The post "Building a Product: Before You Think About Building a Product" appeared on ProBlogger.
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Darren says: Today we're continuing our ProBlogger "build your product" week , looking at some of the key areas you need to work on before or during your product build . Shane, our marketing and product guru , wrote this post, but I'll give you some ideas . It's all up to you, Shane.
As a blogger, products are sure to be on the agenda as you explore different monetization opportunities. Here at ProBlogger we've shared many stories about how products have changed all of our blogs. While stories like these motivate, inspire, and motivate, the reality is that long before we launched our first product, a lot of work went into making it a success. Today I want to share with you some things you should do before you even start thinking about what kind of product you need to create to prepare for the results we've seen with ProBlogger and dPS.
Pre-production ideas:
1. Take the pulse in the right direction
If you're considering building a product because your traffic and readership has stagnated or even decreased, it's not the time to launch a new product . There are exceptions to this, but for informational products (ebooks/courses) it's important to have a boost on your blog.
Products are great for creating and building momentum, but they are generally not good for building momentum from the start. This is very important for bloggers because visitors and interactions are the lifeblood of your blog.
Don't confuse the drop in revenue with visitors and engagement, the change in revenue may not match the actual state and mood of your blog.
If you don't even see an uptrend or moving average on your chart, consider switching before a new product is released.
Darren says : One of the keys to the success of my first ebook, 31 Days to a Better Blog, was that it started after a month of writing about the same topic as the ebook. As strange as it may seem, especially since an ebook made up of blog posts has been selling so well for a blog lately, spending months writing and interacting with readers is a huge boost. We just got 31 great entries from readers, there's a lot of friendship and community on the site and I think the good sales reflect that.
2. Build followers as well as readers
I've worked with sites that have millions of monthly visitors, hundreds of thousands of mailing lists, and huge social media followings.
But this does not mean that they will sell more products than those with the largest 10% audience . what happened This is because commitment and trust play a big role in someone's decision to buy your product.
If most of your readers come, see your post and go somewhere else, they will likely ignore you when you launch your product, and your advertising strategy may be better for you.
If you have real followers who will not only listen to what you have to offer, but will share it with others, you're all set.
So if you want to sell a product, make sure you have fans.
I'd recommend taking a look at 31 Days to Blogging Better to see how you can change your relationship with your audience - there are some great community building exercises you can put into practice right now.
Darren says : Have you ever pre-ordered a book, music or product that you really liked? If yes, you might be a fan of the brand or person. I've had a similar experience with our eBooks, where people say they trust me or have helped me in the past, so they buy them without a second thought. It takes time to build this "fan" connection. This is usually the result of continuous support to readers. Be generous, be honest, and always put your readers first .
3. Create your list
It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. You need to create your own list .
You need to build a mailing list and maintain good subscribers who will actually read your email when it's time to launch your product. You need to create your own social list to inform your followers/fans on the social network. Again, it's not the numbers that matter, it's how you are treated.
When you announce your new product to the world, the listing will bring you the most profit (on top of your multi-million dollar marketing budget).
You probably should have started this a long time ago, so if you're still in doubt, go for it!
Darren said : I can't quite agree with Shane on this one. The last time I looked at where our ebook sales come from, I found that over 90% of our sales come from the emails we send to our readers . Please digest. Without our email list, our sales would be 10% of what we have.
While I fully understand all the reasons why people don't build and use email lists (it takes work, it's slow to build, it seems like "old tech"), the truth is that if you're not using it, I am. will stop the upsell.
Learn more about how I use email marketing to drive traffic and make money.
4. Expand your network
I'm one of those sheltered people who go to conferences, sit in the corner and listen, but say, "I'm playing on my phone."
I hope it's not because you need a network when you're selling your product.
You need people you can turn to for help and advice about your product, you need people who have an audience to help you promote your product, you need people to help you with any media strategy related to your marketing.
So have the courage to meet new people and expand your network of contacts as much as possible. I know it's hard, but it helps and it's worth the effort.
Darren Says : If you're like me, you may have breathed a sigh of relief after Shane told you to get out of your comfort zone. I'm an introvert and it's not easy for me to introduce myself and make friends, but he's right. Fortunately for the shy, this doesn't have to mean lots of face-to-face meetings and phone calls (although that can help), but can be done through email, social media and other online technologies. The main thing is to show yourself and meet other people in your niche.
5. Build reputation
I'm not talking about a bad reputation here, I'm talking about acknowledging something – and in the context of what you've shared on your blog.
Storyteller, experimenter, crash test dummy, sharp ear, angry, etc.
You may even have a reputation for sitting on one side of the barricades. Apple guys, Canon girls, etc.
I don't care what it is, but make sure you don't get recognized by your name and blog title, people will be happy to know that your product was made by a real person and not some lazy bum. should be great!
Darren says he surprised me a bit with his strength. Back in 2008, when Chris Garrett and I were writing the first hardcover issue of ProBlogger, I noticed a strange trend. When people look at me, the most common word people use to describe me is "pretty". In the reviews they often write that I am one of the best "bloggers". I wasn't sure about this at first - don't the good ones always come last? – but I realized that it really became part of my brand and, as Shane says, made me famous.
6. Explore and learn
You will learn a lot, I assure you. Even more important are the nuances of your particular product and the audience you're targeting.
Before starting your product journey, start with an overview of your competitors. What are their products, how do they sell them, how much do they cost, how well do they sell them?
Keep reading blogs like ProBlogger to follow startup stories, or join a community like ours in a private space to ask questions.
Spend a month or two making sure you're smarter than everyone else when it comes to products and presentations.
Don't make peace on the road! (small…)
Darren says : This is an area I didn't pay much attention to when I wrote my first e-books. Partly because there weren't many people working on e-books in my place at the time, but partly because there weren't many product creation processes. However, I think I could have launched my first e-book differently by spending more time in research mode. For me, the most important thing here is not to imitate what others do, but to learn from it, and also to look for opportunities to stand out from the field. For example, does everyone in your niche do short, light ebooks for $5? Is it possible to become a famous blogger who writes ebooks or quality in-depth courses?
7. Identify your true strengths and weaknesses
It gets easier as I get older, but being a bulletproof teenager I think I can do anything and when I accept my weakness it allows my opponents to hunt me down!
But by understanding and knowing your true strengths, you can focus on them and showcase them in your product. Knowing your weaknesses means you know what you don't have to offer and what you might need help with so you don't hold back.
If technology is not your forte, ask for help or work with someone who can. If you're more of a visionary than a detail person, make sure you have checks and balances.
Don't live in denial that you are good or bad. When you do this, it will make them think about your products and the people who might buy them.
Darren says : There are two levels for me: product creator and startup. First, when I wrote my first e-book about photography, I was clear that I was not a professional photographer. I've always been an avid amateur photographer and had enough knowledge to help beginners, but when I wrote my first eBook, I wanted to step it up a notch. I had a professional photographer technically edit it to add some depth, and a more technical writer wrote the chapter as well. I have also added a section with interviews with professional photographers. By doing all this, I feel like I have a more useful product.
Second, I was about to launch my first product, which I had never done before. Shopping carts, creating sales pages, shopping sites, affiliate programs, etc. I don't know anything
So I turned to many people for advice to help me get my first version right. Shane was one of the people who helped me primarily with my sales pages and sales emails, but others helped as well (eg Brian Clark at Copyblogger helped me name my first photography ebook).
By taking advice from others, I am confident that my ebook sells more copies. I'm also learning a lot, so when the next issue comes out, I have more confidence and more skills.
8. Understand your readers
You may feel like you know your readers pretty well based on your social media interactions or the comments they may leave, but I encourage you to dig deeper. For every comment on your post, 100 or 1000 people read it and say nothing. This is a good suggestion to think about as a commentator.
I invite you to connect with your readers and understand them better. Take as many surveys as you can and ask them to tell you more about themselves. Pick a few at random and talk to them. I guarantee the results will surprise you.
There are several reasons for taking this extra step. A deep understanding of your readers not only gives you a better platform to decide what products to build, but also gives you insight into what to publish.
Darren says : The better you know your readers, the better you can create products they really want and need. You'll choose the best topics, create the right products, set the best prices, sell them better, and everything will be better (both for you and your readers). Further reading: How to create a reader profile (and why it's important) and why it's important to know your readers.
9. Consider the consequences
Creating a product is not easy. This is not the case. They all take time, cause emotional stress and most take money (even the little ones).
Even sites like SnapnDeals, which we launched last weekend, continue to work with what we cover every week.
You will read all about people's profits, money, fame and products, but you will hear little about their bloody sweat and tears. If you're not ready to make the effort, do something else until you're ready.
When you're ready to go, you'll be ready to start production.
What was the question now! But you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out :)
Darren says : Don't underestimate the work of creating a product for your blog. As Shane said, this is going to take a lot of work. My advice is to make time for it. For some, this means setting aside a small amount of time each day until they're ready (which is how I created my first e-book), while for others it means setting aside large blocks of time to create multiple books at once (writing my hardcover, for example ). book, I locked myself in a motel room for three days to finish one of the big chapters). Don't underestimate the work...but...don't underestimate the benefits either.
Having a product to sell gives you something that can add a new source of income to your business, without limits.
Also, if you never try...you'll never know.
UPDATE : Read the next post in this series -> Which product should I make?.
This article was updated on October 6, 2022.
Want to learn more about product marketing and other ways to make money?
Then check out the four columns of our blog: The Making Money Course.
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The post "Building a Product: Before You Think About Building a Product" appeared on ProBlogger.