Content is an investment. You spend a lot of time writing it. You probably also spend a lot of time planning and researching it. It makes good business sense to make the most of your investment. When you repurpose and reuse your content, you maximize your return. Here are five tips and ideas to repurpose and reuse your content.

Build it up - Gather articles that fit together nicely and create a report. You’ll want to add an introduction and a conclusion. You may also need to add some transitions and polish the content to fit a cohesive theme. To monetize the content, consider adding affiliate links where appropriate. You can also include the occasional product or service promotion for your own business.

Break it down – If you have existing reports, then they’re perfect to create articles and blog posts. You have many options here, too. You can simply pull apart segments of the report to create articles. Add an introduction and conclusion paragraph and you’re ready to publish. Or you can take it further and create lists and other information-packed articles.

For example, if you have a “how to” report with ten steps and ten pages of content, you could create an article that’s a much abbreviated version of the report. List the ten steps with a one or two sentence explanation. You could also write a “three things you need to do to…” article. In fact, with ten steps you could write three of those articles.

Republish old content with updates - Often evergreen content isn’t as evergreen as you hope. The world moves quickly and most industries grow and change regularly. Take a look at your “evergreen” articles and blog posts. How can you refresh them with updated content?

Partition ebooks - This method is similar to breaking down reports to create articles and blog posts. You can break ebooks down into reports, articles or blog posts. In fact, you can get quite a lot of content from an ebook. Take a look at the ebooks you’ve purchased or written and brainstorm content ideas.

Group reports – If you’re looking to create a new information product, consider grouping them to create an ebook. You’ll want to organize the reports in a logical manner. You’ll likely also need to add an introduction as well as a conclusion. Transitions will be necessary and you can add some nice graphics. Add checklists, worksheets and lists to add value to your ebooks and reports for extra value.

Repurposing your content is a smart business strategy. With each new piece of content you create, consider how you might be able to use it in the future. Content is essential for online business success. Make the most of your efforts and maximize your content to the fullest.

My friend and colleague, Linda Claire Puig, has me wondering how she has grabbed so much wisdom and fun at the same time!

You see, she has an important free 75 minute training on Tuesday (Oct 11^th) called “Subject Line Secrets: How to Get Your Emails Opened and Acted Upon So You Can Have a 6-Figure Business and the Life of Your Dreams!” If wisdom and fun are a combo that work for you, you will want to be there.

Here’s the wisdom:

Your email subject lines are vital to your success.  If your readers don’t open your emails, they won’t sign up for your services, buy your products, or register for your programs.

It doesn’t matter how amazing or persuasive your information and product are.  If your subscribers don’t open your email and see your words, all you get is wasted marketing efforts and disheartening results.

Linda is an expert in subject lines and taught me tips that make a difference in my business to this day.  More than 3000 people have already signed up to learn from her on October 11^th.  Wouldn’t it be wise for you to be there too?

Here’s the fun:

Because she is such a wise biz person, Linda is giving gifts to you just for registering for this exclusive training! First, you will receive Linda’s “Subject Line Success Checklist” which is a $79 value.  Then you will also receive a fun series of short training videos from Linda about using newsletters and other emails to create a 6-figure business (videos that were shot in Italy as she runs her own 6-figure business abroad!).

And there is fun for me too.  Linda is wise enough to have a contest for those of us who are recommending her free training to see who can get the most signups. She’s giving us great gifts from Italy  – including time in her home there that goes to the big winner.  (I am currently in 5^th place so I am thinking more about the Italian pizza prize. That’s fun too!) If you sign up to help me, I guarantee Linda will help your business as well.

I’ll be joining Linda on the “Subject Lines Secrets” training for a dose of her wisdom and a side of fun.  I hope you’ll be there too.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 11, 2011, at 1 pm Pacific, 2 pm Mountain, 3 pm Central, 4 pm Eastern, 9 pm UK (London), 10 pm Italy, 7 am Australia (Sydney, Oct. 12)

Save your spot now!

I was recently interviewed by my good friend Michelle Salater about my favorite marketing and blogging tips for the solopreneur.

Michelle did a fabulous job picking my brain and I’m excited to see what came out of our time together.

Take a few minutes to head on over to Copy Doodle and check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my interview. Then let Michelle know what you think. Oh and don’t forget to subscribe to her RSS Feed because she is famous for her quality!

Don’t forget to “Mind Your Own Biz”,

Janet

Article writing is part science and part art. As a solopreneur it’s important that you feel comfortable and confident writing content for your business. Content is too important to disregard or not take seriously. The good news is that even if you aren’t presently comfortable with your writing skills there are simple things you can do to improve your article writing.

Create a Structure

Before you sit down to string sentences together, create a structure for your article. Think of it as a very informal outline. For example, the outline for this particular article might look like this.

How to improve your article writing

• Create a structure
• Write conversationally
• Add keywords later

Taking a few minutes to create a structure for your article will make the article writing process faster. It also helps ensure your article stays on topic and has a logical flow. Creating an outline before you write also helps ensure you cover all the points you want to cover. It’s a quick brainstorming session before you write.

Write Conversationally

Unless you’re writing for a magazine or newspaper, most articles are better received if they’re written conversationally. That is to say, they’re written like you speak. Conversational writing is informal. It uses contractions. It uses the word “you” occasionally. And it can break a few grammar rules when necessary.

Conversational writing helps your reader feel like you’re writing directly to them. It is personal and effective. So the next time you’re writing an article, pretend you’re writing a letter to a friend or that you’re talking to a friend. If that doesn’t work, try voice to text software. It records and automatically transcribes your spoken content and can help you write conversationally.

Add Keywords Later

Write your article first without worrying about keyword placement. If you write with keywords in mind there’s a greater chance that your article will feel forced. You want to first write for your readers and then write for the search engines. Complete your article using the words that come naturally to you at the time.

Then go back and look for places where your keywords will sound natural. Look to include them in your subheadings along with your first and last paragraph. Don’t force the issue. Search engines and readers are savvy now. They can recognize a good article when they see it and will respond positively.

Practice writing articles. The more you write them, the more comfortable you’ll become with the process. And you know what they say about practice, right? It makes perfect. Write often, write conversationally, plan your content and focus on keywords after the fact.

Customer surveys are a powerful way to get in the minds of your customers and really figure out what they want and what makes them tick. It can give you information on how you’re doing currently as well as what your customers want in the future.

Here’s how to create a customer survey that will give you meaningful results with the least amount of effort on your customer’s part.

Start by Defining What You Want to Learn

What specific piece of data do you want to obtain by conducting this customer survey? Simply saying “We want to get to know our customers better” is not a good answer. Surveys without a clear goal in mind tend to be far too long and untargeted.

Instead, have a clear question or direction for the survey. For example:

• How is our current service? What are we doing right and what are we doing wrong?
• What do customers want in our current product?
• Who is our demographic?

Once you have a specific line of questioning or specific question you want to answer, then start building your survey.

Creating the Survey

When you’re creating the survey, make it as short as you possibly can while still getting the data you want. That way you’ll have more people actually complete the survey and you won’t bore your customers.

Some options for what kinds of questions to have in your survey include: Multiple choice answers, rating 1-10 scales, true/false questions, strongly agree / strongly disagree scales and open-ended answers.

Generally your questionnaire should be a mix of the above options. Make sure you include at least one open-ended question in your survey so your customers can freely express their thoughts.

Interpreting the Data

Make sure you have statistically significant data for each question before you deem the survey complete.

Then take your survey and start extrapolating results and what you’ve learned. Were you right about certain things and off about others? What were you surprised by?

Carefully read over all the open-ended question answers. Were there common themes in the answers?

Now take everything you’ve learned and write down what your top three discoveries were. Then, use the data now available to you to come up with new action plans to improve your customer experience.

One thing to note about customer surveys: If you’re conducting a survey about what customers will or will not buy, keep in mind that what someone says they would buy may not always match what they’d actually pull their credit card out for. It’s good data to have, but having a survey saying that they’d buy something is not a guarantee that the product will sell.

Design your surveys with a goal in mind. Keep them short and concise, then use what you’ve learned to immediately create a plan and put it into action.

Being able to use your words effectively is one of the most powerful skills you could learn. Through harnessing the power of words, you can build a solid following of users, create content that moves people and sell products that people will want to buy.

The Power of Words Through Content

Your content isn’t just what you say, it’s how you say it. It’s how well you can build a connection with your readers, how well you can relate with them emotionally, and how well you can create passion.

If you have a message but don’t know how to convey it with conviction, personality, emotion and credibility, chances are it won’t be heard.

The keyboard, mouse and graphic user interface were first invented by Xerox researchers. They thought they had the best invention in the world, but just couldn’t convince anyone that what they invented mattered.

Then Apple came along and shared the discovery with the world. A master of marketing and using powerful word choices, Steve Jobs used these three new inventions to take Apple to the next level.

People read your content for an experience as well for information. Learn to use your words to take your user on a fun journey as you educate them.

The Power of Words for Building Trust

Trust is a rare commodity online. There are so many people pitching for attention and trying to generate sales that most people tune most messages and sites out.

That said, if you learn the art of building trust, your site will become one of the few sites that your user actually pays attention to, and perhaps eventually buys from.

This also comes from using the power of words. Your words are what you use to convey credibility. It’s how you address the unspoken question of “Why should I trust you?”

It can be as simple as stating your qualifications. Or, more often, it’s a matter of using your words to demonstrate mastery of a topic. Do it well and people will trust you with their valuable time and attention.

The Power of Words in Selling

The power of words really comes through when it comes to selling. The words written by a poor copywriter will often generate no sales at all, while the words of a world-class copywriter will often generate millions of dollars in sales.

The difference is all in the words. Can you reach into your readers’ hearts, paint a picture of a better world and convince them to make an investment in that vision?

In a nutshell, words are everything online. From creating content people love to convincing people that you have a product worth paying for, there really is nothing more important than learning to use the power of words well.

Guest post by: Carol Hess

I’m watching one entrepreneur after another fail to become a master client communicator.  I watch them start out strong (or not), and then I see their newsletters and blog posts and ezines and social media tweets become fewer and fewer and fewer.  The gaps between spurts of communication become longer and longer and longer.

They become the entrepreneur who went quiet.  And pretty soon after that, they become the entrepreneur who didn’t make it.

It makes me sad.  It makes me especially sad because it doesn’t have to happen.  It doesn’t take all that much to become a master client communicator.  People do it all the time.

You know why they do it?  Because they’ve figured out something.  They’ve figured out that the first step to grow any business is communications.

When you communicate with someone, you begin to form a connection with that person.  The more you communicate with that person, the more you deepen that connection.  Eventually that connection becomes a relationship.  The next thing you know, that relationship has turned into a client – maybe even a client who becomes a raving fan.

Guess what?  Your raving fan then turns around and starts communicating about how terrific you are – communications that lead to more connections that lead to more relationships that lead to more clients. . . . .  You get the idea.

So we’ve pretty much figured out that successful communication equals successful business.  Now comes the tricky part.  How the heck are you supposed to get all that communicating done and still find the time to – gee, I don’t know – do the work you get paid to do and maybe even have dinner with your family before they forget what you look like?

All master communicators have a Client Communications and Connections Plan.  No, they probably don’t call it that, but they’ve got one.  So let’s get you one of those, shall we?

Your 6 Steps to Becoming a Master Client Communicator

1.    Determine Your Primary Communications Goals

This will probably depend on what stage your business is in and what your major goals are for your business.  Do you want to build awareness of your business?  Expand your mailing list?  Increase your credibility?  Build your know-like-trust  factor?  Land more clients?  Increase revenues?

Get clear on your primary goal for your client communications plan (at least for   right now) and you will increase your chances of actually accomplishing that goal.  (By the way, what does “accomplish” look like?  Spell your goal out in specifics so you will know when you’ve achieved it.)

2.   Nail Your Core Message

Oh so much easier for me to type than for you to accomplish, but it’s important.  Keep honing in on who you work with, what you do, what makes you unique, what  makes your work unique, why you do what you do, your beliefs, your passions,  your purpose.  Keep focusing in tighter and tighter until you get that “Ah ha, I’ve  got it!” feeling.  That’s when you’ll know you’ve nailed your core message.

By the way, your core message will never be perfect, and it will never be set in stone.     It is going to keep changing and evolving as you, your clients, and your business keep changing and evolving.  Don’t wait until your core message is perfect before you start communicating.  Get out there and start communicating today.

3.   Get to Know Your Ideal Client

99.9% of the time you are going to be communicating to, for, and with your ideal  client.  Get to know her as well as you know yourself.  (Well, maybe not quite that  well.)  This isn’t new advice, is it? The world is telling you to get to know your client  – demographics, psychographics, etc.

I want you to take it one step further.  Get to know how your ideal client communicates and how she likes to be communicated to.  What’s her lingo?  What  are her frames of reference?  Does she prefer the written word, audio, video, a combination?  What are the compelling words that make her sit up and take action?  You need to know not just who you’re talking to but how to talk to her (without sacrificing your own authentic voice of course).

4.  Think Strategically

Think big picture, short term vs. long term, goals and objectives, action steps to   achieve those goals and objectives.  What do you want to  accomplish in your business this week, this month, this quarter, this year? How are you going to get there?  What role is communications going to play to help you get there?  Which writing vehicle (blog post, ezine article, social media tweet) is best suited to get the            job done?

This is the step most entrepreneurs don’t take.  They don’t approach their   communications in a strategic way, and that’s too bad.  Because this is when you   start communicating smarter, not harder.  This is when you know what you want to say, why you want to say it, and when and how to say it.  This is when you and your message start to stand out from the noisy crowd.  This is when you start making those connections that turn into relationships that turn into clients that turn  into a thriving business.

5.   Figure Out Your Communications Timetable (also known as an editorial calendar). Now it’s time to take everything from Step 3 and plug it into your calendar.   Figure out your various communications projects and activities and their corresponding lead times and deadlines.  Schedule your communications work so it is consistent,   steady and well timed.

This is not the step to wing.  This is not the step to do in your head.  Get it down on paper.  (Email me at carol@tamethewritingmonster.com, and I will send you  information about my very simple, very easy-to-use, very low-tech way to produce your monthly communications calendar.)  Your timetable is the tool that is going to help you avoid the hit or miss, chaotic, ineffective, and stressful  communications  effort that characterizes so many businesses.

6.   Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose

This is the step when the magic starts to happen.  Repurposing is how you’re going  to get all those writing and communications projects done and maintain (1) your sanity, (2) a consistent presence in front of your market, and (3) a personal life.  This  is what writing smarter, not harder is all about.  This how you squeeze the most  juice out of every single piece of communications you create.

Here is how I plan to repurpose this guest blog post:

(1)        Use it as an ezine article

(2)        Submit it to the article directories

(3)        Publish it on my own blog

(4)        Turn it into two signature talks – one 30 minutes long, one 60 minutes long

(5)        Use it as the basis for a free teleclass

(6)        Expand it into a 2-day virtual retreat group coaching program

(7)        Transform it into an information product

Of course I’ll need to tweak, expand, and reformat the post to be able to repurpose it in such a variety of ways and forms.  But it will be worth it.  Think of the time I’m  saving by not having to sit down and reinvent the wheel each time.  Repurposing.  Utter magic.

So there you have it.  The six steps to take to become a master communicator.  Once you are a master communicator, then you’ll be making those connections and forging those relationships that will lead to more clients, more sales, and more revenues.

Don’t be the entrepreneur who went quiet and was never heard from again.

Carol Hess, the Coach’s Writing Partner, shows coaches how to harness the power of writing to gain clients, credibility, and confidence.  How to write smarter, not harder for the coach who wants to write less, stress less, and coach more.  Get Carol’s report, “15 Foolproof Ways to Bust Through Writer’s Block.  Email her at carol@tamethewritingmonster.com to get her quick and easy communications timetable system (no charge).

Writing content is something that makes most people freeze up and flashback to their years of struggling over English papers. If you want to be a successful Internet marketer, you’re going to need to write. Don’t worry though… writing content is nothing like pouring over 5 pages on Romeo and Juliet. Creating your information product can be simple and quick when you follow these steps.

1. Research.

Before you even write a sentence of your information product, you should get your research done. Your content should flow from one idea to another and you’ll have no clue what those ideas are until you finish your research. What happens when you’re halfway through the book and then find a new way to look at the situation? Get your research done before trying to write and you’ll end up with a better product.

2. Reorder.

Start the creation process with a good outline. Getting organized is one of the most important parts of writing quickly. In order to write your content quickly, you need a road map. By writing out an outline and organizing your research, you’ll be able to work through your pages quickly. You won’t have to stop and think about what to write next because you’ll have your outline to follow.

3. Reveal.

Try to share personal stories and examples. It’s a lot easier to write about your own experiences or the experiences of someone else than trying to explain a concept outright. Your writing will be a lot more interesting and easier to write if you can think of ways to share examples from your own life. If you don’t have personal experience with the topic you can make up stories or draw examples from others who have experience. This is essential if you are working with big topics or topics that are a little dry. It will not only make your writing more fun but it will help get the concept across to your reader.

4. Rethink.

There are two parts to everyone’s brain – the creative side and the critical side. The critical side of your brain can get in the way when you are trying to write. It will tell you to fix that sentence or that your paragraph isn’t good enough. Your writing will go much more quickly if you can put your critic on a shelf and just write until you can’t write anymore. Assure your inner critic that it can go to town on your information product, but only after your creative side has had it’s way. You’ll find that your writing will go more quickly, mistakes and all, when your critic is quiet during the writing process.

5. Read.

The quickest, and best, way to edit your product is to read it out loud. Even if your word processor has spell check and grammar check, there can still be things wrong with your content. Reading your product out loud will override your brain’s tendency to fill in mistakes with the right words. By doing this, your editing will go a lot quicker.

Even if you were the worst English student in the world, you can quickly and easily write your content when you follow these steps.

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Have you ever considered writing an ebook? In addition to being a wonderful business model, writing an ebook can really boost your business. There are really not too many other business models that offer automated profits. And you can earn money from your ebook for years to come. Additionally, writing an ebook is a fairly straightforward task. You can write an ebook this month and be raking in the profits next month.

If you’re not interested in selling your ebook, then consider these fantastic benefits you gain whether you sell it or give it away.

A Credibility and Authority Boost

We give authors our confidence. Writing and publishing an ebook will give you and your business a credibility boost. It essentially establishes you as an expert in your industry. When you write a book that helps your customers and prospects solve their problems, people consider you a credible authority on your subject. They’ll turn to you for advice and assistance. Additionally, credibility and authority are both buying triggers. You’ll earn customers when you write a book.

Branding, Exposure and Awareness

When you write an ebook your business brand is enhanced. You’re going to reach more people through publication so your exposure and awareness will also be increased. Branding, exposure and awareness all help you grow your business. Through your book marketing efforts, press and publicity and through word of mouth, it’s not unheard of to triple your audience.

More Opportunities

Through both the press you receive for your book and through increased credibility, awareness and exposure, you’re going to catch the eye of the public. Some of the people who read or learn about your book are going to be interested in working with you. You’ll receive new opportunities. Through these opportunities you can grow your business.

For example, you may have an opportunity to be interviewed for your local newspaper. A fellow business owner may contact you through this press and offer you a partnership opportunity. There’s no telling what opportunities are in store for you when you write a book.

Finally, writing a book provides you with an entry into your sales funnel if you give it away for free. If you sell the book then you have another product to market and profit from. There really is no downside to writing an ebook. They’re easy to create and even easier to distribute. All you need is a sales page and a download link. A little marketing and you have yourself an amazing business-building tool.

Many people hesitate to write an ebook. They think it’s going to be a lot of work, or they’re afraid they’re not qualified to write a book. Writing a book is much like writing copy for your website. With a plan, passion for your topic, and the ability to write conversationally, you can write a book.

How much attention have you given to your “about me” page? Not much, if you’re like most business owners. Many either don’t have an about me page or they essentially cut and pasted their resume.

Your “about me” page is an opportunity. It’s a great chance to connect with your prospects. It’s an opportunity to establish credibility and authority. It can even be a chance to make a sale. Here are a few tips, steps and strategies to create a great “about you” page.

Tell your story. Editors and agents call this your elevator pitch. In a paragraph or less what is your story? How did you get where you are? Why did you choose to become a business owner? What do you have to offer? What makes you unique? That sounds like a lot to fit into a paragraph or two, right?

When you’re writing your “about you” page don’t edit the first time around. Just write from the heart. Make it personal. Share your story and use your voice. If you’re sarcastic then be sarcastic. If you’re sentimental then share what means the most to you.

Write your page in first person, from your perspective. For example, “I have always believed everyone has a story.”

Start your story with what would most interest your reader. Hint, it’s probably not your work experience. Tell them something that benefits them. For example, if you’re the owner of a health and fitness business you might tell them that you used to be overweight.

Share with your reader how you’ve helped people and what benefit you have to offer. For example, you may say that you’ve been able to personally help more than 200 people lose weight and keep it off.

Consider

Linking to a separate resume or bio. This way you don’t have to include every detail of your resume or experience on your “about page”. Your about page can be about connecting with your reader.

Including a call to action. Invite your reader to take action after they’ve read your “about me” page. Invite them to sign up for your email list. Share a website page with them to get them deeper into your site.

Including a contact form for information. This lets your reader know that you’re invested in them and interested in what they have to say.

Providing social networking page links. This enables you to connect with your reader in other ways. It helps you build your community and audience.

Set your “about me” page aside for a while once you’ve written the initial draft. You’ll think of other things you want to say when you’re away from it. Jot them down.

When you return to your content, review it with fresh eyes. Look for better, more concise ways to say things. Revise, edit and polish. Then publish your “about me” page with pride.