All of the Specs – Tips on Providing all Necessary Elements of Information to Your Clients

Dear Info Marketers:

Ah, what a nice week. I am writing the galleys for my next few E-Blasts on the rooftop of my flat and loving the sunshine. It's a busy day for others here in the Big Smoke, but I get to take it all in.

Speaking of taking it all in, let me tell you a story. A few years back, I went home to see some family. While out for a burger and beer with an older friend of the family, I crossed paths with a friend I used to hang out with in public school. We chatted away for a while and, as they say, it’s surprising how much hasn’t changed.

I had met my friend through the local comic shop that had since closed in my hometown. We spent a good hour talking about our old love of comics – both of us had since quit collecting when we left high school – and our memories of secret identities, black-and-white underground taboo stories, and who and drew what. All of this talk harkened to a question a client once asked about information marketing: “How much knowledge should I be providing my clients?”

Obviously being well versed in anything is always an asset, but you have to know when to trim the fat and be concise in what information to provide. Here are some tips on what information is necessary in, well, information marketing:

--Classifications: Model trains, jukeboxes, even sports footwear…they all have a make and model. Whenever you want to provide information on a specific product, include all the specifics about it. Knowledge is truly power in this business and the more you know, the more your clients will pay to learn even more. It’s true that you may encounter the ridicule of “nerd” with your friends for this, but your clients will thank you for it.

--Sources: If you have a regular source for wherever you acquire certain products and consultation, reference it in your information content. For example, on newsletter I subscribe to about travel always points to good websites for airline tickets and outdoor gear. This can be beneficial to both your customers and you as customers like being in the know and merchants might offer to take out ad space in your newsletter and pay a fee to do so.

--Avoidances: If you really want to provide great information to your clients, consider telling them what to stay away from. A fellow information marketer who deals in antique furniture keeps a blog about people who wheel and deal in the antique world and are scammers. He lets people make their own postings on who are good and who to avoid. Thanks to the Internet, you can express opinions freely and, with reason, tell the public who may be worth staying away from.

--Prices: I probably should have put this at the top of the list. If there is one thing people are continually conscious of, it is cost. If you can provide information on good deals and where the best places with the lowest prices are, you will always have a continual client base. No question about it.

--Forecasts: Keep up with news about the information you are providing and if you can include a column of what is to be expected in future for whatever it is you are providing information on, people will stay interested in your product. My superior Michael Lombardi keeps abreast of financial news regularly and writes about it for his clients. A friend wrote regularly about film and video and with the advancement of HD technology, and his tips a few years ago on the increased industry usage of video has made his product increasing popular and profitable in the industry.

You can’t take the pulse of all clients, potential or confirmed. But you can provide the necessary information regularly to keep clients routinely interested in your product while attracting new ones as well. A solid information base means solid revenue for you.

Take care and more to come.

Best,

J.

PS Be sure to visit the E-Wealth Daily site for some cool new updates from myself and my colleagues. I am heading out of town for a week and might not get to make a new posting here, so keep checking the E-Wealth site for tips and advice. Feel free to shoot an e-mail too!