An information “product” is basically something that allows you to share information with someone else.  The information can be your own knowledge or expertise, or information you have compiled in an organized or interesting way (even if you didn’t write it).  It’s simply a way to transfer information to someone else. Just think of it as a way of communicating ideas. It is not just an ebook.  It seems that the assumption that information product = ebook.

Let’s quickly list out some info product delivery methods. These are the ways you can communicate information:

Ebooks: These are-text based can be written and delivered in a number of formats such as PDF, MS Word documents, .exe files, compiled hyper-text (or HTML pages) and so on.

Videos: These are visual and usually consist of images, animations and audio.  They can be delivered online, on DVD or CD or made available for download.  Typical formats are .swf, .mp4, .mov, etc.

Audio: These are usually only audio that are playable either online on a website or downloadable. They can also be delivered on CD or made available for download. Typical formats are .mp3 and .wav.

So we have text to read, video to watch and audio to listen to. When someone gets the urge to create a new info product, they probably pick one or the other – and most likely they will choose to write an ebook.  Ebooks are thought to be the easiest because all you have to do is type, and everything you need is probably already on your computer. But just by changing the names,we can come up with a list of different types of products:

I guess my point is, you have the basics: ebook (text), video and audio. It’s up to you to determine your product type and how you want to deliver it to your customers. So think out of the box, and hop over to Amazon.com and look at how other authors are describing their books (a/k/a printed info products)!

As a product creator you have a number of tasks to perform: product ideas and brainstorming, project management and organization and collaboration (you do have someone proofreading and editing your work, don’t you?) I want to share with you my personal toolkit of products that I use to create products and complete other projects for myself or others.

It’s important to have a set of tools and a system to keep you organized and creative when developing your product. There are so many great FREE tools available. I know we all are focused on business and selling – but where would any of us be without those wonderful people who give us so many USEFUL tools for free? (And there are so many paid tools that are not worth a penny!) I did happen to sneak in one paid tool below, but there is a free trial

1. Celtx

http://celtx.com

While this software is popular for screenwriters, there is no reason you can’t use it to plot out your video or audio product. I’m currently using it to write a screenplay, but I will soon be using it to plan out my videos, podcasts and other products that use video an audio or need any type of storyboarding. It’s available for both Mac and PC, it’s free and it’s fun to use. Celtx also has collaborative features for a small fee.

2. Scribblar.com

http://scribblar.com

If you need to collaborate with someone on your product, you can use this free online service to create a “room” which includes a whiteboard and a number of graphical tools and chat to plot out your product or sales page. I recently used this site to work with a client to plot out the layout and business model for his new website.

3. Curio

http://www.zengobi.com

This is for Mac only as far as I know, and it’s not free. But…well, you just have to see it to understand it. It allows you to capture all types of ideas, mind maps, sketches, diagrams – all in one place. I’ve used this one to outline and brainstorm one of my own products. With Curio you get tables, index cards, stencils, drawing tools, recording tools, you name it! If you know of anything similar for the PC please tell me! Like I said, it’s not free, but the folks at Zengobi are so nice, they will extend your free trial if you need it.

4. FreeMind

http://freemind.sourceforge.net

Of course there is FreeMind which was recently reviewed by a guest on my site. FreeMind is a popular, free mind mapping software that is available for both Mac and PC. This is great tool to keep track of your product research because you can include links to articles and websites that you find related to your product. It’s also a great tool to use to keep track of your competition or plot out your marketing strategy.

5. XMind

http://www.xmind.net

This is the one I’m currently using for mind mapping and brainstorming. Available for both Mac and PC and it’s free. I just love the look and feel of it mostly. You can make a number of tabbed sheets for each map, similar to creating an Excel workbook. You can also create a number of different types of diagrams (fishbone, org charts, etc). What I like about it is that you can create an online account and upload and share your maps. A plus for Xmind is that its compatible with FreeMind!

6. bubbl.us

http://bubbl.us

I used this one for a while. It’s quick, online and free. You can get started mind mapping without even creating an account. I used this to plot out a linking strategy for one of my websites. I’ve discussed bubbl.us a while back on the blog. As someone commented on that post bubbl.us is a good alternative to FreeMind (or other installable mind mapping software) because you don’t have to install it on your computer – and that means your maps are available anytime, anyplace.

7. Evernote

http://www.evernote.com

Evernote is the perfect (free) companion for researching and storing notes about your product. You can easily synchronize between the downloadable (Mac or PC) and web versions to keep track of your notes from your mobile phone. This is a great tool to capture web clippings, articles and images for your product.

8. DropBox

http://getdropbox.com

One thing that’s important to me is that all my product information (plans, ebook, video files, graphics, sales page, affiliate materials) are always available to me wherever I am. DropBox allows this to happen. I save all my product files in my DropBox folders on my computers (and iPad) and they are stored in the ‘cloud’ where DropBox automatically makes sure that the latest version is available on all my computers. It goes one step further by saving them in my online DropBox account as well. With the free version I get a revision history of about 30 days (in case I delete something by accident!) DropBox also allows you to share your folder with others, which is perfect for collaboration.

9. Google Docs

http://docs.google.com

I’ve written about Google Docs on the blog before: discussing it as a project management tool and explaining how to use it to create your ebook . Anyone who has worked on a project (or product) with me knows that I set up our projects in Google Docs! You can create folders and use the different applications to manage your projects as well as store your product related files and share them with others. It’s much easier than emailing numerous documents back and forth. And it’s free, of course, and available right in your Gmail account.

10. Remember the Milk

http://www.rememberthemilk.com

When you create a product, you will always have a list of tasks: create the product, edit it, create your sales page, get Clickbank approval, etc. The list goes on and on. Remember the Milk is a cool way to manage the tasks. And if you have a Gmail account (and use Google Docs!) your task list will integrate right into your email. You can create a Task List for each of your products, and have RTM email you reminders to complete them.

I’ve hopefully provided you a nice list of a variety of tools that you will use in your own product creation kit! Do you have any special favorite tools you use to manage your projects or keep organized? Please let me know!

This is just a follow up to my post about Crayola Colors. They do have their place on your blog and on your website.  Here is a great resource that shows you all 120 Crayola colors, names and their corresponding hex codes!

All 120 Crayola Color Names and Hex Codes

Now, how is this important to your website or blog (or even your info product)?

Well, let’s say you have a favorite crayola color that you want use on your website or blog or in your product.   You’d simply take a look at the Crayola Color Names and Hex Codes chart, find your favorite color name and grab the Hex Code.   You will then use the Hex Code to specify the color on your website.

In my case, my favorite color would be Salmon.  From the chart I see that Salmon has a Hex Code of FF9BAA.  In web speak FF9BAA means “Salmon”.   So, to use that color for the text in my WordPress blog post, I’d enter it like so:

Isn’t my Salmon colored text wonderful?

Basically what I did was first choose the “A”, or font color icon, then clicked “More Colors” to open the color picker. Then I entered #FF9BAA in the text box on the bottom. You will usually need to use a “#” as the first character when using Hex Codes. Then I clicked Apply to save my color choice.

Now if I wanted to use Salmon in a product that doesn’t use Hex Codes, like PowerPoint (sigh), then I would use the other options in the chart for the RGB color code.  Most graphic programs allow you to enter in an RGB code – these allow you to tell how much red, green and blue the color you want to use contains. So the chart says that for Salmon, the RGB code is 255, 155, 170 (that means my color contains 255 of Red, 155 of Green and 170 of Blue). I would enter those values like this in PowerPoint or other graphic program that doesn’t take Hex Codes:

As you can see, there is no way you need to be stuck with the few colors you see when opening the font color icon – or trying to guess where the color you want is located in the color picker. You can be very specific and use your favorite Crayola colors

This is a guest post by Gonzalo! One of my good friends and favorite site visitors. He’s even teaching me a little Spanish Today he’s talking to you about your international blog (did you know you had one?)

Maybe you write your blog today thinking that it’s a kind of old fashioned personal diary, with the little golden padlock and mini key and that it’s a good form to keep your thoughts for yourself. Maybe you think (or know) that no more than two or five friends visit it once during the month in order to keep in touch with you. But unless you use password protected posts, chances are your blog and it’s content is already international.

This is because the web aggregators like Google, Bing, Yahoo and others constantly crawl the net searching for new things to aggregate into their databases. And they even have the “professional courtesy” to tell you that you have been chosen for their sites: if they take you, you will not know until you ask them directly. And if you have a blog, they identify whether there is fresh content on a regular basis, so revisit your site once a week instead of once a month. Some platforms, like WordPress, send an alert (ping) telling the aggregators that there is new content. And… when someone asks them, they could (and eventualy will) show your blog as a result. So, your blog is a global site, unknowingly!

For example, it was a surprise for me that in less than a month publishing my own blog, I had visits from Germany, UK, Spain, Switerzland…and US, Canada, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia; and of course of almost every state of Mexico. Right now, there are more nationalities of visitors on my site in one month, than friends from other countries for all my life!! And on another site, I even had visits from Russia, China, Israel and Japan. I never thought they would find me! But they do, and now I have an international audience of 300+  that was not intended.

So, here are three great pieces of advice to keep in mind when writing your blog, knowing that it’s already global, whether you intended it that way or not:

1. Remember that all you write will be published and known. If your have hostile writings or make bad jokes about a particular culture or country, chances are that someone from that place will eventually find your site! So, as a very cynical traditional political saying in Mexico goes: “If you think it, don’t say it. If you say it, don’t write it. If you write it,  don’t sign it. If you sign it, dont’t show it. If its shown… Deny it all!”  So, better start at the beginning and NOT ever write things that you don’t want to be known by the person or group you are talking about. Be polite.
2. Measure your data. On Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics) you can get a free acount that, by adding small lines of code on your site, tell you where your visitors come from, how long they stay and if they are new, one time only visitors or recurrent readers, among other data. It’s easy to set up, and very powerful to get retroalimentation on your site. If  you already have a gmail acount, the sign up is very easy. With that data on hand, you will know your audience better.
3. Open your mind! Even if you think your blog is very personal in nature, chances are that it’s a world wide window to all the people in the world, even if it’s one at a time. Write a post on the countries you like to visit or have some curiosity about. Chances are you will get a comment from people from that country that are you readers right now, and you could plan a vacation or know more about that country directly!

And, of course, you can invite people all over the world to see your work. Eventually, they will discover it anyway!

Gonzalo J. Suárez is an economist and public policy consultant in Mexico City. His personal blog where he talks about his readings and everyday observations (Dichos y Bichos) is available in english and spanish at http://gjsuap.com

Today I was like a kid in a candy store at Target.  I went in to look for a patio chair, but I didn’t find one, so as I was walking to the exit, I spotted some desktop organizational items (letter holders, pen holders, etc) that weren’t too exciting.  But when I turned around and looked behind me, there they were – a set of 30 Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils!    I love writing with pencils, but I just don’t see them around much anymore these days. And here are 30 colored pencils that I can twist up and down, in and out and all that.

Of course, now that I had pencils, I need many more things that I didn’t need when I first went into Target – colored markers, index cards and notebooks.  I’ve previously posted about why you should Doodle Your eBook – going back to the old school way of writing out your product. To me, that’s definitely a more intimate way of connecting with your work.  But I also like to sketch out things and ideas because I’m a visual person. Normally that’s done in black or blue ink on white paper – but now I have a great selection of colored pencils and markers.

In any case,  this post isn’t about my love of colored pencils and markers per se.  It’s about thinking outside of the “computer”.  When you are creating an information product, you tend to want to think you have to be glued to the screen, pounding out words on your keyboard for days.  Well, you don’t really have to do that.  I think that’s part of the reason why many people get bored and give up – who wants to sit in front of a computer for days.

So, how can Crayola help you?  Well here are some ideas:

1. Create your own graphics for your product on paper and scan them.  Yes, draw your own images (or doodle if you can’t draw) to include in the pages of your product!
2. Storyboard your video project. Use colored pencils to sketch out the slides of your PowerPoint presentation or the frames of your video.
3. Print out your product and edit it using colored markers. Why spend your time proofreading on the computer?  Take a look at your product in a different format – you will spot errors you would have missed editing on your computer.
4. Create a colorful mindmap of your product or to brainstorm ideas!  Traditionally, mindmaps are hand-drawn and very graphical. Play around with drawing your mindmaps by hand, rather than using a software for it. You might find they work out better for you because you aren’t fighting with the technology!
5. Layout your first draft.  Way back in the day, when we created papers and reports, these were often handwritten first. When the first draft was done, THEN we typed it up on a typewriter. Computers have made things too easy.  Lay out your first draft (or maybe your outline) on paper using color coding and hand-drawn mock-ups.
6. If you are a workaholic, or a product creator on a tight deadline, go to the beach and do one of the above.  Try that with your laptop!  (I sure hope you don’t take your poor laptop to the beach).

This is a guest post by Yvonne, another wonderful person I have the pleasure of knowing.  She offers some great advice on maintaining focus to meet your goals. I am, personally, really trying to maintain focus especially by following her advice in #2 below!

Working from home has a number of advantages but it also carries with it many distractions, which, if not controlled, can result in loss of productivity and motivation in your online business.

Another source of distraction is the very place where you may do the majority of your work: the Internet. Think of the Internet as a giant carnival with acres of attractions, all exciting and appealing. The question is which one to do first? Which one will provide the most excitement? The difference is that while those fun attractions will bring joy and pleasure to you for a day, your online business is an important part of your daily living for the long haul.

In order to reduce these distractions you must keep a narrow focus so that you can achieve the goals you’ve set for your online business. What is focus? It is concentrated effort and attention on a given task. There’s an acronym I especially like for FOCUS: Follow One Course Until Successful. Keep in mind that success is different for each person but keeping your focus will get you to whatever you determine that will be. Following are three ways to keep your focus:

1. Write Effective Goals for Your Business: For your goals to be effective they must be written down and be readily available for quick reference. When you know what you want to achieve in your business, and the timeframe that you’ve determined, you will be better able to keep a narrow focus and concentrate on the things that will bring you closer to the desired goals.

2. Manage Yourself and Your Time: These work hand in hand because you cannot manage or control your time without managing yourself. A daily schedule is essential for good time management. Some persons like to use a detailed hour by hour calendar, while others prefer to identify three or four tasks to give priority to and focus on in order of importance. Whatever method that works best for you, make sure to have it in place.

The value of having a schedule or your list of your most important tasks prepared from the previous night is that when you start your day, you will know exactly what you need to focus on for that day. This reduces time that you’d be taking to think about what you have to do and deciding on what to give priority.

Managing yourself means that you may need to train or re-train yourself to concentrate on the things you should be doing for your business in the time that you allocate for this. Many people claim that they get bored easily and need to diversify their day. There is nothing wrong with that except that it should be done outside of your office business hours. Every time you think of playing a game on the computer, responding to personal e-mails, etc. during your office hours, ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing taking me closer to my goal?”

3. Narrow Your Focus to Develop Your USP: Your USP is your Unique Selling Proposition or Point. What segment of the market do you represent? For example, Internet Marketing is a broad area that covers many topics. If you are a coach you may choose to focus on Article Marketing and become know as the Article Marketing Prince or Princess (King or Queen maybe already taken).
There are many other steps that can help you to keep your focus narrow in your online business, but they all require determination and discipline keep on working diligently for yourself as you would for someone else.

Yvonne Jones works with Beginner Entrepreneurs to develop the right mindset, create an online presence and build their personal brand. She is also a Direct Sales Consultant who focuses on building strong relationships with clients and customers so they can get to know, like and trust you, and remain loyal customers.

You can read more of her posts at http://mysuccesscircleonline.com

I want to share a story about some good, no EXCELLENT, customer service I just received.

I had (still have) my heart set on securing a pair of Skullcandy Aviator Headphones (I wanted (still want) a pair of brown/gold ones). So when they were taking pre-orders, I eagerly ordered mine. The advertised shipment date was June 21.  I believe I ordered mine late May or early June.  Just a couple of days ago I was thinking “hmm, wonder what happened with my headphone.”   But I didn’t much more about it being that I hadn’t been charged because they haven’t been shipped. I’m aware of problems with manufacturing and ship dates, etc.

So, today, Saturday afternoon, I heard the doorbell ring and it was FedEx.  I wasn’t expecting any packages, but I opened the door anyway.  He was nice and friendly, explained how hot it was outside and showed me how much he was sweating (too much information, but a friendly guy nonetheless).  I’m wondering who the package was from, and I see Skullcandy on the box.

Now, I’m excited because even though I didn’t get a shipment notice that my headphones had gone out, I was still pretty excited to get them!  I ripped open the box, like a kid on Christmas day, and pulled out a bunch of paper and found the headphones… hmmm, these were not what I ordered at all!  These were their Holua Gold earbuds! What??? Now I’m getting a perturbed, after waiting so long, they send the wrong item?

So, I went back into the box and grab all the paper to see if I was charged for these things.  I notice on the packing slip there were no charges made to me.  Then I read the accompanying letter:

Fellow Skull: (that would be me)

Thanks for your patience in receiving the hottest headphones on the planet. We’re sorry it’s taking longer than we expected for your Roc Nation Aviators to arrive. We hope you enjoy these Holua ear buds as a token of our dedication to maintain the highest level of service possible. Please know your order is at the very top of our list and you will receive your goods as soon as they are available.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly…

(from the Customer Service Supervisor at Skullcandy)

What!!??   Not only were they thoughtful enough to apologize and let me know my order is delayed, they wrote me a nice letter with a very nice gift (Holua earbuds are $95!) AND sent it by FedEx Home delivery for me to receive it on a Saturday.

I was grinning from ear-to-ear and even said “Awwwwww! Thats so nice!”   Even though it was not necessary to do this, I think making your company, your brand, your service, and your name stand many heads and shoulders above the rest, is what will give you customers for life.  And that is why I’m now, from this day, a Skullcandy customer for life!

Have you discovered a set of specific rules that can make you succeed in your niche? Or maybe there are a number of rules that are so important that they must always be followed for your favorite hobby?  If so, why not create a rule book for your topic.

That’s exactly what Maureen LoBue did.  She wrote a book called Mean Mom’s Club: The Mom’s Rule Book.  Even more inspirational with Maureen’s book is that she self-published it in both paperback and Kindle format and is selling it through Amazon.com.

Here are some other rule books:

• The Runner’s Rule Book: Everything a Runner Needs to Know–And Then Some
• The Rule Book for the Deviant Bride
• The Horticulturist’s Rule-Book: A Compendium of Useful Information for Fruit-Growers, Truck-Gardeners, Florists, and Others
• Floyd’s Rule Book of Bad Grammar

I hope this inspires some creativity for your next product.  Remember once you write your ebook – you can publish it as a physical book, and for a digital reader such as Kindle.