One of the most popular ways many of the entrepreneurs I coach choose to add a new income stream to their business is by creating an info product and selling it online. It’s true that ebooks, teleseminars, CDs, and videos are a great way to leverage your knowledge and skills. You do the work once, and you get paid again and again and again. But that’s only if you do it the RIGHT way.Below are four of my best secrets to choosing an info product topic that will SELL.
SECRET #1: Pick a best-selling category.
There are 5 topics that have been proven to be top-sellers in the info-publishing industry. They are:
* Health
* Wealth
* Relationships
* Self-improvement
* Specific solutions
If you can somehow deliver your knowledge within any of the above topics, you are more likely to create something that will sell.
Let’s say you were thinking of creating a product on goal setting. Now that you know the 5 top-selling categories, think about how you can integrate them with your original idea of goal setting. Can you do a product on how to set and attain your financial goals, or how to set goals for your love life?
Let’s say that Mary is a relationship expert, and has decided that she likes the idea of creating an info product about goal setting and love. She still isn’t sure what her specific topic should be. She could write about goal-setting for singles. Or, she could create something that helps couples decide if they should stay married or separate. Both of these sound promising, but how does she know for sure which topic will work?
Luckily, there are ways for Mary to get a clear picture of what topic is in higher demand…
SECRET #2: Use keyword research to hone in on your topic.
The Internet is your best friend when it comes to drilling down on your perfect topic. There are many free online tools available that can give you a real-time glimpse into what people are searching for online. And this information can be a guiding light for your info product.
One of the online tools I recommend my clients use is Keyword Spy, and it’s free.
Using the keyword search tool, enter the topic of your potential info product. You’ll see a list of live data generate on your keywords. The secret is to look for words or phrases that have a decent amount of advertisers (PPC advertisers). If there are less than 10 PPC advertisers for that keyword, chances are there’s not a lot of money flowing in on that keyword. You want to look for a keyword that stays within about 10-50 advertisers.
Keyword Spy will also give you related keywords that are generating healthy search volumes. For example, if Mary does a keyword spy search for “divorce”, she’ll see that “divorce kits”, “DIY (Do-It-Yourself) divorce”, “divorce attorney” are a few popular related keywords. Using this information, she could niche her info product even further and write an ebook on how to find a good divorce attorney, or 5 DIY steps to an amicable divorce.
There’s more to this process, but this will get you started.
SECRET #3: Look at online book reviews
Amazon.com is a free and easy way to find out if your topic generates interest in the active marketplace. Do a search for a book that fits in a similar niche as yours. Are there many reviews for it? If not, this is probably not a topic that’s in demand. If yes, you know you’re on to something.
As you do your Amazon research, take a look at the book reviews and see what kinds of comments people have written. Positive reviews tell you what worked about a book, and the negative reviews can tell you the elements people thought were missing. Why did the book fail for those people, and what were they hoping to learn? These reviews can give you clues on what you can deliver to make your product stand out from the rest.
SECRET #4: Eavesdrop in the online forums
Forums can reveal quite a bit of information on the particular topic at hand. And these days, you can find forums on every topic under the sun! Do a Google search for an online forum to see if people are talking about your potential topic.
Here’s the type of information you want to gather in the forums. For starters, you can see how many views certain posts get, and which posts spark a lively conversation. What are people asking about on this topic? What are they complaining about? By doing a little research, and listening to what people are looking for, it can help you get clear on the solution your product will deliver.
Remember, when people want or need to know something specific to their interests, they are more than happy to pay for the RIGHT information. By using these research strategies above, you greatly improve your chances of creating an irresistible info product that people will take out their wallets and BUY. Good luck!
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite research tool or method you like to use for your business, offline or online? I’d love to hear your personal strategies. Please share below!
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© 2013 Ali International, LLC
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