Graphics & Design

Are you handy with graphics? There is a guy on the Warrior Forum that had made millions just creating graphics packages that people can use (and some you can resell).

He comes up with backgrounds for PowerPoint slides, headers, promotional graphics. pricing tables, script text, and all kinds of random stuff, and for some reason, I buy a lot of it.

Here are some examples of what he’s launched:

• http://marketinggraphicstoolkit.com/whiteboard-video-graphics-toolkit/ (he jumped in on the popularity of White Board video software)
• http://marketinggraphicstoolkit.com (you can see all kinds of graphics that he and his team make)

If you have talent in these areas, start looking around and seeing if there are opportunities out there for you.

We’ve also talked about Lead Pages and some of the other sales page creators. Guess what people need who use those? Background graphics. I bought a set from my friend, Natalie Collins and I used one of her graphics to create this page:

This is just another way to quickly create a highly useful product that can make you money AND change people’s lives. Get brainstorming now!

So far in this course, we’ve covered just about every type of product that I’ve seen successfully launched. 🙂

Before we go, though, I’d like to challenge you again, to think outside of the box — or as my friend, Aileen Bennett reminds us “There is no box.”

You can mix and match these ideas to your heart’s content.

For instance, if you want to launch a program about how to get sugar out of your diet, then you don’t have to JUST do one of the things I mentioned. Create an irresistible package.

Add one of the following:

• Interview with an expert – try to attract some star power if you can
• A piece of software that reminds your students to drink your water
• A printable inspirational sheet to keep your customers focused
• A bonus that’s 10 of your most popular blog posts compiled into one ebook
• An audio of an presentation that you did from stage about how to detox safely
• A video of how to use your favorite tracking software (or how to really know what’s in your food)
• A 10 minute consultation with you (to lead them into your coaching program)

Don’t over complicate things, but also feel free to combine your ideas.

One thing that I do that people love is to launch but then add more bonuses after the program is released and give them to existing customers who’ve bought the product already. 🙂

Oh, how people love shortcuts. And, if provide those shortcuts in the form of tools or templates, they will love you, too.

This can be anything from an Excel spreadsheet to a printable planner – as you’ll see in just a moment.

I learn best by example so here are some great examples to inspire you.

Templates & Shortcuts 

At CoachGlue.com we created a product called “Finance Kit: Money Tracking and Planning for Coaches.” It’s simply word docs and excel spreadsheets that coaches can fill out to keep track of where there money is coming from and where it’s going. Easy Peasy.

We also created a really cool “Weekly Newsletter Planner” that has worksheets in it to make it interactive. It didn’t take a month of writing to create this. Most of the cool factor of this is the simple activities for people to fill in.

My friend, Kristen, created a Best Seller Campaign Tracker for her own use and then sold it. Her people loved it. It was simply some excel spreadsheets with a little video on the top of the page explaining how to use the system. Easy peasy.

And one final awesome example. My friend, Karon Thackston, created a “Copywriting Cheat Sheets” product that walks people through the process of writing their copy.

Research

My friend Melissa Ingold put together a list of 95 contractors that she had in her swipe file of people she was interested in working with. She sells it every day. 🙂

Keep it simple. People love shortcuts!

Occasionally you can find software and plugins that is for sale with full PLR or resale rights.

If it comes with resale rights, that means you can sell it as your own. Unfortunately you may not be able to make many changes, but you’ll at least have the software to sell.

However, if it comes with PLR rights, you get the code and you can customize it as much as you’d like. (Super cool!) This means that you have essentially a “draft” for the final product and you can edit the code and make it your own. This can be a huge advantage to getting started in this market.

I happen to know that some of the “Big name” shopping carts have released their code with PLR rights. Some of the smarter up-and-comers have bought rights to that code and built their OWN shopping cart with it. They’ve made improvements and offer BETTER customer support. Now, the new guys are the ones that I promote instead of the original creators – because their customer support and responsiveness leaves the original software creators in the dust.

So, there is certainly money to be made if you can find an opportunity like this.

Find software with rights. “Tweak” it to stand out in any of the following ways:

1. Brand the software for a specific target market.
2. Add additional features.
3. Offer better training.
4. Offer better bonuses.
5. Have a better affiliate program.
6. Be the ones with the best customer service that money can buy.

But where do you find software and plugins with PLR rights?

One of my favorite places is Plugin Mill, owned by my friend, Lynette Chandler. She comes out with new plugins every month and sells them with PLR rights.

You can see the rights here, as of today, but of course, check the terms of use before buying in case they’re changed.

Proof.

I know for a fact, and I know they wouldn’t mind me saying this, but Alice Seba and Lynette used one of the plugins from Plugin Mill to create this niche-specific plugins for Food Bloggers that they sell on this site.

A little tweaking and customizing and they’ve got plugins that they can sell and the food bloggers love them and think they were created specifically for them. Well, in a way, they were. 🙂

In the past, we’ve also used the plugins from Plugin Mill at CoachGlue.com and have bundled them with related content and sold them there, too.

I can tell you, people LOVE to buy tools. Be the one selling the shovels to the people in the gold rush. THEY made all the money.

Be smart. Use shortcuts when they are available.

If you’re not afraid of some tech support, and/or you have access to a quality programmer, then this can be the ticket to making some sweet money in a hurry.

In this section, I want you to be thinking about both software AND plugins. There is a lot of money to be made in both.

There are two ways to look at this. 

1. Create a solution where there is no solution.

This is a very viable alternative and a lot of people do this very successfully. And, in fact, if you see a need somewhere where people either are already frustrated or their lives could be made better, then it’s worth looking at as your next infoproduct.

2. Create a solution where there is a solution.

This may look counter-intuitive as an option. “Why would Nicole want me to create a piece of software or a plugin if there’s already one out there that is doing well?”

Well, there are a few ways to look at it.

Simplify it!

If the software that’s out there is very robust and does a lot of things, then there may be potential for you to come in with a stripped down version that is easier to use for the average user.

For instance, Lead Pages is top of the line in all things related to creating lead pages. It’s the Rolls Royce in this niche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxwDJEU4UHY

While that’s good, it can also mean a heck of a learning curve for new users – which will deter them from using the software and getting results.

So, several smart business owners have come in with alternatives that are a little less feature rich and that cost less money, too. They were able to take off many of the bells and whistles and come out with software that was easier to use, and was more affordable. All it needed to do was make it easy to create an optin page or sales page and work!

Fix it.

Another alternative is to look at an existing product out there and think of what it’s missing.

Then create your own version with the added features that you want.

Maybe there’s a plugin that you like, except for ONE thing that drives you crazy. Create your own version and fix it. Then sell it.

We’ll go again to Lead Pages, not because I want to pick on them. I love their service, but because it’s a name that many people know.

So, Instabuilder is one competitor.  They came in with drag and drop features  (which is one place where Lead Pages is lacking) and a lower price tag. They had a huge launch and have many happy customers now.

In fact their headline even shows “Drag and Drop” because they knew that a lot of Lead Pages customers wanted that!

Sure they could have said “Lead pages has cornered the market”, but there is a wide range of clients who are looking for this type of service and Lead Pages only serves one type of them.

Plus, let me just make one more point.

People COLLECT software. I  know I do. I pretty much buy ever new piece of software that I think is going to make my life easier without batting an eye, and I know I’m not alone in that.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Some of the biggest launches on JVZoo are software products. In fact, right now, just checking their top sellers, nearly all of the top sellers are software. Don’t rule this out just because you think it’s hard. If done right, there can be a big payday.

Send emails to a select group of experts in your field with a request for a quick (3-5 question) email interview.

They receive exposure and a little boost to their egos and you receive a full product at the end, without having to write a word.

I did this with my product for work at home moms.

Whether your topic is ADHD or Faux Finishing, you can certainly find experts to interview, too.

Make sure to collect the following information in your email and don’t make them jump through any hoops.

1. Name

2. Preferred Bio Pic

3. Preferred Bio (optional)

4. Preferred URL

5. Then list the 3 to 5 question. I typically send 7 and ask them to answer the 3-5 of their choosing.

I normally like to include a little disclaimer that they won’t be compensated but will get exposure and my undying thanks.

That’s actually pretty much how I created my book:

How to Make Money Blogging

Here’s a quick tip sheet that’ll show you how to get a “yes” response more often when asking for interviews.

FOR ALL INTERVIEWS

Whether you’re doing a text/written, audio or video interview…

Send an email with the following:

1. A request for the interview and why you chose that person.
   A personal compliment is nice, too. Or remind the person where you met, if you’ve had interactions before.
2. An intro about you plus a link to your blog so your guest can learn more about you.
3. A quick overview of the project.
4. The topic of the interview.
   If this is set in stone, let the guest know. If not, give the guest a few ideas of what you’d like him/her to talk about. This makes it MUCH easier for the guest to say “yes” than when you say “anything is fine”.
5. How you’d like to conduct the interview.
   Written or Audio or Video?
6. Format?
   I prefer written style Q&A, rather than teaching “How to” on calls. Explaining the format of the interview to your guest in advance is helpful.
7. Include the questions
   Try to do this so that you don’t have to waste your guest’s time with back and forth emails.
8. What you’ll be doing with the interview when it’s done.
   Transparency is important.
9. Who the audience will be.
   This is one of my biggest reasons why I turn down interview requests – the audience is unclear. When I ask who the audience is and get a general response, I normally have to pass. (Go back to your USP statement so that you can answer this question well.)

IF IT’S AN AUDIO OR VIDEO INTERVIEW

If you’re interested in an audio interview, there are a few more details to include.

1. How and when you’ll connect (include several dates/times) or ask the guest when his preferred dates and times are.
2. Whether the call will be live or recorded.
3. Length of interview.
4. Whether guest will receive a mp3/mp4 of the interview for her own uses afterwards.
5. Whether guest will receive a transcript of the interview for her own uses afterwards.

EXPLAIN BENEFITS

If it’s a paid interview…

Explain how much you are paying and when the person will receive it.

If it’s an interview where you’ll be giving the person exposure, but are not paying…

Explain how you’ll promote the interview. (If the expert is in high demand, she’ll be more likely to work you into her schedule if she knows you’ll be promoting it via any of the following: on Twitter, to your lists, on Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc.)

IF IT’S A GROUP PROJECT

Be sure to include the names of some other participants.  Of course, if you already have some big names who’ve agreed to participate, then let everyone else know. It’ll make it much easier to get people to agree.

Then, just follow through on what you promised and be gracious with your guest before, during and after the interview.

PERFECT EXAMPLE

Here’s an example of an interview request that got me to say “YES!” …

Message from Maruxa Murphy:

Hi Nicole,

Hope you are well.

I wanted to send you a quick personal message to invite you to be one of our guest “successful” Mamas for our upcoming Successful Mamas Telesummit.

Feel free to watch my video and let me know what you think.

Thanks! Have a great week.

To you continued success,
Maruxa Murphy
Momprenaire.com, Moms. Entrepreneurs. Million-Dollar Mindsets.

Once I clicked on the link, then I found this:

Imagine my surprise when I pressed “play” and heard “Hi Nicole!”

Why is this better than a phone call? Well, for me it is anyway, because it’s on MY schedule.

I personally dislike phone calls, since I work at home. Obviously, Maruxa, being a work at home mom herself, understood that and showed that she respected my time.

I loved the personal aspect of Maruxa’s email, and how she made me feel special. Obviously we hit it off, because I then also participated in the Outsourcing Telesummit as well.

So, as you can see, there is a right way to attract and motivate JV partners – and get interview requests answered.

1. The important points to notice in this connection are that people like to do business with those they like. I like Maruxa. So, I’ll continue to do business with her.
2. Plus, she respects my time and understands that I may need to be reminded a few times and that it isn’t personal if I don’t respond right away.
3. All big important things.
4. Plus, did I mention that she’s really nice?! lol.
5. All good things.
6. And, keep an eye on her. She’ll be doing great things.

HOW TO SEND ME RUNNING AWAY

I don’t want to sound like a big complainer, but there are ways to get the interview and ways to get people to back out even after they’ve said “yes”.

Here’s a few things to avoid.

1. Send an email or form with 20 steps to fill out. (Just make it easy to participate.)

2. Send an email with vague or unclear information so that I have to track it down. (I probably won’t.)

AFTERWARDS

A card or gift is nice, especially if you’re planning to do business with that person again.

It’s not required, of course. But, I would like to point out that I oftentimes get a card and gift after an interview and it is very thoughtful. (Carrie Wilkerson, Tawna Sutherland, Maruxa Murphy, Kelly McCausey … all classy peeps. If you’re reading this ladies. Thank you!)

The TRULY important thing is that you honor everything that you said you’d do when planning the interview, including getting a copy of the interview to your guest if you promised that you would, and paying for or promoting the interview so that your guest doesn’t feel she wasted her time. And, of course thank your guest.

You write and create other content on a daily basis already and probably don’t even realize just how much.

Do you …

• Answer emails?
• Participate on forums or Facebook groups?
• Write on your own blog?
• Podcast regularly?
• Create videos for YouTube?
• Leave blog comments on niche specific blogs?
• Chat in emails with coaching clients?

If so, you may already have your infoproduct created. You just don’t realize it.

In this instance, all you may need to do is go through your old posts, gather the content together and create your infoproduct.

YES, even if you have the content on your blog, you can still use it in your infoproduct.

YES, even if you have it on YouTube, you can still use it in your infproduct.

If it came out of your own head – it’s yours to use.

In fact, I even go one step further and stay alerted to this fact whenever I’m creating content.

If I write an awesome response to someone in a Facebook group or in an email to a coaching client, I ask myself “where else or how else can I use this?”

Of course, if it’s an email to a coaching clients, I would either get permission to use their name and specifics or just take out that part.

But then, yes, I have used content that I’ve already created in my infoproducts, even if some of it is out there to be found elsewhere.

The internet is a HUGE place, people are busy, and as much as you’d like to be, you aren’t the center of people’s universes. So, odds are 1. they haven’t seen it already, even if they follow you and 2. if they have seen it before, they won’t remember.

So plagiarize yourself whenever you can. Especially if it’s the good stuff and you want more people to see it. Oftentimes, if someone paid for the information, they take it to heart more than if they just see it posted freely on the internet. So, there’s no harm and no foul. In fact, you are helping more people if you reuse your best stuff in multiple ways.