3 Rapid Content Creation Secrets You Can Use Today

Do you hate staring at blank page?

That’s the position most of us find ourselves in when trying to create that next great blog post or white that email to our customers.

“What do I want to say,” we ask ourselves?

“And why would anyone read this in the first place?”

The answer lies in organization and structure. And creating great habits.

My habit is to create at least one piece of content each weekday morning before I do anything else (and then be sure to promote it on social media and, maybe, in an email too).

That one habit has resulted in lots more eyeballs seeing my blog posts, videos, infographics and more. And it brings more traffic to my website and people to my email list.

But the habit, alone, doesn’t create the content. That’s why I use some tools to help structure what I produce.

My Content Template Approach

If you have any experinece reading how-to blog posts on the web, you’ll probably notice that many of them follow similar structures. They may ask a question or describe a problem, and then go about outlining the solution.

They are built on templates, or writing formulas that have proven to effectively communicate ideas.

Ove the years, I’ve invested in several templates for my writing, but remained challenged to really be able to put them to use, mostly because they did such a poor job of helping me understand how my business and my audience worked within their framework. But then I found Jeff Herring, and since late 2014, I’ve been using his Profitable Content Creation Templates to efficiently generate ideas and share them with my audience

Incorporating A Call To Action

It’s all well and good to create a great blog post, but if you don’t tell your readers what step they should take next, after learning what you’ve shared, much of your effort will have been wasted.

That’s why you need to include a call to action. Use action words to compel your readers to do what you want them to.

“Call us today for a free consultation,” for instance is a good call to action with actionable language. You are giving clear direction to the reader using the verb “call”.

And what’s even better, is including some benefit or result in that call to action. For instance, after inviting them to call for a consultation, you would include “and let us put an end to your rodent problem once and for all” (or whatever might be appropriate for your business).

There are dozens of ways to present clear and non-salesy calls to action. Play around with your language, and track which ones are working for you.

Getting People To Read Your Content

Your content isn’t really worth anything if nobody is reading or viewing it. So how do you get people to take notice?

It starts with a great headline.

That’s how magazines and newspapers are sold, and great headlines are what’s behind successful direct marketing too.

But short of hiring a high-paid copywriter, how can you know what headlines will work best?

(Spoiler alert: a solution is about to be offered)

Frankly, I spent years never paying attention to the headline, and my click-thru rates suffered because of it. Then I started trying to copy headline styles I liked, and things picked up.

And because I saw how effective a proven headline structure can be, I jumped at the opportunity to invest (a tiny amount) in an amazing Chrome extension called Headlinr, which helps me churn out headline after headline based on well over 300 proven templates.

I use it for everything from blog posts to email subject lines to video titles, and it even helps me come up with ideas about what to say on a certain subject when I lack the motivation to think for myself.

Wrapping Things Up

So there you have it. My three rapid content creation secrets that help me deliver fun, engaging, and actionable content on a regular basis.
Would you like even more great content creation tips? Then you’ll want to download a FREE copy of the 10 Commandments of Content Creation from my good friends and partners over at Likeable Local. The guide will walk you through 10 smart strategies for getting more social engagement and build a stringer following with your online and social content.

Are You Getting Paid For Making Referrals?

Do you make referrals in your business? Have you ever suggested to a customer or client that they purchase or invest in something that you don’t offer as part of your own services or products?

Did you get paid when you made that referral?

If the answer is “no” (which is likely the case), but you wish the answer was “yes,” then you’ll probably want to read on.

Here’s How I’ve Structured My Business To Earn Referral Income

My company, Baer On Marketing LLC, is primarily a solution provider for small businesses and solopreneurs. Because so many people in my target market struggle with social media and other online marketing, they initially approach me around the topics of Facebook Ads or Social Media Content.

But that’s just where the conversation starts. Because as we talk about the specific needs or goals in their business, two things usually reveal themselves:

First, the initial solution they thought they wanted (Facebook Ads, for example) isn’t exactly what they need.

And, second, behind everything we discuss, there is almost always a desire to realize more income without doing more work.

That’s where referral income, specifically through affiliate marketing, comes into the picture. And that’s where my knowledge and skills really kick in.

The Solutions Need to Fit The Need

Sometimes, through the discovery process I conduct with my clients and prospective clients, we decide that the best solution is some one-on-one guidance and hand holding from me.

But more often, the solution lies in introducing them to someone or something else, where their needs can be best met.

Here are some examples (listed here via my affiliate links, of course):

• Need help creating engaging content for social media, getting your customers to take action, and even pick up referrals along the way? Schedule a demo with my partners at Likeable Local, where they can design content specific to your niche, and help you manage Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all in one place in less than 30 minutes a week.

• Maybe you are a business coach, looking to add additional programs to your offerings (so you’ll have more stuff to sell your current clients… and attract new ones who are looking for something beyond what you are currently offering). My partners over at Coach Glue can help you with their Done-For-You content, training materials, and even teach you how to develop passive income streams by turning their templates into your own online courses.

• You’ve dabbled in adding online channels to your business’s marketing in the past, but it’s always seemed like you were throwing money out the door? Then you should take a look at investing in NAMS (David Perdew’s Novice to Advanced Marketing System), where you can not only learn which online marketing options are best for your business and how to use them, but you can leverage to knowledge, expertise, and potential partnership opportunities of a smart and successful community of NAMS Insiders.

Want to discover affiliate marketing opportunities that might fit well with your business? Take a look at Clickbank or Commission Junction for starters. They are just two better known options among hundreds of networks listing affiliate programs in just about any industry you can think of.

Would you like to take a closer look at your specific situation? Then set up a 15 minute discovery session with me to discuss your goals and identify additional resources which might be the right fit for your needs.

Learn How to Become a Great Affiliate Marketer

One of your goals for your affiliate business should be to learn how to become a great affiliate. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how few affiliates actually put much thought into it. This may not place you in the ranks of a super affiliate, but it does mean that you’ll gain the respect from your audience, and create buyers. And that’s a great place to be with your business. It means that each time you recommend a product you will usually earn a good amount of sales from each promotion.

So how do you reach this point in your business?

The first thing you want to keep in mind is that you are recommending products to people and this means that you reputation is at stake. You don’t want to recommend inferior products, all that will do is prevent people from believing in you.

Instead you need to focus on writing good product reviews for your readers. This means being truthful and presenting both sides of the product, the good and bad if necessary. You may even end up not recommending the product and sending your readers to a different link instead.

This is a good process because you are building trust in your readers and this is how you gain respect. Your readers can see that you are not out just to make money on any product. Instead you want to give them products that will actually help them in their business or life.

If possible you should try to promote products that you have actually used yourself. If you run an online business it is easy to promote the domain name company and hosting company that you use. If you weren’t happy you obviously wouldn’t keep using them.

It can be a little harder for other products, as you can’t always afford to buy every product that you would like to promote. Instead you can do extra homework and research the product thoroughly. Look for customer reviews, refund rates, how easy is it to order and other information that helps to substantiate the quality of the product and of the company.

A well-researched blog post promoting a quality product could easily bring you in hundreds of dollars of commissions. So it is definitely worthwhile to make the extra effort and research facts.

When you deliver a quality review to your readers they will have the ability to make an informed buying decision quickly. This will ultimately save them time and money from looking all over the internet. In turn this will keep bringing them back to your site to read more of your product reviews.

Of course, reviews are only one way to be a successful affiliate. For a crash course in affiliate marketing, take a look at Dennis Becker’s outstanding Affiliate Domination Secrets, which can have you up and running with effective affiliate promotions to supplement your business’s current income streams in a matter of weeks. (And, yes, that is my affiliate link to the course.)

Everything You Wanted to Know About Affiliate Marketing and Were Too Embarrassed to Ask

Okay, I’m probably not going to fully deliver on the promise of the title in this post, but at least this will be a solid starting point for your to discover the basics of affiliate marketing.

I take it for gratend that most people know what I mean when I tell them my business is a combination of consulting and affiliate marketing.

So let’s start with a definition.

Affiliate marketing is among the major ways that websites and bloggers generate revenue. Either through ads that are displayed on a website, or via links that are embeded as part of the editorial content, affiliate revenue typically comes in the form of a commission for a referral.

Perhaps the most well known affiliate program around is Amazon.com, where affiliates earn a portion of the proceeds from any sales that result from sending somone to the website. But affiliate programs extend deep into almost any industry you can imagine, from major categories like diet and weight loss, to more narrow areas like DIY woodworking.

For a step-by-step introduction to how to get stared generating affiliate revenue on your own site, Facebook marketing expert Kim Garst has a great introduction to How To Make Money On Your Blog With Affiliate Marketing.

But promoting anything and everything, just because it pays a commision, simply doesn’t make sense. You need to be focussed on delivering a specific range of solutions to your audience, who have a specific set of needs.

A good affiliate marketer knows their products. If you simply put a bunch of products on your website that you know nothing about, then this might hurt you in the end. When people start asking questions you won’t be able to answer to the best of your ability. Also, people who might be more knowledgable about those products may realize that you overlooked specific products from that category and realize that you aren’t an expert on that topic. So try to know the products you put on your site, that way things will go smoothly for you in the future. via: Ideas For Affiliate Marketers

In my business, I focus on helping small businesses and solopreneurs better understand and creating systems for marketing through online channels. I review lots of products and services before decinding they meet my standards (or provide enough value) to recommend to my clients and followers.

Some of the types of things I promote can be found on my resources page, which I’ve created specifically to address the regular questions I get from people asking for guidnace.

But my greatest resource for inspiration, connections to worthwhile products and services, and more, comes through NAMS, the Novice to Advanced Marketing System, where I am a lifetime elite member. Not only have I learned a ton from the other master online marketers in the NAMS community, but I’m also a proud affiliate of the programs, training, and tools they offer.

And not everything I promote involves a front-end cost to those I refer. For example, at NAMS, they offer weekly webinars on Tuesdays and live trainings on Wednesdays, where a ton of information is shared to help business owners move forward and grow. Plus, with a huge catalogue of training, tools, and other products, they’ve recently been offering a Friday Flash Sale to deliver more of their resources at a major discount.

…and, yes, there are upsells, and more offers on the other side of those links above, but it’s all increadibly instructive (and amazingly valuable as models) for those of us who aspire to master online marketing for our businesses.

And maybe even pick up a little extra passive income (or a lot) on the side.