In part 1 of this topic we explained that your goal was to get 5X leverage for everything you create, and I suggested that you start by creating an audio.
Here’s what’s next…
An Article Suitable For Publishing
Now then, listen to the audio file you’ve just created. Take notes on the content, because you’ll be surprised at the great insights you had when you were talking freely and openly on the recording. You’ve cut through the cobwebs and doubt and questioning stages you might have gone through if you went right to the article writing stage. It’s all there, so there’s nothing to fear.
Some people choose to create a straight transcription of the audio file. That’s a great technique, too. Just brush it up a little bit and type it in a readable format. The most important thing is that it helps people.
Others don’t care much for straight transcription and would rather write an article that’s more loosely based on the recording. Either option is fine, as long as you stay true to the theme and purpose of the content.
If you’re not sure of how to write an article or you want to do it in the fastest way possible, you can use this as a sample outline:
Introduction— what is the article about? Why do people care about this? Focus on people’s emotions and what they really need and want out of the article you’re presenting them with. Let them connect with you and know that you feel what they’re feeling.
Body— Give them some great content. Hint at solutions or give them solutions, depending on the article’s purpose. Speak to them as a friend, with factual, helpful information. Try to include things they can’t find anywhere else, even if it’s just your unique perspective.
Conclusion— Take the reader where you want them. Do you want them to buy? Give a call to action. Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Ask them to do so. Do you want them to respect you as an expert? Make sure your closing reflects that.
Your article is all about what the reader wants and needs, no matter what the topic is. Always consider the purpose of your content and ensure your writing reflects that.
Keep in mind that you’re not reinventing the wheel here. There isn’t a “right” answer on how to write this article. You want it to be great quality and you want it to reflect (or duplicate) the content you gave in the audio version. No stress, just action.
I know people are going to ask how long the article should be. Most high quality articles are at least 400 words. Many kick-butt, viral articles are longer— between 600-1000 words. Yours should be however long it needs to be to serve its purpose.
Proofread and edit your article when it’s finished. Then, send it to niche publications to print with your author resource box. Post it on your website. Use it as an autoresponder or broadcast email to promote a product. Promote it on social media and take steps to help it go viral. A great article like this will serve you well for a long time. Use it in more than one place!
A List Building Download
List building should be a focus of everyone in business. If you have a great, responsive list, you’ll always be able to make sales and drive traffic to your own promotions and promotions as an affiliate.
Use today’s challenge to create an amazing list building download. Plop your great article and audio download into a zip file, create an enticing squeeze page, and drive traffic to this squeeze page to get people to opt in to your list.
Some people wonder if it’s okay to use audio or written content as a list builder that was otherwise freely given away. Absolutely! You’re giving a lot of value and simply highlighting that value in exchange for an email address.
It’s okay if you don’t get traffic to your list building page today. The important thing is that you create a squeeze page or put up some kind of enticing opt-in form that will get you sign ups in the near future. You’re setting yourself up for success.
Just think— you didn’t really have to do all that much extra to “create” this list building download. You took advantage of assets that were already yours— assets you created out of thin air, today. What will happen if you have 10 of these squeeze pages out there, earning you sign ups, day in and day out?
Great things will happen. List building is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business and the content is now ready and waiting for you.
A Video
Video marketing is a fantastic way to grow your visibility. You’ll also be reaching people with different learning styles. YouTube has an incredible amount of traffic. It doesn’t matter which niche you’re in, there are related videos on YouTube. It’s time for you to get your own content in front of that traffic.
The only trouble is that it can be really daunting to consider creating your own videos. It seems like it’s way too hard, especially if you don’t have some sort of specialized training. No worries at all— it’s really, really simple.
You have an audio file. Now, you’re going to create a simple PowerPoint or Keynote presentation. Simply type key ideas on one of these slide presentations. Upload your audio file as the background, and ensure the text notes sync up with the audio. If you’re using PowerPoint 2010 or later, you’ll be able to save as a movie file, and you’re done! Save the file and upload to YouTube. Make sure you let your current traffic know about it— talk about it on your blog or website, to your list, and through social media.
However, if you don’t have the latest PowerPoint software, you can still record your screen presentations by using Camtasia Studio, Camstudio, Jing, Snagit, or a similar tool, depending on your budget and the length of the finished presentation.
Or here’s another way to get that video done. Use Google Hangouts and do a screen share of you talking over your Powerpoint presentation, it will automatically upload the finished video to Youtube when you’ve finished, and from there, if you need to, you can download the video and edit it, chop it up into multiple shorter videos, or whatever you need to do.
You can also use this video as part of paid training, as a list building download, or whatever you’d like. There is no limit to the ways you can grow your readership and traffic with video marketing. The great thing is, you don’t have to “work” hard at all to turn your already-created audio content into great video content.
A Hands-On Learning Activity
It’s really important to engage your readership. You want your current audience to really benefit from the content you put out. You also want to set your content apart.
Many people are hands-on learners. They can read something, or listen to something, or watch a video… but if they can’t do it themselves, it really doesn’t stick. This is stuff that works, if you work it!
You can turn the content you’ve already created into an interactive course, hands-on relationship building exercise, and more. This could be a great start to a paid membership course or whatever you want it to be. Best of all, it should take you mere minutes to create this form of content.
When you created your PowerPoint presentation, there was an option to print off the “notes” version of the content. Each of the slides was listed, along with a section for people to take notes. You can save this as a PDF file. You can then add it to a membership site, send it out to your readers, or use it as a bonus to a paid product.
You can also create great worksheets for your buyers or readers. There are many options for creating infographics, worksheets, and checklists. Consider what will help these hands-on learners really learn and understand the content. You can use something as simple as the paint program on your computer or even Word to create these activities.
As your readers have questions, have them take notes, have them reflect on their own experiences. If you’ve purchased my products before (including this one) you’ve probably received bonus worksheets and hands-on activity guides. That’s exactly what I’m talking about here. They don’t take that long to create but really boost the value of everything you put out, whether it’s paid or free or presented as a bonus to a paid product.
Create!
There you have it. Get started creating. Start with one piece of content and turn it into five. It’s going to pay off for you in so many ways for traffic, sales, marketing, and so much more. Rinse and repeat!
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