People are afraid to ask questions, mostly because we’re often made to feel like we should know the answer already. What’s up with that? It’s virtually impossible to know everything (or Google wouldn’t exist) so I love it when people ask questions. In fact, people ask me a lot of questions.
The first in a series oh-so-creatively named “Dear Val”, I’m answering the questions I get in my inbox from overwhelmed business owners just like you.
Dear Val,
The question I keep turning over in my mind is when to create my first product. I’d like to create an eBook to establish myself as an authority in my niche (or so they tell me) and also possibly to drive traffic by giving it away for free or cheap on Kindle. But I’m not 100% on what it should be about or when I should create it.
I have only about 30 posts on my site and just over 200 email subscribers. Is now the right time, or should I wait it out so my traffic can tell me more about what they like to hear from me so I can narrow down my eBook topic?
Thanks for you help!
-Ready and Waiting
Dear Ready and Waiting,
Thanks for sharing your big question. It’s one that people ask a lot so you aren’t alone.
The beautiful thing about building your own business is that you can create a product WHENEVER YOU WANT. I’ve sold products to small lists and large lists – a bigger list doesn’t necessarily mean bigger sales. What matters most is that the people on your list are 1) engaged with what you write and 2) interested in that product.
So how do you know that you meet those two requirements? Ask yourself some of these questions:
- Of my 200 subscribers, how many are regularly opening my emails?
- Am I sending regular emails often enough that people subscribed to my list know who I am and what I am here to talk about?
- Are people clicking inside my emails?
- What’s traffic looking like on my blog? (Google Analytics will help you there)
- Do I get comments on certain types of blog posts?
- What questions do my email subscribers have that I can answer for them?
You mentioned you have 30-some posts on your blog right now. Creating an eBook doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel. Look for common threads in those 30 posts and you may be able to use the posts as a basis for your eBook. If you find out that there really isn’t a common thread, you’ll want to start to hone in on your favorite topics to write and teach about and build some blog content that speaks to that. Use Jimmy Daly’s Hub and Spoke strategy. Once you have that clarity of topic, you can use the posts as is, add a little to them, or use them as a framework for something new – the world is your oyster!
Secondly (and perhaps most importantly), you need to see yourself as the expert. Your work covers a topic you are not only passionate about, but knowledgeable about. Hone in on what you know best and own your expertise on that topic. You are an expert because you know this stuff. Don’t push aside the fact that others see as such too.
Now go get ’em.
-Val
What advice do YOU have for Ready and Waiting? Add it in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!
