People are willing to pay for information, as long as it’s something useful and relevant and that’s how information marketing works.

In a nutshell, it’s the selling or marketing of some type of information-based product to consumers that are willing to pay for them.

In order to become a successful information marketer, you’ll need to target a specific audience.

Everyone is selling something.

It might be a product, a service, a download, an idea, or a worthy cause.

Whatever you are selling, it’s got to be worth the price, Whether you’re asking for Naira, Dollars, Euros or valuable time and attention, you’ve got to deliver something that towers above your asking price

The “product” you are offering should be some type of useful information, which can take many form.

Information Distribution is often Achieved through:

• Electronic books (e-books – pdf, doc etc)
• Electronic manuals (both online and offline)
• Webinars or pre-packaged presentations
• Audio and visual content (podcasts, video posts)

“What helps people, helps business.” ~ Leo Burnett

Determine Your Niche Market

A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focused, that been said …

If you want to earn a sustained income from your efforts, determine and understand your preferred niche market (their problems, worries and it Solutions)

Ideally, your niche should be of particular interest to you or something revolving around your personal experiences.

it could be weight loss, dating, Abs, health etc…

“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”

How to Clearly Define Your Niche

If you are not sure which niche to choose, do some research into several topics to learn what type of information people are seeking within each niche group.

Start by making a list of your preferred areas of expertise.

Go through each of them and see if you can further narrow down your topic.

For example, people who want to lose weight or small business owners are much better niches than people who like to buy DVDs or people who buy discounted products.

If they are already pre-disposed for information, it will be easier to sell to them.

Gathering Information for Your ‘Product’

Your next goal, after defining your niche,

Is to assemble your information in one convenient, easily attainable package.

The information you present in your package can come from multiple sources, ranging from online search engine results to reliable blogs and websites or your personal experience.

Just remember to reference any sources in your materials to boost your credibility.

Your Presented Knowledge Can Also Come from:

• Seminars or relevant conferences you’ve attended
• Personal experience from working in a particular industry
• Direct advice from experts within your field of interest

How to Get Started with Info Marketing

You can always pick more than one niche,

Although it’s better to start with one and develop a productive relationship with that audience.

After niche selection, the next step is to determine how you will disseminate your information.

Whether it’s e-books and e-manuals or a combination of audio and video content, develop a convenient package with all the information your target audience is likely to want.

In Order to Successfully Market Information, you’ll need the following:

• A bank account (payment processor)
• A separate email account for your marketing efforts
• A list of perspective clients
• Resell rights to sell information products belonging to others

Identify and Solve Problems

The key to making money with information marketing is to clearly understand what problem(s) you’ll be solving with the info you’ll provide.

Relevant, useful information of any nature has the potential to offer a decent return on your investment.

However, you’ll increase your odds of making money from your efforts if you focus on helping others identify potential opportunities.

Once you identify problems you’ll be solving, offer practical solutions.

The true value of your information come from how buyers can use it for their own personal or professional purposes and how well you solve their problems.

Have a Passion for Your Topic

Regardless of what your topics are within your specific niche,

it should be something you have an honest passion for rather than something you think will sell.

If preparing the information becomes too much of a chore, it will be hard to find motivation to stick with it.

For instance, if gardening is a hobby you absolutely love, focus on an interesting aspect of gardening.

Popular Info Marketing Topics right now Includes:

• Finance and commerce
• Lifestyle tips
• Health care
• Dating
• Business etc

Do not forget that an information package needs to be thoroughly researched. It also needs to be carefully proofread and edited for clarity.

Ultimately, it has to be useful and relevant for your intended audience.

An Effective Information Package should also:

• Have an attention-getting title
• Be truthful as far as all information that’s presented
• Be appropriately priced based on the value of the information presented

Assume the Role of the ‘Teacher’

Think of yourself as a source of Authority.

Whether you’re distributing materials via video presentations, e-books, seminars or tutorials, you want to make the value of your knowledge clear.

Let’s say your area of expertise is international trade,

for instance;

your package would likely include information on foreign trade policies, export and import tariffs, global shipping policies and the state of major world markets.

An effective presentation of this relevant information would likely appeal to someone looking to expand their global trade activities,

echoing the need to know who will likely be interested in your information.

Promoting Your Information

Information marketing is only going to generate revenue for you if you effectively promote your what you’re offering.

Your promotional efforts should be specific to your intended Audience.

Promotional Outlets for Information-based Content Includes:

• Relevant online communities
• Article directories
• Your own blog or website
• Appropriate social platforms (facebook, twitter etc..)

Write an Attention-Getting Sales Letter

Whether you’re using a mailing list or an email list to reach out to potential buyers,

A concise, attention-getting sales letter is needed (mostly in the Headlines)

While you want to generate attention, it’s just as important to remain honest about what you’re offering.

Essential Elements of a Sales Letter Includes:

• Accurate, persuasive content descriptions,
• Clearly stated costs of the information package
• Order instructions with contact name, email address and payment details

What If You Don’t Want to Use a Sales Letter?

There is no steadfast rule that you absolutely need a sales letter.

You can achieve the same goal with a carefully crafted introduction on a website devoted exclusively to your information product(s).

You can also achieve the same goal with killer headlines on your social media pages

Also by placing links back to your website on blogs or online forums within your niche.

Faster Delivery Usually Boosts Sales

In today’s must-have-it-now world, faster is often better.

In terms of information marketing, the same concept applies.

When possible, make your content available through electronic delivery methods.

An e-book with all of your information, along any additional supplementary materials, for instance, can be sent as a PDF via email to paying clients.

Offer Proof of Your Expertise

One of the most effective ways to market your information is to show examples of your knowledge of a certain subject.

While you want to save some of your best insights for your paying clients,

There’s something to be said for enhancing your value as a source of reliable information.

It’s a goal you can achieve by:

• Engaging with social media followers by responding to questions and comments
• Offering a few samples of the information you can provide on your website
• Maintaining a blog specific to your topic or contributing to other relevant blogs

Optimize Your Website for Sales

User-friendly features like a “buy now” button and easy navigation features can also boost sales.

Make sure your site is designed to be mobile-friendly to better attract potential clients.

Include a feedback/comments section.

You can always use any positive testimonials as part of your promotional efforts later.

Double Check Your Pricing

It’s usually easy to tell if your information package is overpriced,

Especially if you’re getting comments expressing some interest in your information without any follow-up.

You do, However, have the potential to change the price of what you’re offering.

Take some time to research prices by either checking online or networking with other information marketers and comparing notes on pricing.

Consider the following pricing tips:

• If you do intentionally overprice your package, justify the cost in your sales letter by emphasizing the value of your information.
• Don’t be so quick to decrease your price if you’re not getting results without first trying to boost your promotional efforts.
• Keep tabs on the feedback you’re getting to determine if your pricing is viewed as fair based on what’s being offered.

Since information is a subjective commodity,

Meaning you get to decide what it is you’re presenting to potential information seekers and how much it’s worth,

you’ll have a lot of control over what you present to your intended audience

But don’t make the mistake of giving them what they don’t want,

Remember, information-based marketing is targeted to a very specific niche.

How successful you are with this form of marketing, in terms of profits, depends on how well you prepare your materials and how much effort you put into connecting with the audience within your topic.