Now is the time to package your information into products and services

One of the most important aspects of running a business, any business, is keeping your customer in mind. As obvious as these sounds, not everyone does it.

A business cannot sustain itself without keeping the customer/client in the forefront. One way to fully serve your customers is with information products.

Regardless of what type of information products you create, do so with your end user in mind. Nothing comes through stronger than true concern for recipients of your information products. No matter what your industry, how long you have been doing what you do, or how much you generate in revenue, you never want to get so far removed from your readers that it appears as if you don’t care.

This is especially true for markets targeted to people who are going through a difficult period in their lives; they are more likely to be responsive if they know that you care about their needs and desires. By empathizing with them and showing that you know exactly what they are going through, you show that you are trustworthy. This should be easy for you to do, as you are an expert in the topic and you know a lot about the people in your niche. If you’re not quite sure about what your market needs and wants, you need to ask.

With the availability of contact with your market via social media, discovering what your customer wants is as close as your fingertips. You can also survey your market. There are many tools available online that allow you to create very usable surveys. Survey Monkey is one of the most popular among sole entrepreneurs.

Once you determine what your market wants you are in a position to fulfill their needs by way of information products. Simply put, information products are eBooks, reports, teleseminars, webinars, books, audio files and any other format that allows you to teach in your absence.

How Much; How Little?

Your financial and company goals determine how many products you offer. You may find one or two that best serve your client base, or perhaps dozens or even hundreds are appropriate. First find the answers to the following questions:

What are the specific products you can provide?
Do you offer a niche product or a wide variety of products?
Can you clearly communicate the features and benefits of your products?
Is the market for your products other businesses or will you market directly to consumers?

Before you decide to roll out new products, consider the development and marketing costs, the need for a clear vision of how to market them, and whether you have the necessary resources to introduce new products to your market.

Once you have the costs, time and needs of your market established, now comes the discipline of getting your information packaged.

To get the greatest result it will be necessary to make the development a part of your overall work schedule. If you don't, you will likely end up in the group that says, "Someday I will get around to packaging my knowledge."

I've got news for you; someday is today.