profitable than the other ones on your list, that’s the one you can choose. If you’re not sure
which is the biggest or most profitable, no problem: pick the one that interests you the most.

Finding Profitable Digital Product Markets.

I have explained the best kinds of markets to look for that will provide the best returns on the products you create for them.  The question now becomes how do we find these markets.

Keep this in mind;


What we will be looking for now are broad or general profitable markets as opposed to smaller more specific niches.


When we say "markets" we mean people, when we say "profitable" we mean traffic being sent and money being made.


Now will be the time to choose the markets you know about or are very interested in learning about.


For the sake of this article I have put below a large list of the different categories, markets and niches, in which people sell Digital Products on ClickBank.  Use this list or one similar to go through to identify which markets appeal to your specific strengths, know how and interest.


As you look over the list you will create your own list of the markets you know something about. Also a list of markets you have an interest in learning enough about to become a qualified expert to create your own products.

CLICKBANK INFORMATION PRODUCT MARKETS LIST

Arts & Entertainment

Architecture
Art
Body Art
Dance
Fashion
Film & Television
General
Humor
Magic Tricks
Music
Photography
Radio
Theater

Business / Investing

Careers, Industries & Professions
Commodities
Debt
Derivatives
Economics
Equities & Stocks
Foreign Exchange
General
International Business
Management & Leadership
Marketing & Sales
Outsourcing
Personal Finance
Real Estate
Small Biz / Entrepreneurship

That information products can be created in almost any market, However there are evergreen markets that people over many years eagerly buy products on a consistent basis. These markets are:

  • Make money/ Wealth
  • Health and Beauty
  • Self Improvement
  • Love and Personal Relationships


Cooking, Food & Wine

BBQ
Baking
Cooking
Drinks & Beverages
General
Recipes
Regional & Intl.
Special Diet
Special Occasions
Vegetables / Vegetarian
Wine Making

Computers / Internet

Databases
Email Services
General
Graphics
Hardware
Networking
Operating Systems
Programming
Software
System Administration
System Analysis & Design
Web Hosting
Web Site Design

Education

Admissions
Educational Materials
Higher Education
K-12
Student Loans
Test Prep & Study Guides

E-business & E-marketing

Affiliate Marketing
Article Marketing
Auctions
Banners
Blog Marketing
Classified Advertising
Consulting
Copywriting
Domains
E-commerce Operations
E-zine Strategies
Email Marketing
General
Market Research
Marketing
Niche Marketing
Paid Surveys
Pay Per Click Advertising
Promotion
SEM & SEO
Social Media Marketing
Submitters
Video Marketing

Employment & Jobs

Cover Letter & Resume Guides
General
Job Listings
Job Search Guides
Job Skills / Training

Home & Garden

Animal Care & Pets
Crafts & Hobbies
Entertaining
Gardening & Horticulture
General
Homebuying
How-to & Home Improvements
Interior Design
Sewing
Weddings

Health & Fitness

Addiction
Beauty
Dental Health
Diets & Weight Loss
Exercise & Fitness
General
Meditation
Men's Health
Mental Health
Nutrition
Remedies
Sleep and Dreams
Spiritual Health
Strength Training
Women's Health
Yoga

Languages

Arabic
Chinese
English
French
German
Hebrew
Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Other
Russian
Sign Language
Spanish
Thai

Mobile

Apps
Developer Tools
General
Ringtones
Security
Video

Reference

Automotive
Catalogs & Directories
Consumer Guides
Education
Etiquette
Gay / Lesbian
General
Law & Legal Issues
The Sciences
Writing

Parenting & Families

Divorce
Education
Genealogy
General
Marriage
Parenting
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Special Needs

Self-Help

Abuse
Dating Guides
Eating Disorders
General
Marriage & Relationships
Motivational / Transformational
Personal Finance
Public Speaking
Self Defense
Self-Esteem
Stress Management
Success
Time Management

Software & Services

Anti Adware / Spyware
Background Investigations
Communications
Dating
Developer Tools
Digital Photos
Drivers
Education
Email
Foreign Exchange Investing
General
Graphic Design
Hosting
Internet Tools
MP3 & Audio
Networking
Operating Systems
Other Investment Software
Personal Finance
Productivity
Registry Cleaners
Reverse Phone Lookup
Screensavers & Wallpaper
Security
System Optimization
Utilities
Video
Web Design

Sports

Automotive
Baseball
Basketball
Coaching
Cycling
Extreme Sports
Football
General
Golf
Hockey
Individual Sports
Martial Arts
Mountaineering
Other Team Sports
Outdoors & Nature
Racket Sports
Running
Soccer
Softball
Training
Volleyball
Water Sports
Winter Sports

Travel

Africa
Asia
Canada
Caribbean
Europe
General
Latin America
Middle East
Specialty Travel
United States

Green Products

Alternative Energy
Conservation & Efficiency
General

Betting Systems

Casino Table Games
Football
General
Horse Racing
Lottery
Poker
Soccer

Games

Console Guides & Repairs
General
Strategy Guides

Spirituality, New Age & Alternative Beliefs

Astrology
General
Hypnosis
Magic
Numerology
Paranormal
Psychics
Religion
Tarot
Witchcraft

Enter your text here...

Looking at the list above, the first thing we must do is make a list of all of the markets we have experience in as well as a list off all the markets we are interested in. Here is an example of what my list looks like, created from the list above…

Markets I have Interest / Experience in:

Experience In:

Automotive
Film & Television
Marketing & Sales
Outsourcing
Small Biz / Entrepreneurship
Basketball
Pay Per Click Advertising
Copywriting
Music
Photography
Web Design

Interested in:

Architecture
Art
Humor
Real Estate
Extreme Sports
BBQ
Baking
Spanish
Stress Management
Alternative Energy

Compiling a list that consists of broad markets you either have experience in or are interested in will accomplish several things:

  1. 1
    Open Your Mind and Broaden Your Horizons. 
    It’s extremely hard to recall every market you may be interested in right off the top of your head, it’s even harder if you are trying to generate new Product Ideas at the same time. Having a list of all the Markets you’re interested in right in front of you makes it easier to grasp the endless possibilities, and allows you to focus on being creative and generating product ideas
  2. 2
    Keep Your Ideas in Markets You’re Likely to Succeed in.
    It’s much easier to focus and work in markets you’re already interested in, as opposed to markets you simply think you can make money in. It makes the work seem less like work and more like a learning experience, stimulates your mind and allows you to generate ideas motivated by enthusiasm and passion rather than money (which results in more creative / innovative ideas)
  3. 3
    Allow You to Think Like the Customer.
    Plain and simple, if you already have interest in the market you are creating a product for – you can think from the customer’s perspective. This comes in handy during the product development process, at which point you can simply create the product you would buy and include features you would find attractive.
  4. 4
    Saves You Time on Researching for Later Digital Products to Create.
    Create a swipe file with a list of digital product markets and categories that you can use at a later time to do research for new products and online services.
NOTE: Personally, looking at a big list of markets I’m interested / experienced in already gets my mind started on generating ideas. So when I’m not expanding on previous product ideas or websites, but starting from scratch, I usually start with a broad list of possibilities and see what I come up with.

Next up is…

2. Choosing Your Hot Topics

When I want to get more strategic, I choose the markets I’m going to generate product ideas for based on 2 main factors:

  1. 1
    Personal Interest / Experience: As I’ve stated before, I want to choose the markets that I have the most interest and experience in. I want to be excited to learn about the new markets, and don’t want the work to feel like a daily grind. So when I narrow down the list of potential markets, I usually choose the ones that interest me most.
  2. 2
    Availability of Traffic / Scalability: Whether the markets I choose are general and broad or more niche and targeted, I want traffic to be available on tap and the sky to be the limit in terms of potential.

Based on these 2 Factors, I’ve narrowed down the markets I’m currently interested in…

  • Cooking
  • Automotive
  • Film & Television
  • Pay Per Click Advertising
  • Travel
  • Basketball
  • Fitness
  • Dating Guides

The markets above are all something I’m interested in, have at least some experience in and have huge amounts of traffic / potential customers waiting for me to pitch them my next product 🙂

Next its time to…

4. Get Topic Ideas or questions you could write about.

Next, we are going to give ourselves a few simple Guidelines to insure our ideas stay relevant, realistic and achievable in the real world. The 2 basic Guidelines I use during my product brainstorming sessions are…

The Product Ideas I Generate MUST Be: 

  1. 1
    Something I Want to Buy: If I actually want to buy the product I’m developing, I can simply ask myself what features it should have and what selling points excite me most. And as “different and unique” as we all like to think we are, we often share very basic desires and wants – So if I really like something, want it, need it and am prepared to pay money for it – there are others like me.
  2. 2
    Easy to Create: The actual Product itself must be easy to create by myself, or affordable to outsource to someone else. I want my new site to be up and running inside of 1 month. This way I can quickly move onto other project, and never invest too much time, energy and money in a project that may or may not pay-off.

That brainstorming potential market ideas to a list are an important step in many information product creation methods.

Brainstorming

A little about Brainstorming.

Ok, now that we have the markets we are interested in written on our piece of paper and we have the guidelines for our product ideas – it's time to determine exactly what information product ideas I came up with are really worth me investing my time and effort to create. So now it's time to qualify the product ideas for development.

Qualifying your Product Ideas for Development

How to do it.....

The 2 Essential Elements that determine how much money your Digital Product makes are always the same:

The Offer: This is the contents of your Sales Page – the promises, benefits, solutions and ideas you communicate to your potential buyer. At this point we have rough ideas that our offers will be related to the make money online niche”.

Traffic: If your offer is good, Traffic will determine how many Sales that offer generates. Without traffic a good offer means NOTHING. So it’s essential that the Product Ideas we choose to invest energy into have an abundance of Targeted Traffic available and ready to be driven to our offer.

So before I get started on a product Idea, I always make sure that it will have tons of traffic available once it’s finished.

While personal interest and availability of traffic are two factors I use in choosing my product markets. Another very important criteria is profitability. Are people spending money on product topics in my list? A good method in finding out would be to look at some analytics to give us an idea.

Both Clickbank and CB engine can give us a good idea of what type of products are selling.  I will use CB engine for my example of how to do this research method.

Info Product Research

Go to CB engine.

The Clickbank Marketplace and CB Engine Digital Products Idea factories


ClicBank Product Categories

ClickBank Marketplace it's a huge online library of ebooks, software and other digital goods. It contains thousands of products that you are free to promote as a ClickBank affiliate. The vast majority of ClickBank Vendors pay a commission of 50% and 75% on the sale price of their products.


The first reason Clickbank makes such a good info product research tool is that  it places products into separate categories according niche markets. This make it easy to locate products.Find products in markets that you know about, may have some experience in, or that you like and have an interest in learning more about so you can build a product.


second reason is that by looking at the top 20 selling products in any category you can tell what type of products people are interested in buying at that time. This will give you ideas for creating your own product.


Third these products are being promoted by affiliates. By checking out how many affiliates are selling a specific product is a great indicator if that kind of product is making money or has a market to sell to.  If a lot of affiliates are promoting a product that a sign that that is a profitable product idea.


CBENGINE is the top ClickBank Analytics search site on the web.

3. Figuring out topics other people want to know about?

Now it's time to dig down into our new list of topics and ideas to figure out which one will be the winner of our product content topic. We have to figure out what idea or topic in our list do other people most want to know about now.


Look at your list and ask yourself, "which of these do other people what to know about?" Many times you'll see right away that other people want to know many of the same topics that you wrote down. Most people are similar when it comes to needs.


We all need answers to many of the same questions or problems. Sure we could take the time to research these questions ourselves. But, people are naturally lazy. Few people will take the time and effort to find out how to do something themself. Most people will usually ask a friend how to do something. It's just easier to ask someone else.


So if you will take the time to write out the answer to a common problem, many people will be glad you did. Then you can give away your answer to get traffic, or get optins to your list, or even sell your answer as a pdf or ebook or video. Yes, people will pay for you to share the answer with them, because you are doing them a service


This will never change. It's human nature. People have Google, but they don't care. People will always want another person to help them. If you realize that you are just helping people, then you can easily make money by providing them this service.

3. Which topic will sell?

By now you should have a few topic ideas that other people want to know about. Now, here's a key question to save yourself some frustration later:


"Which of these topic will sell?"

Why waste your time writing about something that won't sell? Not every topic sells. So Google your topic. What do you see in Google? Often you can just poise the question to Google such as "How to create graphics in photoshop?"


This is a popular question, but it's not a topic that will sell. Why? Because they're hundreds of free videos on YouTube which show people how to do this for free. So, unless your a Photoshop master, and can sell a top-tier course that is very detailed and professional, don't waste your time.

So what about "How to setup some paid Facebook ads?" This is a better question. Yes, there are still a lot of free Youtube videos and blog articles which answer this question for free. But, and here's the key: People have to pay for ads on Facebook. And many people do. And many people are not happy with the results they've gotten.

So here's a huge insight for you: People's real problem is not how to place an Facebook ad, it's really how to create ads which get results. People want to know how to create effective ads, which bring them leads, and don't cost them a ton of money.


See, now you're refining your topic.

  1. 1
    How to get unlimited leads and real buyers using Facebook ads.
  2. 2
    How to get tons of real customers with Facebook ads for super cheap.
  3. 3
    How to get amazing results with Facebook ads using little-known secret techniques.

See how these 3 are more specific about Facebook ads, and are a really good topic?

This is really what people want. It's less vague. It's more specific. It solves a target problem. People will definitely pay for this kind of answer.

4. How to begin writing your product

So hopefully now you have a much more specific and focus topic to write about. You want to be 100% focused on answering this specific question or solving this specific problem for people. And in our above example, it's to show people how to get leads and customers for cheap with Facebook ads.

So now you want to start doing some research on this specific topic. Search Google, read Facebook FAQs, watch YouTube videos, even buy someone else's course, etc.

It always helps to have some general knowledge on a subject if you're going to write about it yourself. Then, you want to start brainstorming again, but this time much more specifically related to this topic.


You could write down:

  • Can I create an ad from by personal Facebook account?
  • Do I need to create a Fanpage first?
  • How best to create a Fanpage?
  • What are the types of Facebook ads?
  • Should I just boost a post?
  • Should I just place a free standing ad?
  • How do I design a great looking ad Facebook will approve?
  • What are the typical reasons Facebook will reject?
  • Are there specific, already proven, ad examples I could find?
  • How do I uncover and drill down into Facebook's interest categories?
  • Should I use the basic Ad placement or Facebook's more advanced Power Editor?
  • What are the benefits to using the Power Editor?
  • What are dark posts? And how best to use them?
  • How to target the ads for cheap clicks?
  • Do I want clicks or likes or downloads? What is best for my type of product or service?

Can you see that this second round of brainstorming is much more specific and targeted to your product? In fact, these questions could literally be the table-of-contents for your product. Start with the more basic questions, and then move down in a logical progression to more advanced questions.

Admittedly, it's not always easy to write out the answers to these questions, but if you do, then you've got a solid product with huge value. And, again, people will definitely pay for that.

5. Crafting your product

One bite at a time:
As you write out the answers to your questions on paper or a text editor, just take one question at a time. Don't try to think about all the questions at once, or even how one question might affect or relate to another question. If you will only focus on one question at a time, it will help you write the answer without feeling overwhelmed. One question by itself is much easier for the brain to work with.

So, just Google that question. Ask others for advice on the Warrior Forum, other forums, or in marketing-related Facebook groups. You may have someone share a brilliant answer to really help you.

Show and tell:
When you're giving people an answer it's best to both tell them, and then show them. So, write down the exact steps for the solution or process. People like ordered steps. So list it out 1,2,3,4 etc. Then capture screenshots which show you doing these steps.

And in this example, just login to your Facebook account and use a 'Snipping Tool' to take pictures of what you're doing. The steps written out, plus the pictures is usually enough to give people a clear answer. But it's ok to do this as a video too. Some people prefer a walk-thru style video. Just remember, most people hate a long rambling video. So make sure you keep it short and simple.

And, even if you do a video answer for each question, be just to write it out as well.
And take screen captures from individual video frames. This way you can have both a video answer and a pdf with it written out. This way your product will appeal to the maximum amount of people. But if video is scary or too technical, then just skip it. It's best not to do videos at all, than do poorly made videos. Answering with pictures and text is usually sufficient.

Use leverage:
Yes, it's your product; but, what if you get stuck? What if you hit a question you can't solve or don't know how to do? Then do everything else that you can.

This is key. Don't focus on the question/s you don't know. Just focus on adequately answering the questions that you can answer. This will allow you to be productive and get some work done. Let's say you answer 60% of the questions, but you've still got 40% (a very critical part of your product) still left undone. So how can you complete your course? Just bring in other people as help. Here's 3 ways to do this:

  • You can pay an outsourcer to do this question for you. For example, I have done this on Upwork (formerally odesk). I will post my job offer as a $40 gig where I need a person skilled at this topic to do a video showing me how to do this, and write out the steps
    exactly how to do it. Then I can follow their solution and do my own video or screenshots and write out the answer.
  • uy another marketer's product on this topic which is highly rated. Udemy and WSOs are great for this. Let another more experienced marketer show you how to do it. Yes, you are learning. But, you're just going to turn around and get paid for what you just learned. So you're learning with a purpose, and investing into your own business.
  • Buy PLR to fill in some gaps. I don't recommend just buying someone else's PLR and then selling it as your own PLR. That's not what I'm suggesting. But, another marketer's PLR may provide you with some answers and techniques you didn't know. So, kinda like buying a full course, but getting a look at how another marketer solved this question specifically in a PLR course. This can help, because selling a course as your own, versus selling as course as PLR for others to use can be different sometimes.

So here's an example. If you're trying to create a plr course on Facebook ads,
then do you want to use your own personal Facebook account? No, probably not. Both for privacy reasons, and because other marketers want to sell this as their own course, and may not like having your name and info inside it. This might sound obvious, but sometimes it's not. Because you bought another marketer's plr product on the topic, you can see how they solved this issue, and in this case, it may be as simple as using another or fake Facebook account. Or paying an outsourcer to demonstrate it with their Facebook account.

6. What I did

So, I created 3 ebooks on subjects I knew something about and enjoyed talking about.

This is key: It's easier to write about something that you also enjoy talking about. Would you have a conversation sharing what you know about this with another person? If so, then that's a good indicator you'd enjoy teaching this topic to others, and of course selling it to them.

I did one product at a time. I didn't try to do more than one at once. Yes, you can multi-task a little, but just make some notes if thoughts come to mind. Don't go any deeper than that. If you get too distracted with multiple products you'll likely not get anything actually completed.

I budgeted time for my products. I saw it like an investment into my business. So I alloted time each week because I knew I was going to reap rewards.

I thought two of my ebooks would also be decent WSO products too. So I released these as individual WSOs first. I designed it as a PDF WSO download and sold several hundred dollars worth. Then I tweaked the PDF report to be an Ebook to sell as PLR. So this way I get paid twice for the same work.

It's not hard to tweak the cover and contents to sell slightly different versions of your product to different markets. I've seen marketer's offer PLR just on Facebook to their friends. They say "Paypal me for this PLR." You can sell PLR as a Warrior Forum WSO. You can put up a website and sell it yourself online with paypal or stripe. You can sell it as a case study on Kindle like "How I created a Facebook PLR course" or something. Just remember to read the rules of each forum and marketplace carefully first.

Because generally speaking you can't sell the same product over and over again. It has to be changed and different enough to legitimately be a different product. So as long as you know that, it should give you some ideas to repurpose your products. And selling a WSO, then later offering the PLR for it is a legitimate method many marketer's use.

7. The only real question

What you've got here is a simple outline to get started creating your own product, whether you sell as PLR or not. Doesn't matter. The process is info product research ideas

Therefore whether you have personal experience or not, you can still create an information product. In this section I shall show you how to get the knowledge you need to create a high quality product based on your doing your own research.


Information hubs

Your next stop should then be to visit websites like Wikipedia, eHow and HowStuffWorks to learn even more about your topic. Once again search for your keywords and make notes of the general themes, issues and problems that are being faced within your chosen niche.

Note down at least ten themes and then you are ready to start delving more deeply into the topic.


Targeted search

Now you need to start drilling down into the topics you have highlighted to really become an expert in these areas. Use a specialty search engine like Questia to gain access to books and journals relating to your topic areas. Now go back to your favourite search engine and look beyond page one's results to see the golden nuggets of information that the average searcher doesn't even look at.

Buy Books

Think about a time when you needed to find out about something in detail. Maybe you were diagnosed with a specific condition like diabetes. You probably went out and bought a few books to get a clearer picture and broader knowledge on the subject.

You can use this approach for your information product. Once you have chosen your subject, read! Read around the subject. Read different books by different authors to build up a full picture of your topic.

Make notes of the important points and use that to write or record your information product.

Visit Forums

By going to forums in your niche you can find out some really helpful little bits of information that may not be so widely known. Enthusiasts often share their own advice and tips. Make notes of all the things that you learn that will be valuable to include in your product.

Spend A few Days In Your Library

Go to your nearest main library and spend a few days there going through all the books about the topic you are writing about. Make your own notes and decide the things that people need to know in order to solve a problem that your product is going to solve.

By doing this research you are able to compile the best and most useful information all in one place in a convenient way for someone to learn all they need to.

If you have any experience yourself then include that in your product as this will increase the value of the information you are providing by giving first hand experience.

Getting The Online Results You Deserve

If you're not seeing the results you want with your online efforts then it might be down to what you're actually selling. I have discovered that when you create your own information products you are far more successful but you need to keep the momentum going and get products out quickly.



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What are we looking for in our research?


Figuring out what the goals people are having in a niche market and the problems they are having achieving them.


Figuring out the biggest most important questions they need answers to. You have to know your niche market to do this.


“When it comes to X, what’s your single biggest challenge or frustration?”

Many of the idea producing methods we have already touched on earlier in this article. I will go over some of them again briefly. This is to refresh your memory before we move on to our next step in brainstorming our evergreen list of digital info product ideas.

Method to get ideas.
“When it comes to X, what’s your single biggest challenge or frustration?”
Figuring out what the goals people are having in a niche market and the problems they are having achieving them.
Figuring out the biggest most important questions they need answers to. You have to know your niche market to do this.
Many of the idea producing methods we have already touched on earlier in this article. I will go over some of them again briefly. This is to refresh your memory before we move on to our next step in brainstorming our evergreen list of digital info product ideas.


Below is a list of online resources and platforms that you can visit to do research about different niche markets of your choice. You will also see a very brief explanation of what to do to get some valuable information from each one : 

  1. 1
    Yahoo Answers
  2. 2
    Ask the Public
  3. 3
    Ezine Articles
  4. 4
    Alexa
  5. 5
    Uber Suggest Keyword tool
  6. 6
    Amazon.com
  7. 7
    Ebay
  8. 8
    facebook
  9. 9
    TwitterElement
  10. 10
    Forums

The idea of using Google search to get ideas for a product for you already having a niche market in mind. Then what you can do to get your ideas about problems you can create a product topic about is to do a Google keyword research.


You can get tons of information about what people in any niche are having problems with by putting your keyword in quotations then adding a problematic keyword after it then do a search to find the problems, troubles, confusions, frustrations that  people are having in that niche market.


Here are some examples below:

"Niche Market Keyword" problems
"Niche Market Keyword" troubles
"Niche Market Keyword" confusion
"Niche Market Keyword" frustrating
"Niche Market Keyword" how to
"Niche Market Keyword" sad
"Niche Market Keyword" mad
"Niche Market Keyword" not satisfied


Two other very useful online platforms to get profitable product markets and ideas along with the places previously mentioned is Clickbank andCB Engine. 

 
Use CB Engine by clickbank a huge popular Information digital product marketplace to help you determine:

  1. 1
    What type of product you will create?
  2. 2
    How will you choose your Product Niche audience?

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Digital Product Creation the Evergreen Online Business Model For Solopreneurs

About the author 

Tony Sanford

Tony is a loving father first then an all around online marketing geek extraordinaire. He enjoys family and friends and helping new online marketers spread their wings. He is also the author of hundreds of internet marketing help articles and resources.

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