2 categories of Info Products

Most new info product builders make a huge mistake before they set out to package their knowledge into a product.

They build the wrong product that solves the right problem.

In reality, you don’t even know if your audience wants you to teach them stuff or just get stuff done. And if you don’t think about it, it’ll end up hurting your brand in the long run… because you’ll build something that is misaligned with your brand, your service, and your business.

So today, I want to help you avoid walking down the wrong info product-making road, and offer up a solution to streamline your decision-making.

Validate Intent

Most people who buy products do so to make their lives easier.

it can be to help them do a job or get better at doing a job

The same logic applies when someone buys an info product… they either want to learn to do something, get better at something, or just.

So before starting, ask yourself this question

“What is my buyer trying to do?” or

“What should my product do for the buyer?“

Sounds simple enough, but when you really put thought behind it, the question will dictate what you build and what format you choose.

I like to think of it as Skill vs. Outcome

Let me explain.

Skill vs Outcome

Let me use BOOKS to make my point.

When you buy a non-fiction book from your favorite bookstore, what is the reason behind buying the book?

Apart from the sentimental reasons and maybe someone’s recommendation, there’s only 2 reasons

It is either:

1. TO LEARN A SKILL
2. TO REACH AN OUTCOME

Let me give you an example…

Everyone in the entrepreneur world knows ROBERT CIALDINI and “HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE”

That book has been a bestseller for a very long time.

The reason for that is simple, people want to develop the ability or “Skill” to talk to other people, get better at sales or make friends (which is a huge thing for introverts like me)

On the other hand, there is the new gen bestseller, “ATOMIC HABITS” by JAMES CLEAR.

This book has stood its ground as the go-to product if you wanna build healthy habits and routines easily.

People buy this book because they want an outcome.

But the key difference between these 2 books is how they are structured.

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” is content and context-driven, it gives you a lot of scenarios in which the principles have been applied.

“Atomic habits” is framework & data-driven

The priority of info in these books makes them unique in their own categories.

But what’s that got to do with info products?

How you can leverage this

Every type of info product can be put into these categories too!

1. Product for skill
2. Product for outcome

You can choose the format of the product based on what your BUYER WANTS TO ACHIEVE.

Some formats perform better to help someone achieve the outcome and some perform better for the skill side of the market.

For products that transfer skills, you’d typically see: Detailed courses, communities, 1:1 programs, e-books, cohorts

On the other hand, products that transfer outcomes: short courses, guides, templates, workbooks, playbooks… anything that gives a general idea and asks you to fill the gaps with your data, to reach a specific quantifiable goal.

Skills don’t have an end in the learning journey (you can only pack in so much into a product, that’s why beginners guide to X get the traffic they do), but outcomes do.

Developing and managing all of these requires a different mindset – you have to think about structuring information, tools you will use, the psychology behind who is getting the info product… etc.

Align it with your business

The biggest mistake I see people make is to build stuff that isn’t aligned with their business.

Sure you know how to build a business from 0, but if your business is about email marketing personal branding, or copywriting, then why are you making a course on “how to get your first client“? or “how to build an online business from scratch“

What you build should align with your brand and business. Don’t just go on adding info products just to sell and make money.

A good info product should

• strengthen your brand position
• help you generate automated income
• boost your brand reputation over some time

So you can convert them into bigger customers and recurring advocates.

Final words

There are 2 basic categories of Info products I’ve discovered after working in the E-learning market for 5Y+.

1. Skill transfer info product
2. Outcome transfer info product

Remember, your info product is often the very first interaction for someone who is entering your brand’s transactional ecosystem.

Don’t try to make a quick buck off of them and make a generic product that they don’t need.

Make it worth the price.

This is a small peak into my product, the INFO PRODUCT BUILDER KIT. A complete plug-and-play pack of roadmaps, worksheets, and templates to help you build your first or signature info product in a matter of weeks)