Why Its Time For You To Build Your Own Library Of Information Products

Cara Lumen, Your Idea Optimizer

Why Its Time To Build Your Own Library of Signature Information Products 2011 Cara Lumen All rights reserved Cara Lumen, MA Olathe, KS E-book printing 2011 Published in the United States of America Cover Design: Cara Lumen E-magazine: Passionately on Purpose www.caralumen.com Web Site: www.caralumen.com Blog: www.passionatelyonpurposeinsights.com Blog: www.magneticsignatureproducts.com Blog: www.caralumen.byscoach.com Blog: www.magneticblogbuilders.com FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/caralumen LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/caralumen Twitter: http://twitter.com/caralumen Skype: caralumen 913-261-8064 (Central)

DEDICATION To my 78th year when it is all starting to come together!

EPIGRAPH The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit Nelson Henderson

TABLE OF CONTENTS What People Are Willing To Buy in Todays Economy ........ 1 What Can You Teach That People Will Pay You For? ......... 4 Where Do You Begin?....................................................... 6 How Creating Information Products Makes You Smarter .. 8 Magnetic Signature Products Guild .................................. 10 If You Build It They Will Come.......................................... 11

PR REFACE We all a want to o leave our r mark our legacy if you will, and wha at better way than to pa ass along our knowl ledge and our exper rtise. Ive been b writi ing all my life it is a passion n for me so s finding a way to help h you shar re your kn nowledge with w others s warms my m heart. This s book is an a introduc ction to wh hat is poss sible. It will w lay a fo oundation upon n which yo ou can build. There is more of f course, lo ots more, but your first step is to realize wh hat inform mation prod ducts can do for you u, your busi iness and your targe et commun nity and decide d if no ow is the time t for you to start bu uilding you ur own Lib brary of Si ignature In nformation n Prod ducts. re going to o talk abou ut what inf formation products can do for r you, wha at Wer the possibilitie p es are for self-expres s ssion, and d show you u where to o start. Ther re is a gath hering pla ace for us the Magn netic Signa ature Prod ducts Guild d www w.magnetic csignature eproductsg guild.com where we come toge ether to prac ctice our cr raft. Ther re are work ksheets, articles, tem mplates, classes, video os, calls and a teleclasses to gu uide you al long your journey. j I hope you u come join us. Meanwhi ile, enjoy this book. Warm mly,

a Lumen, Your Y Idea Optimizer r Cara Olat the, Kansa as Janu uary 2011

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To the members of my How to Craft Magnetic Signature Products That Educate, Motivate and Inspire telecourse who allowed me to hone this body of work.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE WILLING TO BUY IN TODAYS ECONOMY

Our buying habits have changed dramatically. Part of it is from necessity because money is tight. Part of it is because of our consciousness. We want to take care of our planet by not consuming, wasting and dumping. As entrepreneurs we have to look at our target community and see what we can offer them that they are willing to buy in todays financial mindset. People will buy hope Change is inevitable and we all want it to be positive change. So if business is down we want to have hope that it will get better. Our goal in business has always been to be in service so what does our target audience need from us right now today that will give them hope? We each have to examine our business and see what that means to our particular community. But if I were a betting woman Id bet they want something that never wears out, grows stronger with use, and enriches their lives forever. Do you have any of that to offer? People will buy information You have lots to offer. Its in the form of what you know. Your unique take on your business or life or a particular topic that is dear to your heart is invaluable. Thats what you have to give right now. Information never wears out; it grows with age, and stays in service for a lifetime. If you only had a few dollars to spend would you spend it on a gizmo that will wear out or an education that increases your value? Signature products are inexpensive to produce Talk about economical the only thing it takes to produce an information product is time. An ebook is a document written in Word and turned into a PDF. You can make an audio book with a small investment in a desk mike. You can do a radio show on www.blogtalkradio.com for free and put it on your blog as a podcast. You can blog oh boy can you blog (see www.magneticblogbuilders.com) and you can teach a teleclass on www.freeconferencecall.com and record it for part of your home study course. You can edit it yourself in Sound Forge or Garage Band. Youll even figure out how to go to www.istockphoto.com and get graphics for your ebook cover. You can do video with an inexpensive video camera like the Kodak Xi8. Even the few investments you might make in equipment will rapidly pay for themselves as your information products begin to attract purchasers. Signature products fill your sales cycle The beautiful thing about information products is that they can be any price range from free to hundreds of dollars adaptable to the needs of your sales cycle. They are a perfect way to offer a range of products as invitations to your work. They are perfect because they can be purchased online while you sleep

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

and perfect because they create on-going passive income. Once a signature product is completed people can buy them online for years. Signature information products position you as an expert With each product you add to your Success Library of Signature Information Products your credibility gets stronger. As you add greater value to your target community you increase their trust in your ability to know what you are talking about and deliver what you say you will. People purchase from those they trust. People will buy empowerment What is the mindset of your Target Community? They want to feel empowered to create their own destiny. So whether they are in a job now and want to increase their value by learning new skills like leadership, or content development, or a new technical aspect of their work or whether they are in business for themselves and wondering how to respond to todays economy, education and information are the keys to empowerment. You are the teacher Information is everywhere. Its easy to get and a lot of it is free. So how do you make a signature product to sell? You collect and organize information specifically for your target community. You sort it, offer comparisons, create exercises that help them own the material, keep it updated, make it uniquely suited for the needs of your target community and you present it to the people who want to learn it. Your Signature Products are specifically focused on what your Target Community wants to know. They come to you because youve waded through nine books and umpteen articles on the topic and taken all sorts of workshops and researched on line and have organized all that information into something they can understand. It might be a series of blog posts, or it might be a six month course. You are the focuser the selector of information. You are the teacher. This realization of the current need for good information products was the catalyst for the new focus of my business. I have a gift for organizing ideas, Im Your Idea Optimizer and I help thoughtful leaders effectively organize their ideas so they can educate and inspire their chosen community. Through my coaching and blog and teaching I help people reach and teach the people they are meant to serve. People will buy control of their future We all want to have control of our future. So whether you become the consumer and invest in the courses that will add value to your body of knowledge, or you become the teacher and create information products that inspire and motivate, education helps you gain control of your future.

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

Nelson Henderson says, The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. What gift do you have to give? What advice do you have to give? What helping hand can you offer through your wisdom and expertise? Is it time for you to pass it forward. Is it time for you to craft some information products?

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

WHAT CAN YOU TEACH THAT PEOPLE WILL PAY YOU FOR?
I maintain that the one thing people will continue to buy in todays economy is knowledge. Knowledge is empowering, knowledge increases in value over time, and it keeps working forever! What do you know that you can teach others and get paid for? What you already know
One of the bloggers I follow recently wrote a post about his typing skills how he

was a really fast typist and as a blogger that put him hours ahead of others. He suggested we look at what skills we need to strengthen or add in order to make life easier or faster or better or more productive. And it got me thinking about what skills I might need to add. And if I need to learn stuff, others do too and I started thinking about what I knew that I might teach others. I am a natural organizer of ideas and I can help others effectively organize their ideas so they can educate, motivate and inspire their chosen community. That can be through a business idea or an information product. Or that can be in the form of effective blog content. But the bottom line is I know how to organize and in my coaching and my information products I teach others to organize their thoughts and ideas and set up systems that fit with their learning and working style to keep them focused and productive. So if I can teach people how to organize their ideas, what can you teach? It may be as specific as 10 different ways to combine 8 food ingredients to make 7 meals for your family. It could be Best resources for auto parts for your antique automobile. It could be How to teach your old dog new tricks. What is your passion? What do you love to do? What can you teach? Thats the gift you have to give. What does your target community need from you? A successful information product has to be on a topic your target community wants and needs from you. Who have you been targeting? What are their current needs? What can you offer them? When I look at my target community I think they want to be empowered to take control of their future. So Im offering them ways to learn to create their own signature information products and to improve their writing and idea organizing skills as they do. Through a range of signature products I can offer different price points of information and meet the needs of anyone who wants to learn what I have to teach. How will your signature products be different? Heres the deal. There is a ton of information out there for free if you have the time and energy and willingness to wade through it. But what if someone did that wading for you and offered you a focused summary with action steps you could read in 20 minutes. Would you pay for that??? Your job is to take your years of expertise wrapped in your unique spin and experience and put it in an information product that makes it simple to

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

consume. You will research new information; you will absorb it, sort it, compare it, update it and turn it into a product specifically for those who want to learn it. You will teach others what you know and get paid for it. How does that sound? Information products create passive income The fabulous benefit of information products is that once you create them people can buy them for years to come while you are off doing something else. They also increase your expert status. The more you write the more people understand how much you know. And they are drawn to you to learn more. One idea can be leveraged into a multitude of products Some time ago I was scheduled to give a talk in a course I was taking and even as I prepared the outline I knew it had to be an ebook. Later parts of it went into my radio show Passionately On Purpose. Your ideas may end up as blog posts, article submissions, or part of a teleclass or a home study course. You may take one idea and break it into little chunks or you may combine it into a big product. If you have a list of 10 ways to. you also have ten articles - one on each of those ten ways. Once you start creating information products youll be kept busy with the new ideas they generate. Your job as teacher We are all teachers in our own way. We teach by example the kind of life we lead, the words we speak, the actions we take. We teach our children. We exchange ideas with our friends. We lead our group. For me teaching is about learning as well as sharing. Every time I prepare a new course or ebook I learn a tremendous amount. As I organize the material and select the order in which it needs to be taught I learn what is important. As I create exercises that help me own the work I adjust them to help others do the work. Even if you dont look upon yourself as a teacher, you can see yourself as someone with something of value to share. Whether you tell it to someone, or write an article on it, or create a course around it, you are giving others the gift of your knowledge. What can you teach? And when will you do it?

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

WHERE DO YOU BEGIN?

Being in business is about helping people accomplish something feel better, do better, be better. And that often means educating them. An information product may offer good information about your products and services. It may teach your target community some new technique they can use or it may inspire them to think bigger. There is some form of teaching involved with every business. And it often takes the form of signature information products. As a teacher, or knowledge holder, you have an opportunity to share what you know with other people. When you put them in the form of an ebook, teleclass, radio show, or blog, they are called information products signature products, actually, for they bear your name and express your views. And through them people get to know you for the knowledgeable, thoughtful, wise person you are an expert in your field. And theyll turn to you when they need what you have to offer. What should your first information product be? Your first information product will probably be your opt in offer the giveaway that you create to encourage people to give you their email address so you can bring them into your target community. The form of your opt in might be a how to list. It might be an audio or video, it might be a small ebook. Whatever you create you want to give them something of value that creates recognizable results so they know you can produce results and are eager to learn more from you. Learn to leverage your ideas Lets say you start out with a list of five steps that get a specific result. Each of those steps may become an article or blog post that details more of one of those particular steps. Those five steps might turn into a radio show, or a talk on the topic, or the foundation for a five week telecourse. You get the picture. One idea can dress up in many costumes to play many roles. A lot of my Passionately on Purpose radio shows started out as posts. Then I expanded them for the half hour show. Some of the material from my telecourses has become an ebook. And Im certain I could create some strong keynote talks from any of the topics I address in my work. This book was helped along by the inclusion of portions of articles I had previously written. Pick your medium to suit your skills Be like an artist work in whatever medium suits you best. Audios, videos, articles, blog posts, ebooks, audio books, telecourses, radio show, live courses, talks, and webinars. And pick a medium that works for your target community. For instance, young people are more technically savvy than seniors so they may be more attracted to videos. There are visual learners and audio learners to be considered. And one idea can be presented in several mediums a transcript of a radio show, a

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

home study course from a telecourse. Consider your skill set and the manner in which your target community consumes information when you choose your medium. Keep a beginners mind We forget how much we know and how much someone new to what we are teaching does not know. Break your material down into small sections and teach them in an order that builds on the previous topic. My favorite way to start writing any article or ebook or radio show is to write down the answer to Students leave with an understanding of... That helps me clarify the purpose of that particular information product. Enjoy the passive income The great thing about signature information products is that when they are on your web site people can buy it whenever they want to whether you are around or not. I do find that it helps to keep promoting your signature products in some sort of regular cycle to interest new people and remind people they exist. Well-promoted signature products definitely create passive income. You can refer to a product in a blog post, expand a point from a product and mention theyll find more on the topic in the original product. Tell the story of how the product came into existence and why. Talk about your products in a friendly, casual, open manner that invites people to check them out but do keep talking about them not selling them simply mentioning them. Expand your expert status When you have written at length on a specific topic you are seen as an expert which you are since you are the only one interpreting things the way you do. Signature products let people know what you know, how you think, what you can do for them. And over time signature information products build the trust you need to inspire others to pick up the phone and engage you to help them. Loyalty wins Did you know that 80% of your sales will come from 20% of the people connected with you? That group of people are tuned into what you offer, they want to know and hear what you are saying and teaching and doing. They trust you. And they are ready to purchase from you. When you design your outreach material, your forms of invitation, fashion them for the people you can best serve. Once they have come into your community keep serving them well. Referrals are the best form of community building. And referrals come from positive interactions and great results and the value you give through your Success Library of Signature Information Products. The purpose of your signature products Your signature products may be used to educate your target community about why they need what you have to offer, They may be the tool by which you teach a particular topic that will grow a business or change a life. They may be

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

products that inspire and motivate. Put signature products to work for you to attract and serve your chosen community.

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

HOW CREATING INFORMATION PRODUCTS MAKES YOU SMARTER

There are a lot of reasons to create information products they add value to your clients and customers, they add passive income, they establish you as an expert and they build trust and credibility. But the part I like best is that creating information products make me smarter more knowledgeable in what I do and what I offer my clients. But then I love to learn. Information Products add value to your clients and customers Sometimes the reason I create an information product is because its something I need for my own business and it makes sense to make it available to others. That was true of my How to Build a Magnetic Marketing Plan Telecourse. I was working on my own marketing plan and as I created new systems to help me uplevel my own I knew I wanted to share it with others. So I created first a telecourse and then an ebook/workbook. I became more knowledgeable as I created a system to strengthen my own marketing practice and in turn added value to my clients when I shared it with them. Information Products add passive income The great thing about creating ebooks and home study courses is you dont have to be around when someone comes to buy them. And things you write stay around for a long time so you get a lot of mileage out of one creative effort. And information products can be leveraged oh how they can be leveraged to make more and more products. My radio show helped me developing new ideas I later included in my telecourse and ebooks and workbooks. The audios are often used to supplement a course curriculum as an added value bonus. I could bundle my shows and create an audio package on a specific topic. The more information products you create the greater the collaborative combinations you can create. Information Products establish you as an expert The more information I put out, the greater my impact on others and the larger my reputation. Ive been posting articles for years. Ive written ebooks on both spiritual and practical topics. When I teach courses like Article Magnetism, How to Write Articles that Attract and How to Develop and Deliver a Magnetic Teleclass I continue to establish myself as a go-to person on information products. When I narrow my niche and focus totally on teaching my repeatable Magnetic Content Development System in private coaching and in the Guild membership site people have already had an experience of my knowledge and pattern of over delivery and how enthusiastically I share my knowledge and experience with others. Information products build community Information products let your clients and customers know that you are serious about your business, that you are constantly finding ways to help them and are committed to continuing to get better and better at what you do. Those value-

Build Your Magnetic Library

2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

laden blog posts and article submissions go viral as you provide great value. Those radio shows and interviews find their way to busy people with only time to listen. Those ebooks and tip sheets provide great insights and exercises, and your telecourses inspire people to take the next step. As you add value you build trust. People view you as someone they will go to when they need what you have to offer. Information Products make you more knowledgeable But heres what I love the most. I learn sooooo much when I write an information product. My whole Magnetic Content Development System was formulated when I wrote the telecourse How to Craft Magnetic Signature Products that Educate, Motivate and Inspire. Its going to be a home study course, it caused me to form the Magnetic Signature Products Guild where I can help others create added value for their target community. Working on that course inspired me to take my business to a new level and to also see what is possible beyond that. What I love to do best is make exercises that help people learn. So I create thought-provoking, insight-revealing, ideagenerating questions that open the flood gates to creativity and awareness. And guess what, I answer those questions first for myself. Its like being launched off in a rocket. The teacher and the taught create the teaching is an Eastern saying. When you teach you learn. If you want to know more about something write about it, teach it, do the research so you deepen you own knowledge. Then share that with others. Choose Your Best Ideas and go for it! Whether you choose to create a mini-ecourse autoresponder, a blog, an ebook, a four week telecourse, or start your own radio show do it! Take whatever next step you need to start sharing all your valuable knowledge with those you serve. Rounding up all that knowledge and putting in a form for others clarifies that information for you and will inspire you to take action for yourself. Teaching others is a great way to get smarter.

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2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

THE MAGNETIC SIGNATURE PRODUCTS GUILD

To become known as an expert you have to teach. What you teach is your expertise, your passion your experience and your insights. How you teach is totally up to you. It could be through ebooks or published book, workshops or teleclasses, podcasts or videos, talks or radio shows. But in every case the key challenge is figuring out exactly what to say and how to say it so people get it. And I have developed a system that will help you choose your best ideas and turn them into motivational information products specifically for your target community. The Magnetic Content Development System My Magnetic Content Development System is a repeatable process that helps you Target your ideal customer Choose the right information product form for you Choose your best ideas for that particular product Develop your content so you get your message across Create a product that delivers value to your chosen community Build promotions and partners to market your product. I teach it, I coach it, I write about it and I use it myself every day. And invitation for you Because my passion is learning and teaching, I wanted to help others share their knowledge with others. I created the Magnetic Signature Product Guild, a membership environment with the first level totally free. Its based on the trade guilds of the past which were formed to give help and advice and encouragement to its members as they mastered their trade. The Magnetic Signature Product Guild provides on-going support for planning, developing and completing information products that educate, motivate and inspire. If you havent already joined, I invite you to join our community at www.magneticsignatureproductsguild.com As I continue to add content it will provides a constant stream of valuable content and new learning opportunities. Wherever you are in the development of your signature products there will be information and training available for your next step. You will have all the information you need in the order you need it organized in sequence to take you step by step through this remarkable repeatable content development system
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IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME

Now its up to you. Is it time for you to build your own Success Library of Signature Products. Sure, you can start with one or two, but Im suggesting you create a variety of products that add continuous value to your community... Begin with two information products your landing page and an opt in offer. In crafting these two products you will discover and decide what it is you want to help others accomplish or learn or do and in particular what learning experience you want that particular product to provide. Magnetic Content Development System is about decision-making. It helps you find the core of what you want to share and organize it to reach the beginners mind so people get what you have to say. It helps you harness the power of your ideas to reach and teach your target community. Begin with your target community. Collect and organize information that will make a difference in their lives. Sort it, make comparisons, and create exercises that help them own the material. Keep it updated, make it uniquely suited for their needs and present it in a variety of formats to the people who want to learn it. Are you ready to pass forward what you know? Are you ready to add tremendous value to your community? Are you ready to attract more of the people you are meant to serve? Then now is the time to build you Success Library of Signature Information Products. I hope this little book has inspired you to teach what you know!

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2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

AUTHOR'S BIO

CARA LUMEN, MA, YOUR IDEA OPTIMIZER

Cara Lumen, MA, Your Idea Optimizer, helps thoughtful entrepreneurs develop a unique and profitable Success Library of Magnetic Signature Information Products that educate, motivate and inspire your chosen community! She helps you teach what you know! As a Business Coach, Content Development Coach, and Educator, Cara draws on her background as a Certified Book Yourself Solid Coach, Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach, Certified Teleclass Leader, international author and dedicated educator to help you build a community of like-minded seekers. She helps you create information products that enhance your expert status and earn passive income as they offer your community insights that will change their lives and in turn change their world. Cara is the creator of the Magnetic Content Development System and established the Magnetic Signature Products Guild to encourage and support members in the crafting of remarkable information products that reach and teach their chosen community. E-magazine : Passionately on Purpose www.caralumen.com Web Site: www.caralumen.com Blog: www.passionatelyonpurposeinsights.com Blog: www.magneticsignatureproducts.com Blog: www.caralumen.byscoach.com Blog: www.magneticblogbuilders.com FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/caralumen LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/caralumen Twitter: http://twitter.com/caralumen Skype: caralumen 913-261-8064 (Central)

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2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

THE MAGNETIC HOW TO CRAFT SERIES Available at www.magneticsignatureproductsguild.com/marketplace

Why Its Time to Build Your Own Library of Signature Information Products

LANDING PAGE MAGIC

How to Craft a MAGNETIC OPT IN OFFER in One Hour

How to Craft a MAGNETIC MINI-ECOURSE that Builds Trust

How to Craft MAGNETIC CORNERSTONE CONTENT that Lays a Strong Foundation

How to Craft MAGNETIC ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS that Go Viral

How to Craft a MAGNETIC EBOOK that Keeps Readers Reading

How to Craft a MAGNETIC TELECLASS that Gets Results

How to Craft a MAGNETIC TABLE OF CONTENTS that Pre-sells Your Book

How to Craft MAGNETIC INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS that Help People Own What You Teach

Chunk It Up, Chunk it Down, MAGNETIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Take Your Idea and Run with It 25 Expansive Ideas to Leverage Your Idea into Multiple Income Streams

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2011 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

MAGNETIC START UP 1. LANDING PAGE MAGIC 2. How to Craft a MAGNETIC OPT IN OFFER in One Hour 3. How to Craft a MAGNETIC MINI-ECOURSE that Builds Trust MAGNETIC BOOK CREATION 1. How to Craft MAGNETIC CORNERSTONE CONTENT that Lays a Strong Foundation 2. How to Craft MAGNETIC ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS that Go Viral 3. How to Craft a MAGNETIC EBOOK that Keeps Readers Reading 4. How to Craft a MAGNETIC TABLE OF CONTENTS that Pre-sells Your Book 5. How to Craft MAGNETIC INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS that Help People Own What You Teach 6. How to Craft MAGNETIC STORIES that Inspire and Motivate MAGNETIC TEACHING 1. How to Craft a MAGNETIC TELECLASS that Gets Results 2. How to Craft a MAGNETIC WORKBOOK that Leads to Mastery 3. How to Craft a MAGNETIC TEACHING VIDEO that Goes Viral 4. How to Craft a MAGNETIC RADIO SHOW 5. How to Craft a MAGNETIC PODCAST MAGNETIC MARKETING 1. How to Craft a MAGNETIC MARKETING PLAN 2. Chunk It Up, Chunk it Down, MAGNETIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT 3. How to Craft a MAGNETIC THANK YOU AND PRODUCT DELIVERY PAGE that Converts to Sales 4. TAKE YOUR IDEA AND RUN WITH IT 25 Expansive Ideas To Leverage Your Idea Into Multiple Income Streams

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