Information, Information…

It’s old hat to say it, but since this ebook is about one means of using the power of information, I need to say it anyway – we live in an information age! The information age has been loosely defined as beginning when the movement of information became faster than physical movement. Of course, although the telephone and telegraph signaled the end of the industrial age, it wasn’t until the last 20 or so years of the 20th century that the ability to store, move and process vast amounts of information began to assume the importance we know today.

It’s not what you know…

The explosion of the information age has rendered obsolete the old saying, “It’s now what you know, but who you know.” Now it is more correct to say, “It’s not what you know, but whether you know how to get the information you need.” After all, the human brain can only hold so much information. The information age hasn’t expanded that capability of the mind to absorb facts or to use the facts and figures it holds. Instead, the information age could be considered to be about three things:

1. Knowing where to go to get the information you need
2. Possessing the skills to access the information
3. Knowing how to use information in your personal and business life

Beside the fact that knowing how to access and use information sources is becoming increasingly important to most jobs, people are willing to pay for good money to get the information they need and want. Entire companies are built around simply handling, massaging and delivering information.

Example number one…

If there was any question whether information knowledge and skills is valuable, look at the case of Google. Coming literally out of nowhere, within a few years Google has become a corporate giant, purely based on the ability to search and distribute information. The number of different types of information that Google has spread its business into is staggering. (One small example - the free Google Desktop search utility puts Microsoft’s built-in search function thoroughly to shame when it comes to looking for something on your computer. I wouldn’t be without it!) It makes you wonder why no one else thought of doing all these things before. But

Google should be an inspiration to all of us. They have simply grasped the vast potential of information and its uses and applied it with more thoroughness and ingenuity than anyone before them. They may have started with the simple idea of performing Internet searches in a new and more efficient way, but they now see themselves as information manipulators, and their horizon appears endless.

But I’m no Google, you are saying. No, but you don’t have to be a Google to be able to profit handsomely from savvy use of information. As we will see, there is a vast array of information available at not cost, just waiting for you to use as an ingredient in a product. What that product is depends on your own creativity and ingenuity (remember Google?).

Found on the Sidewalk

Perhaps you don’t appreciate it yet, but the most exciting thing about public domain content is that you have at your fingertips information that you don’t need to pay someone else for. What company do you know of that gets its raw materials at no cost? Other than the blood bank, where most of its blood is donated, I don’t know of any. It’s somewhat like finding money on the sidewalk. You don’t have to pick it up, but why wouldn’t you?

It helps your appreciation for the value of public domain content if you have had to pay to get good, original material written. Sure, you can get junk written for very little cost, but you will find what you paid for it being reflected in what people will pay you for it! Some information products may sell for a while simply on the basis of clever marketing, but if you want a product to continue to produce sales for years to come, you will want to build good content into your product, and that will cost you some money. If you have an excellent, innovative idea that you are confident will sell well, it may be worth it to pay a good writer to create your information product. But we want to show you how you can find and profitably use information that will cost you nothing.

Put Your Money Elsewhere…

A big secondary benefit of getting your free public domain information is that you can use what you might have spent for the basic content in an effective marketing campaign. As we noted earlier, poor content can only take you so far, despite the best marketing. That’s because the word gets around. This applies to some degree both positively and negatively. But in general, poor information products die without a lot of fanfare. Good information products that are found valuable by their purchasers, on the other hand, will produce positive recommendations and burgeoning sales. That’s the best marketing tactic in the world – creating a good, valuable product in the first place. But generally, it costs something to get the word out to interested buyers in the first place, even if your offering subsequently goes ballistic simply from word of mouth. The good news is that you haven’t blown a wad on getting the product, leaving nothing to promote it.

Off the Web, mail marketing is hated by customers. It’s unwanted, uninvited and stuffs mail boxes. But it’s pretty clear that it’s also incredibly popular with advertisers. Why? Because while most potential customers toss away their junk letters with barely a glance, enough take action to make it all worthwhile. They do buy—and in high enough numbers to more than cover the cost of those who don’t.

Email marketing is pretty similar, but with one important difference: on the Web, you can only send marketing emails to people who have already chosen to receive them. A bit tricky. On the other hand, because those people have already chosen to receive your emails, you can be confident that they’re going to buy.

We will read how to produce marketing material that gets results!

Collecting Opt-In Email Addresses

Email is still the most popular and most used application on the Internet. It’s also an efficient means of distributing your message to large numbers of people who have requested that information. As a form of marketing, it generates high response rates—and gives you measurable results with instant feedback.  

But because email marketing been so abused, it’s just not accepted any more to send emails to people who haven’t chosen to receive them. Bust that rule, and there’s a good chance you’ll be out of business. That gives you the problem of building up a list of willing subscribers.

When you’re first starting out, there’s often a temptation to simply purchase an opt-in email list. Lots of people sell them and you can easily pick up a million or so addresses for just a few bucks. But while that may appear to be a fast, easy way to build up customers, the names on the list may not be up to date, or even opt-in contacts at all. You could well find yourself inadvertently spamming. 

Similarly, there are also programs that surf the Net, recording every email address they find. These will let you quickly build up a huge list of e-mail addresses—none of whose owners will thank you when you stuff their inboxes with marketing material. Forget about them; they’re not worth the effort. It’s much safer, and much more effective, to take the time to build your own list. 

Double Opt-in

Marketing by e-mail can attract new customers, keep existing ones, upsell, cross-sell, and cut costs. E-merchant Wine.com, for example, found e-mail campaigns drove twice as many “best prospects” to their site compared to banner ads or other Internet marketing programs.

If executed improperly though, e-mail campaigns can backfire with disastrous business consequences. How to minimize the risk and maximize the return? Part of the answer is a common sense approach called “permission” or “opt-in” marketing, in which customers or prospects volunteer to receive e-mail.

The odds of users joining a list can be improved by providing three opt-in opportunities, all with low entry barriers. First, there should be minimal sign-up work. Many sites require only an e-mail address; all other personal information is optional. Second, there should be several sign-up opportunities on a site, including on the inquiry, order, and feedback forms. These forms may use a checkbox asking prospects if they would like to receive occasional special offers/newsletters by e-mail. If so, it must be placed conspicuously on the form. Third, a privacy policy that addresses what will be done with user information should be posted in an obvious place.

Continuing on the lines of “opt-in” marketing, one of the most successful methods is the double opt-in technique. In double opt-in a user elects to receive e-mail newsletters or standalone commercial messages. A confirmation e-mail is sent to that user, who is not required to take further action to be included on the list. The confirmation e-mail includes an opportunity to unsubscribe or opt out.

Although, the double opt-in techniques runs the risk of losing subscribers during the confirmation process, it gives the subscribers more control and thus, has proven to be more successful. That said, here are some measures e-mailers who practice, or are considering, double opt-in can take to reduce confirmation drop-offs.

1. When a user enters his address, mention an e-mail will be sent to him and include its estimated arrival time. Indicate the user is required to respond to that message to receive subsequent mailings. With transactional customers, consider placing this information on the page with order confirmation.

2. Ideally, a confirmation message is sent immediately. It should be sent while the subscription is fresh in subscribers’ minds and they’re still engaged in an online session. If you notify them it will be within a day or two, make sure you follow through on that promise. If your systems are slower, then requirements related to message content are even more relevant.

3. If you need a confirmation, that’s the only thing you should ask for. Explain to users they will not be added to the list until they take the necessary action. Most desirable is a one-click confirmation link embedded in the message. Giving users a reply option with subject line intact is another good approach. Requiring them to write something in the subject line or body of the message or asking them to forward the e-mail on to another address is not as effective. Ensure the brand is clear, the list subscription is identified, and contact information is included. It’s also a good idea to link to your privacy or e-mail policy.