Posts tagged source

Researching in Eight Steps

Jul11
2011 Leave a Comment

Written by Help Desk

One of the questions that comes up quite frequently is how do you research? How can an information marketer be sure that they are giving their customers the best information possible?

Now there are a lot of different ways to research. Just as there are many different reasons to research. In fact, in a future article I’ll discuss the source of a major disagreement between my partner Paul, and myself. And yes, it’s related to how to research. Or maybe when.

But there is a basic process to research that everyone should follow:

Develop a strong question list
Identify the goals of this research
Pick one or more Research Types
Confirm the scope of this research
Pick appropriate information sources
Document the results carefully
Verify accuracy of those results
Analyze results and find “discoveries”

Researching well can be one of the ways you distinguish yourself as an information marketer (aka learning creator).

(To learn more about researching check out our new audio (MP3) product “Researching Your Next Book“ — for more information just click here. )

Posted in Creating Audio Products, Creating Information Products, Creating Video Products, Write a "how to" book - Tagged accuracy, book, check, Confirm, different ways, discoveriesâ, Document, fact, information, information marketer, information sources, list, many different reasons, mp3 product, process, research, Researching, scope, Types

Creating Information Products But Which One? Part 4 – Cost

Feb01
2010 4 Comments

Written by Help Desk

Sorry folks, but Thursday and Friday turned out to be busier than I could handle. So this article just ended up being a wee might late. Sorry about that!

So far we’ve been kind of working up to one third of the decision matrix for identifying which information product you should create … Specifically the cost.

To a large extent I can’t tell you what the cost will be.

You see as I hinted at in the last posts, you need to answer the question for yourself.

Generally speaking the relationship between writing, video, live/slideshow, and audio are:

Text book (300+ pgs) = 1 week live seminar = 6 hrs finished Video = 12 hrs finished audio
Executive book (100-200 pgs) = 1 day live seminar = 1.5 hrs finished Video = 3 hrs finished audio
Article = 1-1/2 hour live seminar/webinar = 1/4 hr finished Video = 1/2 hr finished audio

HOWEVER, your own comparison will vary. First because you may be more or less comfortable speaking or writing. Writing is a very private task and as a result doesn’t take a great deal of practice to become comfortable. (It does take a lot of practice to become capable but that can’t happen until you are comfortable). Speaking – public or otherwise – does require a great deal of practice before you become comfortable.

To make matters worse speaking to a crowd is much easier than speaking to a camera. A crowd gives you feedback and energy. A camera gives you nothing. So practice for one doesn’t help you with practice for the other. In fact, practice for the crowd is more a matter of becoming confident and comfortable. Practice for the camera is a matter of becoming able to generate your own energy.

Then comes the matter of repurposing and other techniques such as interviews. It might seem that there is little extra cost involved in repurposing (e.g. video to audio to transcription), but as we’ll see in the next post, the costs are much higher than one will be told.

So all I can tell you is that you need to determine how much it will cost YOU to create the product in the various forms. Just remember to include all the costs including preparation, production and post production.

Posted in Creating Information Products - Tagged article, book, cost, Creating, Creating Information Products, Custom, Day, decision matrix, Don, ebook, effort, end, fact, form, format, Friday, gurus, hand, hour, IM, info, information, information product, information products, kind, meaning, order, Part, peak, presentation, problem, Quality, rate, repurposing, reputation, slideshow, Step, technique, text, time, transcription, turn, value, video, web, week, work, wr, writing

Lessons Learned #9 – You’re Not Superman!

Oct16
2009 3 Comments

Written by Help Desk

Following on the last two lessons … there’s only so much work that one person can get done. After all, you got into this business to give yourself a little extra income or to be able to spend time with your family, not to spend 20 hours a day working.

At some point you need to decide what has to be done by you. And what you can give up and let someone else do.

Then you need to give the latter away. Let someone else do it. Yeah, it might cost you a few bucks but if you’re careful, it will cost you less than trying to do it all yourself.

Outsourcing is the micro-entrepreneur’s friend.

Lesson Learned #8:

You’re only one person! Get Help When You Need it.

Sometimes, there is too much work for one person. Sometimes, it’s work that you’re just not good at.

Learn to recognize when you’re not the best person to do the work. Then outsource it.

You’ll be happier and more efficient. The job will be done better. And your company will be stronger.

Posted in Building an eBiz - Tagged business, company, family, IM, income, job, Learn, Learned, Lesson, Lessons, lessons learned, outsource, Outsourcing, person, point, time, work

Lessons Learned #7 – The Business Is Still Going On!

Oct12
2009 2 Comments

Written by Help Desk

When you start planning to do something like this there is a tendency to think you can spend all your time on the project.

And a tendency to think that the business is going to stop while your are converting.

But that’s just not true. Unless you can get the the changeover done in one day, you still need to release blog entries. You still need to drive traffic. You still need to deal with work not yet complete.

All the little things that continue to need your time while you’re busy doing something else.

And don’t try to hold up the blog. Remember it is a key source of traffic and without traffic you don’t have a business. So keep the blog going.

Lesson Learned #6:

Don’t Forget That The Business Is Going Ahead Without You

Even though you’re busy trying to change some element of the business you need to allocate time to the business.

You need to keep up blogs and other traffic sources. You need to keep your new courses and continuity programs going.

So don’t forget to allocate time for ongoing operations. And don’t try to shut down anything.

Posted in Building an eBiz - Tagged blog, business, Change, continuity, course, IM, Learn, Learned, Lesson, Lessons, lessons learned, planning, Project, time, traffic, work