By Rachel
I’m happy I’ve decided to develop a product, but it can be difficult to find the time to work on it. I set a goal of devoting an hour a day to development, but I know I need to get some things off my plate in order to do that. I took a few hours last Saturday morning and created a procedure guide for some of the little things I do for clients. I shared this with my team and started delegating more responsibilities. I had been putting this off because a) I didn’t really have time to create the guides and b) I am a control freak! But, now that it’s done, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me.
I’m starting with the end in mind so I set a launch date of November 5 and I’m working backward on what I need to do in order to meet this date. The big picture items include developing the content and the marketing of the product.
As for content, that’s an ongoing brainstorm. In the past two years, I’ve created so much that it’s nearly impossible to narrow it down. Per the advice of my husband, I’ve decided to develop something that will help the small business owner as he or she navigates the world of social media. It’s going to have modules that break down the fundamentals, include specific examples, and provide worksheets/exercises for the readers to complete on their own. I plan to create a fictional company that can be used as an example for moving through the steps of building and executing a social media strategy.
Under the marketing umbrella, I’m focusing on building my list, developing an affiliate program, creating a website, and deciding on product and package design. Of course, I’ll also use social media to promote it. In order to build my list, I created an opt-in for a free small business webinar on September 10. I found software that made a potential affiliate program cheaper and I’m pretty sure I’m going to follow through with it. We had an affiliate program for the Social Media Manager Profits (SMMP) product and it proved to be very worthwhile.
Of course, this blog is marketing, as well. The key for me will also be integrating all of these into a coordinated and effective campaign. As for design, I’m fortunate I married someone who has a keen eye for design – and a Mac computer with Adobe InDesign!
For now, I find myself moving back and forth between developing my marketing plan and creating the content. When I get stuck, I just keep moving in another area rather than force it. I’m only a few weeks into the process, but it has already been a fun ride!
All the best Rachel.