By Stephanie
Chandler
www.BusinessInfoGuide.com,
and www.ProPublishingServices.com
© 2007
Information is a powerful and under-utilized
marketing tool that can set your business apart from the competition and dramatically
increase revenues. By educating your prospects and customers, you can build credibility
in your field, establish yourself as an expert, and demonstrate your company’s
solutions without a hard-sell.
Information can be delivered
in a variety of formats including books, e-books, special reports, booklets, workbooks,
newsletters, articles, teleseminars, and workshops. Many information marketers
use a combination of methods.
The goal is to offer value
in your information products. When you provide useful information, the reader
will typically want to learn more about your business. Unlike brochures and other
marketing collateral, information products with practical information are more
likely to be kept around and referenced over and over again.
Following
are some examples of ways you can use information to market your business and
increase profits.
E-books and Special Reports
An
e-book is an electronic book that can be downloaded from a Web site and read on
a computer screen or hand-held device. A special report is typically shorter in
length than an e-book, though these terms can be interchangeable. Generally speaking,
a special report typically ranges from two to 20 pages while an e-book is 20 pages
or greater.
Special reports and e-books can be fantastic
business builders since you can use them for incentives and client promotions.
Here are some examples:
- A mortgage company could give away a report
called “10 Ways to Leverage Your Home Equity” as an incentive for site
visitors to sign up for an e-newsletter.
- A career coach could
send prospects an e-book called “How to Speed-up Your Job Search” that
includes a variety of job search tips along with a brief section on how a coach
can help a job seeker.
- An accountant could send clients an e-book
called “The Ultimate Tax Planner” with instructions and checklists that
clients use to gather up the required paperwork for filing annual taxes. Not only
would clients appreciate this valuable resource, but it would save countless hours
in phone calls and meeting time since clients will be more prepared for their
tax filing meeting. In addition, sending the information in electronic format
will save hundreds of dollars compared to the costs of printing and shipping similar
information.
Workbooks
If
you have a lot of information to share with your prospects and clients, a workbook
may be the solution. Spiral-bound workbooks are relatively inexpensive to publish
and have a high perceived value. These are especially effective for interactive
businesses where you either need to gather more information from the client or
if you provide any kind of consulting services. Workbooks also make excellent
companions for speaking engagements and workshops. Here are some examples:
- A business consultant could create a workbook called “Take Your Business
to the Next Level” and include strategies and processes for improving business
practices. It might also include worksheets where clients outline their goals
or follow a process to identify weaknesses in their business.
- A
personal trainer could create a workbook called “30 Days to Better Health”
that includes diet and fitness tips along with a journal component that allows
clients to track their progress.
- A motivational speaker could
create a workbook called “Achieving Your Dreams” that demonstrates a
method for goal-setting along with worksheets that readers use to build time lines
for completing their goals.
Booklets
To
educate your prospects and clients on a specific topic or set of information,
a booklet can be a perfect solution. Most booklets are saddle-stitched (folded
over and stapled in the middle) and can range from four pages to twenty or more
pages. Covers can be printed in full-color (though this increases the production
cost) or with black ink on colored paper stock.
Booklets
make unique and inexpensive giveaway items for trade shows, client meetings, networking
meetings, direct mail campaigns and virtually any other way you can think of to
get them into your prospects hands! Here are some examples:
- A
home cleaning business could create a booklet called “25 Ways to Reduce Allergens
in Your Home” that provides information on how to remove dust, pet dander
and other allergy triggers.
- A real estate agent could create
a booklet called “Essential Local Resources” that includes a list of
contact information for people moving into new homes such as local pizza delivery,
the Chamber of Commerce, pet sitting services, carpet cleaning services, landscaping,
phone numbers for all the local utilities and more. These could be distributed
to clients upon closing a home transaction as a way to make sure the client remembers
you. These can also be distributed in neighborhoods and through networking as
a way to generate prospects.
- A virtual assistant could create
a booklet called “25 Ways to Save Time and Work More Efficiently” and
offer tips on how to be more productive by better managing daily tasks. The end
of the booklet could list the services provided along with contact information.
- A day spa could create a booklet called “How to Get the
Salon Look at Home” that offers skincare tips and upkeep information for
new hair styles. These are a great reminder for clients to return to the spa that
goes the extra mile by providing tools like this for its clients.
Take
Your Business to the Next Level
When you begin using
information to market your business, your company has the potential to achieve
a whole new level of success. This is an opportunity for you to impress prospects
and clients and to go above and beyond what your competitors are doing. With a
small investment in time, you can create memorable information products that your
recipients can utilize again and again.
