Great question! How DO we know our products or content is going to rock? How do we know it’s going to help people? How do we know people are going to consume or buy it?
This was a question posed to me yesterday from one of my fabulous subscribers (thanks Stefan!).
What a great question it is too.
How many of us don’t take action either due to the fear of not having any kind of affect or results, or because we think we may get criticised for what we publish.
Please note when I’m referring to products / content through this post I mean; saleable products i.e. video courses, ebooks, seminars etc, and free giveaways, blog posts, social media content.
Basically anything we produce / publish online.
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I remember back in 2010 when I launched my very first ‘free gift’ to build my list. I was absolutely petrified to make it live.
Putting it together had taken me about 6 weeks and the day I was set to go live, I had so many doubts.
It wasn’t just the fear of people thinking it was rubbish, it was also the fear of no-one seeing it or taking any notice of it at all, which if you think about it is a really silly fear to have.
But there you have it. We all suffer from self-doubt. Even the most successful people have doubts, the difference is they’ll take action anyway. The fear of not taking action is stronger than the fear of any consequence from their actions!
So how do we know our product or content is going to rock?
Well to be honest we don’t. However, if you follow these few simple rules then there’s a darn good chance it will!
How to Rock Rule 1
Know your stuff!
Don’t create or publish materials you know nothing about. My response to Stefan’s question by email was this;
“I would never attempt to teach something I hadn’t tried and tested myself. That’s how I know my products rock, because I know my niche so well that I know exactly where the strengths and weaknesses are and where the gaps are. I watch all the questions people ask and then try to resolve those with my free PDF’s or video training courses.
I know my market and I know my niche.
My best advice is to create a business either within a niche you already know or a niche within which you’re prepared to immerse yourself and become an expert fast.
When I first started I immersed myself in Facebook fan pages until there was nothing I didn’t know, then I started teaching others how to use them. The immersion only took a couple of weeks because I niched right down just to pages – not the whole of FB, that came later. Initially just pages so that I could learn as quickly as possible and then start to teach.
So find a niche within a niche, master it fast, look at where people are struggling and resolve their problems!”
Remember you’re here to help!
Which takes us to;
How to Rock Rule 2
Solve problems.
The best content / products are those which solve problems. Look at the questions people are asking on the social media platforms. Analyse where people are struggling. Reflect on the challenges you had learning your subject. Where were the gaps? How can you fill them? How can you answer the questions?
This very post has come about as an answer to a question posed to me by a subscriber.
Sit down and make a list of all the most common questions asked in your industry or niche and then look at how you can create either content or a product from those questions.
How to Rock Rule 3
Don’t be afraid to ask!
I regularly send out surveys or ask my customers in groups and emails; What do you need? Where are the gaps? What problems can I solve for you?
In fact the greatest insight I get into my customers needs are the questions they send me directly via email. I actively encourage them in my emails; “hit reply”, “send me your feedback”, “let me know your thoughts”.
I want to hear from my subscribers. I want to know what they’re struggling with. I want to know what the challenges are. How can I help if I never ask?
So ask questions. The quality of your content & products will be reflected by the quality of the questions you ask!
How to Rock Rule 4
Get it done, then get it right.
This is a quote by a good friend of mine which is now my mantra in life. GET IT DONE THEN GET IT RIGHT.
Etch this on your forehead if you need to. In almost every situation in life, the only person standing in the way of us achieving our goals is ourselves, and procrastination through fear and perfection is probably the biggest killer!
You will never truly know what rocks and what doesn’t until you do it!
What’s the worst that can happen? No-one reads it, no-one buys it, you get a negative review, or someone emails or comments that it’s pants? (Veeeery unlikely by the way).
What is actually more likely to happen is that the first time you publish something, no-one reads it, then the next time you get a few readers, then you start to build on that and get a few more visitors and readers and as you get a few more you’re learning even more about what to publish to make a difference and get even more visitors and readers.
Then gradually over time, those readers turn into fans and advocates and then buyers! Then they tell others who turn into fans and advocates and buyers and all the while you’re getting better and better and better at what you do.
It starts with starting. You have a gift. Share it!
How to Rock Rule 5
Read this blog post published in 2011 by Mari Smith.
The 10 Qualities of Social Media Superstars
This post has stuck with me since it’s publication over 3.5 years ago. It doesn’t just apply to being a social media superstar, it applies to everything you do in your business including creating content and products.
If you can put into practise these qualities you won’t go far wrong!
Summary & Action
The main message and action point I want you to take from this post today is ‘Just Do It‘ as Nike would say (best tagline ever!).
Go on, I dare you!
Please let me know your thoughts, feedback and questions below, you know I love hearing from you!