A surefire easy content strategy…

So there are a lot of ways you can approach your free content. A couple things I want you to keep in mind before we get into our surefire strategy though…

First, remember that ALL free content has a paid counterpart, whether you make it or not. Get into the habit of asking yourself what the paid version of your content might look like if you DID make it. If you can't think of anything to make it better… ...it might be too much for a free piece of content. If I wrote a blog article on 10 ways to increase my email conversions, the paid version of that article might include video, or maybe it includes 30 ways instead of 10.

I don't need to make the paid version, but I need to realize the fact that content can be used in more than one way, more than one place, and there is always a paid version.

It's good to always consider this, because your content will probably stretch a lot further than you think. It's hardly ever a one and done situation. Especially if a lot of people seem to resonate with a piece of free content you put out there.

Second thing, never neglect the first rule of great marketing. It's always about them, no matter how much you talk about you or anything else. By that I mean, whatever you are talking about in your content, it always needs to circle back around to your audience.

Whether it's some kind of lesson or takeaway or some kind of map or outline for what to do. It always comes back around to your audience.

Okay, so about this surefire easy content strategy… Every good piece of free content has 3 essential parts.

ONE) The Hook - this is the first line. It's a way you punch them in the mouth. You'll spend the rest of your content explaining why you had to.

TWO) Entertainment value (usually in the form of a story, but could be a joke or a famous quote, could be a lot of things)

THREE) Actionable content or a takeaway (i.e. a lesson)

Now, the length of your content does not matter in the slightest. The free content is 100% about impact. The goal is to impact people in a positive way that helps them get a couple steps closer to achieving their goals, and to grow your audience.

When you're creating a piece of free content it's better to start with the end goal in mind and work your way backwards. It's not too difficult because you are probably only going to have 2 or 3 parts to this thing.

One) What's the point of this piece of content? Example: Let's say I want to give you a 5 step strategy for building a list.

Two) What kind of story can I relate to list building? Maybe it's a movie, maybe it's a book. Maybe it's a simple quote someone said about getting started. That's a great one because it relates to what list building really is. A very important piece of the puzzle and a great place to start.

Okay so now we have a little plan here. We're going to talk about a quote some famous person said, and we are going to segue that into a little 5 step plan for building a list.

EXAMPLE:

“Start where you stand…”

Napoleon Hill said that and I think it’s a really great way to look at the fine art of list building. In fact, a little more of that quote:

“Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.” – Napoleon Hill

But I always like to just shorten it to “Start where you stand…”

List building and email marketing is so important to your success online, however so many people struggle with it. I want to give you a simple 5 step action plan for getting your list started today…

...so let’s do it!

Step 1) Get an autoresponder - Get one that’s been around for a while with a good reputation. No fly by night companies. You can skimp on a lot of things online, but don’t skimp on this one. Aweber or Getresponse are perfect.

Step 2) Commit to a weekly newsletter in your niche - Just commit to writing an email a week to the list you don’t have yet. Try to create impact. Don’t worry about the length. Even if you have nobody on your list you can add them to your autoresponder for future subscribers.

Step 3) Manual outreach - Reach out to friends, family, co-workers, facebook friends, anyone who might be interested in being on your weekly newsletter. Add them manually. Also ask them for referrals. Do they know anyone else who would be interested?

Step 4) Create a lead magnet - With this one make sure your lead magnet promises easy consumption (i.e. cheat sheet, checklist, 10 minute video), make sure it offers instant results or immediate impact, and make sure you extend the invitation to continue the conversation in your emails.

Step 5) Send traffic to lead magnet - 2 great ways to send free traffic to your lead magnet are by utilizing conversational marketing in facebook groups, and also by using safelists.

That’s it! Easy way to get started with your list building. And if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to me!

END EXAMPLE

Okay, so this is a piece of content that uses a famous quote for a hook to get attention, it talks a little more about the quote for some entertainment value and then it goes right into actionable content.

It’s a formula. It can be twisted and turned anyway you like, but if you can keep all the components there, you can do really well with your free content.

Practice this formula in the meantime and get used to creating content that can deliver impact.A surefire easy content strategy…

I like the 12 Minute Affiliate Program a lot and recommend picking it up. It's a legit system, and perfect for newbies to affiliate marketing or email marketing. If you are looking for an easy and proven way to get affiliate marketing off the ground, Click here for advanced free training.