Home
>
Writing
>
Writing Short Info Reports

Writing Short Info Reports

People want information, they want it quick, frequently in short form, and straight to the point. Its no wonder that they go straight for a computer connected to the internet to find anything from how to grow tomatoes to choosing a web host.

As a home business owner, this "information revolution" as I like to call it, is only to your benefit. After all, you are in the business of trying to give people what they want time and again. So, give them the information they crave.

Now, e-books are a wonderful way to , but in the spirit of the Infopreneur, short high content reports which I like to call info-reports are perhaps even better. If formulated carefully, they can even be put to use to literally explode the size of an opt-in list of subscribers. To proceed you simply develop several high content short reports, targeted at a specific market which you would like to add to your subscriber base, and give it away free just for subscribing to your newsletter. With content, and the word "free", many people will flock to subscribe. Best of all this is a win-win situation: You pick up valuable subscribers to interact with on a weekly basis, and your subscribers receive valuable information from you.

So, how is it done you ask?

Report Ideas

Almost any idea you have can be made into a short report. However, not every idea is in demand.

Try this out.

Sit down with pen and paper in a quite location. Yes, you read correctly. I said pen and paper. It is easier from a work perspective to sit in front of your monitor, but past experience has taught me that the creative side of my brain works better with pen and paper. Of course it is up to what ever works for you.

Now, write down a short list of topics that you are semi-familiar with. I say "semi" because you can always perform a bit of research to learn more. These topics can be on anything: gardening, cooking, computer programming, specific hobbies, construction, research, medicine, etc.

After you have made your list, weed out the topics that are not associated with your business. For instance, if your business is computer programming, you probably don't want to focus on creating a short report on gardening. The reasoning here is to target your market. Gardening info is not targeted to the computer programming market.

Now pick one or two topics, open a word processor, or even your notebook, and start writing every little bit of information you know on the subject.

Putting It Together

I recommend structuring your report similar to a book report. Remember writing those in school? Why a book report? The focus here is short and informative. This isn't creative writing. You don't want to go off on some tangent about literary prose. Short, concise, and highly informative information to guide others is what works here.

Format And Packaging

Format is somewhat of a personal preference. But, keep computing platform in mind. There are numerous e-book compilers, many free, that can be used to create a small exe file of your report. The advantage here is that it can be created in web page format and then compiled with links that when clicked will actually open in the e-book window. One downside however is that as far as I have been able to tell they only compile in PC format. So, anyone with a Mac will not be able to view the file.

I have used Easy e-Book Creator for several short reports. It is simple and easy to use. I create the pages in HTML format using Microsoft Frontpage and then compile. If you want the full version without the Easy e-Book Creator logo and with added security features, you can purchase a license for about $20. The resulting e-book is in exe format. e-Book Compiler also has a free trial version. I however was not as happy with it.

PDF is essentially universal. Just about anyone these days can open a pdf. The problem is that pdf file creators are rather pricey. An alternative is the Microsoft Reader plug-in for Word. Microsoft is attempting to compete with Adobe in creating a new standard. The software is free to download from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/rmr.asp.

Distribution

After all else is done, its time to get your report to market. Now, there is not a single definitive way to do this. I use e- zine advertising, classified ads, pay-per-click, and traffic exchanges to advertise short reports in the hopes of pulling interested readers to sign up for the e-Kinetic E-Zine. What is great about this method is that it truly is win-win. I gain new subscribers who I get to share interact with through the e-zine, and subscribers receive valuable information at zero cost.

About The Author

Dan J. Fry is an independent researcher and owner of http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/rmr.asp, a site devoted to providing resources for small budget home businesses. He has a PhD in Physics and is married with two daughters and two cats. Subscribe to his free E-Zine on home business resources at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/rmr.asp or by visiting his Infopreneur site at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/rmr.asp. He can be reached at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/rmr.asp.

affordable house cleaning Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.