Marketing Info in the Public Domain

By: Rosemary Hauschild
Submitted: 2007-01-17 13:30:44
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Want To Create Extra Streams Of Income? Try Marketing Information In The Public Domain

Are you having problems financing your invention?

Do you need a powerful but inexpensive “give-away” to help convince people to sign-up for your free on-line newsletter or your next fee-based teleforum?

Do you need information for your book or audio tape which you can quickly access and drop in as a special chapter or section without spending any money -- or doing any work?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will find the rich resources you need in the public domain. (See previous article for detailed discussion on the public domain.) And, because this information is absolutely free to use however you see fit, you not only can access it at no cost, you can also repackage it, market it and create a stream of income to help finance your other projects or to simply add to your bottom line.

While books in the public domain are the most common resource used for this type of marketing, don’t overlook music, photographs, government documents, film clips, old movies and the like.

To get you started, here are 5 key marketing strategies for converting information in the public domain into profitable information products:

1. Spot A Trend, Find “How-To” Information On The Topic & Create An E-book. People are always looking for solutions to problems. Let’s take an example: You begin reading news articles about the popularity of the King Charles Terrier among Baby Boomers. Of course, this is no surprise to you: You adopted one of these adorable dogs a few months ago. Then you spot a few more of these puppies in your neighborhood. Suddenly, you realize that all these new owners must be wondering how to housebreak their new pets. So, you do a bit a research in the public domain, find several resources and compile your new e-book, How To Turn Your King Charles Terrier Into The Perfect Pet: Learn My 5 Secrets To Quick, Effective House Training. Of course, you personalize your book with stories about how you used these principles to house train your own “best friend.”

Whatever topic you choose for your public domain information product, always remember to define a target market first. Then, select a topic from the top “how to” e-book subjects: money, health, leisure/travel, saving time, pets, diet, cooking, health, time management and relationships. Next research the popularity of your choice by checking internet key words. Finally, begin your marketing campaign.

2. Turn Your “How To” E-book Into An Audio Product. In today’s hectic environment, people who won’t make time to read will often take time to listen to an audio tape or CD while driving to and from work. Whether you create an audio book by simply reading and recording it “as is” or by modifying it to fit into your own work, the conversion to a tape or CD increases the works perceived and real value. While most e-books sell for between $19 and $39, audio products are usually priced between $69 and $99.

3. Create CDs, Picture Books Or Videos From Public Domain Recordings. Researching and creating these types of products can be more complex and a bit more risky to market, so you may want to try this after you’ve successfully produced a few “how to” products. They key to your success in this area is selecting one or two very well-defined niche markets. For example, a product highlighting films of 20th Century Inventions is most likely to appeal to inventors and educators (two large niche markets).

4. Convert Government Booklets & Information Into “How to” Products. The vast majority of United States government publications and website information is in the public domain. A particularly wealthy source of “how to” information is available through the Small Business Association (SBA) on topics like: how to start a small business; how to start a restaurant; how to get business financing; how to make your hobby pay; tax advantages of a home-based business; and how to own and operate a bed and breakfast. And, remember: these topics only scratch of the surface of government resources available for your use.

5. Give Away A Public Domain Work As An Incentive. Want someone to subscribe to your e-newsletter? Offer them a free e-book on a topic related to the subject of your newsletter. Want someone to purchase your public domain e-book? Offer them a free 5-day e-course providing a few key highlights from the book, then invite them to purchase the book to learn more. Not every way you use material from the public domain must be related to the internet. For example, if you do any amount of public speaking, offering a free public domain product after you speak is an excellent way to draw people to your “back-of-the-room” table where you also have books and audio products for sale.

Rosemary Hauschild is an innovation and creativity business coach serving individuals developing intellectual property. Impact Coaching International™ offers a year-long program showing creative individuals how to protect, promote, and profit from their innovative ideas in less time and with more profits. Individual coaching services are also available.

To learn more about how to protect and promote your intellectual property, you are invited to subscribe to the free e-zine, Creations Of The Mind™, by sending an email to subscribe@impactcoaching.biz with the following phrase in the subject line of your e-mail: 'subscribe creations list'

Article source: Expert Articles