Info Products, or ebooks, have been a hot topic in Internet Marketing for several years now... If you havent been creating and selling them, you have likely been buying them. At the very least, you have promoted them as an affiliate. There is no doubt that there is A LOT of money to be made online in Information Marketing.
The recent report titled $7 secrets (note: do NOT order it) that spread through Internet Marketing circles like wildfire, changed Information Marketing for good though. The days of [easy sales on] $47 and $97 ebooks sold through ClickBank are slowly phasing out.
Just last night I was looking at an Info Product that I would like to read. It was an ebook priced at $47 and sold through ClickBank. Interestingly the ebook was on a current topic, Web 2.0 and Social Networking etc, yet it was being sold "old school" style...
I decided to pass on the buy. There was no contact information on the site and the domain was under private registration. I didnt know the author personally, so I was hoping to at least find a bio or a blog on Google under a search for the authors name. No luck. I had no way to contact them, and I couldnt find any information about this person online at all.
I took note of my mental response: I had come to expect more. The "web page" no longer makes the sales online. It's the author. The sales copy can only do so much. Visitors want to actually know the information publisher, and even "taste-test" the content.
It occurred to me that I would have ordered this particular book if it was only $7. Does 40 bucks really make the difference between an impulse buy and reconsidering? Sure it does.
It also occurred to me that I probably would have paid $47 for this ebook if I had known and followed the author for even a short amount of time. Perhaps I had read a report he wrote recently, was subscribed to his newsletter or was a regular reader of his blog. Then I would have likely been "pre-sold" by association...
Here's a wake-up call: Internet Marketing is changing dramatically right now, in case you havent noticed. Visitor expectation has risen, and the responsibility of an Internet Marketer has to rise to meet that expectation. Marketers have been talking about Networking and Relationship Marketing for years now... but it is all finally coming to a head.
You have to "be somebody" or you have to provide something of exceptional value to succeed as an Information Publisher. By that I mean a blogger, author or content site owner. And that is just what the $7 Secrets report addressed in its recent splash on the web...
Dont let that intimidate you, though - becoming 'somebody' is as easy as that report is cheap. In fact, I had never heard of Jonathan Leger (author of $7 Secrets) until he released that report... but he quickly became someone that I listen to, and I open every email he sends the minute it arrives in my Inbox.
How did Jonathan Leger go from "nobody" to "somebody" in his niche overnight? He used the exact strategy that he taught in his own report...
Now Jonathan is not new on the scene by any means. While he just started his blog in August 2006 (a few short months ago), you can find him firmly embedded in Google search results under his own name. His blog too, while relatively new, is chock full of exceptional content. But even without those 'assets', Jonathan's report would have undoubtedly been a huge success, simply due to the strategy used. In fact, he covers that in his latest report, the sequel to $7 secrets.
Jonathan reports that he earned just under $25,000 on the $7 Secrets project (again, dont buy). If you are familiar with the report, then you already know that he offered 100% commission to his affiliates. Each person that recommended the report, or sent traffic to the site, earned the full $7 on each sale.
That may leave you scratching your head, wondering how he earned over $24k when the majority of sales were obviously made by his affiliates - who earned the full sale price. Of course, it's all covered in the report.
And what makes this report so incredibly valuable to its ideal reader is that it serves as a perfect example of the concept it is teaching. (Yet, I'm still encouraging you not to order it if you havent already - and I'll tell you why in a minute...)
The $7 method works, and it works well even though I can understand how it might be hard to wrap your mind around earning a substantial profit when you are giving away 100% of the sale price to your affiliates.
Its about building a quality responsive list, earning money on backend sales, gaining exposure and becoming an expert in your niche, etc. There's more to it than just creating an Info Product that you can make sales on.
It ONLY works though, if you write a quality report. The content needs to be exceptional, on target for your ideal reader, and a decent length - around 30 pages. And this can work in any niche - yes, even outside of Internet Marketing. In fact, people have been launching $7 Reports left and right under the instruction given in Jonathan's report, and in a wide variety of niches.
Jonathan has a website set up to feature these $7 Offers, categorized by niche.
The latest report is titled Write That Report! and is a follow-up to $7 Secrets. It is offered in the same manner - for only $7, and including 100% commission to affiliates.
In this report, Jonathan gives you the step-by-step method that he uses to easily create these reports that are allowing him (and his affiliates) to pocket large sums of cash. All pure profit, of course. What he doesnt tell you upfront is this:
As an unadvertised bonus to Write That Report!, Jonathan gives you a free copy of $7 Secrets. That's right, you can get them both for only $7 ๐ Now you see why I encouraged you not to buy $7 Secrets if you havent already...
It's still a great deal of course, even if you already ordered a copy of $7 Secrets. I purchased them both myself, and 7 OR 14 bucks is still 'pocket change' for this kind of detailed information.
I ordered my copy last night, and read it over coffee this morning... and its GOOD. For starters, it served as a great motivator to get to work on my own report. Second, once again it served as a great example of how well the $7 method works - and proved that you can successfully follow up with sequential reports (keep in mind that by now Jonathan has built a substantial list of subscribers that have already bought from him at that price!).
And to top it off, the report literally contained the outline for successfully publishing and marketing your own report using this same method. It's a no-brainer if you follow Jonathan's outline, and it is the absolute easiest way to write a report or ebook that I have ever seen.
I also really liked the chapter on marketing your report, which discussed finding & contacting potential affiliates. He even shows you a method to use, even if you dont have your own mailing list in that niche yet.
Think about it. This Information Marketing tactic may blanket your niche soon. Do you want to be the one that wrote the report and built the monster list? Or do you want to be the one recommending the report - earning commissions of course - and helping that marketer firmly establish themselves in that niche? Write That Report!
Forget spending 6 months writing a 300 page Ebook and trying to sell it for $47+. Overdeliver doesnt mean Overwhelm.
Best,
Technorati Tags: info products, information marketing, ebooks, writing reports, 7 dollar secrets
About Lynn Terry
Hi Lynn,
I'm ordering on the strength of your recommendation. You've always had good advice in the past.
When I went to the link, and through Paypal, only the "Write that Report!" report shows up. How do we go about getting the "$7 Offer" report as well?
Thanks for the great work!
Bob
Thank you, Bob. Actually, its unadvertised, but you will get to download the 2nd (original) report on the download page once you complete the order. It's a nice little bonus!
I'm not sure if I was supposed to share that, but unless I get scolded (*grin*)... I thought I would let you guys know about it ๐
I actually bought the original report when you first offered it. It really is a good report with some very interesting topics covered. I have to wonder though - is it really a trust issue with these larger products, or is it buyers are becoming "blind" to 47/97 products? Is there just too much out there now and they can't decide, or is it they just don't want to toss down that much money (even if they know the author from blogs and newsletters)?
Either way I do see that smaller, lest costly reports is the way to go. Not only does it give you a chance to "zero in" on a specific topic of interest, but they are much easier to sell! As always though, the money is in the list no matter how you look at it. ๐
True that... and as a buyer/reader, I have to say that I really like these short and to the point reports, versus hundreds of pages to wade through. Even if there is NO filler and all solid info... it's overwhelming. This serves the busy lifestyles we all lead nowadays MUCH better, IMO...
p.s. Kara - if you put out any $7 reports, send me an email ๐
Hello Lynn,
Thanks for sharing your insights, especially those about "knowing" the author. As I prepare to release at least one report in my lifetime (!), I hadn't considered this aspect of marketing.
I'll look forward to future blog posts (your feed is worthy of a piece of precious "virtual real estate" on my Google homepage!).
Best regards,
Tom
Thank you, Tom ๐ Nice to meet you!
Just downloaded and read both reports. I agree that it fits most of our busy, time-constrained lifestyles.
I find the value provided in these reports to be very well worth the $7 and, in fact, worth more than that. But I also see how the lower price can actually ultimately generate more income if his steps and examples are followed.
Now I gotta get busy.....
Glad you enjoyed both reports, Robert - and found them highly valuable as I did. Jonathan lays out all of the steps and makes the process very easy to duplicate. Keep us posted and let us know of any reports you release! ๐
Lynn,
I must second everything you've said up there, but I want to highlight something in particular in case anyone missed it (LOL):
After seeming some cr*p hit the internet since the launch of $7 Secrets, I've been a bit dismayed with the marketers. The good news, however, is that it doesn't sting as much as if the price was $47 as opposed to $7. ๐
~ Teli
You're right. In fact, I just looked at two sales pages this morning by well-known marketers with new $7 products... neither of which appealed to me.
I think its very important to sell something based on benefits, and with a professional approach - not just slap up a web page with a paypal button and expect it to sell just because its 7 bucks.
In order to TRULY make this method work for you, you have to focus on delivering high quality content in a professional manner. Sure thats an investment on your part... but the return is going to be equal to what you put into your venture.
Great points to bring up!!
Lynn I've got to thank you for talking about this a lot lately. You convinced me to buy, and I'm really enjoying the content. It got me thinking about a (non IM) product I've been sitting on for a long time. It's on the topic of breastfeeding, something near and dear to my heart and that I'm very educated on, but it was hard for me to sell because I feel so strongly about it. I've decided to market it this way so the information can get into more hands. And I'll have no competition as far as I can tell thus far.
you're always a source of trustworthy info Lynn, and if you're ever near Atlanta, please look me up!
Glad you enjoyed the reports, and that they have helped you to make that decision on product development. I am sure it will be well received and appreciated by many readers!!
p.s. You know I'm only about 3 1/2 hours away, right? ๐
My web site on World War 2 dealing with war history, strategy, etc. gets about 500 visits per day and I have thought of putting it into a book form and marketing it over the Internet.
I have not yet read Jonathan's report (I plan to after your recommendation). Is it possible my niche site could be marketed via Jonathan's method?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Hi Van,
Using the $7 method to create a viral marketing campaign is a GREAT idea. You will just need to write a report that would be of great interest to your target market, and then encourage them to visit your site for even more info (or link to specific pages/info on your site within the report).
This method works great in a variety of niches. To see some examples, look at Jonathan's $7 Offers site that showcases them by category.
Best,
Lynn Terry
Hi Lynn,
First, before I comment on the $7 report, let me say you look FABULOUS! I don't know if it's the new photo or if you have transformed yourself into a gorgeous babe, but whatever you did, it's working!
I'm sorry to say I haven't visited your blog in a LONG time. Time sure does fly when you're busy as hell, doesn't it?
Anyway, I purchased the report, but the link expired before I was able to download it. I don't know why Paypal was having such a hard time with my payment!
So I was unable to see how the whole process works. Grrr.
I did open a support ticket with Jon. Hopefully, it will be resolved soon.
Clever idea. Thanks for the tips.
Lois Carter Fay
http://www.marketingideashop.com
and http://www.boomerwomenblog.com
Thank you, Lois! Make my day, why dont ya ๐
Jonathan will take good care of you on that, no doubt. He is good to handle things quickly. I think you'll enjoy these reports very much!
I am using several of your tips in this week's ezine, which will go out in the morning. I gave you credit with a link.
Subscribe and you'll get a copy. ๐
http://www.marketingideashop.com/subscribe.html
Night. Night.
Lois
I believe I am already subscribed, but I will double check that. I look forward to getting it!
Thank you ๐
Lynn, good write up.
I've seen my share of beginners start with $7 Secrets and a lot of them don't get that it's less about the price point of $7 than it is about a particular methodology for dealing with online sales.
And it is great for beginners to get started.
The biggest benefit with using the techniques outlined in the report is that it will give other people a compelling reason to promote your site. And that, as most of us know, leads to increased traffic and from there increased sales.
It's a great way for a beginner to learn about selling on the internet and as you rightly point out, if you buy the second report the scripts from the first come free!
That's a bargain.
Thanks for recommending this (and the tip about the bonus). Jonathan is one of the good guys.
A couple of things that are going on right now puzzle me however.
1. Did the internet banish all numbers that don't end in 7? Everything is $47 $27 $97 $77 $197 ... and now $7 ... sheesh. Makes me fervently long for more dime sales where the price changes every hour ... lol
2. Remember when marketers started using the "squeeze page" technique and bribing us with a FREE report to get our email and build their list?
Does anyone else get the uneasy feeling that the new fad amongst the "money motivated" is going to be "make money while you build your list" with $7 reports? Google did take a big dump on squeeze pages recently ...
I think the $7 report thing could be a real blessing for the newbies, especially, but I also think it may be equally important to have blog reviews like this to help direct folks to the quality ones.
Keep up the good work Lynn!
Jeff Meyer
Thank you, Jeff!
Squeeze pages and sales pages are generally not 'designed' for top search engine rankings but instead depend on viral marketing, word of mouth and affiliate traffic.
As for the '7' phenomenon - the reason for this is that it simply works. You can, of course, try various price points - but the testing has already been done, and the conclusion of that testing is that prices ending in '7' have a higher conversion rate.
Free reports are still a great method for building a list too, and personally I think that you should use both methods as part of your overall marketing strategy.
Thanks for the comments - very thought provoking!
~ Lynn
Wow! As if on cue, Jonathan just launched an awesome new product that he's partnered on with the chap who's new free report is flying all over the net.
Definitely worth a serious look. I think it's gonna cause WAY more waves than the $7 script.
I posted the details on my new blog (yea me!) (finally...)
http://wiseanswers.com/blog
Jeff
Yes I was just reading the emails last night - I look forward to looking into it!
Oh BTW
"Squeeze pages and sales pages are generally not รขโฌหdesigned’ for top search engine rankings but instead depend on viral marketing, word of mouth and affiliate traffic."
Yes, that's true, but from things I heard folks who were using AdWords to send traffic to a squeeze page suddenly found themselves getting dropped or charged much more - I forget which.
Jeff
Yes, this is why affiliate traffic & viral marketing are great methods for squeeze pages.
Lynn just a few words - excellent post. I must confess I'd gleaned at least 2 ideas I am going to adopt to my affiliate marketing website.
Thanks
excellent post i must say. yes the concept works very well. Its a simple idea that can used by anyone, be that newbie or experienced marketer.
Lynn,
Interesting reading all the comments. I had seen this report when it first came out but never got it.
Now I'm thinking about it again.
Do you know if you still get the 2 for 1 deal?
Also - one question - is there an actual outline of topics to cover when writing a report? I hear so often to put up a page and have people ask questions, then write your report based on answering those questions.
That's great if you get a lot of traffic to the page. But if not, it's not too helpful.
thanks!
Hi Laurie,
Yes, this is covered in the reports as well, and you still get both reports in the deal. I think you will be very impressed with the concept and how easy it is!
~ Lynn
Hi Lynn,
When I click on your link it takes me to a page about the report, but it doesn't say anything about getting the first book.
Is the first book still available?
Thanks
Cynthia
Hi Lynn,
Ooops, sorry I didn't notice that you stated unadvertised bonus. You can disregard the last question. Thanks for the great info.
Cynthia
You're welcome, Cynthia - enjoy!!
Hi Lynn, I just purchase the book from u. I wana know that can I get the script from u that was sold together previously with the $7Secret ? The script which can automate the ebook selling process?
That is offered by Jonathan Leger. You can submit a ticket at http://www.askjonleger.com and give him your transaction ID from the purchase - He'll take care of you on that ๐
I have paid for the Write that report then the $7 comes with it. I have not received any type of link to down load from anyone. Can you please help.
Thank you
All you have to do is submit a ticket at http://www.askjonleger.com and include the transaction ID of your payment - he'll take care of you right away! ๐
That is interesting and true in the MLM game...there are now a couple of Programs out there - Cost $9 or so, that I had purchased....as a front end to give you 'marketing information' for your Business but the back end is a higher MLM Biz readily available to join and then they show you how you can implement the Marketing techniques, that you can make $6 off (from the $9 purchase) as the front end and Market it (Based on the Marketing techniques that they teach you) but you may also end up joining their Marketing Biz in the process and your downline as well (those who paid for the $9 front end information) not sure if you caught it Lynn but here is an example 9dollarsolution.com .
Thanks for the example, Jacquelyn - great lead generating strategy!
This a Great e-book. I bought it and it helped me. I forgot to order my scrip, but I take care of that now. Especially since so many of you were kind enough to publish the link..
Lynn,
Can you give me the link for the page where you can advertise your $7 reports?
Thanks!
Sure! It's $7 Offers:
http://www.clicknewz.com/7dollaroffers.htm
Thanks Lynn!
Hi Lynn,
I just purchased the Reports based on your recommendation. The thank you/download page didn't work and I've lost the URL for it as I tried to get it to work! The paypal transaction went through OK. How can I get my two reports downloaded?
Couldn't find another place to contact you -- hope you get this and can help.
Thanks,
Linda
Hi Linda,
Just submit a ticket at:
http://www.askjonleger.com/
I believe he doesnt work weekends, but he'll get back to you ASAP during his usual business hours ๐
The methods discussed in 7 Dollar Secrets offer a great way for people to get started in developing their own products. And despite what many marketers say, selling information products for $7 can be very lucrative. Very, very lucrative. Not only do you make money on direct sales (and these are significant because of the low, รขโฌหrisk-free’ price), but there are very few refund requests, high levels of customer satisfaction, and these provide a great way to build a list of buyers.
I agree 'engineer' - I have tested this method myself, and cant recommend it highly enough!
Hi Lynn,
I think your site is great! I also really appreciate your willingness to help others create what you have created. However, I feel so overwhelmed with information, I don't know where to begin. I am signed up for all kinds of success ezines. I also have been applying for all kinds of jobs. I am a 19 year legal secretary - out of work presently. I learned about you from Brad at Capalanos. I would really like to send you an e-mail, but I don't see a contact link on your site. Would you send me an e-mail so that I can reply to you with my thoughts? Thanks. Debbie
Sending you an email now, Debbie ๐
Hi Lynn and friends,
believe it or not I'm hooked on Lynn's stuff since 3am..that's right! Just discovered this early morning, and I'm so glad I did.
I really really appreciate Lynn's honesty and willingness to help with tips and very informative content. I feel that Lynn is one of the few rare online leaders with integrity and friendliness, and I'll be her loyal follower from now on;-)
Eric from Eric's Tips(thanks again Lynn for this gem..) is another wonderful guy, whom I'll be following too.
My question now about the "Write That Report" and "$7 Secrets Project". Since you posted it almost a year ago, is still relevant ?
Second question: BANS - do you still recommend it ?
Many THANKS!