What is an Infopreneur? – Small Business Trends

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What is an Infopreneur? A couple of decades ago, pursuing self-employment in the information industry was pretty difficult. Starting a publication was cumbersome and costly, blogging wasn’t an option and podcasts hadn’t even been dreamed up.

For most aspiring entrepreneurs, making a steady living sharing your professional knowledge with others was an impossible pipe dream.

Thanks to the dawn of the web and a wide range of emerging technologies, that dream is now completely attainable for anyone and everyone — and those who choose that lifestyle are generally referred to as “infopreneurs”.

What is an Infopreneur?

Simply put, an infopreneur is a professional who collects information from multiple sources and personal experiences and uses it to create a unique package for consumers.

And although the internet has hugely simplified that process, the term itself actually predates the era of digital celebrities. Harold “Skip” Weitzen coined the term in the 1980s elaborating on his own interpretation of what it means to be an infopreneur in the 1988 book “Infopreneurs: Turning Data Into Dollars”.

In the 20th Century, aspiring infopreneurs produced value-added reports and professional advice through mediums like self-published books, audio cassettes and CD-ROMs.

After establishing personal a brand, an infopreneur could then work to establish sustainable self-employment sharing his or her insights on regular conference circuits and earning passive income generated through product sales.

Fast forward to 2017, and the internet, the emergence of social media and breakthroughs in self-publishing technologies have all made it far quicker and cheaper to get a foothold as an infoprenur.

Sites like WordPress, YouTube and Facebook mean that anyone and everyone can share information and distribute it in a matter of seconds for free. Meanwhile, advertising services like AdWords and a variety of other methods of monetizing content mean that the right individual can start seeing steady income in record time.

To be clear, the ever-increasing simplicity of web publishing and distribution does not guarantee success — and in order to be a successful infopreneur, you will need to exercise plenty of effort and cunning.

The web is absolutely flooded with self-labelled experts and professional bloggers in various fields. In order to stand out from the crowd and generate a following, you’ve got to establish your own unique selling points and some sort of signature style and flair.

Why Be an Infopreneur?

Just like any type of self-employment, pursuing a career as an infopreneur comes with plenty of perks.

You get to choose when and where to apply yourself, and chase work that genuinely interests and engages you. At the same time, unlike other kinds of business startups, becoming an infopreneur carries far fewer risks.

First and foremost, it’s not hard to bootstrap a career in selling information.

Launching a blog or YouTube channel is one of the easiest ways to begin establishing yourself as an infopreneur. Hosting fees for sites like WordPress are quite affordable and producing a quality eBook costs only time. Distributing self-published books and magazines online via Amazon and other platforms can be fairly cheap, too.

Meanwhile, infopreneurs generally don’t have to worry about ordinary startup overhead like brick-and-mortar costs or eCommerce support. It’s also far easier for infopreneurs to start generating some form of return on investment.

Advantages of Being an Infopreneur

• Scalability: Digital products, once created, can be sold an infinite number of times without the need for restocking or repurchasing supplies.
• Flexibility: Being an infopreneur allows for a flexible work schedule and environment. Whether you want to work from a beach in Bali or from your home office, the choice is yours.
• Low Entry Barriers: With the vast amount of online tools and platforms available today, almost anyone can start a career as an infopreneur without the need for massive upfront investments.
• Passive Income Potential: Once you’ve established your products or services and set up automated sales funnels, you can generate income even when you’re not actively working.
• Personal Brand Building: Infopreneurship allows individuals to establish themselves as experts in their niche, which can open up other avenues like speaking engagements, consultancy roles, and collaborations.
• Global Reach: Digital products can be sold to anyone, anywhere in the world. Unlike physical products, there’s no need to worry about shipping or inventory.

Can You Succeed as an Infopreneur?

If you feel like you’ve got the drive, determination and experience necessary to establish yourself as a credible source of useful information, you may want to consider pursuing self-employment as an infopreneur.

So long as you’ve got internet access, you can produce and widely distribute content at virtually no cost. You’ve got little to lose, and plenty to gain.

Yet in order to taste success, you’ll need to come up with something unique. Every month, bloggers churn out about 73.9 million posts on WordPress, and there are literally millions of eBooks doing the rounds on Amazon.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to do market research and establish a built-in online following for the content you produce.

How to Become an Infopreneur

Identify Your Niche

Finding your niche is the cornerstone of becoming an infopreneur. It’s about zeroing in on a specific topic or field where you have both passion and expertise. This could range from digital marketing strategies to sustainable living tips.

The key is to choose an area that not only excites you but also where you can offer unique insights or solutions not widely available. Your niche will guide all subsequent decisions, from the type of content you create to the audience you target.

Research the Market

Before diving into content creation, take time to understand the landscape. Researching the market involves analyzing your competition, identifying your target audience’s needs, and pinpointing any gaps in the information currently available.

This step is crucial for ensuring your content is both relevant and in demand. It also helps in crafting a unique value proposition that sets you apart from others in your niche.

Plan Your Content

Once you’ve identified your niche and understood the market, it’s time to plan your content. This involves deciding on the format and delivery method that best suits your topic and audience.

Whether it’s writing e-books, producing videos, creating online courses, or a combination thereof, your content should align with your expertise and the preferences of your target audience. Planning also involves outlining topics, setting production schedules, and determining content structure.

Choose a Platform

The platform you choose to host and sell your content on plays a significant role in your success as an infopreneur. Options include launching a personal website, utilizing video platforms like YouTube, or leveraging online learning communities such as Udemy.

Each platform has its advantages and target audience, so select one that aligns with your content type and where your potential customers are most likely to engage with your material.

Create Quality Content

The essence of being an infopreneur lies in producing content that not only draws in your audience but also provides substantial value. Focus on creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and questions of your audience. Quality content establishes your credibility and expertise, encouraging trust and loyalty among your followers.

Build an Online Presence

An impactful online presence is vital for an infopreneur. This involves designing a professional website, setting up social media profiles, and possibly starting a blog.

Your online platforms should reflect your brand identity and make it easy for potential customers to find and engage with your content. Consistently posting valuable information and updates can help in building a community around your brand.

Engage Your Audience

Engaging with your audience is about more than just selling your content; it’s about building relationships.

Utilize comments, forums, webinars, and social media to interact with your followers. Answer their questions, solicit feedback, and participate in discussions related to your niche. Engagement fosters a sense of community and loyalty, turning casual visitors into devoted fans.

Set Monetization Strategies

Turning your expertise into income requires a clear monetization strategy. This could include direct sales of your content, affiliate marketing, placing ads on your site, offering memberships for exclusive content, or a combination of these.

Choose a revenue model that complements your content and audience preferences, and be transparent about any affiliations or sponsored content.

Market and Promote

Effective marketing is key to reaching a wider audience and driving traffic to your content. Employ a mix of SEO strategies, paid advertising, social media marketing, and email campaigns to promote your content.

Tailor your marketing efforts to highlight the unique value of your information and why it stands out in your niche.

Analyze and Adjust

Lastly, the journey of an infopreneur is one of continual learning and adaptation. Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content, understanding what resonates with your audience and what doesn’t.

Analyze engagement metrics, sales data, and feedback to refine your content, marketing strategies, and monetization methods. Adapting to the evolving needs of your audience and the changing dynamics of your niche is crucial for sustained success.

The road to success for infopreneurs is never easy — but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve it.

Working at Laptop Photo via Shutterstock

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