Infopreneur is a new breed of Entrepreneur

Infopreneur - Information Entrepreneur

An infopreneur is, as the name suggests, an information entrepreneur and their main business is gathering and selling information online. They use existing data and target a specific niche that they can compete in. Before the advent of the internet, these infopreneurs already existed but used other formats or mediums to sell the information that they had collated, such as audio tapes/CDs, videos, talk shows and conferences. Anybody with a computer and an internet connection can become an infopreneur and start a business, publishing the information they have collected which, they know to be of value and interest to a specific audience.

Differentiating between different types of Infopreneur

There are many infopreneurs already in existence trading online but they may not be known or refer to themselves as an infopreneur. An infopreneur may take a variety of forms but the most common would be:

1. Content Infopreneur: individuals who sell information they have amassed on their own, from their own experience, education or based on their opinions/perspectives.
2. Affiliate Infopreneur: individuals who earn commissions from selling information/data (that they know nothing about) on behalf of another vendor. This type of infopreneur is considered more of a “information trafficker”.

Existing types of Infopreneur

The most common examples of infopreneur can be seen through the various ways that an infopreneur interacts with their target audience online such as blogs, websites, groups, forums and more commonly, through social media. The infopreneur is essentially in the online media business and is his/her own developer (of the content), marketer, producer and distributor of the information. The typical infopreneur would usually record the information in electronic form, based on their experience, knowledge they’ve gathered from various sources or thoughts and opinions. They pass that information on to the world through publishing on websites, blogs, ebooks, emails, etc.

10 Ways an Infopreneur makes money

There are a number of ways that infopreneurs can generate income from selling their information online. Although there are some genuine infopreneurs that provide good quality content, the affiliate infopreneur is all too often just out to make some quick money. This type of infopreneur will often piggy-back on the existing content from other sources and regurgitate this information on their own blogs/sites by using RSS feeds. However, the more conventional true infopreneur will commonly use one or more of the following revenue generating methods:

1. eBook: The best eBooks are based on much sought after content and are usually related to specific search parameters and keywords (to ensure they rank highly on search engines)
2. Online Course: Many online course tasters can be seen on YouTube whereas, the full course is only available by purchasing it via a publicised site.
3. Suite of Videos: Many courses are bundled into a number to short video presentations.
4. Audio/Video  Podcasts: Podcasts are very common and there are a wide range to choose from. iTunes is a common source for Podcasts.
5. Mindmaps: This is visually a very helpful diagram to represent words, ideas, actions or other items linked to and arranged around a central keyword or idea. It is especially helpful as a representation of complex information and more easily remembered than text, audio or video alone.
6. Screencast: Digitally recorded screen capture with audio narration most commonly used for presentations and tutorial how-to’s.
7. Templates: Usually professionally produced documents, presentations, style sheets or web templates, using specific layout and styles but which can be edited and customized for re-use.
8. Webinars: A digitally recorded web-based seminar, presentation, lecture or workshop that is down-loadable or can be viewed online.
9. Conferences: A digitally recorded offline presentation, lecture or workshop that is down-loadable or can be viewed online.
10. Transcribed Content: Transcribed video or audio content.

An Infopreneur needs to ensure that they provide factually accurate, helpful information which is perceived as valuable to their target audience. The content should ideally be unique and provided in a format which is easily accessible by people online. It’s important for an infopreneur to build trust with their target market and establish a loyal following. Ideally the infopreneur should have a passion or at the very least, an interest for the information they are providing, as this will be conveyed to an engaged audience.

If you are a business owner, entrepreneur or manage a small to medium size enterprise and need help and advice on how becoming an infopreneur could be beneficial to your existing or potential business, then contact eCubation today for a FREE consultation.