What do freelancers, consultants, coaches, and other experts have in common?
They trade their time for money, and it helps them pay the bills. However, it’s not a business that can scale easily.
The solution?
If you have above-average knowledge or skill in a specific niche, turn your expertise into an information product!
Once you start selling your info product, video marketing can be a huge advantage. As per an estimate, 82% of all online traffic in 2022 will consist of videos.
Video content has a massive audience, yet very few people are using it to sell information products.
In this post, we’ll walk you through all you need to know about using videos to grow your info product business. Let’s begin.
Table of contents
Create and edit information product videos with Piktochart Video. Try it for free (you also get access to Piktochart Visual!).
What is an information product?
Any format that lets you condense and deliver your knowledge on a specific subject can be called an information product.
An info product aims to educate the consumer about a certain area.
Since the core part of such a product is information, it can be easily distributed without the logistical overhead associated with physical products. And once a buyer makes a purchase or makes the purchase-to-pay automation choice, they can instantly start using the product online or download it to their computer or mobile device.
That’s not all. Another significant advantage of an information product is that you only need to create it once. And then you can sell as many copies as possible.
Mergers & Inquisitions is a great example. The founder, Brian, has built a million-dollar business mainly based on info products that teach people how to land their dream jobs in investment banking.
When he started, he noticed that there was very little information on this subject, and he knew from his experience that many people are interested in a career in investment banking. So he created his first info product — an eBook about how to answer investment banking interview questions.
The eBook was a big success, encouraging him to launch his next info product — an online course, followed by multiple courses bundled into an annual membership (another information product). Thanks to info products, the site has multiple passive income sources today.
Types of information products
As we saw above, information products don’t need to have any sort of physical form. The most common types include the following:
1. Digital book (aka eBook)
An eBook structures your information into several chapters of the written word. It can be read on electronic devices such as computers or specialized ebook readers.
Most eBooks are relatively easier to create. In fact, if you have the content already, you can create an ebook from it in a couple of hours. And it’s usually priced somewhere between $0 and $30.
2. Workbook or template
A workbook or template is very much like an ebook, except a user can fill it in. It guides the user through a specific process and lets them enter details specific to their situation to get a more personalized solution, such as a resume or a business pitch.
3. Online course
An online course is a series of reading materials, workbooks, and videos to impart teaching on a valuable skill or topic.
It can be long or short, but it almost always involves some amount of video content. Its price can vary from $50 to $5000, depending on the subject and depth of material.
4. Webinar
A webinar is a one to two-hour clip recorded live to cover a narrow topic.
But rather than a standalone product, it is mostly used as a way to attract people, drive registrations, and convince them to try high-ticket products or services.
5. Membership or subscription site
According to Statista, subscriptions come out on top in terms of where people spend their money online.
A membership site is a website in which the premium information you intend to sell is hidden behind a paywall. In other words, only members with a paid monthly or yearly subscription can access the content.
Many sellers prefer this model because it has the highest chance of ensuring stable and predictable revenue.
If you’re just starting out, we recommend starting with an information product you’re most comfortable with. If writing comes easy to you, write a book. If talking in front of a camera is more of your thing, create a video course.
The point is to learn to walk before you run and get some quick wins.
As you get more experienced, you can get into the technicalities of advanced information products like a membership website.
5 ways to use video to sell information products including examples
Successful information products aren’t just filled with solid content but also have a great marketing team behind them. And this marketing process is even more effective when fueled by videos. In fact, 69% of people say that they prefer to explore new products or services through videos.
Let’s look at how you can use videos in different ways when selling information products.
1. Create and share video clips on social media
Social media platforms are great avenues to show off your info products, especially the ones where most of your target audience hangs out.
You can easily share short quotes from your book or clips from your online course to demonstrate their usefulness and build trust.
Case in point: Nerd Fitness. The business sells a prime membership with fitness exercises and tutorials. It uses several short clips (in MP4 and GIF formats) to show the value of its program. Here’s an example:
These short clips give people a sense of what they can expect from the full membership and build anticipation for the product.
2. Share video testimonials of past customers
If your info product already has a customer base, you can create testimonial videos highlighting how it helped buyers achieve great results or solve a problem.
Live Your Legend is a great example. Their information products, such as the Mastermind Placement Program, teach people how to avoid dull jobs and do what they’re passionate about.
And how do they demonstrate that their program works? By displaying multiple video success stories right on the landing page.
There’s no reason you can’t do the same for your information product. Ask your customers if they’d be willing to hop on a video interview and talk about their experience with your information product. You can shoot the video in person or record an online meeting to get your footage.
3. Answer FAQs through video clips
Creating videos to answer common customer questions is another excellent technique. It kills three birds with one stone:
- You address any objections or concerns related to your information product
- You establish expertise in your niche or subject
- You do it in a more relatable manner
Your audiences are more likely to connect with a friendly face than words written on a page. Take the following clip, for example.
Paleo Plan has several info products in its catalog, from ebooks to monthly memberships. So they often create such videos to answer common questions that help their audience. And in doing so, they boost awareness and engagement.
Once you have created one or multiple FAQ videos for your information products, you can share them on your website, social media accounts, and marketing emails.
4. Introduce new insights in your space through video (for thought leadership)
While experience and expertise are seen as a big plus in any type of business, these attributes are even more critical for information products.
People would rather buy an average product from a thought leader or influencer than buy a great product from an unknown name.
So if you want to sell your information products successfully, recording videos that emphasize your proficiency in the subject matter is a must.
For example, here’s a video from Adam Baker on managing your finances.
Adam Baker sells ebooks and online courses on personal finance through his site Man Vs. Debt. And he creates insightful videos to share the lessons he has learned the hard way, especially when it comes to eliminating debt.
Uploading such helpful videos regularly can go a long way in building a loyal community around your information products.
5. Record live streams and share a snippet of the recording
Live videos work like a charm for information products because they convey raw emotions, building an authentic human connection.
For example, here’s a live coaching session by Snowboard Addiction, a brand making info products for snowboarders.
By streaming live events in this way, you can make your prospects feel like they’re a part of the whole experience. And this encourages them to check out and eventually purchase your product.
Create and edit information product videos with Piktochart Video
What are you waiting for?
Get a high-quality camera, pick a good video topic, have an engaging script, decide on the right location, and you’re good to go.
With the raw footage in hand, the next thing you’ll need is a video editing tool to cut the unnecessary parts and give your video a professional touch. Piktochart Video is the perfect tool for the job.
Many other tools are available for creating your videos, but they’re either too complicated or too expensive. Piktochart Video, however, is super-affordable, and the learning curve is almost zero. There’s also no need to download bulky software.
The video below shows you how to make your first video clip in 3 easy steps.
If you’re making info product videos, you can also easily add intros and outros and generate captions quickly with Piktochart Video.
Create a free Piktochart Video account to get access.
