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-   -   Writer's Forum FAIL...and other SowPub NEWS (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9224)

GordonJ June 29, 2015 09:55 AM

Writer's Forum FAIL...and other SowPub NEWS
 
NEWS. Dien and I decided the BETA test of a private writing/publishing forum showed us it is not an idea we are going to pursue. We will keep the forum up for those who were beta testers, a very small group whom we want to support with their own publishing efforts, we won't be accepting any new members.

I've encouraged Dien to instead tap into the knowledge and combined wisdom of our forum members, as he did with Michael Ross in our early days. Michael's report on LEVERAGE is one of the best small reports out there.

We love small reports. SowPub has done ok selling small reports, and we both have created our own products. Every once in awhile Dien offers his two books for sale or as a bonus and in my opinion Dien's book (originally to be published by Green Tree Press) 57 $ecret Money Making Ideas is a really good book with great formatting.

In fact, I feel you all should ask Dien for a copy (Make him an offer) just to see what a well indexed book should be like.

Over the last 15 years we've run many tests, sent up many trial balloons and have grown in our efforts.

What Dien and I share a love for is the written word, and is the reason we agreed to do a PUBLISHING forum. But we didn't want to limit the forum to just writing and publishing but to all things BUSINESS (and other topics with the exception of religion and politics).

Our 'LOGO' shows a farmer planting seeds and behind him is a trail of things growing, and now after 15 years, there is plenty of wisdom to harvest from the forum.

For the most part, SowPub has been a sideline activity, both of us having full plates in our respective businesses and lives. We didn't set it up like the Warrior Forum, it was more of a place where we were free of moderation...and over the years I have always told our subscribers if they didn't like our moderation to start their own forums. A few did.

It is the reason for SowPub, I was told the same thing back then and so we agreed to set up our own place.

OK, history is not NEWS.

We are probably going to spend more time on making SowPub more and more of a learning center with an emphasis on writing and publishing.

Sort of a weird combo of Udemy/Writer's Digest/Publishing Imprint/Product Development with old world tested and proven marketing presented on the modern Internet campus...

an Academy of sorts.

Instruction, guidance, encouragement, counsel and shared life lessons.

Not much different than what we've been doing casually over the years, the difference is we'd like to encourage YOU to share the one TOLL POSITION you already have, and that is YOU.

Your knowledge, wisdom, success and FAILURE are unique lessons you can share with others through small reports, classes, books and through the "hallowed grounds" of SowPub Academia (ha).

So we continue on, and will keep testing ideas, but one thing we're doing is trying to catalog the archives into a library, and to have a PERMANENT student bookstore where we can share our knowledge and attain the necessary course materials written by our esteemed faculty (YOU) for the benefit of all who walk these ivy covered halls.

Well, ok, some of that green may be mold...fair enough. But we may be testing for mushroom and other fungi profit potentials too...HA!

Gordon Jay Alexander

PS. Do you have any ideas? We'll help you write and publish your Information Product and if you want, offer a place to sell it too.

trevord92 June 29, 2015 12:33 PM

Re: Writer's Forum FAIL...and other SowPub NEWS
 
Sorry to hear the writer's forum didn't work out - I didn't join the beta test program because there wasn't really much info about it and I wasn't convinced there would be enough info to warrant the fee, even though I knew deep down as an info product creator that even one or two bits of info would more than pay back.

Weird how our minds work!

Udemy is one of those "I wish I'd thought of that" concepts (lots of those!) and although it isn't alone in the market it seems to be the leader at the moment.

That said, there's almost certainly scope for others and that could include your info campus.

The WSO market has dropped but JVZoo and Warrior Plus still get launches, mostly not with the $20 "tax" to be in the Warrior Forum itself.

I've not found a similar market outside internet marketing but think there would be scope for one covering self help/personal development. The buyers in that market are at least as hungry as IM buyers but haven't got anywhere near enough decent cheaper-end products ($5, $10, $20 range) in my view.

Just a thought :)

GordonJ June 29, 2015 02:51 PM

We didn't want the personal involvement.
 
1 Attachment(s)
Well, the products behind the fee will now be sold at full value, about 345.00 total for what the beta guys got for 97. The basic course sells for 197, so we're going to do it the way which doesn't require our time and support.

It wasn't the information, it was our time and guidance and from what we learned in beta was simple...we don't want to do that anymore.

I hate WSO products. Any product Dien accepts will have to pass his very stringent sniff tests, no WSO BS type stuff, but certainly self improvement would be a welcome category.

My research shows only a handful of udemy instructors make the "big" money udemy touts, most buys are done during ten dollar and such specials. But you are right, it is a good idea.

If I were to do a similar private membership forum with as much content as the beta guys got, I'd charge at least 995.00 and even then limit the number of members.

We felt there are too many writers who just need a place and a promotion to sell what they write, product creation isn't that big of a problem, so if product hosting and promotion is what is needed, that seems to be a good direction to go as long as we keep it from being the sewer that WSO has become.

Gordon

PS. TODAY, got a coupon promo from Udemy, only 10 bux, they do this several times a year. See attachment.




Quote:

Originally Posted by trevord92 (Post 35519)
Sorry to hear the writer's forum didn't work out - I didn't join the beta test program because there wasn't really much info about it and I wasn't convinced there would be enough info to warrant the fee, even though I knew deep down as an info product creator that even one or two bits of info would more than pay back.

Weird how our minds work!

Udemy is one of those "I wish I'd thought of that" concepts (lots of those!) and although it isn't alone in the market it seems to be the leader at the moment.

That said, there's almost certainly scope for others and that could include your info campus.

The WSO market has dropped but JVZoo and Warrior Plus still get launches, mostly not with the $20 "tax" to be in the Warrior Forum itself.

I've not found a similar market outside internet marketing but think there would be scope for one covering self help/personal development. The buyers in that market are at least as hungry as IM buyers but haven't got anywhere near enough decent cheaper-end products ($5, $10, $20 range) in my view.

Just a thought :)


trevord92 June 29, 2015 03:15 PM

Re: Writer's Forum FAIL...and other SowPub NEWS
 
Agreed that WSOs have been driven down in price and quality although a few good ones slip through the net. Often the ones with low sales and few affiliates rather than the utter trash put out by a number of names who I don't have a long enough pole to not touch them with :(

Udemy keep testing pricing which is good, the quality control aspect is good. A lot of the "sales" are via free/cheap coupons but they give the social proof which then pushes sales further.

80/20 applies there as it does with other markets. Probably closer to 99/1 than anyone would care to admit.

I have absolutely no doubt that your products are worth the money it's just that personally at the time of the beta test there wasn't enough info to convince either part of my brain that it was worth taking the plunge. Maybe I needed more of a sales pitch - not sure!

And I can fully understand the "not enough hours in the day to pursue everything" aspect.

GordonJ June 30, 2015 07:33 AM

Part of the test.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by trevord92 (Post 35521)

I have absolutely no doubt that your products are worth the money it's just that personally at the time of the beta test

there wasn't enough info to convince either part of my brain that it was worth taking the plunge. Maybe I needed more of a sales pitch - not sure!


.


You are 100 % accurate, we did ZERO selling or promotion, by design.

This is an important key, for everyone. There is a "tipping point" in every buy/no buy decision, some reach that point quickly, with little to no information...and this is one reason why copywriters have some long promotions, Agora and Boardroom send out magalogs full of information.

People need enough information to reach their decision.

Thanks for bringing up a very important point for discussion.

Are you providing enough of the right kind of information to help your prospect choose to become your customer? Often times, a simple bullet point promotion (ala Bill Meyers) is all that is needed, for other times, a more detailed promotion.

And the audience or person intersecting with the promotion makes a quick decision as to continue reading or not too. Graphics and pictures are a strong element to capture the eye and hold it through the Attention getting stage of a promotion.

In our Beta test, we wanted minimal interaction to see if there would be a decision, we found out not much info was needed for some, and the reasons why...which is helpful in designing our next campaign.

Test, test and test the saying goes, but know why and what for too.

Gordon


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