When you start thinking about creating information products as part of your offerings to help add value for your audience, it makes sense to plan for it. You can do that by planning to write a blog series of 10 to 30 blog posts that can later be turned into an eBook with each post counting as a chapter of your eBook.
Not only will this type of planning help you create information products, it will help you do better at being consistent with content creation. Since content is one of your most important assets you’ll be able to get ahead of your audience through content planning and content calendar creation.
Plus, if you already know that you’re going to arrange the blog posts into an eBook you can outline each post better to ensure that you don’t have as much editing to do later. Additionally, you can base the content you create on your other products or services that you promote so that they’re even more useful to your audience.
To plan the series, you’ll create try to work three months in advance, at least. That way you’ll have plenty of time to get the posts written if you hire someone, or do it yourself without stress if you’re a DIY person.
Get an Editorial Calendar Plugin – If you use WordPress there are a few different editorial calendar plugins that can help you with creating your editorial calendar. But, you can also use a good “old-fashioned” spreadsheet to create it. The important part is to write it down, schedule every aspect of what it takes to get it published and get it done.
Ask Yourself, What Are You Promoting? – When you are developing content ideas for your blog that you can also use as information products think about what you’re planning to promote in the next 90 days or so whether that is your own product or service or someone else’s that you want to refer as an affiliate.
Take Notes Everywhere – You’re going to come up with ideas when you’re not near your computer. Make it a habit of taking notes wherever you are organizing them each evening or morning as you prepare for work into your editorial calendar or project management system. When you are on your computer and get an idea, write it down right away so you don’t forget.
Understand Your Mission – The best way to approach content planning of any kind is to fully understand your mission. If it helps you, work on writing a mission statement. Fill in the blanks here: I help (who) do (what) by providing (how) with my (your products/services). This is a very simple mission statement that defines who your audience is and how you help them.
Know Your Audience – You probably studied your audience when you started your business but it’s imperative to keep studying them. While demographics often remain the same sometimes a group changes their perspective and ideas over time. Because of this, keep studying your audience by reading industry magazines, blogs, and news. In addition, join your audience in groups and at live events so you can get to know them better.
Know Your Niche’s Busy Times – Every audience has a preference about when they want to buy something and put it to use. An obvious example involves yearly holidays which most niches can work around, but there may be other examples that don’t fit in with other niches. For example, if your niche is Home Schooling when are they more likely to buy informational products or other products from you?
Focus on Problem Solving – If you know your audience well then you will know their pain points. When you can focus on a pain point you can create an amazing blog series that can turn into an effective information product.
If you do this, you’ll be able to organize and plan your content in advance. The good thing about planning is that you’ll know when you’re launching, you’ll know what you’re promoting, you can plan your advertising and marketing efforts based on your launches and promotions plus, ensure that you have the right content to go with everything you’re trying to accomplish.
This might seem difficult to accomplish but next time I’ll talk to you about ways to ensure that you develop the habit of creating content for future product launches seamlessly as part of your overall content marketing plans.
READERS LIKE YOU ARE ALSO INTERESTED...
LET US KNOW WHERE TO SEND YOUR DIGITAL PLANNER.