I’m going to share with you 26 Red-Hot ideas to launch a new digital product. Save this long post in PDF to read offline, no opt-in required: Download Now!
Creating an info-product to sell online is a very lucrative business.
This short report will examine 26 different “kinds” of small reports (along with examples) that you can create.
With small reports, you can sell them at a very low cost to build your customer base.
Or you can bundle several reports together to be sold as a digital product package.
Use this list to brainstorm ideas for your next small report…
Our index begins with the classic “how-to” tutorial.
This style of report is organized in a systematic, step-by-step approach to accomplishing a task.
The steps are most commonly organized in chronological order. (I.E. Step One is…, Step Two is…, etc.).
These are generally known as “systems”, “formulas”, “checklists” or “blueprints”.
A few examples include –
Another style of report is what I’ve labeled, “frequently asked questions”.
In this model, you would take 10-20 of the most asked questions about a particular topic and answer them in your content.
This is one of the easiest kinds of small reports to create because outlining is simply due to the Q&A style:
While you’ll want to create a better title than the ones below, here are just a few ideas for how this kind of small report might be created –
Moving from questions that YOU answer to questions that SOMEONE ELSE answers are another way to write a small report.
An “interview” small report is, not surprisingly, a series of questions that you pose to one or more qualified experts to create the content you’ll be selling.
(Reasons, why experts would do this for you, include: free publicity for their website or business, rights to the completed report, or paid compensation.)
Again, these aren’t “titles” for your small report, but these are some things you might do for a handful of different topics –
Another very popular kind of small report is what I’ve labeled the “list”.
It is simply a listing of ways, strategies, tips, secrets, tactics, techniques, habits, exercises, principles, etc. with a detailed description of each entry to the list.
Some examples of this kind of small report include –
Next on our list of “types” of small reports is the “case study” model.
This would consist of you profiling different successful examples of accomplishing a common task.
In other words, you’d show how several different people (including or not including yourself) have achieved the desired result.
The great thing about this kind of small report is the variety of different methods people use in attaining similar results.
Your readers will likely “connect” with one or more of the examples and get a sense of motivation and empowerment to reach their goal as well.
Bottom line: you’ve got a satisfied customer.
A few examples include (these are ideas, not titles) –
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The next kind of small report is the “resource directory”.
That is, you would include a group of related entries of resources (usually indexed categorically and then alphabetically) along with their contact information such as website, phone number, and or mailing/physical address.
A few examples of this kind of small report would include –
Up next we have the “idea generators” style of small report.
This particular kind of report is best described as “a series of prompts to help the reader brainstorm ideas”.
Here are a few different examples –
Up next is what I’ve labeled “the first year”.
In this kind of small report, you’d walk a newcomer through the first 12 months of a particular endeavor.
What beginner standing on the threshold of something completely new to them wouldn’t want the wisdom of what to expect and how to successfully navigate through the foundation period?
You could chronicle the first year with a calendar of milestones and guideposts, pitfalls to avoid, shortcuts to take, and so forth.
Some examples are –
One of the biggest mistakes that most “internet marketers” make is trying to create information products to sell to other internet marketers.
It’s a cycle that just loops over and over again.
Fortunately for you, while everyone else is competing with each other, you have an opportunity to teach “niches” how to market.
Instead of selling marketing information to other marketers, teach niche business owners how to market.
ALL business owners, regardless of what their business is, need more customers.
Note: What’s interesting about this “kind” of small report is the fact that you can make a few changes and “niche it” for numerous different topics.
(I.E. “Bookstore Owner’s Guide to Marketing”, “Real Estate Agent’s Guide to Marketing”, “Hair Salon Owner’s Guide to Marketing”, etc.)
Some examples are –
I’ve labeled this next kind of small report “the bridge”.
The idea is to combine two unrelated topics into one small report.
Think of it this way: there are universal wants and needs (I.E. To lose weight and get in shape) that are applicable to virtually ALL markets.
Most people want to make more money, be successful, live happily, have great relationships, etc.
These are universal pursuits.
The idea here is to bring those universal pursuits into the arena of your specific field of interest or expertise.
Some examples are –
Who among us wouldn’t like to take shortcuts (assuming they don’t have drawbacks) to achieve the desired result faster, easier or better?
The short answer is no one.
With this kind of small report, you would focus on ways to save time or effort in accomplishing a specific task without sacrificing any benefits or quality.
Some examples are –
To an extent we’ve already talked about focusing your small report on “beginners” (See “The First Year” above), but what about those who have an elevated state of experience or knowledge?
There is a huge market for “advanced” information in just about every field.
In the internet information age, this is especially the case as more and more people have access to basic steps (that have usually been rehashed, restated, and repackaged in a thousand different ways!) creating a sort of traffic jam with little higher learning available in many areas.
So, creating a small report focused on providing information for the experienced or advanced user is another great idea.
Note: To create a great one-two punch, why not write a “beginner’s” report on a topic and then create an “advanced” report on the same topic.
Then, you are able to “graduate” your beginners to the advanced report after they’ve read the first one.
Some examples are –
With this kind of small report, you would focus most of your “positioning” on the TIME FRAME in which the task can be completed.
Everything would be structured towards seeing results within a specific period of time; that would be the selling point.
More important than getting results is knowing how long it’s going to take to get those results (assuming it’s not long! J).
Some examples are –
What’s more likely to get your attention: an overweight friend who says “I’ve got some great information on losing weight” or a thin friend who used to be overweight who says “let me show you how I lost the weight?”
Obviously, unless you’re suffering from delirium, the thin friend gets your vote.
Why?
Because when we see that someone has achieved the results we’d like to achieve, there is credibility.
By creating a small report that reveals and explains how you accomplished a specific task that others want to accomplish you should have an instant hit on your hands.
In this kind of small report, simply chronicle what you did.
Some examples are –
Marketer
Some of my most popular small reports ever have been “planners”.
For our purposes, a “planner” is simply a set of activities arranged in a daily schedule as a sort of checklist to work through.
Why do people love them?
Because it allows them to stay on track.
They see a set of action steps to complete for Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, and so forth.
Most people find it much easier to actually do something when it’s arranged in this kind of order.
Note: This is one of my top recommendations for a small report.
Every small report author should write at least one of these “planners” to sell online.
Some examples are –
This is another classic example of the “problem/solution” format. It’s just expressed in a different way.
The idea here is to inform the reader what they should do when they find themselves facing a specific problem that can still be remedied.
A key is to focus on as specific information as possible in your title.
I.E. It’s not “What To Do When You Want To Lose Weight”, but rather “What To Do When You Want To Lose That Last 5 Pounds”.
Some examples are –
This kind of small report is for the creative writer.
If you’re not creative, then feel free to move on to #18. J The idea here is to share lessons that you’ve gleaned from pop culture. (I.E. Movies, music, lifestyles, fashion, entertainment, cooking, etc.)
One of the reasons why this is usually a very good seller is because of its inherent ability to create curiosity.
The point is, there are built-in opportunities to grab attention (and get sales!) by including pop culture lessons as the focus of your small report.
Some examples
are –
Another great idea for your next small report is to tie in the content to an upcoming holiday or event.
The reason this is such an effective report is that it has a natural “urgency” trigger. In other words, the potential customer needs to buy your small report NOW in order to reap the benefits by the imposed deadline (I.E. The date of the event or holiday).
Some examples are –
There are two big opportunities that I feel are missing in most “niche” marketing as far as topics for any kind of product (especially “small reports”).
I’ll discuss the second one next.
For now, I want to mention the category of “save money”.
The idea here is to create a small report that teaches the reader how to save money or completely eliminate the cost that is associated with a particular activity.
Think about the appeal of this particular kind of small report –
You’re offering the reader the opportunity to reduce (sometimes GREATLY reduce) the costs associated with something they are going to do anyway!
Who wouldn’t pay $10 for your small report if it’s going to save them $20, $50, $100, or even more?
Who wouldn’t pay $10 for your small report if it’s going to allow them to reduce their costs EVERY TIME they complete a particular task or participate in a particular activity?
Two words for you: gold mine. Some examples are –
The other untapped opportunity is teaching people how to “make money” doing something they are already going to do anyway.
Who wouldn’t want to make money with their favorite hobby?
Who wouldn’t be interested in generating cash doing something they enjoy?
Who wouldn’t want to get paid to do something they are already going to do?
Two more
words for you: gold mine.
When you find a passion for your target audience and then deliver a small report that teaches them how to make money from that passion, you’re certain to have a hit on your hands.
Some examples are –
Another kind of small report is what I’ve labeled “faster and easier”.
The idea here is to position your report as a resource that reveals information to enable the reader to accomplish some task faster and/or easier than they were previously able to do.
Case Study: There are numerous information-based products out there that teach you how to quickly get listed in the search engines.
Traditionally, this took weeks even months to accomplish, now it can be done in days and even hours based on techniques shared in some of these courses.
Some examples are –
With virtually any pursuit in life, there are potential pitfalls and common blunders associated with that pursuit.
The old adage is, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and there is some truth to that.
A properly positioned small report highlighting barriers and mistakes (and how to avoid them!) would be another great option for you to consider.
Some examples are –
Note: Your mini-sales letter is very important for this kind of small report.
You’ll want to stress how easy it is to make mistakes and what kind of disadvantage the reader will face if they don’t apply the strategies you share in the small report.
It’s almost like magic: take something you’ve already got and turned it into something much more desirable.
That’s the idea behind this kind of small report.
It’s presented in the classic “how-to” format (I.E. Arranged in chronological steps).
Some examples
are –
The concept of “5-minutes” carries several highly desirable elements to it: relief to a problem can be gained in just a few minutes, slight changes that bring desirable results can be made in just a few minutes, an overview “working knowledge” of a process can be learned in just a few minutes.
With so many of life’s activities, we’d like a digest version … we just want to know, in as few words as possible, how to do it.
Some examples are –
There are times in life when, quite frankly, a solution to a problem isn’t possible.
All marriages aren’t reconciled, all finances don’t recover and all heart attacks can’t be avoided.
Sometimes difficult times do come and they must be dealt with.
In the “survival” type of small report, you would teach your readers how to deal with a problem that they cannot avoid.
Some examples are –
With so much information available (we’ve got more flavors available than a Baskin Robbins® store on steroids! J) it can become difficult to know what’s best.
That’s why a “top picks” kind of small report is another solid idea for you to develop.
Stated simply, you would give your opinion as to what the top picks are within your topic.
Obviously, it’s all about your unique sales proposition in selling the content.
There’s a big difference between these two small report titles…
Two words come to mind when I think of this option: Consumer Reports®.
They are incredibly popular because people want an unbiased review and recommendation for something they are considering buying.
Some examples are –
So, there you have 26 different ideas for your next small report, along with over 100 title topics you can modify for your own use in coming up with an idea for your next small report.
Just as a quick reference, I’m going to insert a section, which shares 7 ways you can find specific ideas about YOUR TOPIC that you can use in conjunction with the different categories we’ve looked at in this report.
Two of my favorites from this list are Amazon.com and Magazines.com.
Let me quickly share a couple of additional insights that I recommend you do RIGHT NOW in relation to these two resources.
1) Amazon.com. Go to the site and type your keyword(s) into the search box upon your arrival. Browse through all the listings. If you use a broad enough search phrase, you should find DOZENS of listings that will almost certainly cover “angles” you’ve never even thought of.
2) Magazines.com. Visit the site and find the category of listings that is related to your field of interest. Look at the magazines listed in that category and click on the graphical image of the various magazine covers. You’ll see actual covers with REAL featured articles and contents displayed. You should find many solid ideas just by looking at the cover pictures.
So, with all of this, you should have ample ideas to get started working on your next small report!
READ MORE: Your Shortcut to Creating Products
To your info-product business success!
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