Can You Write a Year Ahead?

Cara Lumen — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:58:33 +0000

We make marketing plans in advance; we plan what products we will produce and what webinars we will teach, but what if we sat down and not only planned but wrote our blog posts a year in advance? It would produce a cohesive series of valuable information that will definitely please our target community.

Set aside time and make it happen

There are always slow months in your business. Sometimes it’s around the winter holidays; sometimes it’s during the summer. Choose 30 days to focus on your writing and immerse yourself in not only the topics but improving your writing skills.

Your first 20 articles

Your first ten articles can be focused on answering the questions that the people that need and want your particular service ask the most. My list might include "Why do I need information products?" and “\"What should my opt offer be?"

In the next ten articles answer the questions they should ask. "Can I write an ebook even if I’m not a very good writer?" Or "I have so many ideas, how do I choose the best one?"

This is such an easy first 20 articles you can get those done nearly as fast as you can write.

Teach in bite sized pieces

Write a series that teaches a part of what you help people do. I broke my original teleclass on my Magnetic Content Development System into a series of 9 ebooks. Each of those ebooks is overflowing with ideas that can be turned into a series of articles. I can do a series on "Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing" or"“How to Develop a Compelling Table of Contents." Once you start thinking about what you can teach you will be inundated with ideas.

Explore the seeds of an idea

Exploring an idea through writing is an organic process. This article is an example. I read about the idea of writing a year’s worth of blog posts in a year in a post by Kelly Kingman of eBook Evolution. On ProBlogger and wondered how I would do that. The idea for the 10-10 series came from a video interview with video expert Sherman Hu I watched recently. Exploring and understanding an interesting concept by writing about it has been something I’ve always done. Now I’m writing this article to see how you and I might increase the number of articles we produce in a timely manner and have a great time doing it. Keep a list of ideas that interest you that would make a good article when you explore your version of a particular concept more deeply.

Write reviews

There is so much information available today that having someone in my field recommend a book to me and tell me why it would be helpful saves me time. I appreciated Chris Brogan’s www.chrisborgan.com articles on Google + when they first appeared. And I’m always open to reading about new plug-ins and software. Add ten reviews of products or books to your list of topics.

Do interviews

This may be as simple as interviewing someone by phone, recording it and making a transcript. Start with people you know until you are comfortable with the interview process and learn how to ask strong open ended questions. Build a library of interviews that are relevant to your target community. An added bonus is that when you post the interview on your site, the person you interviewed will post it on theirs.

Write in a series

Look at what you know that you want to share with other people. Plan a series of articles on each topic. Ten topics times 10 articles each equals 100 articles. If you post two a week you’ve got a year’s worth of articles ready to go.

Don’t post unless they are good

I have a very long folder of written articles that need another draft. I never post the same day I write and when I return I read them with a fresh mind and invariably make some changes. Don’t post an article unless it is good. Does it make your point? Are the action steps clear? Read it out loud to hear its rhythm. Go ahead and write a year’s worth of posts and at the same time be prepared to rewrite and edit some of them more than once. Don’t let a perceived deadline that you made up for yourself force you to put up articles that need more work. At the same time, don’t be a perfectionist. You can always make something better. Do the best you can in this moment of time and post it.

Take a moment now to start your idea list and see how close to 50 topics you can come using these ideas. Whether you set aside 30 days to write them all or are satisfied with a strong editorial calendar for the coming year you will be one step closer to building your own library of relevant articles.

How to Use Stories to Teach

Cara Lumen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:30:08 +0000

I’m in love with stories and analogies. They help me teach. They help me understand. They help me connect. And now that I’m open to finding stories they are showing up right and left.

People relate to stories

The strongest connections are made through the emotions and stories and analogies create emotion. Whether it is the story of a struggling client you helped move forward, or you own story of overcoming a problem, people like to know there was a situation like theirs and that there is a way out.

Show a similarity in situation

We might not be in exactly the same situation but if you show me that the problems I have are similar to the ones you solve, I’m interested. What kinds of situations does your target community find themselves in? How do you help them get out of it? You can tell a real story or you can use an analogy to make your point. Identify universal situations and personalize them.

Draw a parallel

What situation can you describe that is similar to what your target audience will find themselves in? When I discuss the powerful results of the decision-making process I teach in my Magnetic Content Development System I use the analogy of taking a trip – how the simple step of deciding where I am going will determine what I pack and eliminate the need for others. For instance, I don’t need to pack my snow boots for a trip to California so the idea of snow boots can be left behind. My decision-making process helps end idea clutter simply by choosing directions to take and paths to journey on.

Make a comparison

Another analogy I use is a clothesline. That dates me a bit but people do understand the premise. I use the clothesline to represent the product promise of your information product – the Point A to Point B of what you want to teach. I add the idea of easily moved clothespins for the table of contents. It’s a lot easier to move a clothespin than a wet sheet so you keep your idea in outline form as long as possible.

Show a similarity

I might create a story about two people in the same business. They have the same target community and similar services. One loves to write. The other wants to do videos. My story shows how I use my Magnetic Content Development System to help them both create powerful, motivational information products that brings them new clients. I offer one solution to two approaches to a similar goal.

People remember stories

Facts go by the wayside, stories stick in the mind. When you want to make certain your audience remembers a particular point, use a story or analogy. You could use the story of a fictional character throughout your book to illustrate the problems she faced and the choices she made. Or you could write a three sentence story that brings a particular point to life. When you create a story keep it on target, craft your words to keep it moving forward and of course, be certain it makes your point.

Stories offer inspiration

The story of a struggle successfully overcome is inspiring. The single mom divorced at 40 who buckled down and built a successful business makes all single moms think they might be able to do that too. And it inspires them to try. The woman in her late 70’s that is still actively pursuing her dreams makes you think you can keep on being productive for a long, long time. It may be your story: it may be the story of a client or a friend, or even the story of someone you simply read about. Stories of people successfully overcoming obstacles inspire others to keep going

Stores offer connection

A zillion years ago when I was in my 20’s in Kansas City, I read Marilyn Fergusson’s “The Aquarian Conspiracy.” It told about people all over the country who were gathering together to do things I had only dreamed about. I was incredibly excited to know I was not alone in my interests and desires. I felt connected. I felt affirmed. I felt hope. And I gathered courage to pursue my path knowing that others were on it ahead of me. That book was a turning point in my life. The stories you tell may help someone feel less alone in their journey. It may offer them hope and encouragement because they feel the connection you offer.

Start adding stories to your work. Whether you tell them in your telecourses or write them in your articles, use stories and analogies to make that deeper connection and help people hear what you have to say.

7 Ways to Recycle Your Articles

Cara Lumen — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:53:25 +0000

If you’ve been writing articles for any length of time you have a ton of them. If you’re like me you have an additional ton that are written but not yet posted. Now here’s the idea – new people are coming on to the internet all the time, many of them are looking for information we have been writing about for a long time. So what can we do to recycle all that great information?

Create a topic page

This is the absolute easiest step to take. Simply give a page a category and gather up all the articles you wrote on that topic. For instance I might have one on setting up your blog and another on crafting an ebook. I could have one on creating a telecourse and another on article writing. This idea is particularly great when you are setting up a membership site but a page with a lot of internal links is going to raise its page rank and give your readers a lot of food for thought.

Write ebooks on a topic

If you gather up all the articles you have written on a particular topic you will find you have a head start on a great ebook. If fact, if you’ve been writing article in series you’re set. Look for a strong overarching position for the ebook and write whatever supplemental threads you need to. You can have a new ebook ready in no time.

Submit your articles to new submission sites

My article submissions have taken a turn for the better with the use of the EzineArticles Plug-in that allows me to submit when I post a blog but there are a lot of other great article submission directories that never even heard of me. I have a few things on Self Growth but could easily submit more.

Turn your articles into the foundation for a teleclass

Articles are a great way to explore and expand on the topic you want to teach. Use articles to develop an idea or gather comments that help you strengthen your course. As you write and post those articles you also create an interest in your readers that is peaked when you offer the course.

Make a podcast from your articles

It’s a snap to read your article out loud and turn it into a podcast. There is an entire audience out there who consumes information by listening. Of course you want your articles and ideas to reach them. Set aside an afternoon for recording.

Make a video from your articles

Make a few Power Point slides and start talking. Put it up on iTunes and you are good to go. Do remember that videos need to be really short. Consider a series that offers one point at a time in a 90 second format.

Complete the articles you already started

If all of that doesn’t keep you busy, go look over those written articles that are close but need another edit. I probably have 150 or more of those. Some of that comes from the fact that I always wait at least 24 hours to post in order to review what I have written a fresh mind. But sometimes it needs still another pass or I simply don’t have the time to post it. I could probably pre-schedule both my blogs for the next six months in a few days simply by finishing what I started.

OK now I feel overwhelmed with all the possible opportunities to recycle my articles. Oh, and I just thought of one more. Years ago I wrote an emagazine with short philosophical observations many of which will make wonderful expanded articles. And oh yes, there are the lists I’ve made that I could make each item a separate articles. And there are question my clients ask that I have answered in emails. But wait, that’s new stuff. Start with what you have written and bring it around for a new audience.

Why I Don’t Like Video

Cara Lumen — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:08:42 +0000

I’m really ticked. There was a headline that sounded interesting and I wanted to know more. When I opened up the link it was a video. I didn’t have time right at the moment for a video; I was just checking my email. But my upset and frustration about not having instant access to the information I wanted helped me got really clear about why I don’t like video.

I want to consume information in that moment

I don’t know what this video says, what it’s going to teach me, whether I even want to know what it’s going to say because it is behind a closed door – the video. That means I have to either stop what I am doing and look at it and consume the information right then or skip it. I usually skip it.

I don’t know how much time I have to spend if I listen to it.

I have plans for my day. So now I don’t know if I really want to know what it says because I am only operating on a response to a headline and I also don’t have a clue as to the time I need to invest if I do take time to watch . Again I skip it.

I cannot scan it quickly to see if it is something I want to learn.

I read very rapidly. I can scan the subheads and tell in seconds if it’s something I already know or something I want to learn. I can’t do that with a video; I have to take time to open the video and sit there and maybe learn something and maybe not. I usually skip it.

I cannot easily copy and paste an article of interest and save it for future reference.

Here’s my biggest beef. If I find something useful in a video I have to find a way to take notes while watching the video which is tricky. With a written article I can copy a paragraph that interests me and put it in my idea folder. I always put the URL with the idea for future reference. Sometimes these notes inspire an article of my own take on the topic; sometimes a concept is developed in my unique way for a telecourse, sometimes I quote the source verbatim. If it’s something technical I need to learn but sure don’t want to stop and do it at this moment, I copy and paste and save the article in a resource file that is organized by projects. When I’m ready to work on that project there is great stuff collected over time waiting for me. I do not have to consume it at the moment. Saving a video or the URL to a video is a bit trickier. I usually pass.

What I do like about video

I am very grateful for the teaching videos – the ones that show me step by step how to do something in WordPress that I don’t know how to do. When I’m up for it I like to schedule time to listen to a speaker I want to experience. But I’m in a definite mood to take time to absorb new information when I actively search on a topic in order to learn how to do something. Otherwise I want my information available to quickly consume. I guess I’m impatient. I want to be able to quickly make an informed decision about the value of the information to me. I want my knowledge easy to consume and easily available when I want it. And that’s not the case with video.

But wait, is there a solution?

I believe that if you find a problem you offer a solution. Not everyone wants to view a video. That’s why I suggest we all use a combination of written, audio and video depending on who our target community is and how they access their information. And I definitely have coaching clients who want to use video. So what do you have to do to get a grouch like me to look at your video?

List how long the video is so I can make a decision as to when I’ll view it. I’ll do a minute and a half then and there.
Give me some bullet points – what will I discover if I watch so I can tell if I already know that or not.
Get to the point. Give me the message. Make it clear and compelling
Do give me a clear URL link to go find out more if I’m interested.
There is no solution to my desire to take a lot of notes while watching unless you wanted to offer a free PDF for me to sign up for. Depending on the content that would be a rather good move.

The "How-To" videos also need to be short so that the viewers have control of their learning experience. If you’re posting about starting a blog you’ll have a whole series of short videos on things like "How to load an image" to "How to add keywords to your post." Think in terms of sort, succinct, meaningful messages.

Does your target community use video?

The major decision making factor for using or not using video is whether your target audience will watch it. Different age groups have different consumption habits. My grumpiness is typical of my senior citizen age group. Here’s how it breaks down:

background:white">(2009 est.) People who watch videos

· 0–14 years: 20.2% male 31,639,127/female 30,305,704)
·15–64 years: 67.0% (male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
· 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696)

If it is an easy medium for you to use, if your target community likes to consume their information through video, if you add a short summary to your video page for the visual learner and you tell me how long it will take me to watch it maybe, just maybe, I’ll look at it.

What’s your take on video?

Why You Should Take Time to Leverage Your Ideas

Cara Lumen — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:34:27 +0000

It doesn’t take long to multi-purpose an idea and the millage you get by doing so is not only gratifying but profitable. Let’s consider this article. I write it first for my blog. Then I use the great plug in from Ezine Articles to add it to their site at the same time I post it on my own blog. Later I include a link to the post in my emagazine. That’s one idea headed for different audiences all with my bio at the bottom which links back to my web site and my blogs. And it didn’t take very long to post them. Taking time to leverage your ideas can lead you on all sorts of exciting adventures.

Where do you need more mileage?

One of the things I’ve been carefully looking at is where my target community hangs out. Because EzineArticles covers such a wide range of topics and because they give an article prominent listing when it first appears and because they Tweet and FaceBook it I’m really reaching out. I can also post in specialized submission sites like Self Growth. Go exploring to see where your ideas best fit and add posting to those audiences to your marketing plan. People can’t find us if we don’t show up where they hang out.

What shape can the idea take?

People absorb information in various forms; some prefer to read, some to listen, some to watch. It makes sense to present your idea in many forms to reach as many people as you can. But also be aware of how your target community consumes their information and address that. Seniors are not tweeters. Generation X wants their information delivered in short concise bursts. Tailor your format to the needs of your community.

I love to use my blogs as a crafting platform for new products. I can make an ebook of my ten best posts. I can write a series on a topic and gather them into an ebook or create a teleclass from them. A teleclass I recently presented is now being developed into my 15 ebook ‘How to Craft Series." It may end up as one book. It will definitely have teaching videos. It already has worksheets and templates to guide people through my Magnetic Content Development System. One idea turns into 15 ebooks and eventually into one major book. Surely the movie is next!

Examine your idea. Look at who it’s for and what you want it to do, then see how many formats you can use to present it.

Craft information products that help you learn

One of my favorite ways to continue to learn is to find a topic I want to understand more deeply and create a course or ebook around it. I gather up what I need with my beginners mind and organize it into easily achievable steps. That process enhances my understanding of the topic and as I work I develop new systems to help others apply the concepts. For instance, I love to create information products and I really know how to do that well. When I found that my coaching clients needed help choosing their best ideas and then organizing those core concepts into an information product that could educate, motivate and inspire their target community I saw a real need. As I worked with them I created a system, my Magnetic Content Development System. Now I’m teaching that system – as a teleclass, as an ebook, as a membership site, as a coach.

I wanted to become a better writer of articles so I gave a teleclass on the topic. Now I’m expanding some of that content into an ebook. I’ve always been fascinated about the personal awareness we need to develop in order to align with our own passion and purpose. I’m creating a telecourse around that. Whatever you need to explore within yourself, whatever skills you need to hone, teach someone else what you already know and watch what you learn in the process. However much you already know, you will own that knowledge much more deeply when you set about teaching it to others. Look for what you help other people do, look for what you need to learn, and see what you can teach.

Craft information products that meet a need

I’m helping several of my clients create a new web presence. As we worked I realized they would need help posting for the first time so I wrote a handout that describes the steps. They needed covers for their opt in ebooks so I wrote an article that offers resources and suggestions. I saw that they would need to decide on categories for their blogs so I researched that, found some ideas and not only made a helpful article for my clients but included it in a book I am currently writing. When you see a need you can fill, fill it and see how you can turn it into a valuable information product for others.

Craft information products that offer value

One of our major goals in business is to build community, and when you continually bring helpful information to those who are connected with you, you will begin to build loyal followers. Look at the ideas you have. Look at what you are doing for your clients. Look at what you want to learn next in your own business. Create some information products around those ideas and make them available. It will make you more of a go-to-person and hey, the passive income feels good too. It’s worth it to take time to leverage your ideas.

Is Loneliness a Natural Part of Creativity?

Cara Lumen — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:04:05 +0000

Lady Gaga said her life was lonely. Danielle Steel said she started writing because she was lonely. And Dana Delaney said she never married or had children because she felt she could not do that and ply her craft. I wondered if loneliness is a natural part of creativity.

Are creatives different?

If you are passionate about an idea you are focused on being it and doing it and sharing it to the exclusion of a lot of other things. For instance, my choices, my interests and the way I spend my time are all influenced by my massive need to learn and teach. It takes the form of writing and coaching. If you are heavily in touch with your creative side for most of your life you may have felt that you are noticeably different or outside the main stream. And the truth is, if you are going to respond to your creativity and inner passion you have to spend time alone. You have to listen to your inner wisdom and you have to be true to yourself. As you stand firm in your individuality some people will be drawn to you and others will not. There is definitely alone-ness in following the beat of your own drummer.

What happens when you answer the creative muse?

When the idea for this article hit me I was watching The View where all three guests indicated there was loneliness in their lives. Danielle Steel writes all the time and has four or five books going at once. She has been married five times, has raised nine children and has still managed to write nearly 120 books. Lady Gaga writes her own music and designs her incredibly imaginative costumes and sets and of course performs on tour and records. There is no question that creativity requires devotion and commitment.

I definitely identified with their loneliness so I leaped over to my computer to see what I could discover about the relationship between creativity and loneliness. And that very drop-everything-and-go-write choice is a perfect example of answering the muse to the exclusion of all else. I was excited about the idea, I needed to explore and see what I could discover about the topic of loneliness and I needed to write it right now. So I did. I am sometimes even pulled out of my daily meditation by a thought that calls me to action right that minute. I have been casually reading articles that posed a question I wanted to answer for myself and immediately began to explore it by writing down my thoughts and responses. When the urge to create comes upon you nothing else matters. You answer the muse.

Creatives keep open to inspiration

As a creative you are open to new ideas. You are not looking for anything in particular you are just tuning into that powerful internal response that says “I need to explore that idea." When I read I write down phrases that inspire me. Sometimes an idea presents itself that one of my coaching clients can use so I sit down and develop it in a form to share with them. Today when a bird was having breakfast at the bird feeder outside my window I wondered about how its day was going and how could I write a bird story as a teaching example. Or how could I look at the freedom of a bird’s life and apply that to my own? Creatives see opportunities everywhere, all the time.

You gotta love the excitement of your thought process

Creative people are passionate. They love to explore and examine and contemplate. And they have a very strong desire to share what they know and learn with others. My highest moments are when I’m creating a new teaching product, writing down something I know that I want to share with others. That discovery process, those decisions I must make, the results I know I can accomplish and the product I uncover are a natural high that I cherish. In fact, as I’ve watched my mind work to uncover a new idea and turn it into a valuable information product I’ve created my own content development system around the process that I can teach others. Our minds are amazing and using it to discover, uncover and create is totally satisfying.

And then there is the great joy of creating something from nothing!

I took a painting class. It had been a long time since I’d tried to paint and I was never very good at it but I craved creativity. The class began with a blank canvas and when I finished there was a pastoral scene that had not existed before! Not a great one, but from nothing had come something. It was totally satisfying. My mind, my imagination had visualized a scene and turned it into a tangible picture that allowed me to share my vision. That’s what creativity is all about – pulling your ideas from within and putting them in a form to share with others.

Rejoice in the amazing things you learn

If you want to learn more about something write about it. Whether it is an article like this that explores an idea that interests me or the contemplation of a new personal development course I have yet to create, the mere holding of an idea in my consciousness brings answers and resources from every corner. If you want to learn – teach.

You must bring your ideas to others

If you are inspired by something, if you are passionate about a topic, if you have ideas on how to help others get excited too, then you need to bring your ideas to those people. Whether you write or teach or make a video or give a talk, as a creative you need to share your ideas and thoughts.

And you do not have to be alone in your creativity. The internet is the great connector. I can find like-minded people all over the world. I can read what they say or connect with them in person. I can talk to people in England and Egypt and Australia and it makes the world seem smaller and friendlier. I can share my ideas to a much larger audience and have a greater chance of connecting with people who share my interests. The world is our creative connection. But first you have to put your ideas out there so others can find you.

Are we lonely?

We are alone that’s for certain. We are alone when we write our article. We are alone when we plan our telecourse. We are alone when we create time to go within and listen. We constantly make choices that honor and nourish our creativity. I’d much rather spend the morning exploring a new idea than visiting with a neighbor. I’d much rather read something that inspires me and makes me want to go teach that idea to others than work at something confining and repeatable. I cannot be in groups where the conversations are stories of the past. I want to talk about what you are thinking and doing right now to make your world interesting and vital and meaningful. Not everyone can do that. So yes, by the very nature of my creativity I choose to be alone – alone with my thoughts, my ideas and my self-expression. As far as I’m concerned that is simply hanging out with an interesting me. I’m not lonely but I am often alone. Are you lonely in your creativity?

Pricing for Profit

Cara Lumen — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:03:56 +0000

There are two things you have to identify in pricing – the value of the benefit you bring to the purchaser and the rock bottom price that you are willing to sell it for. Somewhere in between is your price for profit.

Understand what it is worth to your customer

I can have an idea in one minute that will become a branding slogan for an entire business. Do I charge for the minute or for the profit and prestige it will bring over time? A golf professional client of mine was asked to give a clinic for the customers of a client. What is the benefit to that business owner? How do you measure increased good will, deeper trust and better relationships? Those are invaluable in the world of business. Put a perceived price on it.

A web designer can put up a blog in a few hours. What is the perceived value to the person who has no idea how to do this? That blog will last for years. It’s not the time you spend it’s the results you produce.

The first step to identify your pricing is to write down a monetary value of the benefits of what you offer. You are not going to ask that much but keep that number in mind as you create your pricing.

Identify your own self-worth

I’m not willing to work for less than a certain amount per hour. To go lower would make me feel devalued. Your bottom line will include value for your preparation time, your presentation time and the value of the expertise you have gathered over time. Balance that with what you need to earn for your own sense of personal value. Put a price on that.

A more subtle value to consider is the impact of what you will gain from the exchange. My golf pro client will probably attract new clients from the people he has at his clinic. He can take that into consideration in his pricing. Our group of Book Yourself Solid coaches participated in a week of interviews that we all did for free with the express purpose of attracting new people to us. Add the value of those potential business growth opportunities to your pricing mix. Be certain you never, never, never undervalue yourself. When you price yourself too low it will not attract the people you want to serve and you will not feel good about your work. Value yourself and price yourself accordingly.

Make time to over-deliver

How much in person time does this offer require? How much prep time? How does this fit into your current schedule? I am planning a new telecourse and I am writing a series of ebooks and I am coaching and I’m behind in my blog posting. What is reasonable for me to offer? What can I actually add to my schedule and make happen? What is the best use of my time? What will produce the most income in the long run? You don’t want to live your life under pressure. And you always want to have enough time to over-deliver.

Put together some deals

A good example of potential price ranges is a teleclass offering. Let’s say I price a teleclass at $375 but my bottom line, the lowest price I will take in order to feel valued, is $275. There is a $100 in there with which to create some offers. You could have an Early Bird Special. You could have people bring a friend and get a percentage off both sign ups. You can give a special price to the first 10 people who sign up. Play with the difference between your bottom line and a price that indicates a valuable offer and make some deals.

You can also offer bonuses. Actually one of the best bonuses I give in my teleclasses is a free 20 minute coaching session to a certain number of the participants. I make new friends, I get feedback on what I taught through their questions, and they often end up as clients. What 1:1 interaction can you offer in order to take a relationship a step deeper?

Create intriguing packages

Reward a buyer for numbers. I bundle my Landing Page Magic Book with every one of the books in my How to Craft Series because it contains the core step of my Magnetic Content Development System. You can buy each book of the series alone but I also offer it at a discounted price when they buy Landing Page Magic. In the case of my golf pro he could offer a lower package price when the business owner commits to a specific number of clinics. The more the business owner commits, the lower the individual price for each event.

My favorite way to figure out pricing is to make a chart of four columns. On the left column place all the things you can offer. List the MP3, the ebooks, the worksheets, the 1:1 coaching, every possible deal and combination you can think of. Label the next three columns Level One, Level Two and Level Three. Put an "x" by what each level offers and you will visually show the customer how the packages differ. It’s a good method and for posting them on your web site for clarity and the process helps you figure out your best offers

Give your clients what they want

Do they want a quick result? Do they want to learn in depth about the topic? Do they want accountability? Do they want coaching or a home-study course? You can leverage an idea into any size package. How much time do they have each week to spend on this information? What deadline do they have in order to achieve a specific result? What is their motive for doing the work? I can emphasis the fact that creating information products creates passive income and that will draw a people with that desire. But who I really want to attract are people who want to educate, motivate and inspire their target community by crafting information products about what they already know. Those are two different feelings and will draw people with different motivations. Who do you want to attract and why do you want them to come to you?

Understand how your product will be best consumed

How you present your package depends on the consumption habits of your target community. Young people are electronically oriented. Seniors can barely get on line. You have to know where your target community goes to get their information. For instance, I’m not a video consumer. I want to scan and read and copy parts of what I read. Because I teach so much I want to put it in a folder so I can easily find it again for future reference. I can tell in seconds if I want to read in depth. A video makes me commit to an unspecified amount of time and I don’t know whether it is a good use of my time or not because I don’t know the content. I like to see what I’m getting. But video is big and getting bigger. The age of your target community will help dictate how you present your material. You are looking for a combination of what you like to do and do well and how your target community likes to consume their information.

Pick a price for profit

You really need to answer only two questions. What is the monetary value of the benefit your client will receive from what you offer and what is your personal self-worth bottom line. Someplace in between is your price for profit.

What I Learned from the Amazon Upsell

Cara Lumen — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:04:45 +0000

A week or so ago I went on Amazon to look for a bird bath to put in my garden. I selected a few that I liked and added them to my cart for future consideration. At that point in time I did not buy anything. I just looked..

But here’s the part that prompted me to write this post. Underneath the grouping of photos of the eight bird baths they suggested were separate "buy now" buttons for each birdbath. Shopping couldn’t have been easier. I could have placed my order right then and there with a single click.

Know the needs of your community

First of all, Amazon was paying attention. They noticed what I looked for and followed up with more of the same type of product. You see it all the time on Amazon:"People who ordered this book also ordered…." Or they bundle the product you are considering with other things you might need to go with it, combining the web cam with a tripod for instance. There are no sales pages; there is simply a gathering together of similar products that might interest me.

Upsell in your opt in offer

The first place I get to interact with people after my landing page, is my opt in offer. I craft those offers very carefully so that I meet a burning need or solve a specific problem. However, within those opt in offers is information about what else I offer. That I am a coach, that I help people develop information products. I might include a suggestion that they consider joining the Magnetic Signature Products Guild I might let them know that I have specific products available to help them on their journey like How to Craft a Magnetic Opt in Offer that Captivates and Converts I know they are interested in what I do because they have opted in. Now my job is to help them get to know me better – who I am, what I believe in, what I value and how I can be of service to them. But most of all in my opt in offers I help them get immediate measurable results so they know my work has value.

Upsell in a follow up mini-ecourse

The next place I reach people after they sign up for my opt in offer is my mini-ecourse. This is delivered every three days over two weeks. Each post has value, each post adds to the information they need to know to get results and some of them, not all, mention other things I offer that fit in with that particular topic. It’s a casual mention like “You might also be interested in…” with a link to a landing page or a blog post. This is not about selling. It is about helping them know how you can be of service.

Bundle for greater profit

Bundling is an easy way to offer greater value because you can put together a series of products that move them further along in their journey. For instance, I have bundled Landing Page Magic, How to Craft a Magnetic Opt in that Captivates and Converts, and How to Craft a Magnetic Mini-Ecourse that Builds Trust into one package that I have labeled the "Magnetic Start Up Bundle" because these ebooks teach the first three steps necessary for building your list. That way, I can be certain the customer completes the primary steps necessary to start building their all important email list and begin getting immediate results. I also can offer a lower price for the combined products.

Look carefully at what you offer and see what you could bundle that would increase the value in both results achieved and pricing. Add those offers to the landing page of each product the bundle includes.

Upsell on your thank you page

If you continue to see upselling as a service rather than a marketing ploy you will see that mentioning related products that might be of interest to the customer is a helpful thing to do. So on the thank you page for the Magnetic Start Up Bundle I know that person is interested in crafting information products, so I might invite them to join the Magnetic Signature Products Guild or I could post links to a few valuable blog post I have made on the topic of their purchase or I could offer a link to the page that offers detail about my coaching services.

Think about where their mind is at that moment. Look at what their thought process has been to get them to that purchase. What else would be they interested in that would give them greater results? What related items can you mention on your thank you page? Don’t pull them off target with your upsell. Keep it related to what they purchased.

Making peace with the word "upsell"

Having said all that I must add that I don’t like the phrase "upsell" because I prefer to think of this step as giving additional information so the purchaser can make an informed decision. I can think of it as showing them around, giving them a guided tour. They have come to my place of business and I want to give them a deeper understanding of how we work and what we offer. And I want to show them how I can meet their specific needs and interests. I don’t have a substitute word for upsell yet, it’s about extending a welcome, making them at home, welcoming them into your place of business. It’s about giving them additional information about ways you can be in service. “Up-reminder?” What do you think we might call it?

If you want to show a visitor around your business, what do you offer that adds the most value? Tune into the mindset of your visitor and see what else would add to their experience. Then let them know it exists. That’s what I learned from a simple follow up email from Amazon.

How to Begin a New Project

Cara Lumen — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:07:20 +0000

In my Magnetic Content Development System I recommend that every new project begin with a who and do what statement. It will help you clarify who you are doing the project for, what are you helping them do and what that helps them achieve.

Who you do it for?

You know your target community but each project needs a more specific definition within that community. It often will address a particular problem or need within that community.

For instance, the who and do what for my How to Craft Series is:

This series helps: entrepreneurs who are eager to share their knowledge with their target community

To do: develop a valuable line of signature information products

So that: they earn money forever for work they do only once

While the who and do what for the first book in the series Landing Page Magic is:

Landing Page Magic helps: entrepreneurs with wisdom and insights they are burning to share but are uncertain where to begin

To do: use their landing page as a thought organizer to uncover their core concepts, the order needed by the reader’s beginner mind, and the boundaries they wish to set on the topic

So that: they quickly and effortlessly begin to diminish the idea clutter and deliver the most compelling content they can offer.

The target community is the same but the need might vary – entrepreneurs who want to write an ebook would be the target for How to Craft Magnetic Articles & Blog Posts that Go Viral while the who and do what for Chunk It Up, Chunk it Down, Magnetic Project Management to Make Tough Decisions Easy would be entrepreneurs who need help making decisions and organizing their ideas. All entrepreneurs but each product meets a different need.

What are you helping them do?

Each project will have a different purpose. For instance, the How to Craft Series helps entrepreneurs "to develop a valuable line of signature information products" while Landing Page Magic helps entrepreneurs "to use their landing page as a thought organizer to uncover their core concepts, the order needed by the reader’s beginner mind, and the boundaries they wish to set on the topic."

When you get clear about what you want a particular project to help people do, that clarity will keep your end product on target and make certain your community will get the desired results. It will allow you to eliminate ideas that do not help create those specific results and choose the best ideas to achieve the outcome you have promised.

What you help them achieve?

The third part of the who and do what statement is "so that". If the client applies what you offer what will they be able to achieve? The How to Craft Series helps so that "they earn money forever for work they do only once" while Landing Page Magic helps so that "they quickly and effortlessly begin to diminish the idea clutter and deliver the most compelling content they can offer."

Look at your list of benefits to give you ideas for the results you can help them achieve. The so that part of your statement is the reason you are making the product – it is the end result you will help them achieve.

Two more examples

How to Craft a Magnetic Opt In Offer that Captivates and Converts

This product helps: entrepreneurs who want to begin their Success Library of Information Products

To do: craft a compelling opt in offer in just one hour

So that they: can attract the people they are meant to serve

How to Craft Magnetic Cornerstone Content Lays a Strong Foundation

This product helps: entrepreneurs who desire to reach and teach their target community

To do: identify and develop their unique core concepts into a Cornerstone Series

So that they: can immediately begin to educate, motivate and inspire the new members of their Target Community.

Use the who and do what statement for every project

Use the who and do what statement for writing articles, for creating new services and for crafting new products. It will help you get clear about what needs to go into the content and what is best saved for another day.

The Gatekeeper is gone

Cara Lumen — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:29:44 +0000

It used to be that there was always someone judging the quality of our work. Sometimes it was a teacher, sometimes a boss, and sometimes as in the world of writing, it was a publisher. You needed to have a published book in order to be taken seriously. To have your book published was the pinnacle of acceptance. But that measure of excellence is rapidly changing.

We now great freedom to create and publish

There are no gatekeepers when it comes to self publishing on the internet. We are each free to write what we think in the best way we can and publish it ourselves. We can put our ebooks and blogs on Amazon and Nook and iBook. We can put our videos on YouTube. We can put our music on iTunes. We can have a great idea, a burning need to write it and simply create it and publish it. It is then up to us to let people know about it. This is both good and bad. The marketplace is now flooded with tons of information and some of it is better than others. What makes your work stand out?

Publishing is still about you doing the promoting

What many authors didn’t know was that having a publisher was primarily that – having a company help them publish and distribute. In presenting a book proposal it has always been important for the author to demonstrate what he or she could do to promote the book. That ability to market the book weighed heavily on the decision to publish or not publish. It was the marketability of the book that counted almost more than the content.

With a publisher you lose control

Years ago I attended meetings of self-publishers in Northern California. I knew then that I wanted the control of self publishing. The cover, the title, the way it looks were all to be determined by me. I wanted to be responsible for all of that. I wanted to have control of that.

I recently had a friend go through a negative experience with a publisher. In the interior layout of the book the exercises she had included were not kept beside the content that explained them, the proofing was nearly non-existent. The publisher was slow to get the book on Kindle and she spent a huge amount of her own money having it proofed and helping to make the book happen. And of course, the job of promoting was still primarily up to her.

Self Publishing

When you self publish you have more choices and more responsibility. Whether we self-publish a print book or an ebook, we are in charge of the cover, the quality of the content, the layout, the proofing, the front and back end material, and most importantly for choosing the right topic for the right market. You can hire some of these steps done and certainly should. But the best thing about self publishing is the speed you can get your idea to market. You can write an ebook in a weekend and start promoting it on Monday! With the internet and no gatekeepers you have the freedom to put your ideas out quickly and help people find them and put them to use.

Freedom requires responsibility

If I’m free to write and publish anything I want I want it to be very, very good. I want it to be relevant. I want it to change lives. That means I need to research my target community, be certain I am attuned to their most current needs and desires and that I address those needs and desires in what I offer. It means I must write well, take time to review what I have crafted and be certain I have provided the greatest value I possibly can.

With the gatekeeper gone this is a perfect time to build your own Success Library of Information Products. Whether you teach your own system, or offer your unique insights, you get to explain it to others in a way that inspires and motivates them. There are no more barriers between you and your target community.

Your success or failure is on your shoulders

You have a unique combination of ideas and steps to teach to others. Without a gatekeeper it is easy to write what you need to write and publish what you need to publish, and then let the right people know it exists. If we are tuned into our target community they are going to embrace it. If they don’t get excited we need to learn why they didn’t. There is a lot to learn with this new freedom but it’s a very exciting time with no gatekeepers to hold us back.