49 Creative Ways You Can Profit From Content Marketing

49 Creative Ways You Can Profit From Content Marketing

Reader Comments (132)

  1. Solid ideas for sure, however…

    Marketing often seems to concentrate on many things rather than a few. Actionable (is that really a word?) items are the most valuable things, but still people (including me) are attracted to many things, rather than fewer (perhaps more powerful) things.

    I’m an info junkie though so I’m always looking for a fix.

    • Solid ideas indeed.

      About the paper newsletter, I remember getting one from aweber. I dont get their nwsletter, however I got one personal mail even though I was from India. That makes me feel great. As a customer, you need to be pampered. Well, that’s what most people want to feel. They need to be treated specially. they need to be given importance. They need to be given priority.

      Direct mail is very effective. I think it might be most effective while recruiting JV partners or to get A listers to notice you. I remmeber reading somewhere that sending a personal handwritten mail along with an invitation for JV did wonders for the person after trying to contact the a listers through the electronic media (mail, twitter, facebook, etc etc).

      Membership websites are great. Even better is the micro membership sites where you charge 5$ or less per month. You get access to a large number of users who are ready to buy. You can later sell them some expensive course, if you need more profits. But from what I have heard, micro memberships are hot.

      I wouldnt bother too much with squidoo lenses. Not at least with the Google panda update. I used to spend a lot of time on ezinearticles and they were hit bad. Squidoo doesnt drive the kind of traffic it used to. So I dont focus on building a lot of squidoo lenses. One or two might be good.

      Wetpaint and other web 2.0 sites may fade away quickly. You never know what can happen. Ning went paid only. So you lose what you built up tp that point. Using it is good. But never let it use you.

      My point is that, focus on what works for others in your niche. Then duplicate that. Worked? Great, repeat. Didnt work? Try something else!!!

  2. Bill Glazer is, of course, 100% right about the paper newsletters thing. I have clients who have built strong relationships with customers and with people in their community through paper newsletters. Nothing beats that physical touch.

    And yes, *every* business should have a newsletter. Even undertakers! (If I were an undertaker I would produce one for my community, with lots of news of community events, people who are doing interesting things in the community, ways to succeed and live life better. Yes, he’s a guy who works in the death business – but his newsletter will be about life! He’ll make himself the hub of the community – and the natural choice when his services are – sadly – required.)

  3. Excellent article and list, Sonia! You gave me lots of great ideas. (My LOLCat especially likes #45. 🙂

    Re: #1, I’m surprised, with everyone (not just certain audiences) so “green” these days, that Glazer is still suggesting paper newsletters.

    Anyway, thanks for the awesome content!

  4. @Bonnie A lot of people don’t want to do a paper newsletter, for green or other reasons, but they do increase engagement. Digital always beats physical for environmental correctness, but just like sometimes we’d rather have a real book than a file for the Kindle, there’s something special about a paper newsletter.

    @Tom, I’m guessing there might be one or two you could act on!

  5. Amazing list!

    My personal favorite is #38 – Simple idea, yet extremely creative and useful. Wonder what the original title was 😉

  6. Re #1: At a former job, I wrote a quarterly loyalty newsletter for Lowe’s Home Improvement premium credit card holders. It was so much fun! I got to research (via the then-fairly new Web) all kinds of fascinating stuff, from how to install outdoor lighting to how to build your own koi pond, from the latest trends in house paint colors to everything you ever wanted to know about retaining walls. LOL, it was a hoot! Wish I could still do stuff like that. I love writing for the Web, but there’s something special about print, especially print projects that require fun research.

  7. @Kate, the original title was “50 Things Guys Wish You Knew.” I like my version better. 🙂

    @Diane, I know what you mean, a lot of my favorite stuff has been the print work. Paper is just special. (Esp. when we put the work in to make it special.) That sounds like a great resource! I bet people saved those and referred back to them often.

  8. Oh, MY. If I look in Webster to find “Overdeliver” I would find your photo!

    I eagerly await your messages each day, for they all contain such wisdom and your ideas are so pragmatic.

    Thank you SO MUCH for all your ideas and instruction.

    Wishing You Well,
    Connie Baum

  9. Great post … thanks for sharing.

    I strongly agree with the concept of more simplistic newsletters. Flashy newsletters with colorful designs, etc. are often confusing, misleading and can discourage the reader.

    At a previous internship position, I encouraged the organization to keep its simple newsletter design. The copy was in black & white with some purple accents (the organizations logo color). The layout resembled that of a newspaper, which made the color scheme and design appropriate. They were contemplating switching to a more colorful magazine layout, which would have been more expensive.

    When I see flashy newsletters I wonder how effectively that organization is balancing its budget – especially non-profits. I believe the same priciples should apply for annual reports. If your company lost money, your annual report better not appear to be wasteful spending.

    Just some thoughts. Oh, and I like the blog treasure hunt idea – very creative.

    -JGrass

  10. Hi Sonia, I liked #39, the list of objections and overcoming them, so far the biggest resistance for some of my customers is shopping online in general, the biggest fear being identity theft. Right now I am trying to market offline so that I can have a chance to address these objections in person and hopefully win a sale at the same time. I am working on getting referrals as well.

  11. WOW, Sonia. 49?!? I’d say I’m super impressed and that’s really amazing, but you were so closed to 50 you probably should’ve just kept on going. I mean, 50 is ten times 5 and 5 times 10, plus it’s half way to a hundred. : > )

    Seriously, Sonia that’s a cool list perfect to bookmark. Thanks.

  12. You’ve been both generous and creative here — thanks!

    What I like best about this post is not necessarily the great ideas but the way you’re showing (not telling) us to act like editor-marketers.

    It’s not enough to be just a writer or just a marketer — we need to more innovative with the way we find and channel content. Editors rule!

  13. I work for a tech company that sends out a monthly direct mail newsletter that is very well received. In our last issue we advertised that we now have a green option to the newsletter if anyone would prefer. Not a single taker. There is just something about having the paper in your hands that people love and you should cater to that. Thanks for the list, lots of great ideas.

  14. I am a new follower of your blog and I must say I am a huge fan. Every post I have read has been applicable to my work and has offered points of value that I can incorporate into my marketing. Thanks for the 49 new tips! I’m not sure how I’m going to narrow it down to select the ones that I need to implement now there are just so many good ones.

  15. Wonder why the notion of paper in hand and books doesn’t go away? Is it familiarity, ease of handling, or just love of certain artifacts.

    FYI: the old research suggests that some kind of newsletter (in print) was highly important, but that color, design, etc., were irrelevant. If that research hasn’t been completely outmoded, it does suggest that content remains king.

    Thanks for your list (how long have you been adding to it?)

    Dan

  16. You are right on the mark with this post as it is both practical and creative, plus there are many ideas which can be implemented without much trouble.

  17. That is a huge list out there. But an easy one. Guys don’t jump into doing all the 49 today. Do one well and they go ahead.

  18. Interesting that of all 49 recommendations, the idea of returning to paper generated so much discussion. One of my clients is a classical music ensemble, and we send a gorgeous postcard for every concert. It’s like a visual preview of the music to come. I’m torn because I’m truly committed to green marketing and try to do my part for the environment, but there are times, as others have said above, when paper has no equal.

  19. Sonia, each point is worth to generate remarkable amount of revenue. Some of them I have already used just with a couple of my clients and the result was wonderful.

    Thank You SOOOO much for this WORTHY CONTENTS.

    Bless You,
    Ali.

  20. Excellent piece Sonia.
    Thank you and keep up the great work!
    All I need is a twit this or extended share this button on copyblogger and I can share it with more friends.

  21. @Writer Dad, ha, Brian told me someone would tweak me about that. I just told him that I didn’t want to pad it with fluff to get to the even number. 🙂

    Thanks, everyone, for such kind responses. Now go out and try some of this stuff!

    Sneaky bonus for those who read comments: #25 is a ruthlessly powerful secret weapon when it’s done well. Don’t use it for evil!

  22. great advice! content is king and now more than ever the best approach is on-line and off-line (of course on-line is the current growing trend) especially now as businesses try to get into social media and social networking. Good insight-
    cheers
    justinrfrench on twitter

  23. Last time i heard about continuity membership program that content was delivered by email autoresponder, but the subscriber pay for the membership payment.

  24. I love blogs like this because they are short concise and every point is relevant. It is also relevant to write blogs such as these in numbered points because it easier to share ideas without being boring.

    Excellent post. I look forward to the next 🙂

  25. Sonia, I loved the list! Got me kick-started in a few different directions. (I use The Star and National Enquirer as headline starters along with Cosmo and Men’s Health.)

  26. Thanks a lot for sharing these very useful tips!
    I will test some of those ideas. Apart from that, i’m happy to have discovered this blog!

    Tom

  27. Great post. A lot of “content marketing” is really just good old-fashioned PR that has worked to build audiences and conversions for years (decades actually). It’s amazing what simple educational information can do in building authority, trust, readerships, subscriptions, and even ultimately sales.

  28. @Roberta, cool stuff! I must add Men’s Health to my roster.

    @Jenn, it does have a lot in common with PR in that it’s really about value and relationships.

  29. I found this to be quite interesting. I have always felt that there should be a good mix of marketing tactics and often advise my clients to continue with the direct mail and/or use it as a follow-up to an email campaign. This list gives some great ideas and is very useful. We all too often get caught up in doldrums. This reminds me that creativity is the essence that breathes life into the world.

  30. Simone, this is full of great ideas.

    14. is really true.

    I created a voiceover for a presentation I had given in Keynote and exported it to Quicktime and then uploaded it to YouTube. It was one of the best calls-to-action I didn’t know I’d written!

  31. I enjoyed this post! I particularly liked your first remark about the simplicity of a newsletter. When I tried to get fancy I really had less response to my weekly special offers. Now that I write a simple paragraph, which saves more time in the first place, I make more money.

  32. Outstanding e-marketing tips! I really like most of your 49 points, In fact I am starting to test some of them, I’ll get back to you to tell you how much I sucked at it, and then How good I did when I finally got right! xD

  33. I absolutely love this post–makes you think, “wow. There’s so much out there I haven’t even thought of yet–how will i get to it all.”

    I’m making this article one of my favorites in my reader.

    Thanks!

  34. Posts like this are why I keep coming back. Bookmarked on Delicious. Great tips -now if only someone could force me to do half of them I’d be golden.

  35. So many good tips here I’m going to have to read this many times just to digest and learn to apply them.

    Thanks so much for sharing.

  36. Excellent tips, Sonia. I just finished writing an article for a trade magazine on a similar topic and then found a link to this article in my Inbox. I tweaked my article slightly & adapted a couple of your tips.

  37. Best solution tips, for my grow business internet although with started zero percent or no invest (free). I copywritter some free articles and I did know to respect author then I wrote source by the name. Thanks for you tips.

  38. Wonderful, and useful advice for a marketing professional. I created a wetpaint website that has given my company more visibilty and it supports my philosophy which relies on community and relationships to build business and provide services . BRAVO!

  39. Wow this is a huge list of ides. I thought your idea on taking someones content and rewriting it was interesting…is it unethical or just creative? I suppose it depends on how far you distance yourself with the rewriting. Overall a nice list, I learned something but I wont say what my GEM was…Thanks!

  40. People pay big money to read a list like this. My deepest thanks to you Sonia for sharing this information with us =) Great job!

  41. This is a really great article I actually found myself jotting down little notes… then I remembered I should just bookmark it haha. I’ve been thinking about expanding my sites content a little more with a podcast, but as my site is in the musical niche I’m busy researching whether or not the industry could come at me for releasing a free podcast to people.

  42. This is a really great article I actually found myself jotting down little notes… then I remembered I should just bookmark it haha. I’ve been thinking about expanding my sites content a little more with a podcast, but as my site is in the musical niche I’m busy researching whether or not the industry could come at me for releasing a free podcast to people.

  43. This is an outstanding list, Sonia, thank you! There’s so much in it that I’m going to have to read it 48 times. And I’m sharing it with a bunch of people.

  44. I can see I am a bit late to the party on this one but this is massively useful advice.

    I think you could have pushed yourself to an even 50 though, I mean what sort of a number is 49???

    🙂

  45. This is a fantastic article. I didn’t know of a lot of these ideas. As for a newsletter, I can’t actually remember the last time I received one and it’s something that I would read while waiting for the kettle to boil. It’s definitely an idea for me to consider as well as a few others you have mentioned. Thanks for the inspiration.

  46. Really great post. I’m just finding it from a link on a post today. Copyblogger is one of the four blogs I read every day. Thank you for your knowledge. I’m taking away at least 7 more things to go do…

  47. Fantastic post. But I have a complaint. There’s so many incredibly useful ideas on Copyblogger that I’m suffering from “idea overwhelm”. 🙂
    Yesterday I took your advice from your headline writing series and instantly got 4 times more traffic than I have with any other post. Thank you!

  48. Wow, excellent article and still getting comments almost two years later!
    BTW is Squidoo still considered relevant in the world of social media? I understand it’s great for SEO and backlinks for your own site, but how does it rank for popularity, traffic, usefulness compared to FB and T
    witter (realizing they are all unique with their own set of advantages). Basically, should Squidoo still be in the bloggers/emarketers arsenal?
    Thanks for the post, I shall be creating a series written by my wireless laser mouse…
    Mike

  49. I think you missed the RSS to email campaign – yours pulled me in and I am doing the same with my subscriber list. I am hoping my attempts hook them in just as yours have me.

  50. This is the best content marketing guide I have ever read in a long time. I agree that content marketing is not just about creating content. It is about getting the word out through various means, i.e email marketing, ebooks, books, audio, visual and the whole spectrum of content promotion. The best way to be good at this is to focus on one and be the best in doing it.

  51. Very good content in this article, i have to rethink some of my advertising efforts.
    Site is bookmarked for future references.
    Thank you.

  52. This blog is gold
    I like this post any thing that gets me to think outside the marketing box is great – do keep it comming

  53. This is some really good info. Tons of gold nuggets anyone can steal and apply to become a pro at content marketing. This is definitely a must read. I’ll be tweeting this.

    Thanks for sharing.

    -Etieno

  54. Thanks for all these Sonia.

    The challenge is finding something that is immediately applicable for oneself and one’s situation.

  55. If you hold a teleclass, offer listeners valuable information. I’ve attended many teleclasses/teleseminars and within a few minutes, I’d wonder, “What’s the point?” Most of them turned out to be sales presentation. The only thing I learned was the cost of the products/services and that if I acted now I would pay the special promotional price of (fill in the blank). It’s disappointing.

  56. I was reading this post noting how detailed and comprehensive it was and then I noticed the dates on the comments.

    Here it is nearly 3 years later and the points are still valid and the premises still work.

    Content is what Google wants most.

    Content is what the clients want most.

    Why not give it to them?

    Gee, why didn’t I think of that.

    Great post.

  57. Thanks. I am on my way to my blog to rename it Feel Better Faster Self-Coaching Site.
    Anyone can run a blog, but a Self-Coaching Site is an invitation to take action.

    I love picking up tips from Copyblogger.
    Ruthi

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