You are here: Home / Archives for Content Strategy

Have content but unsure what to do with it?

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Repurpose your Content!!!

Take your blog posts and create a report or an ebook.
Have a report or an ebook ready – then break itdown into blog posts.

Read the report or ebook and record it as a mp3.
Turn the report or ebook into a PowerPoint/Video format. Include music or your voice.

So keep in mind, CONTENT, AUDIO and VIDEO for repurposing.

ANOTHER QUICK TIP: Are you letting your subscribers know what you blogged about this week? Begin by incorporating your blog posts into your autoresponders and bring your

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Using HTML Tags in Articles, Blog Posts or Press Releases to help with Link Building…

July 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
  1. Using HTML tags in blog posts, articles and press releases can help to improve overall readability and comprehension. Help to organize your information and by providing a link – give the reader a chance to “read more” and provide emphasis on the subject at hand, as well as link to related or supplementary information.
  2. HTML Tag format 101 – all tags start with “<” and end with “>. The text between the “<” and “>” is how the tag operates. You could have <b> = bold, <i> = italics, <u> = underlined. Tag exist in pairs – think of it as a “OPEN” tag <b> and a “CLOSE” tag </b>. The open and close tags surround text. For example… I want to bold this word <b>START</b> and underline this word <i>END</i>.
  3. Maybe you want to have a list to help organize the content within the blog posts, article or press release… Use <ol> for an ordered (also known as a numbered) list and <ul> for an unordered (bullet point) list. Use <li> and </li> around the text line for each item. End the list with either </ol> or </ul> to close the list.
  4. Want to have a Linked URL with Anchored Text? A standard link format is <a href=”http://domain.com”>ANCHORED TEXT HERE</a>. Now if you want the link to open in a new window we need to add a target to the link which then looks like this: <a target=”_new” href=”http://domain.com”>ANCHORED TEXT HERE</a>.

 

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Get PLR Content when you need it with Nichelogy

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I am ready to learn more… and if you are too — then this might just be the ticket you need. Let me know when you join so we can connect in the forum.

click me

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With: , ,

How To Stand Out From Your Competition For Extra Sales

September 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Many information marketers have the erroneous belief that if they find a market with too many competitors, they shouldn’t write an ebook for that audience.

To the contrary, competition can be beneficial for a variety of reasons including –

  • Researching.

If there IS a lot of competition, you can reasonably expect there this to be a lucrative marketplace.  Generally speaking, a large product and service line means there is large consumer interest and demand.  I encourage you to LOOK for markets with lots of competition as it’s a shortcut to researching where revenue is available.

  • Partnering.

The more competition there is, the more likely you can find other like-minded marketers to partner with in cross promotion efforts, co-op advertising, and other related joint ventures.  This is especially true if your ebook is “related” to other ebooks without DIRECTLY competing with them.  (I.E.  Raising metabolism is “related” to cutting calories in that they are both agents of weight loss.)

  • Educating.

Another reason why competition is good is simply because your target audience is educated, at least in part, on someone else’s dime.  That is, the marketing materials of your competitors educates the market on why the products are necessary or beneficial.  A good example is this:  many marketers “educated” consumers on the need for using audio and video on their web sites, opening the door to a variety of related products and services to be sold.

So, competition isn’t always a bad thing.  It can be a good thing for these reasons and a handful of others.

But …

The challenge comes in when you want to stand out among the competition so YOU can get marketplace interest. There are many ways to stand out by creating your own “USP” (Unique sales proposition) that could be covered here, but I want to mention is this –

Create a demographical version of your ebook.

Let me give you an example –
Let’s suppose you are going to write an ebook entitled, “Weight Loss Secrets”.  So, you write it and then you
create a “demographical version” that is entitled, “Weight Loss For Christians”.

Other examples might include –

  • Time Management For Homeschoolers
  • The Internet Marketer’s Diet
  • The Senior Citizen’s Guide To Investing
  • How Ace Your First Teacher Interview
  • How To Get A Hot Date:  College Student Edition
  • Fundraising For Youth Groups

All you would need to do in order to create this “demographical version” of your ebook is take the same exact ebook you’ve written (your “regular” version) and add some specific references and ideas that relate to the particular demographic you’ve chosen.

  • If you decide to create “How to Get A Hot Date:  College Student Edition”, then you’d add in a few references to specific places a college student can find a date that wouldn’t apply to your regular audience (I.E. Frat party), as well as pick-up lines, first-date ideas, practices and other content that apply only to college students.

In other words, you share the same content, but you speak THEIR specific language and provide ideas that THEY can put into practice in their setting.

The PRINCIPLES of finding dates may be the same across the board, but the PRACTICES of finding dates are completely different for college students and widowed senior citizens!

And if you can get creative in your content, you can make your demographical version even more appealing.

Your “regular” version may have 5 main practices for time management.  But in your “demographic version” those practices become 5 “Homeschooling Habits”.

So, what’s in this for YOU as the author?

Let’s take a look at a couple of noteworthy advantages -

Firstly, you STAND OUT among your competition.  As a Christian, I can tell you that if 20 ebooks were available on weight loss and one of them specifically mentioned being for believers, I’d immediately take a look at that one.

Secondly, you EXPAND OUT among your competition.  Now you can market your ebook to TWO entirely different audiences. For example:  You can look for “weight loss” ezines and buy advertising in them.  But, you can also look for “Christian” ezines (that have NOTHING to do with weight loss) and buy advertising in them.  This allows you to reach audiences that you likely would have never been able to reach!

Then, it’s simple a matter of doing it again for other demographics.

Rinse.  Repeat.  Reprofit.

Start with ONE demographic and move on to many others …

  • Christians
  • Homemakers
  • Senior citizens
  • Students
  • First-timers
  • Newlyweds
  • Office Workers
  • Teachers
  • WAHMs

The list could go on and on.  Most information products can be custom-tailored for different demographic groups to STAND OUT among the competitors … and open up the door to new contacts that might never be reached through other means.

If you want to STAND out and EXPAND out then create one or more “demographical versions” of your ebook.

Like a screaming child at the library, you’ll get attention!

Filed Under: Content Strategy

3 Idea Hangouts For Finding Red-Hot Ebook Topics

September 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I’ve always been impressed with those who seem to always be ahead of the pack when it comes to new ideas.

When I first started publishing information products

online, I thought that certain people had a crystal ball they gazed into. Or some top-secret contact who was providing them with inside information.

Over time, I realized that it wasn’t magic that allowed these people to come up with red-hot ideas on demand. It was simply that they knew where to look.

I soon discovered many places where ideas seemed to always be found. I call these places “idea hangouts”. Here are three of my favorites where you can find ideas for your next ebook anytime you want. Almost like a genie granting you three wishes…

1. GOOGLE.COM.

Google is the ultimate “idea hangout”. There are so many ways to mine the gold in Google’s amazing search database that it would take another article to graze the surface of this enormous iceberg.

What I want to mention are just two quick ways to find ideas by searching Google.

  • Identify Listings.

Search for a broad topic related to your area of interest or expertise. (I.E. “Tennis”, “Weight loss”, “Homeschooling”.) Look at all of the web sites listed in the index of returned results. You’ll likely find some ideas for information products right there in the first couple of pages.

  • Identify Advertisers.

You’ll probably notice small ads either at the top of the page or to the right of the page (or both!). These advertisers represent your competition. They also represent your thermometer for taking the temperature of your market and gauging interest in specific topics. Chances are, what they’re selling you should be selling.

In both of these examples, you can click through to the web pages of the sites listed and study their respective sales pages. Look specifically at the “bullet points”. Each of these represents a potential idea for your next ebook.

2. AMAZON.COM.

From the world’s largest search engine we move to the world’s largest bookstore. At Amazon.com you’ll really get your creative juices fired up.

Again, you’ll want to search the listings by entering a keyword or keyphrase into the search box on the main page at Amazon.com.

You’ll get a returned listing of numerous books, courses and other periodicals. Search these listed items for ideas for your own ebook.

— Example —

If you were to search for “Homeschooling”, you’d find a variety of ideas just waiting in the listing of books available, including: homeschooling for special needs children, getting starting in homeschooling, choosing curriculum, homeschooling field trips, homeschooling support groups, homeschooling for various ages (I.E. Pre-K, Elementary, Junior High, High School, etc.), homeschooling for Christians, etc.)

Any of these listings (and the dozens of others listed) would be great ideas for the topic of your next ebook.

Pay particular attention to the first page of the listing. Amazon ranks their listings based on popularity of actual sales volume. In other words, #1 is a better seller than #50. This is a ready-made indicator of demand!

3. MAGAZINES.COM.

After visiting the world’s largest search engine and the world’s largest bookstore, it’s time to take a quick stop at the world’s largest periodical store, Magazines.com.

You’ll find every imaginable magazine listed at this site. The interesting part (and useful to you as a research tool) is this: you’ll also find the COVER of usually a recent copy of each magazine.

That is, you can search for “Parenting” and the engine will return a listing of magazines related to that topic. You can then click on the image of the magazine cover and you’ll be shown a larger copy of that cover where you can read the contents. (I.E. “How To Raise A Stubborn Child”, “27 Ways Discipline In Public” and “The Real Key To Your Child Getting Better Grades”.)

Each of these “cover stories” represents an idea for your next ebook.

The best part about it is this: the publishers of these magazines have done the research for you! They’ve measured the level of interest for these ideas and found it high enough to warrant not only writing content about them, but referencing that content on the cover of the magazine!

That’s your hint. People want this information.

So, there you have it, 3 “idea hangouts” where you can find ready-made, in-demand, red-hot topics for your next ebook.

Happy hunting!

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With: , , , ,

The Real K.E.Y. To Becoming A Successful Ebook Writer

September 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There must be some reason why certain ebook writers are successful and others are not.

In other words, why do some authors make high six-figure incomes (even seven-figures!) and others barely make enough to cover their hosting fees?

There must be some reason for the difference in level of success, right?

There is.

In fact, there are three “reasons” why that I want to share with you now. I’ve used the word “K.E.Y.” as an acronym to reveal these three elements of successful ebook publishing.

1. K = KEEP it concise.

One of the biggest mistakes ebook writers make is starting their project with the idea in mind that their ebook must be a certain number of pages in length.

That is, they assume the ebook should be 50 pages or 100 pages or even 200 pages in order to be desirable to consumers.

Wrong. Ding. Thanks for playing.

Much more important than QUANTITY is QUALITY. Almost every potential customer in your target market is considerably more interested in learning something useful than they are reading a bunch of commentary that has little or no real value to them.

The ability to concisely (yet comprehensively) share content that is practical is a must if you want to be successful in the information business. No fluff. No filler. No fat. Just the meat.

That’s what consumers want. Especially today in our fast-paced, instant, I-want-it-now society.

And chances are you are much more likely to write a 30 page manual and get it done than you are to slave over trying to measure up to a 200 page masterpiece.

Your first key to success is “keep it concise”. Share what you need to share in the least amount of pages as possible. It doesn’t have to be the great American novel. This isn’t Hemingway.

2. E = ENJOY yourself.

I simply must mention that if you enjoy your “work” then you are exponentially more likely to complete your ebooks than those who reluctantly or grudgingly write.

Seriously, don’t underestimate what I’m saying here. You’ll get much more done as a writer by having fun with our subject matter.

That’s the beauty of information publishing. YOU get to pick the topic. A topic of interest – of passion – to you as the author. Something you find enjoyable, even exhilarating.

To be sure, you want to choose topics that are in demand and have a ready-made audience awaiting who are willing to purchase them. But, at the same time, you can look for those marketable topics that appeal to your interests and expertise.

I don’t care how “profitable” a subject may be, I’d never take it on as a project of mine unless I got some sense of satisfaction or enjoyment in writing about it.

Instead, look for those things that you are already talking about anyway. And then write what you’ve been talking about.

3. Y = YIELD results.

Finally, I must exhort you to “yield results”. That is, you simply must stick to it and finish the job.

I cannot tell you how many people that I’ve met online who struggle with the affliction “short-of-the-finish-line-it is”.

They begin running the race with gusto. They pick their topic like it was a Nike outfit. They outline their ebook like they just heard the starting gun fire. They come up with ideas to include in their work like they were sprinting down the track.

And when they round the first corner, they start slowing down. Before they know it, they’re up in the stands watching others cross the finish line.

That’s why I am adamant about telling you the golden rule of ebook content: Never start something you can’t finish in 30 days.

With any new ebook you are planning on writing, choose the topic and outline it in such a way that you can complete the content within one calendar month. Anything that goes beyond that period of time is likely going to be discarded somewhere past the starting gate and before the finish line.

It’s important that you set for your goal a reasonable, reachable amount of pages for your ebook … such as 30 pages. Then, divide that goal number of pages into your 30 days. In this example, it would mean writing just ONE page per day (very realistic!) for 30 days and your ebook will be completed.

Victory! The finish line!

Certainly there are a wide variety of other “keys” to being successful as an ebook writer (choosing the right topics, learning to outline well, brainstorming ideas, marketing, etc.) but these three form a solid foundation for you to build upon as you continue to learn more about information publishing.

K = KEEP it concise.

E = ENJOY yourself.

Y = YIELD results.

See you on your victory lap!

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With:

Keyword Research: Don’t forget the obvious!

September 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment


While there certainly are effective keyword research tools to use when trying to develop an effective and appropriate keyword list for your website, it is critical to perform research beyond these specific Internet tools in order to be most effective.

You will first need to develop a basic list of keywords that you think are “obvious”. In other words, if you sell cars, you would create a list of words like “cars, automobiles, trucks, car sales, etc.” But, beyond the obvious are terms like “trade-in value, car repair, foreign car reliability, etc.” It is critical to think “outside the box” when approaching your keyword list.

Sometimes, we forget to look in the most obvious places when trying to develop our keywords. For instance, a thesaurus can be an incredibly useful resource when trying to generate an effective list of keywords.

A thesaurus, while limited in its capabilities, does provide the ability to find multiple synonyms for the keywords that you think might be appropriate to employ. Rather than depend on your own limitations, take the time to research synonyms that you may not have otherwise thought of.

You may also want to take a look at the competition. Your competitors will most likely provide you with some of the best keywords out there. Be careful not to directly copy their approach, as this won’t do you any good when trying to top the rankings within your industry, but researching competitors keywords can be a great launching pad as you develop your keyword list and implement an effective, competitive SEO campaign.

Finally, beyond the thesaurus, competition analysis and keyword research tools, you must be strategic. You must invest time and energy into carefully selecting keywords that are realistic to top and will be most effective for targeting your audience.

Think like a customer, not a business owner. You may want to ask family, friends, peers and colleagues, even customers, what they might search for when looking for your business services and/or products. They may come up with very different keywords than you ever would have on your own. Sometimes it can be difficult to step outside of your own thoughts about your business because you eat, sleep and breathe what you do. But what others have to say in terms of keywords is usually much more useful and effective than anything you could ever think of.

Also, think like a search engine, not a website owner. While keywords are subjective, they must also be technically strategic. A search engine, although wise, is not a human. So make sure you are aware of current rankings, popularity of search terms and attainability of keywords. This is where those keyword research tools really do come in handy.

And finally, manage your keyword and SEO efforts on a weekly, if not daily basis. Keywords are like children. They require constant care, management and direction. So take your SEO efforts into your own hands and make sure your keywords are effective and working for you as well. You must be committed to this process if you want it to succeed.

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With:

Top 3 Keyword Research Tools

September 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment


You don’t have to tackle the big, bad, SEO monster all alone. There are a number of useful tools available to you when it comes to brainstorming what keywords to use, as well as how well your chosen keywords are performing for you. These tools allow you to research potential keywords, find additional keywords that may work for you, and finally, keep track of the keywords you choose to implement.

Let’s take a look at the three most popular keyword research tools available for you to use on the internet:

#3 Wordtracker

Wordtracker claims to “save you hundreds of hours on research” by allowing users to look up common keywords and keyword phrases and tracking their activity. While this is a useful service, it pales in comparison to the power of others.

#2 WordStream

WordStream not only offers a keyword research tool, but they offer additional services and complimentary tools that will help ramp up your SEO efforts. While much of their offerings are not free, they do provide helpful SEO services that many other keyword research tools do not.

#1 Google AdWords

Not only is Google AdWords free, but it is quite possibly the best and most powerful tool available to website owners and internet marketers. While every search engine is a force to be reckoned with, Google is the end all, be all of SEO. As a search engine, Google is smarter, faster and more reliable than any other search engine there is. And therefore, it’s keyword research tool is equally as powerful.

Don’t forget – you can always try Market Samurai for free. I would suggest downloading it and watching a few of the training videos. About an hour of your time can get you access to comparing where you rank against your competitors and what keywords are GOLDEN! Get Market Samurai today!

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With:

Need Traffic? Fast Solutions To Drive Traffic to Your Website

September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Website traffic is for many business models, the key to profits. The more traffic you have, the bigger your bottom line. Whether you’re launching a new product or just want a quick influx of cash, sometimes you need tons of traffic quickly. Here are 5 fast solutions to drive traffic to your website.

#1 Social media. Social media works quickly and if you have a large following on any of the social media sites, you can generate a ton of traffic to your website quickly. The key is to create attention grabbing posts that arouse curiosity, make people laugh or stir up a controversy. You want to generate click throughs to your website. Make the most of your social networking tactics and use technology to get the job done. For example, one StumbleUpon post can be integrated with both Facebook and Twitter profiles so you’re making waves on all three social sites at once.

#2 Article marketing. Article marketing works well when you concentrate your efforts on quality article marketing sites with large audiences. One well written and informative article, rewritten a few times, and submitted to a handful of directories can generate the traffic you’re looking for. Be sure to include a bio box that includes a call to action and a link to your website to motivate click throughs.

#3 Blogging. Post on your own blog or be a guest blogger on a blog with a large number of subscribers. Like social networking, if you offer an informative, controversial or entertaining post, you’ll have people clicking through to your website like mad. Of course, if you also promote this wonderful blog post(s) via social media, you can double your traffic results.

#4 Video content. It’s amazing how quickly a video can go viral. Like print content, videos that entertain, stir up a bit of controversy or offer tremendous value cause a buzz. They’re forwarded to friends and downloaded on laptops and mobile devices around the globe. A good video can generate all the traffic you need. Again, integrate a bit of social media to promote your video, blog about it too, and you can multiply your traffic results.

#5 Partnerships. Partnering with a relevant or compatible business can work quite well to generate traffic fast. The key is to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement. Find people in your industry that are willing to work with you and help each other drive traffic. A partnership may include guest blogging on each other’s sites, swapping advertisements or even promoting one another in your ezine.

It’s possible to drive a ton of traffic to your website fast. The trick is to have a plan in place, know your audience and your goals, and take action. To your success!

Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Link Building Tuesday Tip!

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment
  1. Donations & Charity
    When you submit your donation – list your business website for possible link back. If the website has a PR 7 or 8, it might be to your best of interest to donate even if the site is not relevant to your industry because the single page could help give you a boost.
  2. Press Releases
    Why not right? When is the last time you submitted a press release about your company? I am positive that you have something that you can talk about – your free report? Your newest product (or service)? That is newsworthy – get to it!!
  3. What is one tip that you have been using for link building?
    Leave your tips below. ;)
Filed Under: Content Strategy Tagged With:
«Older Posts