In Part I of my 2012 predictions – I labeled it the “Year the BS Ends”.
Part II is the “Year of the Systems”.
Now, in my third prediction, you’ll see a push towards our typical “niche” information products going into mainstream channels.
NICHE… GOING MAINSTREAM
Rather than always fighting an uphill battle for traffic, you’ll see more information marketers repositioning their products to go where the customers already are.
It just makes sense.
If Amazon is getting millions of people to their site everyday looking to BUY – why are you not there?
THE TRAFFIC
Think about where people are already buying products (more specifically, digital products).
Right now, the biggest players are Amazon and iTunes.
And there are dozens of other marketplaces like eBay and Craigslist – but I think Amazon and iTunes will get the most play for the foreseeable future.
Think Kindle. Think iPad.
How does this effect you?
PRICING AND REPACKAGING
Most of the traditional marketplaces, in general, tend to have more “professionally” produced products and lower prices.
So, you might have to repackage your products and lower the pricing for your front-end products to be approved in these marketplaces.
Yes, a $1K product can fly on the web with a long video sales letter – but it will be almost impossible to sell on Amazon.
But – if you create a different version of your product for $29.95 to sell on Amazon, you could then offer more expensive products on the backend.
THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR 2012
Marketers will have to up their games.
If will be more difficult to simple package a few interviews together and make cash. You must think carefully about positioning, your hook, your pricing and your long-term profit potential.
Spend the extra effort and a little more money, to have your PDF professional laid out.
Go to fiverr.com and have someone to a cool video intro for your training modules.
Again, it’s a long term business and the extra $200 you spend having your ebook professionally laid out will pay out over time.
It will be those little things that will help you get approved to Amazon and iTunes. And from there – you get in early and start capturing the traffic.
This will be HOT in 2012 and I suggest you start looking in the direction right away (I know I am!).
And, of course, if you want to stay updated on these tactics this year, click here.
You’re not just a genius… You are about the nicest man on the planet and a great friend. And more people need to know that….
BG
I’m humbled Brian :)
And you, my friend, are an amazing man. It’s been incredible to watch your journey over the years…
Ryan
Ryan
I think you’re spot on with Amazon and Kindle in principle – I think the price point you mention is still too high. I think you have to be thinking of selling between the $3 to $7 price point to hit the Kindle sweet spot. The challenge then becomes to build a big enough ‘hook’ into your Kindle products to get buyers – not leads remember, but proven buyers – to your website and subscribing to some kind of list where you can then educate them on why they should be spending bigger sums on your higher value products.
iTunes is an interesting one that i’m aware of – but hadn’t thought much about for selling on. It’s not talked about much that i see on the blogosphere either….so it will be very interesting to watch developments on that front.
Another cool post – keep rocking them out!
Paul
Hey Paul,
You are right – the price point is probably even lower.
But it’s a GREAT way to get buyers into your funnel…
Ryan
Ryan
Do you have any particular ‘hooks’ you’re using to get them to to your funnel? I’ve not published on Kindle yet, plan to, just haven’t got round to it – but I interviewed someone who’s done Kindle with both fiction and non-fiction.
And interestingly he reports that the fiction readers were much more likely to go subscribe to a website for extra goodies, news updates etc.
Paul
I’ll throw in Facebook too, Ryan.
One major benefit of Amazon and iTunes is that people go there already thinking they will spend money. The mind set has opened.
Facebook… that’s not the same – we’re talking with our friends, seeing photos of our children (hey, have some great ones of my new grandson on mine!), and talking about things that affect our daily lives.
But put these three together and master how to market on them, and you’ll have a great addition to your marketing funnel.
Have a great holiday, Ryan… I’m off to some planning meetings for 2012 with my business partner. It’s this time of year that we hunker down to layout general goals for the full year and special actions for the first six months. It’s why we’ve been able to accomplish so much.
Best,
Charlie Seymour Jr
http://ExpertMarketingAcademy.com
Hey Charlie,
My friend, Mike Hill, thinks the Facebook Credits will be a big hit really soon. I agree with him – but I still think we are a year away from that really exploding.
Keep on rockin…
Ryan
Great work again Ryan. Hoping to hear alot more from you soon, always reading your posts cover to cover! Been talking alot with Stuart McLeod (a regular follower of your work) and learning alot.
Hopefully speak to you one day for a chat! Bit of a flight between UK and US right enough!! haha Take care and have a nice Christmas.
Ryan.
That’s great to hear Ryan.
Have a great holiday season and a killer New Year!
Ryan
Hey Ryan, right on. Just to let you know, your ‘click here’ link doesn’t work!
Franck
Thanks for the heads up Franck – I just made the fix.
You rock!
Ryan
Awesome content………………
Rock on
Thanks Christopher – just gotta keep on givin’
Ryan
nice post Ryan.
can you plan to do some stuff on Amazon and iTunes for the IC members?
Absolutely!
That will be a focus. And as I dig around, if I can’t find the answers – I’ll get on experts who know what to do.
I’ll also work my “connections” and try to get actual staff from Amazon and Apple to come on the IC as guest experts so you can ask them questions directly!
Ryan
Already on the Kindle case, with one of my ebooks from a year ago, re-vamped, tidied up and put in to the kindle format.
There is a need to set up the book in the right way to lead people back to you and your BLOG so they can discover more about how you can help them…
All good stuff as ever Ryan
Tim Goodwin
Nice job Tim – and you are right on the money.
Keep rockin’
Ryan
There is a prediction that everything is consolidating into the bigger companies (as history has proved over the last hundred years), and your points on Amazon and iTunes re-enforces that.
It sounds depressing, but all these things go round in circles, and as the internet moves so fast, innovation will always be quicker, and that means new opportunities.
I guess there is one very big lesson you have been teaching on your site Ryan, and that is don’t be lazy! If you want to do better, do better stuff.
Hey Quentin,
Yes, I do see more consolidation happening.
We just have to USE it to our advantage!
Ryan
Nice post Ryan! Where do you go to have your PDFs professionally laid out?
Hey Trevor,
Any “graphics” person can do it for you.
Just send them the word doc – and they will lay it out.
Ryan
Couldn’t agree more Ryan.
Thanks Bret!
Ryan
Thanks Ryan! As always you get me thinking of the bigger picture. Any plans in 2012 to come back out to the West Coast?
Have a great holiday.
My pleasure Shawn.
My next trip out there is in April for SAM (www.samretreat.com)
Have a great holiday too!
Ryan
I am really looking forward to training on amazon, kindle and Itunes marketing opportunities. I like your predictions, they make sense. Now we just have to position ourselves to catch the trend early instead of catching up with the trend.
Hey Shama,
I’m also looking forward to seeing how it shakes up!
The key is getting in EARLY!
Ryan
Hey Ryan!
AWESOME post!! I’m newer to IC (and LOVING IT!!)…but if you haven’t already done so,
the whole Kindle thing would be FANTASTIC content for a Wednesday call!!!!
Have a blessed holiday season and thank you for all you do for us. You’re incredible!!
Connie Lowery
Hey Connie,
I’m so glad you are enjoying the IC.
Right now, I’m working my contacts to see who is doing a good job with the Kindle and 3rd party marketplaces.
Stay tuned…
Ryan
YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait!!!!!!
Thank you !! :)
Connie
Ryan,
Smart money would agree with all three of your predictions. You have your own, very keen insight to things and I appreciate your predictions as authenticly crafted and very well thought out. I might add, that BEFORE people spend money they will spend more time than ever doing their homework.
Speaking of mastering how to market to buyers of products & service, as a 30 year media verteran the ability to reach targeted buyers that are in the market for a specific product or service is becoming increasingly more effective, and we can reach people like never before with Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA). OBA goes well beyond Pay per click and Facebook ads and allows for the pinpoint targeting across tens of thousands of video web sites that comprise the ad networks. We are deeply entrenched with OBA video advertising and can reach people (Nationally or Locally by zip code) on their kindles and i pads while looking for a product and doing their comparison shopping, as well as retarget them if they don’t complete a purchase. I would add to your prediction that OBA will have a break out year and help those that understand how to use OBA to master their marketing.
Thanks for some great information again today, your wheels never stop spinning my man… keep cranking and rock on !
PS – I don’t know who would win in a race – you or Lewis Howes, but you are both really cool young champion race horses that remind me of … well me when I was in my late 20′s early 30′s.
Hey Scotty,
Thanks for your input – and I agree that will be something to keep an eye on. Some companies are doing incredible things with this type of technology. And it usually takes a while until the “scaled down” version is easily applicable to the masses.
Regarding the race, I will smoke Lewis :)
Ryan
Ryan,
I agree about the amazon insight. I would also add that Amazon is a safe way to move old inventory at a lowered price. I plan on looking into this more this coming year. I can move some old inventory at a 40% discount and still make a profit. Thanks for rekindling the idea in my mind.
Absolutely Edwin.
And don’t forget ebay.. Not quite what is was a few years ago – but still a powerhouse!
Ryan
Completely agree!
What a coincidence, this whole week I have been looking into setting up my account on the Kindle Store and marketing there, also looked into apps and still am
I do feel like the ones that have their face on mainstream places are gonna get bigger
Great predictions!
Luis Carrillo
Luis,
I also just bought a Kindle Fire – it’s definitely a place we should all be looking…
Ryan
Ryan right on about going where your clients are. I stopped old advertising channels over 2 years ago and now work my list. Facebook has been great for us. Have a new showroom opening next week and going to have client parties.
Great 2011 because of the good guys like you Ryan. Can’t wait for 2012!
Thanks
Thank you Glen!
I’m also concentrating hard to Facebook.
2012 will be incredible…
Ryan
Great post Ryan,
also a question for you:
Where to get your ebook written for $200
thnx
You can hire a ghostwriter – but I wouldn’t trust my name with someone who would write an entire book for just $200. The quality would likely be pretty poor.
Ryan
You don’t need a ghostwriter.
Write out 10-15 red hot questions your readers would want answered.
Let someone interview you.
Answer them with your brilliance.
Record it.
Have it transcribed.
Clean it up a little.
Bingo. DONE!
Hope that helps…
JP Maroney
aka “Mr. Monetizer”
Brilliant – I just published a soft-cover fitness / lifestyle book for women over 40, and I made it so the workout cards, videos, nutrition info etc is accessible off my website in ‘real time’, and my publisher wants to ‘app’ my book. Does this sound like a good deal? I’m thinking this is what you’re talking about, Ryan, when you say ‘think IPad’?
Hey Karen,
It sounds like a good idea.
As long as you can drive them to your site and collect their information for yourself, I’d go for it. Just make sure to check out the “rights” very closely…
Ryan
@Karen — I have a client you should connect with. She’s launching stuff for baby boomers. Bet you guys could be a benefit to each other.
I tend to laugh a lot reading your posts ryan as your advice is so obvious and simple, yet we consistantly look for the harder more complex ways of doing things.
Thanks
Stuart
Thank you Stuart.
I think it really is so simple and people tend to over-complicate things.
Plus, I love to laugh – so I’m glad my sense of fun is coming through :)
Ryan
I’ve published on Amazon: a four-color paperback that won Best Craft Book of 2010, and I kept it on the Top Ten list for its category for two years using social media. But you know what? People rarely “found it” because it was on Amazon. I generated the demand for it. In fact, I’ve gone from being a publisher of books to a publisher of online training classes simply because the price point on Amazon is going down so much due to ebooks. So you won’t find me publishing my stuff for a tiny price: if I’m going to generate a demand, it will be on my site and my training classes.
It sounds good in theory Ryan, but as one who’s been there, it’s a no-win. Sure, you might get lucky and sell a hundred thousand copies of a low-priced ebook, but you’ve just taught your audience to expect to pay a small price for your offerings. Few of those who buy a low-priced ebook are going to shell out for the higher priced products.
Great stuff Ryan,
“Successful people are those who form the habit doing what failures dislike doing and there fore will not do.”
And, you’re right — the BIG WINNERS in 2012 will be those of us who continue to evolve our marketing. The principles won’t change. But the methods will mature.
You’re point about 2-stepping with amazon is spot on. We’re currently repurposing more than 50 of our products, books, courses, etc into amazonable programs.
Love your style man — love to connect sometime.
Cheers and happy new year!
JP Maroney
aka “Mr. Monetizer”
PS: Love the way you talk about your family — I do the same in my stuff. Wife Tonya — plus three kids… 13, 5, and 5 months.
Great post Ryan! I have 2 books on amazon kindle and working on my 3 rd one now and this one I want to make into a physical book along with a kindle version- I am going to get back to working on my site for the RLM today- sooo much to do! But it’s great! I also love your IC – I have to confess- I’m suffering with info overload (and being overwhelmed with finishing my book and starting my membership site), anyway, I started to cancel my IC membership because of info overload and to cut expenses and not enough time but after looking back over it and the info it contained I COULDN’T the info was so good! Thanks for the great info you give us – I’m hopelessly addicted!
BB
Hey Ryan,
I went ahead and ponied up for your IC.
Headsup… your welcome video quotes the old monthly price apparently. Just an FYI.
JP
Hi Ryan,
Was bought a Kindle 2 days ago and the potential for these is going to be great.
When you look at the various book categories you will see that the personal development and how to section has far more books than most of the others.
They are also great for taking pdf material and reading it on the move. One thing you wont complain about with this toy is battery life!
Have a great Christmas with your family!
Best Regards
Stuart McLeod