Social Media Trends

October 31, 2008

Continuity Programs: Do I Need One?

Continuity programs in their purest form are simply a method of developing a subscriber
base and a steady flow of income. Companies like Columbia House, Time Life, Netflix
and thousands of others have been using continuity programs for a long, long time. When
implemented correctly and transparently, continuity programs are a boon to consumers
and an income base for producers.

In the information marketplace, two types of continuity programs are most common: (1)
Newsletters, and (2) Instructional. Typically continuity programs begin with a “too good
to be true” giveaway. The price of the giveaway is signing up for a free newsletter
(which is essentially a sales instrument for your other products). Each newsletter should
deliver valuable information for free, along with extensive promotion of other products
for sale. The initial giveaway builds your subscriber base; the free newsletter reinforces
the relationship and puts your products in front of friendly eyes.

Another newsletter strategy for building a continuity program is to offer the first issue
free and subsequent issues at a monthly price. Here you have the option of the “Opt In”
method or the “Opt Out” method. Using the Opt Out method, the consumer is
automatically signed up for the newsletter and payment information is obtained
immediately. The Opt In method requires the consumer to click on a button to subscribe,
at which time payment information is obtained.

Providing an on-line course of learning is another excellent way to build a continuity
program. For example, your expertise may be in beadwork, and you offer your
subscribers, several new beadwork patterns each month. Usually you giveaway the first
month, and they subscribe for monthly patterns. Or perhaps, you could offer a class
about writing for the Internet. Each week you would provide a new lesson and a new way
to make money from writing for the Internet. The possibilities are endless.

Unscrupulous marketers have given continuity programs a bad name. These marketers
use what is called a “hidden continuity” program that captures payment information
without really telling the consumer what they are buying or even that they just signed up
for a continuity program. These programs are blatantly illegal and unfortunately the stain
of these illegal programs falls on to honest marketers.

If you decide to try a continuity program it is important to be 100 percent ethical and give
your customers more than what they expect. Continuity programs are built on the
relationship you build with your customers. Give good customer service and deal
honestly with your subscribers and you will build a steady income stream.

Whatever you decide, it pays to do your homework and deliver a quality product free
from errors and guaranteed customer service. All information marketing, whether or not
you use a continuity program, is built on building a solid reputation. Reputations are hard
to build and far too easy to lose, so as always proceed with caution.

October 29, 2008

Info-Products Anyone Can Create

As a culture we are obsessed with information. The Internet allows us to tap into every
kind of knowledge base anytime we want and from almost anywhere in the world. And
no matter how much information is out there, we have a hunger that is never satiated.
And that’s good news for anyone wishing to get into the lucrative business of creating
and selling info-products. Info-products are the top selling products on the Internet, and
are surprisingly easy to create and market. The three basic info products are: E-books,
audio information and audio/visual information.

E-Books

Creating E-books is by far the quickest and easiest way to dive into the info-product
ocean and start making a profit. E-books are just like any book you have on your coffee
table or bookshelf—except that they are entirely digital. The advantages of the digital
book to consumers are: (1) there is no storage problem, (2) access to the product after
purchase is almost instant, and (3) they can reap the rewards of the information
immediately. The advantages for the creator are equally compelling. Anyone can create
an e-book in just a few days—some are even produced in a few hours. You don’t need to
be technical wizard or purchase expensive software to create an info-product.

Audio Info-Products

Today, it seems that the whole world is plugged-in. Billions of people listen to music and
books on the car radio, on MP3 players, on cell phones and on computers. As an info-
product producer you can easily tap into that profitable commercial sea. And although it
is a bit more technical than e-books, anyone can get started for as little as $15-$20 for the
purchase of a computer microphone. Audio recording software is available for free on
the internet. Audio info-products appeal to a broad cross-section of consumers who are
on the go and do not have time to read.

Video Info-Products

Video info-products are much easier to produce these days and give the consumer an
‘almost live’ experience. Again, you don’t have to be a computer wiz or a camera nut, to
produce quality video info products. Most people begin with some free software that
allows you to create downloadable videos. There are several sites on the Internet that
offer free software, one is called VideoSpin. While the learning curve is a bit longer to
produce a quality video info-product, it is well worth the effort. Successful videos
generate a lot of traffic to your website and when well-crafted can create quite the
Internet buzz—which will in turn lead to more sales and more profit.

Info-products are the ideal Internet marketing business:
? They have a broad appeal across all sections of humanity, young and old, rich
and poor, geniuses and just regular folks.
? They are easy to produce. Some can be produced in as little as a day.
? And most importantly, they allow creativity to blossom, which means that
creating and selling them is about the most fun you’ll ever have.
Don’t let the technology scare you, anyone can create info-products, even you.