When I’m working with my writing students, helping them to create information products, I find that the biggest challenge they have is a simple one. They become overwhelmed.
They get stuck, and their initial burst of inspiration vanishes like a drop of water in the desert.
To get unstuck, and retain your inspiration, you need a method.
Let’s make it simple; here’s how to create a killer product fast.
1. Choose a Topic
Choose a topic you know something about. For example, if you’re a work-from-home mom, you know a lot about the benefits and the pressures.
You don’t need to know everything (or even very much at all) about your topic, but you should be enthusiastic. You need to be motivated.
2. Mind Map Your Topic
Dump all the words that come to mind about your topic into a mind map. Just dump them: don’t try to think about them too much.
Work with your mind. Your mind thinks in two different ways: logically, and laterally (creatively.) In mind map creation, think laterally — jot down whatever comes, no pressure.
3. Choose an Audience, and Describe a Typical Person in That Audience
Think about your audience for the product. Let’s say your topic is weight loss dieters. This is a huge audience — too huge. Segment it down. Perhaps you choose the “weight loss after a baby” audience.
Describe a typical member of the audience. Does she work? Does she have other children? What daily pressures does she face? Is the baby healthy? What’s her relationship with her partner like?
4. Pick a Hook
Every product you create needs a hook — something that will encourage your audience to think: “I need this, right now!”
Common hooks relate to: news, time savings, money savings, self-esteem (feeling better about yourself), and sex.
Staying with the “weight loss after a baby” audience, you may decide to use the “sex” hook.
In this case your hook would be covered in one chapter, but would also weave itself right throughout the information product.
Your hook will appear in the title, of course: “Slim and Sexy After Baby: Easy Weight Loss for Moms.”
5. Outline Your Product
Now you know your audience, and what will hook them, you can outline your product. At this stage, you may want to do a little research.
Don’t spend too much time on this. I like to write a first draft of my information product, and then research. Once the initial draft is in place, I know where the holes are; I just need to find specific information.
6. Create It
You’re good to go. Write your first draft of your ebook, or write the scripts for your video.
Work quickly. Once you have the initial draft, you can revise and rethink. At this stage, it’s important to keep up momentum: work on your product every day.
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