"Write Where The People Are"

Note from Bridget: Here's an excerpt from my "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" teleseminar last week. I'm finishing editing the transcript today, and it will be posted to the Expert Interviews Series page on BeAResumeWriter.com by the end of the day today. (Note: Bronze members have access to all previous teleseminar recordings and transcripts; Free level members have access to the recordings only.)

As you work to develop a content marketing strategy for your resume writing business, I’m going to advise you to start with this important piece of advice: “Write where the people are.” 

So, to start with, that’s probably not your own blog. Probably the number one challenge that I see from resume writers is they say, “I’m putting this stuff out here and I’m not getting the people to visit my blog.” You have a hard time getting momentum or traction when you’re shouting in an empty forest. Go to the city. Go to where the people are. And so from that standpoint, focus on putting content where people already are and driving that traffic to your website then, to build your mailing list.

So where are the people? It depends on the kinds of jobseeker clients that you target, but some ideas can include guest posting on another resume writer’s blog or teaming up with a couple of other resume writers and blogging on a joint site, like Career Thought Leaders does. 

Another idea is pay-per-click advertising—go to the sites that are already getting traffic, like Facebook and LinkedIn and Google and use pay-per-click advertising. You can also sign up for a site like Careerealism which allows you to subscribe to be able to provide content on their site, which is very heavily trafficked by job seekers. You can send out press releases like we talked about. You can post articles on LinkedIn groups that target your jobseeker clients, especially within specific niches. You can post on article directories, although the caveat there is that they require unique content and that they don’t drive as much traffic to websites as they used to. And you can create joint venture partnerships.

The most important thing to remember, though, is to "Write where the people are." Before you can build your own tribe (followers, members, subscribers), start building a following.

Using Squidoo to Promote Your Resume Writing Business

Squidoo has many things going for it as a marketing tool. It can be used to tap into highly tech-savvy groups of consumers. It can be used to increase your credibility by providing top-notch content. You can leverage Squidoo's search engine clout to catapult yourself to the top of the engines. And best of all, it's free.

Here are a few smart ways of using Squidoo to promote your business.

Embed a YouTube Video
Most user generated content websites don't allow you to embed your own videos. Squidoo is different. With Squidoo, you can embed any video you want.

Video allows you to connect with your audience in a much more visceral way. They can visually connect with your brand, get more of a sense of who you are and retain more of what you say than if they just had text.

Video also presents a whole host of marketing options that don't exist in just text. Conversion rates for resume writers who use video marketing are often much higher than marketing just using text.

Create Lenses for Your Brand and Product
Two places to start on Squidoo are your brand and your products.

Getting these two Squidoo pages up will help you manage proactively how you appear to the world. Since Squidoo lenses have a good shot of ranking just below your main homepage listing, it gives you a unique opportunity to write your own script about how your brand and products are perceived.

Don't hide that you're the author of these pages when you're writing them. Try to give objective information and make sure the content you provide is top notch. Don't use the Squidoo lens as a sales page; instead use it to provide relevant information that people can actually use.

Create a Host of Lenses around One Topic
Creating a host of lenses around one topic allows you to position yourself as an authority on the topic. It also allows you to interlink all your content and it increases your chances of creating content that ranks on that topic in the search engines.

Come up with a publishing schedule around creating these lenses. For example, try to publish one lens every week.

The secret here is to make sure that each and every lens you publish has content good enough to be impressive. Don't sacrifice quality in the name of quantity.

Get the Click
The most important thing to remember about getting Squidoo traffic to your website is that Squidoo is not a good place to try to make sales. Instead, it should be used as a place to introduce yourself to your readers.

Instead, post a link back to your resume website in your Squidoo lens. From there, you can use your website for your hard-hitting sales message.

These are a few smart ways to use Squidoo to promote your resume writing business. When it comes to free tools, Squidoo ranks as one of the best ways on the internet to promote your business.

Using Social Media to Maximize Your Content Distribution

When does 1+1=3?

When you can leverage individual efforts to create greater effect. Marketing efforts are more powerful and effective when they work together. For example, if you have a social networking account you probably have social networking buttons on your blog or website. You invite people to share on Facebook, for example, and like your Facebook business page too.

Your content marketing strategy is probably your most important and effective marketing tactic in your strategy. (See last week's blog post about creating a content strategy.) Content, after all, is what drives visitors to your website. It makes sense to blend your content marketing efforts with your social media efforts for a really powerful strategy.

Here are a few ideas or strategies to integrate your content marketing and social media efforts.

1. Linking. Each time you publish an article or blog post, link to it from social networking sites. You can try different approaches to test which works best. Does a straight headline with a link work? Or does your audience prefer a teaser paragraph and a link? Some marketers have found that asking a question works best to motivate click throughs from social networking sites.

2. Publish full articles. Some social media sites provide room for full articles. For example, LinkedIn and Facebook Fan pages both give you room to publish an abundance of content.

3. Include social media buttons on your site and in your content. If you have a blog, there are plug-ins that you can add to integrate social media buttons at the top of each blog post. You can also include a call to action in some or all of your posts. You can include a signature that says, "Like this post? Share it on Facebook."

4. If you're using article marketing to drive traffic to your site, you can link to those published articles from your social media accounts. You can also include a "Follow me on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn" or whatever sites you use. This helps broaden your audience and your awareness.

5. Use content to grow your social media connections. Each article or blog post should ideally have a purpose. You may want to promote an affiliate link. You may want to drive traffic to your opt-in page. You can also use content to build your social network following. Include a call to action at the bottom of your article or blog post and link to your profile.

There is tremendous potential here. You can also use social media comments or questions to create content for your site. You can also integrate them both into your email marketing strategy too.

Remember that each marketing tactic is more powerful when it is integrated with your other existing marketing tactics. Plan your content. Plan your social networking strategy and then plan how they can work together.

"Not Enough Time to Create Great Content"

Last week, I had a series of blog posts that talked about creating a content strategy and monetizing your content. I heard from a couple of resume writers who said, "I'm so busy writing resumes, I don't have time to create lots of content." Well, just for you, I have 10 ideas to help you when you're either short on time, or worn out from writing resumes and aren't inspired to write a lot more.

1. Glean content from social marketing sites. Presumably you've interacted with other people online. Use those comments you've posted to create a quick blog post or article for your site. Or respond to a question that was posed on social media as a blog post. Add a headline, a few subheadings and tweak it for publication. The result? Quick and easy content.

2. Show some "link love." Instead of writing a full-blown article or post, link to an article or blog post and share your opinion about the content. Invite others to comment too.

3. Compile and quick print. Create a list of resources or links to articles and blog posts on a topic that is near and dear to your readers. For example, you might create a list of the top 10 career sites and link to them.

4. Photo sharing. Share a picture and ask readers to create a caption. Some bloggers actually create a specific day for their photo sharing. They call it "Wordless Wednesday" or something like that. People love to look at photos and you don't have to write a word! (If you're also an artist, you could create a cartoon and ask for captions.)

5. The best of the best. Create an article or blog post recap. Highlight and recap your top blog posts from last month, last quarter, or even last year. Focus on a specific topic to add more value. For example, "Top 10 Blog Posts Getting LinkedIn."

6. Get readers involved. Take this hurried time to create an opportunity. Publish a quiz or survey and gain valuable information about your audience.

7. Read all about it. Grab a news feed or two and share links to industry news or headlines and snippets. You can actually create a weekly or monthly post with this idea. For example you could create an end of the month news update and highlight all the newsworthy things that happened that month.

8. Roll with it. Grab your video camera and create a quick how-to video. A few minutes is plenty to provide good content and it takes less time to create a video for many than to write an article or blog post.

9. Comment Love. Share your favorite comments from the past month, quarter, or year. This shows your readers that you appreciate their feedback and gets other readers involved.

10. Editorial. Grab a headline from the news and expand on it. Share your opinion.

11. Quotable. Share a quote that inspires you, makes you laugh or is relevant to jobseekers. It's a simple cut-and-paste blog post!

Don't have time to write a blog post or article? No problem. Use one of these ideas each week and you'll keep your readers happy.

How to Create A Content Strategy for Your Resume Writing Business

I love talking about content. My last two blog posts were focused on monetizing your content. Here's a post from last month about writing better content. But maybe I should back up a moment and talk about how resume writers can create a "content strategy."

Do you have a content strategy? Or are you just winging it? You post a blog post when you think of something to write about, and you might have three blog posts in a row, followed by a month of non-posting. Or you decide to engage in article marketing and write 4 or 5 articles for free article sites -- but the key to those sites is quantity. You need to write 10 or 20 or even 50 articles (over time is fine -- one a week is 52 a year!) if you're going to make it a significant source of traffic for your site.

What Is a Content Strategy?
A content strategy is exactly what it sounds like. It's a plan to create, organize, market, and maximize your content. You can plan a week in advance, a month, a quarter or even a year in advance. When you have a content strategy in place, the process of creating content for your blog or website becomes much easier. It's also easier to outsource it when you know exactly what you need.

Here are seven questions to ask yourself when creating your content strategy.

1. Where will you publish your content? 

Now this may seem like an obvious question -- on your blog or website, of course! However, you may also want to guest blog, publish on article marketing sites, and submit content to other newsletters or magazines. Think about where you want to publish your content. Then move onto the next question.

2. What types of content will you publish?

Blog posts? Articles? Reports? Downloads? That's the first question, and then you want to take a look at the formats or styles that your readers respond to. For example, maybe you find that lists are your reader's favorite articles or that they love downloadable checklists. When you know what they like, you can include it in your plan.

3. What's the goal or purpose for your content?

To have extremely effective content, you want it to have a goal or a purpose. For example, do you want to drive traffic to your website? Do you want prospective clients to email you their resume for a review? Do you want to promote an affiliate product? What about driving traffic to your opt-in page to build your mailing list? Create a purpose or goal for every piece of content you create.

4. When will you write your content?

Now that you know what you're going to publish, and you have a goal for it, it's time to schedule it. Some people write all their content at the beginning of the week or month. Others write a little bit every day. It's the same as writing resumes -- you'll find that you have a particular rhythm that works for you. There's no right or wrong way to do this, but you do want to schedule it so it gets done.

5. When will you publish/upload?

When will you publish your content? For example, will you write the content for the week on Monday and publish it on Tuesday? Blogs allow you to upload posts ahead of time and schedule them for publication. If you're using article marketing sites or have a website, then you'll want to schedule publishing time into your day. (It can be as simple as setting yourself a reminder alarm to upload your content.)

6. How can you maximize your content?

Next, plan how you can repurpose and reuse your content. For example, can you tweak the article and publish it in your newsletter? Can you share it on a social networking site? Can you collect articles and create a short report? Plan how you can use your article in other ways to make the most of your time and energy.

7. How will you market your content and use your content to market your business?

Finally, how will you make readers and prospects aware of your content? For example, will you link to it from Facebook? Publish it in your Twitter feed? Will you create a weekly wrap-up blog post or email and highlight your new articles for the week? The more people who are aware of your content, the more readers and traffic you'll have.

Once you get the hang of it, implementing your content plan to promote your resume writing business will be a quick and easy process.

More Ways to Profit From Your Content

In yesterday's blog post, I talked about how to profit from your content using five easy strategies. With all the time, effort, energy -- and sometimes -- money that it takes to write content, it makes sense to want to earn a profit. The good news is that, with a plan in place, you can profit from your content and build your bank account.

Here are five more ways to profit from content.

1. Affiliate commissions with comparison charts

Comparison charts are charts that essentially compare similar features in several products. You'll often find them for electronics. For example, a comparison chart might compare five different smart phones in five different categories. You might create a chart to compare resume distribution services, for example.

An unorthodox way of using comparison charts might also be to review resume firms (including yours, showing why yours is the best), but becoming an affiliate for the other programs so that if the job seeker chooses another service, you'll still make some income.)

2. Affiliate commissions with resource lists in reports

Do you give away a free report to build your email list? If so, do you have a list of resources in the appendix? And are those links affiliate links? If not, you're missing out on valuable income. You might also include a few affiliate links in the body of the report.

For example, a LinkedIn free report might include links to LinkedIn products, such as this Linkedin Profile Makeover book. (Earn almost $12 for each ebook sold.)

3. Promote your opt-in list with free downloads.

Many audiences love free downloads. For example, you might offer a LinkedIn profile optimization checklist. Optimizing your resume checklist. Preparing for a job interview checklist. Researching a company checklist. The lists can be downloaded in exchange for an email address. It's a great way to build your opt-in list and profit from email marketing.

4. Create a membership program and provide monthly reports

Does your audience respond well to free reports? If so, consider creating a membership site for job seekers where you provide a monthly report. For example, you could create a series of 12 reports on these topics:

• LinkedIn Profile Development
• Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer
• Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Ask
• Salary Research
• Customizing Cover Letters for Positions
• Researching Companies

Charge even a few dollars a month for the membership (or a full-year membership for $15 or $20) and you earn a nice profit. (Note, you can also upsell in the report and offer your organization services or consulting.)

5. Drive traffic to your sales page with free downloads.

Back to those free downloads. You can use them to drive traffic to your sales page. Continuing with the checklist example, you can include a call to action at the bottom of each checklist that sends people to your website sales page where you sell an ebook, those affiliate products, or even your organization services. It's a great way to convert prospects into customers.

Take a look at your target resume customers, your current business model, and the content that your prospects respond to. Find a content monetization tool that fits your niche and start making more money from your content efforts.

How to Profit From Your Content

Content serves many purposes for resume writers. It can drive traffic to your blog or website. It can boost your credibility and authority. It can help build a community of followers. It can boost your awareness and exposure by increasing your search engine ranking. It can also simply provide your readers with valuable information. Finally, your content can also directly impact your cash flow.

Here are five ways you can profit from your content:

1. Affiliate commissions

One of the most basic ways to profit from content is to use it to generate affiliate commissions. And one of the most effective forms of promotional content is a review. People often research online before they make a purchase and if you provide information that helps them make that decision, you're essentially putting yourself in the right place at the right time. When someone is reading product or service reviews, they're already in a buying state of mind.

What kind of things can a resume writer review?

• Career-related books
• Resume distribution services
• Interview preparation products (if you don't offer interview prep services)

Become an affiliate for these products and you can earn commissions. (Amazon's Affiliate program for books, Clickbank for interview prep products and other services.)

2. Build your list with free report

Email marketing is still one of the best ways to make money. Anyone who signs up for your email list is a pre-qualified prospect. By signing up they've said, "I'm interested in learning more about your resume services or your career coaching services." You can create a free report to build your email list. For example, you can give away the "Questions You Should Ask in An Interview" report that was October's Pass-Along Materials from BeAResumeWriter.com. Give away the report and build your email list.

3. Sell ad space in your newsletter

Speaking of email marketing, if you have a print newsletter or ezine (e-newsletter), consider selling ad space in it. It's a great way to earn a few extra dollars. And in the meantime, while you're drumming up advertisers, you can hold their place with AdSense ads. Get your readers accustomed to seeing ads in your ezine and make money on click-throughs.

4. Drive traffic to your sales page with informative articles on article directories.

Write informative articles and publish them on article marketing sites. Make sure to include a call to action at the end of the article that drives traffic to your sales page. For example, it might say "For a free resume review, visit (Link)." You'll convert many of those click-throughs and increase your profits.

5. Boost credibility and opportunities with ebooks.

Publishing is one of the best ways to increase your credibility in your niche and become recognized as an expert. As a society, we often turn to published people for advice, insight, and their products or services. Publication establishes you. Consider writing an ebook or creating an information product. The sales you generate will boost your income and youíll also drive traffic and sales to your website.

There are a lot of ways to make money from content. We've only really scratched the surface. Take a look at your business model and use one of these ideas to grow your income.