New York Times Article
Yesterday’s NYT had an article about the power of TITLES
when it comes to books. If you understand how important
headlines are with copy, this article shouldn’t surprise
you.
It talks about the importance of titles and more importantly
how authors/publishers creatively STEAL from one
another when there is a hit.
The example they give is Freakanomics. After the book
came out and was a big hit, everyone started piggybacking
on the titling. They site the most recent example of the
two female journalists who titled their book: Womenomics.
It’s been a big hit.
Partly, it is felt, due to the title! They really discuss NOTHING
about the quality of the content in any of the books. Those of
us who do information marketing KNOW that to get people
to buy AGAIN requires GREAT content in whatever we do.
Lesson here? Absolutely.
Think VERY carefully about the TITLE of any book or other
product that you put together. The success or failure of your
ventures may not REST on this issue, but doing it WRONG
will certainly hurt you.
How to test?
1. Put together some google adword ads using your titles
and see which one gets the most clicks. It doesn’t even
matter if they go to a blank page. The percentage click
thru rate will tell you which title works best.
2. Survey your list. Send out a survey and ask your
“peeps” which title THEY like best.
3. Ask your friends, family and colleagues. You can do
this, but don’t give it the greatest weight when it comes
to making a decision. Friends and family are not necesarily
who you are trying to appeal to.
4. Go with your gut. The single WORST way and the LEAST
reliable way to decide on your products or book titles.
For further info, go to the NYT site and read the complete
article for yourself. Do it quick. We don’t know how much
longer the Times will be around!
Cavorting with Questionable Characters
I just got an email today from a well-known “guru” who I like.
He was touting something from another well known guru
who I think is a crook.
In my mind, this is a problem. The people who you
associate with directly affect YOUR reputation. I’ve heard
all kinds of excuses to justify hanging out with people
who are crooks.
NONE of them make ANY sense to me.
Since MY highest value is to STAY OUT OF JAIL, I
don’t care how much money I give up to not cavort
with people that aren’t squeaky clean.
It’s just not worth it to me.
I suggest you reevaluate all of your own associations.
Do the people you spend time with, do business with,
affiliate with, are seen with . . . do they reflect YOU and
your values?
I’ve said it before. I’m not a boyscout. I behave this way
for two basic reasons:
1. To stay out of legal hot water.
2. For LONG TERM financial success.
Doing it because it is the RIGHT THING to do I won’t
even list as a reason. That strikes me as self-evident.
Remember, it’s not just what YOU do, it’s WHO you
do it with that reflect on your reputation.
Bootcamp attendees
I just finished doing a GREAT Fred Info Bootcamp
http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com last Thursday.
This was the FIRST time that I had some auditors
who are in the “Fred Protege” program.
http://www.FredProtege.com
Here is who was there:
ATTENDEES:
DJ Frost – DJ is a commercial airline pilot. He was
busy with LOTS of media interviews both before and
during the bootcamp. DJ is also a hypnotherapist
and NLP guru who developed the site:
http://www.FlyStressFree.com
Edmund Woo – Edmund is a restaurateur. He owns
and runs a restaurant in Greenville, SC. He came to
the bootcamp to try and help other restaurant owners
to better run and operate their restaurants. The site
that Edmund worked on at the bootcamp is not
yet where he wants it to be. I’ll send you more details
on Edmund, in the near future.
Gail Perry – Gail is a well known professional speaker
in the fundraising field. Her goal was to find a way to
increase her income without having to travel as much.
She is in the process of producing an entire line of
fundraising related products. Her site is:
http://www.GailPerrry.com
Bill Ranieri – Bill has been in the medical field for
over 20 years. His mission is to show physicians how
to augment their income by writing a book and creating
their own line of info products related to their specialty.
His website is:
http://www.DocInfopreneur.com
AUDITORS:
Charles Walker – Charles is an ordained minister. He is
also a very savvy tech guy. He is working with me as a
protege. He will be working with me on a product line
that already exists that needs to be further exploited.
MORE INFORMATION about what we are doing together
in future emails. For now, I’ll keep a “secret.”
Alan Hereford – Alan is a camera guy! He not only
works in the video field, but also in the feature film
world as a well. Thanks to Alan we were able to learn
a lot about how to do videos right. Look for more info
on OUR projects together.
SPECIAL CATEGORY:
Joshua Seth – After Joshua spoke at my publishing
event in NYC I invited him to come to my bootcamp.
Joshua has a wide range of talents. He has been doing
a WILDLY popular stage show on cruise lines using his
hypnotism skills. Also an HIGHLY accomplished magician,
Joshua was in the voice over field for many years and
again, was HIGHLY successful.
I coached Joshua to get into showing speakers how to
get gigs on Cruise Lines. He’s been doing it VERY
successfully for many years and can show ANY speaker
how to do the same.
His site is: http://www.JoshuaSeth.com
I also want to PUBLICLY thank Joshua (don’t call him
JOSH!) for providing some amazing help to the bootcampers
in the area of web creation and web design. It worked so
well that you will be seeing some events showing YOU
how you can be your own webmaster in the near future.
Buenos Aires Trip
This weekend I’m heading down to Buenos Aires to
attempt to open up my market to those in South America.
Not that I won’t be having a great time in the process!
Information marketing is something that can be done
by anyone, anywhere. That’s what makes it such a
great business.
If you know of someone there I should meet, please
send me an email! fredgleeck (at) gmail (dot) com
Protege Program
I have had some VERY good success with my Protege
program. Take a look at:
I suggest you take and COPY (with attribution PLEASE) my
system for doing this. To be honest, I have adapted this
program from a number of people, including Terry Dean.
This is my own version of something others do.
Here is the concept.
You know how to do something MUCH better than most.
Others want to figure out how to do what YOU do. Why
not invite them to learn from you and get paid to teach
them in a unique arrangement?
Use my site as one way to do it. Look around for what
others are doing. Adapt and then adopt what works for
YOU!
In my case, I’ve started with two people. Alan Hereford
and Charles Walker. One is working on video related
topics and products and the other one with a bunch of
my Bob Bly products.
They both sat in on my latest Fred Info Bootcamp to
learn my “system.” I suggest YOU find a way to teach/
explain what YOU do without having to do one on
one training. Terry Dean does it with videos. All good.
Show people a way for them to make money with YOUR
stuff. Also, share with them a SYSTEM that they can use
with their OWN material. It’s only fair. So far things look
very promising. I’ll keep you posted.
Upcoming Events:
Fred Info Bootcamp
Las Vegas, Sept 24th – Oct. 1st, 2009
Spend a week with me to get to REALLY
understand HOW to create, market and
sell Info Products. Maximum of 6 people.
This will fill up FAST if previous experience
is any indicator.
http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com
Seminar on Seminars – New York City – Oct 10/11
Learn everything you’d like to know about
putting on your own seminars and events.
At my house in Vegas, maximum of 12-15 people.
Haven’t done one for a while. Will only do these
twice a year max!
http://www.SeminarOnSeminars.com
Info Products Seminar – New York City Sept 12/13
2 Day Info Product event. Spaces VERY limited
given space constraints of NYC. This event will
give you a comprehensive outline on how to build
your own info products empire.
http://www.InfoProductsSeminar.com
Lunch with Fred – Buenos Aires – June 22, 2009
http://www.LunchWithFred.com
PS- Look for some GREAT free audios in an email
coming tomorrow.
