Content Creation: Formats for Your Content

Content Creation Isn’t Just About Articles: Formats for Your Content

Content creation is the best ongoing strategy you can have for your online business. People in the online business world seem to spend a lot of time talking about article marketing. But limit yourself to only writing and distributing articles and you miss a lot of opportunities. Here are just some ideas for content format.

Digital: Content ideas for downloadable content. These can be items you give away freely, as an incentive to sign up for your list or even offer for sale.

• Articles (about 400 words in length)
• Blog Posts (use keyword rich permalinks)
• Workbooks (people LOVE these!)
• PDF Reports
• eBooks (different than what you’d put on Kindle)
• Checklists/Worksheets
• Pre-recorded audios
• Podcasts
• Teleseminars/webinars
• Streaming video
• Screen capture video
• Audio/video transcripts
• Email broadcasts (time sensitive)
• Pre-scheduled autoresponder emails
• FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Flowcharts
• Patterns
• Coloring Sheets
• Fill-in-the-Blanks
• Spreadsheets
• Glossaries

Tangible (Physical): Content doesn’t all have to be downloadable. You can create physical content that you give away for free (based on a profit plan) or sell it.

• Tips booklets
• Laminated sheets
• Bookmarks
• Wallet cards
• Books
• Workbooks
• CDs
• DVDs

Creating Your Content or Having it Created for You

Creating your content empire doesn’t mean that you have to do all the hard work. There are plenty of ways to create content.

Of course, there are the most obvious:

• Write it yourself
• Say it yourself (for an audio recording)
• Video yourself (screen capture or live person video)

But you can also:

1. Use private label rights (PLR) content. There are many services that provide pre-written content that you can publish as-is, chop it up, edit or use it as you see fit. This saves you time conducting research and writing. It is also an inexpensive alternative to hiring a ghostwriter or other freelancer for all your writing needs. Try this site (my favorite one!) for all of your PLR needs.
2. Use reprint articles with a byline and link to the author. This means finding articles at places like Ezine Articles where you can pick up articles that include an author’s byline plus a link back to their website. This is a great way to find content as the quality is sometimes hard to find and it leaks traffic to other websites. But if you find something you really think is worthwhile… go for it.
3. Use reprint articles provided by affiliate programs. Here’s a better alternative to using simple reprint articles described above. Many affiliate programs will provide content and instead of linking directly to another website, you get to use your affiliate link so you get credit for sales generated by your publishing the articles.
4. Grab some video code from YouTube.com. Want to share a video but aren’t ready to make one for yourself? Just get the copy-and-paste code from YouTube.
5. Hire a ghostwriter. You can hire someone who will create content for you anonymously so you can put your personal website or company name on it. They will create specifically what you request but this is one of the more expensive (yet worthwhile) ways to get your content created.
6. Hire someone to create your videos. There are professionals who can create videos for you, whether they’re live person or screen capture. You can ask your online colleagues for some suggestions or find someone locally to help you.
7. Interview someone or hire someone to interview your interviewee. Interviewing someone else takes all the pressure off you. Some people you interview may even create the questions for you so all you have to do is read them. If you really want a truly hands off experience, you can hire someone to ask the questions of the interviewee.
8. Create a group project. Get together with others who create content for your target market. You can each contribute a chapter to an eBook, a recording for an audio series, etc. The added bonus is that you can all promote the content when it’s completed, increasing everyone’s exposure.
9. User-generated content. One of the coolest ways to get content is by having your very own readers/users make it for you. Encourage them to leave comments, post on your forums, submit stories, photos, videos, etc.

What are your thoughts on effective content creation? Leave a comment below…