Introduction
The Internet is full of content. Some content is great and
some of it is just good. Some content is mediocre and some
is plainly bad – very, very bad. Web content provides
information for those in need of it, entertainment for those
want it, inspiration for those searching for it and
education for those who desire it.
‘Surfing the Web’ suggests that an internet user steps
rather blindly onto the information super highway with hopes
that they’ll end up somewhere interesting. We’ve all been
there and done that in our explorations of the web – surfed
from one link to the next in search of distraction. But more
often – an internet user is on a search for something they
want, need or deeply crave.
There is a chasm between those who add valuable content to
the web and those who use keyword stuffed content only to
suck in as many visitors as possible. Marketers on both
sides of this wide canyon would like to profit from their
content, but they have different strategies and goals for
their efforts.
Marketers that want to build an internet business that is
both profitable and adds value to the web as a whole will
find that the business they build stands the test of time
and provides long term income.
The ‘Value Added’ Content Marketer
The Value Added Content Marketer wants to build web real
estate that contributes something of use to the Internet.
They know that by creating useful, coherent resources they
can…
1 Receive free organic search engine traffic
2 Earn natural one way links from related websites
3 Grow a mailing list of interested readers
4 Enjoy repeat traffic
5 Build a positive business reputation
6 Become known as an expert in their field
7 Develop profitable joint ventures
And most importantly – they can profit from it.
Focusing On Our Own Web Content
Let’s differentiate between the content we create to use on
our websites and the content we generate to distribute as
free reprint articles. This special report isn’t being
written to focus on article marketing. Instead we look more
to the use of content on our own websites as a tool to
attract our target market.
Why do we add content to our websites?
Whether we are selling a product, offering a service,
promoting an affiliate program or otherwise, it is our
intention to meet internet users on the way to their desires
by providing content related to their interest. Then we look
to profit from this moment of connection.
Let’s look into how you can develop your Content Skills…
Let’s Dig Into the Attributes of Value Added Content
A significant portion of your web content should be
original. There are many Value Added Content Marketers who
have built websites almost entirely with free reprint
articles. While there isn’t anything wrong with creating
repositories of quality information and profiting from it,
this approach will not win you long term followers.
Search engines know when you have original content and when
you are using content that exists elsewhere. There is
growing evidence that preference is given to websites that
contain more original content. Not to mention – if your goal
is to establish yourself as a resource of value; your
readers will expect you to express your knowledge and
original opinions.
Is there a place for Free Reprint Articles?
Sure there is. If you find high quality content that
shares the information you want your target market to
benefit from, by all means use it on your website.
You can keep the focus on you and what you have to offer by
creating article introductions and closing comments,
positioned above the article title and below the author’s
resource box. So long as you maintain the proper live link
to the author’s website this is perfectly acceptable and a
great way to show your reader that you have read and
personally approved on the content that you’re sharing.
Good content is interesting and recommended by others
The content that you create for your web visitors won’t be
seen by very many if you cannot compete for rankings in the
search engines. Heavy weight is placed on the number of
relevant sites that link to yours.
The better your content, the more owners and managers of
related websites will link to you and the higher you will
rise up in search engine rankings for appropriate keyword
phrases.
When you add content to your website, take an honest look at
it and ask this question:
Will someone read it and think ‘so what?’
Sometimes content is controversial
Controversy and strong opinion will get people talking and
in this Web 2.0 world that we live in, a little spice is
good for business if it helps you to connect better to your
target market. It’s better for a reader to like or dislike
your opinions than to be bored by them.
A portion of content should be timely
If you consistently provide timely content, meaning you are
relevant to the season and trends, you’ll receive more and
more one way links.
A great way to keep your content timely is to make use of a
writing calendar.
Take some time to do research on how the seasons affect your
target market. What are they concerned about at this time of
year more than others? Make note of this on your writing
calendar.
Also make note of holidays and even look for lesser known
holiday and anniversary dates that are particularly
meaningful to your market that can create fresh content
opportunities for you.
A portion of content should be evergreen
Evergreen refers to trees and bushes that remain green in
the winter. They don’t go dormant and continue to provide
interesting décor for landscapes all the year through.
Tips and tutorials are great evergreen content.
But what if you’re not a great writer?
We are not all skilled at communicating with the written
word and if you know this about yourself, don’t despair. A
successful marketer knows what they are good at and chooses
to focus on activities that make best use of their gifts –
outsourcing the rest.
There are two kinds of writers that you will want to develop
relationships with and they are Sales Copywriters and
Content Ghostwriters. A Sales Copywriter is specially
trained to write compelling sales copy. You need these
writers for sales letters, product descriptions and other
decision laden areas of your website. A Content Ghostwriter
may or may not be trained as a Sales Copywriter but has a
main focus in developing interesting content that your
visitors will enjoy reading.
Learn to Use Ghostwriters Effectively
Ghostwriters who specialize in producing high quality web
content are quickly multiplying in response to the heavy
demand for their services. It’s important to take your time
and sort through available writers carefully. Working with
ghostwriters can be challenging. First, finding a good
ghostwriter is often difficult. If someone comes highly
recommended, they are often booked well in advance and not
easy to secure for your own projects.
Others who you find on the web without the benefit of a
personal recommendation you need to start slow with. Learn
about their policies for deadlines and payments.
Always ask to see samples and testimonials. Try a writer for
one or two small projects first before engaging them for
anything intensive. Do yourself a favor and don’t overlook
small deadline infractions – reliability and promptness is
absolutely necessary.
When you do find a ghostwriter who does good work for you
and gets it done on time – hold on to him or her! Consider
putting the writer on retainer, promising a certain amount
of work each month for a contracted period of time. This
will keep you knee deep in fresh content and prevent you
from losing the writer to other clients.
What are the costs?
Sales copywriters generally command a premium price with
amounts climbing in accordance to their reputation and
skill. How much you pay for your ghostwritten content will
vary greatly. You can find article companies that generate
content for as low as $5 per article but the quality will
represent the price. When you work with an individual
ghostwriter prices are commonly ranging between $10 and $20
for a 400 word article. When you find a writer who captures
your voice and communicates well with your target market, it
is worth a premium price.
Can content be developed from PLR?
Yes. Private Label Rights content is a powerful resource for
the Value Added Content Marketer IF you locate quality PLR
providers. PLR content is usually provided as articles
or small reports. You are granted the license to rewrite the
content and use it as you wish. The most common
limitation is that you should not claim to have written it
yourself (which would be dishonest) and you cannot
distribute the content to article directories. You can
however use the content as you wish on your own websites, in
your newsletters, auto responders, blogs, etc.
Think of PLR content as starter fluid. You can use PLR
content in conjunction with a ghostwriter and have them
rewrite the content so that it bears little resemblance to
the original article. You still won’t want to put your own
name on the article but you can publish it to your website
like you would a free reprint item and not have to provide
an outbound link to an author.
Take PLR articles and break them up into chunks of
information, turning 10 articles into 25 individual tips for
a special report or a timed delivery eCourse.
How do you decide what kind of content to offer?
If your website is content based you probably don’t need any
help with that but if you’re a product seller or service
provider there can be a real challenge in deciding what sort
of text content to provide that will attract your target
market and hopefully turn their attention to what you have
to offer them besides something to read.
Write about your products and services. I’m not talking
about just the product descriptions. Write about their
application, putting it into language that will resonate
with your target market.
Write about your target market’s need for your products and
services. Ask and answer questions like this:
1 Why do ____ need Product A?
2 How does Product B help _____ with _____?
3 Who benefits the most from Service C and why?
Ask yourself what your target market is thinking about when
they come looking for you and provide content on that topic.
For example:
A recruitment company can provide content about…
1 Reasons to use their services
2 Financial benefits of using their recruitment products
3 How to use recruitment services
4 How to place an advertisement
A recruitment company may also decide to provide content on…
1 Interview Techniques
2 Guidelines on writing a resume
3 Tips on applying for a job
The last three topics may not directly relate to the product
they sell, but they do attract a warm market for their
products.
An accountant can provide content about…
1 Working with an accountant for the first time
2 Small business accounting software choices
3 How accountants save you time and money
4 Accounts payable tips
The accountant may also provide content about…
1 Small business news
2 Retirement planning
Again, the last two suggestions are not directly related to
the services that the accountant offers but it does provide
a resource that appeals to the market they wish to serve.
You will want to first build up content that is most closely
related to what you want your visitors to spend their money
on – and then feel free to build on with wider circles of
content. Just don’t stray too far from center and always
make a firm connection for readers.
How to incorporate content
Build content into your website naturally.
It is fine to have a section for articles but don’t create a
list of article titles that link to an article on each page
and call it good. This is where you start but not where you
stop. Remember that every page has a purpose and you have
added these articles to promote something else – so be sure
to use the space wisely.
You can introduce your related products and services or
affiliate links through ‘Recommended Resources’ links at the
bottom of the page – or even place them in an inset text box
within the article. Also take a look at the pages where you
promote your products and services directly. Create resource
sections that link your visitors to appropriate
complimentary content for deeper study.
Other simple ways to add content
A Blog is a great way to add content to your website and
allows you to introduce your own ideas in a more casual
manner if you want to add some personality to your web
presence. (And your visitors can comment on your posts,
adding even more content.)
You can also look at adding a Frequently Asked Questions
section to your site if your target market generally has a
lot of questions and needs a lot of up front information to
make a decision about their purchases.
Message Boards builds community as well as fresh content
into your website.
Now it’s time to practice your new Content Skills.
Will you…
1 Look for good free reprint content to add?
2 Seek out relevant PLR content to purchase?
3 Hire a ghostwriter?
4 Schedule some time for your own writing?
5 Hire a Virtual Assistant to add the content for you?
Whatever your plan, make it a regular part of your business
activities and you’ll be on your way to more traffic, more
subscribers and more sales. |
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