Years ago I listened in on a teleseminar where the topic was Continuity programs. I barely knew what they were and had only a slight reference to how they might be applicable to what I do as an author and speaker.
Oddly enough, I had subscribed to a famous author educational program, paying $80 to receive an hour long audio program once a month. But I had no idea it was called a continuity program.
Most people are probably more familiar with the cooking clubs which send out a beautifully designed binder which is free, but the monthly recipes might cost anywhere from $9.95 to $19.95. That is probably the original concept where continuity programs actually began.
Being a speaker, creating products comes naturally to me. But what if you are not as comfortable generating new products every month? There are very simple techniques you can learn to do in order to generate quality products for your followers and fans.
The easiest technique for most people is to learn to generate an interview series such as the author series I subscribed to. There is no limit to the number of people who are willing to be interviewed who are in your industry.
I will typically ask an average of two people to obtain one interview. I set up the time and have the person I’m going to interview prepare at least fifteen questions they want me to ask to lead the listening audience towards their desired action step.
What you’re looking for will be individuals who have a unique message and a following, typically having a large (more than 5,000 member) database which they keep in touch with on a regular basis.
I set up the time for us to be on a conference call and record it. I typically record about ninety minutes worth of information. I am able to import it into an audio editing program, add an introduction, music intro and take out any of the parts of the interview that might not be necessary to make it a great product.
There are many editing programs including some which are free such as Audacity, and they are easy to learn. It takes a bit of practice, but you will be able to generate quality audio programs in no time.
The binder with CD sleeves can be custom printed through any number of local resources or even through online services which generally turn out to be more cost effective. You can burn the CD’s and print the labels and still keep it under $1 per CD.
The unique reaction people have when they receive their binder and first audio program is to want to have the binder filled because it arrives with empty CD sleeves. They can’t wait until they have a completed set. They look forward to receiving the new CDs each and every month, which means the cancellation rate is minimal.
If you have created a training program, you can also use that information as a continuity program and generate the material through Power Points, your voice recording using programs such as Camtasia and even embed a video of you speaking. This would be a DVD program they would watch on their computers and has an even higher perceived value.
One of my clients was struggling with his real estate appraisal business and we created a free CD on all the projects a home owner could do to improve the value of their home. Then the continuity program was a series of details on each type of project, why specific rooms and specific remodeling would double the cost of the improvements. It took him less than six months before he was generating more income from his continuity program than his appraisal business and it allowed him to conduct his business all over the country.
People will always want information which is designed to be educational and solve a problem they are facing. It is up to you to take your skills and knowledge to create a program you can share with the world!