While iPods and other mp3 players have taken the world by
storm, I'm still a visual girl. For me, that means I'd
much rather read something than listen to it. If it's a
video of a software or service demo, I might be persuaded
to view that, if I have the time and if I have no other
choice. For the most part, I'd rather read about it. I
have tons of audio files stored on my hard drive, to most
of which I've never listened. They'll probably languish
away on my computer, only to be deleted one day when I've
forgotten why I downloaded them in the first place.
However, the ones I have "listened to" are the ones which
also offered a written PDF transcript. Okay, so it's
cheating a bit to say that I've "listened" to them, but
those files that came with transcripts got my attention
much more quickly than those without.
I realize that I'm in the minority here. The audio and
video methods of conveying information online are here to
stay, and the majority of Internet users like and prefer
those methods to reading. Studies also indicate that when
an online business owner adds audio or video to a site,
traffic and conversion rates increase dramatically.
The written word, however, is far from dead. I'm
discovering that there are more and more people who prefer
to learn by reading (or maybe we just attract one another).
If you offer teleclasses or webinars as a part of your
business model, here are 5 reasons you should offer
transcripts with your teleclass recordings:
1. Multiple Learning Styles. As previously established,
offering both an auditory version and a written version of
teleclass content appeals to both kind of learners.
Granted, transcribing can be tedious if you're doing it
yourself. However, most one-hour teleclasses can be
transcribed for about $100 USD. If this investment resulted
in a 30% increase in your conversion rate or download rate,
it would be a worthwhile investment, don't you think?
2. Printable Format. Unlike audio files, which require
some type of device to play them, PDF transcripts can be
printed and carried with you. So, if your portable device
battery dies or if you're in a situation where electronic
devices aren't permitted, you can get the information that
you need from the printed transcript instead. Call me
hopelessly out-of-date, but I even print out and bind
larger (greater than 100 pages) PDF ebooks if I believe
they are something to which I'll continually refer. I
still prefer to go to my office bookcase and pick up a
resource rather than search for my copy of the same
resources in my computer files. I've had my readers tell
me that they regularly print the PDF files they buy from me
and refer to them constantly. Perhaps your readers will do
the same?
3. Upsell New Products. Transcripts, unlike audio files,
offer the opportunity to upsell your reader to new products
or services. In the transcript, you can add several pages
that serve as a sales letter for a new product, or include
an order form that is similar to one that appears on your
site. You can easily update the offer in the future by
inserting new pages.
4. Immediate Gratification. If your reader is viewing the
electronic version of your transcript, she can immediately
click on the hyperlinks you include and see the sites to
which you refer in the teleclass. The mp3 listener, on the
other hand, may not have Internet access at the time she's
listening to the audio file, and consequently has to write
down the URLs mentioned and then view them when she's back
online. I've lost more slips of paper in this situation
than I care to remember, which is yet another reason that
having a transcript appeals to my learning style so much.
5. Second Profit Center. If you're selling the audio of a
teleclass or webinar, you can offer the transcript as an
add-on to the price of the teleclass for an additional fee.
I constantly see online entrepreneurs offering a teleclass
for $29 and then permitting the buyer to add a PDF
transcript for just $10 more. This method offers visitors
a choice and appeals to a wider variety of buyers than
offering only one option might.
Teleclasses and webinars are a profitable way to boost your
online business. Add transcripts to your offerings, and
see your profits increase even more!
----------------------------------------------------
Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business
Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals
learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their
expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To
claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing
Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizU.com . Ask
Donna an Internet Marketing question at
http://www.AskDonnaGunter.com .
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