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• Why I Steal Content (And Why You Should, Too)
  

  This guest post is by Adam Costa of Trekity.com.

  I have a confession to make: for the past few years I’ve stolen content. Lots of it.

  It’s not something I’m proud of. Hell, I’ve never admitted it to anyone besides my wife (and she’s an even bigger thief than me).

  But this painful truth must come out, and—rather than see my dirty laundry exposed by someone else—I’d like to be the one to declare it publicly.

  I am a thief. Worse… I’m a plagiarizer!

  I have stolen content and used it for my own evil purposes. And if you’ve been around here long enough (or read my content elsewhere) chances are you’ve read been exposed to my crimes of passion.

  “Passion?” you say. “How could this possibly be considered passion… when all you’re doing is stealing from other writers? Stealing from writers who shed blood, sweat and caffeine to put out the best content possible? What’s wrong with you, man?”

  In my defense…

  I would argue that stealing content is not only commonplace, it’s a smart business strategy. But please don’t misunderstand me.

  I’m not saying you should hijack other people’s content and pass it off as your own. Nor should you mindlessly repeat whatever the “hot tip” of the day is.

  No. You do need to create new, interesting and—above all—unique content.

  Sometimes, at least. But if you’re reinventing the wheel with every post, you’re overlooking an absolute goldmine of content. One which you can ethically steal, and use for your own nefarious purposes.

  But before I tell you where this goldmine is, I must make another confession.

  It’s not as bad as the first. In fact, it may help you understand why I’m doing this. You see…

  I’ve only stolen from one person

  Myself. And you know what? I don’t mind at all.

  Remember the goldmine? The one I promised to reveal? Well, that goldmine is every piece of content you’ve already produced. It’s all sitting there—buried deep in your archives—waiting to be brought to light again.

  Why you should steal, too

  The truth is, if you’re using your content once, you’re wasting your time. Remember that post you wrote about Thailand? Why not turn it into a video? Why not create a slideshow? Why not drip feed content through Twitter?

  Seriously, what’s stopping you? Maybe you think you don’t have time. Or don’t know where to start.

  Well listen up, buckaroo. Reusing old content takes less time than creating new content. And it reaches a different audience (some people love video, others prefer to read … why not engage them all?). Recycling content actually saves you time.

  Here’s how to start

  Below are 19 popular forms of content:

  1. articles
  2. social media updates
  3. blog posts
  4. enewsletters
  5. case studies
  6. in-person events
  7. videos
  8. white papers
  9. webinars
  10. microsites
  11. print magazines
  12. traditional media
  13. research reports (white papers)
  14. branded content tools
  15. ebooks
  16. tweets
  17. Pinterest updates
  18. podcasts
  19. mobile-specific content

  Chances are, you’re only using one of these forms for each piece of content you product. Shame on you. Look at the above list—you could easily recycle a single piece of content into five or more different forms.

  Examples of recycled content

  Here are just a few examples to get you started:

  • blog post >> video >> podcast >> enewsletter >> series of tweets >> print magazine
  • ten blog posts >> ebook >> podcast >> microsite
  • images in blog post >> Pinterest >> ebook >> slideshow >> photography site (e.g. Flickr)
  • interview >> slideshow >> video >> transcription in blog post with images >> images added to Pinterest
  • live presentation >> video >> podcast >> blog post.

  3 Unique ways to recycle content

  1. Umapper

  Umapper lets you easily customize maps. You can add images, annotations and video within your maps.

  For example, let’s say you write a post on BBQ joints in Austin, Texas. With Umapper, you could create a map with each restaurant pinpointed with annotations and add video of each restaurant showing shots of the food.

  2. Dipity

  Dipity helps you create cool looking timelines (check out this one on Russian history) with zero programming or design skills. Have you written a post that flows in chronological order? Add it—along with images—to Dipity. Then embed the timeline on your own site underneath your existing post (or create a new page altogether).

  3. Many Eyes

  Many Eyes, which was created by IBM, helps you visualize data in new and exciting ways. It’s also a great way to “steal” public data and create something valuable.

  How? For example, you use the average travel expenditure by country and create a chart like this one.

  So if you’re already sitting on old content, break open these tools and start creating more valuable content in less time. After all, the future depends on what we do in the present.

  Okay, I stole that line. From Gandhi. Sorry about that.

  Adam Costa is Editor in Chief of Trekity.com, a new kind of travel website. †You can also follow him on Twitter.

  Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
  

  Why I Steal Content (And Why You Should, Too)

  
  
  

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• If Your Email Newsletter Isn't Generating Cash, You're Doing Something Wrong
  

  This guest post is by Kelly Crawford of Generation Cedar.

  The most important tool available to a blogger is his email subscriber list. It is the easiest and fastest way to increase sales. You probably already know that the readers who have voluntarily signed up to hear more of what you have to say are the ones who trust you the most, and the ones with whom it is easiest to keep building a relationship with. These are the people who will buy your stuff. Competing in today’s market demands that you build good relationships.

  But a list by itself won’t sell your products. You must grow your list and make the most of it. Here’s how:

  Grow your list

  Obviously, the bigger the list, the more potential customers are getting your message. Here are three valuable ways to grow it:

  Popover

  A popover signup form will exponentially increase your sign-ups. A popover is the sign up box that "pops over" the screen a few seconds after they land on your site. Yes, it’s that annoying little box that I always click away from. But, statistically, far more people sign up from a popover form than a static form. I had to experience it to believe it (I had heard it was true but resisted), and found that my signups soared once I installed a popover. Aweber is one of the few companies that offer this feature.

  Reminders

  Make it easy to subscribe, and remind your readers to do so if they haven’t already. Include a static form on your About page, and periodically Facebook and Tweet about the benefits of signing up.

  Benefits

  The best incentive you can give your readers to subscribe is a series of some kind. Why? A series with several parts, sent periodically (and automatically) after they subscribe gives them repetitive exposure to you, which builds the kind of relationship that evokes trust, which will make them more likely to purchase your products.

  If you’ve been writing for a while, you probably have plenty of posts you can turn into a series. What are your most popular topics? Put them in order and tell the reader what they will get: "Sign up now and receive my 5-Part Series, ‘How to Make the Most of Your Newsletter’.” Your newsletter company should easily allow you to set up automatic follow-up messages that mail at the designated time, to the subscriber’s inbox.

  I also offer my readers a coupon code that’s given in the Welcome letter they receive as soon as they subscribe. This is not only an added purchasing incentive, but I tell readers they will receive it for signing up.

  Make them want to open your newsletter

  People get a lot of stuff in their inboxes. You have to compete and avoid being among the emails that get deleted without being opened. Here’s how to do it:

  Make every newsletter count

  Your subscribers are your prized customers. Reward them with good content. Except for the occasional sales announcement you might send by itself, if every newsletter has meat in it, readers will remember it and want to open the next one. Make it valuable enough that they are afraid of missing out if they don’t open.

  Subject line is king

  A 25% open rate versus an 80% open rate has huge implications for your bottom line. The subject line is all you get to convince readers to open. Be creative, and try to think like the recipient. What would make you open your email if you didn’t know what was inside? I’d caution you here not to deceive readers with your subject line. They won’t like it, and it will hurt your relationship—that thing you are working so hard to build.

  Advertise Without Annoying

  Remember how I said to put valuable information in your newsletters? Helpful articles, advice, and inspiration should make up the bulk of your content. Answer questions, solve problems, and readers will be back for more. But you can market at the same time, without being a nuisance. Here are some important points to remember:

  Try affiliate marketing

  Choose articles and subjects that support the natural use of affiliate products. Linking to them throughout your text lets the readers click if they’re interested, but doesn’t assume anything. Consider interviewing an author whose affiliate products you will consequently be advertising.

  Use the sidebar

  Use your sidebar. Routinely include pictures and links to your products (or those of your affiliates) in your sidebar. Offering a coupon code or limited-time offer is a useful incentive to push a potential buyer to act.

  Add testimonials

  Customer testimonials are your number one selling tools. Use them every chance you get. Instead of just listing your ebook, include a "What customers are saying" section.

  The right formula

  As it is with any platform, your newsletter will be the most successful when you implement the right formula. And what it that?

  Persuade them of their problem, give them practical hints about solving it, then suggest a more thorough answer through your product offer, with, of course, a discount exclusively for them.

  Let’s say you blog about weight loss. In your newsletter, you might write about five common foods that burn fat. Hopefully you have an ebook entitled "How to Lose Weight Eating What You Love," or something like that. At the end of your article, you simply say, "Enter the coupon code ‘burnfat’ to get $1 off my ebook, ‘How to Lose Weight Eating What You Love’ now. Here’s what our customers are saying about it…" You get the picture!

  Don’t forget to scan old but popular articles for newsletter fodder, tweaking them to implement all these strategies.

  So, what are you waiting for? Go turn your newsletter into cash!

  Kelly Crawford is a "mompreneur" and contributing author for five blogs, including her own, Generation Cedar. She also founded the membership site, Home Paid Blogger, a step-by-step guide for beginners to making money by blogging. You can follow Kelly on Twitter @generationcedar or on Facebook.

  Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
  

  If Your Email Newsletter Isn’t Generating Cash, You’re Doing Something Wrong

  
  
  

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