In Part 1 of this series, I outlined seven steps to innovating, designing and launching your own information products:
- Tune into Your Niche Market
- Leverage Your Product Funnel
- Outline Your Coaching Product
- Map Out a Project Plan
- Create Your Product
- Create Your Marketing Campaign
- Get Set to Deliver
The first three steps are covered in Part 1. Here’s the scoop on steps 4 and 5. I’ll cover steps 6 and 7 in Part 3.
Step 4 – Map Out a Project Plan
You’ve already outlined what your product will be, and how it will benefit your market. Now put it on a schedule. Break it down into actionable tasks, and target a completion date for each task. Remember to include editing and formatting, writing and designing your marketing campaign, and setting up a sales and delivery process. See this post for an example of the major steps needed to get an ebook published.
Ink in any firm deadlines, then work backwards to set a completion date for each task. For example, suppose a colleague has offered you an opportunity to build your list by offering your new freebie as a bonus for their product launch. That means it will need to be ready for download by a certain date. Work backwards from that final deadline to set the rest of your target dates.
Project planners often say, assume everything will take twice as much time as you think it will.
If you are the only one marketing this product, it’s OK if the dates move – but having a project plan will still help you avoid procrastination. And if you have a creative team helping you put the product together, your plan will help keep everyone’s responsibilities and deadlines clear.
Step 5 – Create Your Product
Now, get it written (recorded, transcribed, designed, formatted, produced). This is the part that often gets procrastinated, but just do it. Use your project plan deadlines to help you stay on track.
Get an editor or proofreader to look over your product before you publish. You’re probably too close to the product to do this yourself, and typing or grammatical errors will not help build your brand.
If you are not fully confident of your content, run your completed draft past a few savvy people in your target market. Get their feedback (and maybe a testimonial) in exchange for a free advance copy. If snazzy design is not your thing, hire a graphic designer to add a professional touch. Make sure your graphics are properly licensed, and put a copyright notice on your work.
Remember, you’re not going for perfect. The important thing is to get your valuable content into the hands of your market. Whatever is left out can go in the second edition, or the follow-up product you make later.
While you work, keep notes toward the outline of your follow-up product.
Also, be sure to keep a final copy of your product in editable form (including any graphics). Chances are, you’ll want to release an updated version later; you don’t want to have to recreate it.
There’s such satisfaction in shaping your knowledge into knowledge capital. Create a product that helps your market meet a key challenge more successfully, and you’ll have an asset that will serve your business for years.
..." in response to 
