There’s that old saying that there’s nothing new under the sun. And you know what? That’s really true!
But should you let that deter you from creating an info product? Absolutely not!
You have this amazing idea that you want to share with the world, and in your research, you’re finding that, well…this sparkling new idea…really isn’t all that new.
Bummer, right? But do you need to go back the drawing board and come up with a brand new idea?
Actually, no, you don’t.
I actually have some good news for you. That you see an info product out there that is similar to yours is a good thing.
This means that there’s a market for what you teach!
You should feel relieved right now! You don’t have to be a pioneer to draw people to a newfangled idea.
Instead, this isn’t really just about the specialness of your info product, this is about the specialness of you.
A Lid for Every Pot
So here’s another old saying: there’s a lid for every pot. And although that’s usually used for romantic relationships, this completely fits the student and teacher relationship.
If you see your idea out there already, you can start to feel a little shaky in your expertise. Who wants to just be a copycat of someone else’s idea?
But I want to reassure you that because of your unique journey and background, you have something to offer that no one else can.
Seeing that there is a market for your idea shouldn’t send you running to the hills because you’re not the only one with a particular idea. It should send you into the marketplace, seeking out your students!
There are people looking for YOU to be their teacher!
There is a lid for every pot, and there is a teacher for every student!
So how can you find your students, and how can your students find you?
Bedazzle Your Lid
Marketing yourself can be a challenge. How can you be unique when everyone else is claiming the same thing?
The info product market is quite competitive and full. All these new info products hitting the internet every single day. It can be hard to stick out in the right way.
Since there’s a bevy of choices for your potential customers to choose from, it’s a buyer’s market for them. They get to be picky about what they want to purchase.
So if you actually want your customers to choose you, if want to gain confidence with how you convert your highly specialized content into easy-to-digest and FASCINATING step-by-step instructions–there are some things that you’re going to do so that your lid, as it were, is bedazzled in the right way, so it can sparkle and shine for the right people to see.
The way you deliver and structure your content, interact and engage with your audience, and spur your students to action –all of these things are really important.
But first, you’ve got to figure out where you can be with less competition.
Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean
You may have heard of the Blue Ocean Strategy for marketing, which is basically finding a corner of your market that’s a lot less crowded.
So this means, you’ll want to stay out of red ocean waters, which is a saturated market.
Nailing down a niche for your info product is what will help you steer your boat into more open, less contested waters.
For example, health and wellness is a big and booming market right now. But as a niche, this is really broad. What you’ll need to do is really drill down in your research to where you can find a place for your idea that is just novel enough that you’re not competing with everyone in those choppy red waters.
When you have a niche for your course, that niche will also reflect who you are and your uniqueness, too. How you learned what you know (was it on the job or at school or on your own?), how you practiced what you know, and how you deliver what you know all can affect your niche.
Your niche will be one way to creatively bedazzle your lid so you can stick out from the crowd in the right way and attract the audience that wants and needs to hear from you. You’ll be able to securely put a lid on their pots.
When you have a niche for your course, that niche will also reflect who you are and your uniqueness, too. How you learned what you know (was it on the job or at school or on your own?), how you practiced what you know, and how you deliver what you know all can affect your niche.
Tire Kickers vs. Real Buyers
When you differentiate yourself enough when you tap into what really makes who you are when you have a niche that stands out–you’ll be able to attract the kind of students for your course that has the passion and motivation to really be inspired to act and change their lives.
You’ll separate yourself from the tire kickers who are just trying to see if this works or not, or the freebie loaders who just want to take what you learn to do it themselves and not to learn from you.
And guess what? When you do that, you’ll save so much time, money, and effort when you’re able to pinpoint your audience more effectively. You may not be able to avoid all tire kickers altogether, but when you’re adamant about who you are, what you’re about, and what you’re not about, the right people will find you.
Marketing Matters, But You (and Your Course) Matter More
Sure, you can find all the latest marketing tools and tricks and start trying to use them to get your name out there. But as you probably know, if you’re looking at selling your course purely from a marketing perspective, you’re only going to get so far with sales.
Quality is king–we all should know that. So yes, you want to provide quality products and services for your customers–without question. But you also want to be able to stand for something with your product, too. You don’t want to drown in the red ocean of stiff competition.
Take the health and wellness example again. Is there a particular niche inside of that topic that you’re passionate about?
Maybe it’s eating vegan–which is still really broad. So maybe you want to focus on making great vegan meals for kids.
Maybe your story is that you had such a hard time finding vegan meals for kids that were both nutritious and delicious for a child’s palette. Your course could be partly about your journey to find the meals you’ve created, and then you want to teach parents how to create their own meals.
Your journey can most definitely be a part of your course. When you share your story, you will find others saying, “Me, too!” And that point of connection is priceless. People will gravitate to you because they can see themselves in you.
Your journey can most definitely be a part of your course. When you share your story, you will find others saying, “Me, too!” And that point of connection is priceless. People will gravitate to you because they can see themselves in you.
And, presto!–you’ve also created a niche for your product as well! You can be sailing out in those blue ocean waters where your future students can easily find you because you are staying true to who you are. You’re not following every marketing whim or fancy that floats along.
And one last bit of advice–this will take time. It will take time to find your niche, to find your little bit of blue ocean. But don’t give up. It’s worth the time and it’s worth the search.
Your students are looking for you, just as you are looking for them. Eventually, you will find each other!
If you’re having trouble with figuring out how to stand out in the crowded marketplace, then I want to help you out. Let me know what you’ve been struggling within the comments below.
