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.

How-To Guide to HubPages

Last week, I wrote a blog post on "Using HubPages to Build Visibility as a Resume Writer," and I received a few emails from resume writers who wanted to know more about how to do this. So here's your "how to" guide.

HubPages are essentially free web pages. As a "Hubber," you sign up for an account and begin creating your hub pages. It's a lot like creating a blog. However there are many differences too. To be a successful hubber, there are a few keys to success.

Plan
What is your hub going to be about? Who will read your hub and why? You may need to do a bit of research at this point. The more specific your hub topic, the better. For example, a hub page on resumes is too general. However a hub page on federal resumes will probably be more successful.

The secret to attracting loyal readers and followers is to appeal to a niche topic. Become the expert on that niche topic and provide a wealth of information. (Most resume writers considering using a HubPage already understand the value of niche markets when marketing your services online, so I'm preaching to the choir a bit here.) Consider doing a bit of keyword research during the planning phase as well. Use a free online keyword tool to help you brainstorm a niche. Then use the information provided to choose a niche topic that has high demand.

Plan how you're going to monetize your hubs too. The way most hubs make money is through AdSense, so keywords can be important. They also make money with affiliate marketing or to promote products you sell on Amazon or eBay. (I covered this topic in more detail in the original post.)

Write
The foundation of a hub -- in fact, the foundation of any online website or blog -- is content. In the case of most hub pages, that means articles. Create a content plan so that each hub page you create has a specific purpose, goal, and topic. Make sure the goal and topic match your monetization choice. (Meaning: are the topics you're choosing ones that will attract advertisers interested in reaching this audience -- or, in the case of affiliate programs, are you writing content that will complement the products you're promoting?)

For example, if you're going to drive traffic to resume writing books on Amazon.com, then the topic of the hub needs to be relevant.

Inform and Entertain
Writing style is important to the success of your hub pages. You don't need to be an exceptional writer; however, your content does need to be interesting and valuable. Share your personality. Write conversationally. And use interesting headlines and subheadings to attract attention. People rate, share, and print your hub pages. The more interesting and valuable your content is, the better your hub pages will perform. (Photos and images are another way to add interest to your hub pages.)

Finally, if you have more than one hub page, link to your other hub pages to create flow. For example, if you have a hub page on KSAs, you might want to also have a hub page on how to use the USAJobs website. And another on how to analyze federal job postings for keywords. Link and group the pages for better results.

HubPages can be a good way to make money online. They're free. You can write on topics you love and know. And you can share your information with the world, building your visibility as a career industry professional at the same time.

Create An Interesting Logo for Your Resume Writing Business

I'm married to a graphic designer. So I'm accustomed to looking for -- and recognizing -- great design. Many years ago, when I started Resume Writers' Digest, I was the go-to source to check with before new resume writers named their resume business. My database of more than 4,000 resume writers was a good resource for checking to see if a business name had been taken.

With the advent of the BeAResumeWriter.com member directory, I'm now getting a window into great resume writing business logos. Whether you have a free or paid account on BeAResumeWriter.com, you can upload your business logo as part of your directory listing. (If you're not a member of the site, or you're not logged in, you can't see the business logos. But log in as a free member and you can see them!)

An interesting logo is often one of the keys to brand recognition. It's great if someone can see your logo and immediately feel connected to you and your resume writing business. That's tremendously powerful -- especially because the job search and seeking out a resume writer are intensely personal experiences. Making an emotional connection with your logo can immediately build interest, excitement, and trust. Almost every resume writing business can benefit from creating an interesting logo. Here are some tips and strategies to help you do just that.

Relevance
Consider the career services industry. The first thing to think about when you're creating a logo is that the images, colors, and fonts you use all need to be relevant to our industry. Creativity is one of the hallmarks of being a resume writer. So is professionalism. Please, please don't use Comic Sans font in your resume business logo! Just as an IT management company shouldn't use Zapf Chancery as their font, your resume business shouldn't use something as boring as Times New Roman in yours!

Also consider images and graphics. Logos connected to writing tools, paper, and writing implements make sense. Check out these logos:

 (Tracey Kampes, Resume Success)

 (Norine Dagliano, ekm inspirations)

Attention Grabbing
Your logo will ideally grab your prospect's attention immediately -- in a good way. There are shocking and sometimes awful logos that grab your attention. However, generally that's not the goal. You want to make a strong positive impact. Eye catching simply means that it stands out from the other logos in your industry and on your website and marketing materials.

Here's my business logo. We selected the color to be eye-catching. And the image of the light bulb evokes creativity and inspiration.

Here's the new BeAResumeWriter.com logo:

He also did a vertical version (for use with Facebook and Twitter):

Consider how your logo will look both online AND offline.

Easy to Read 
You might think this would be an obvious element to an interesting logo. Yet many logos are downright difficult to read. There are many factors that play a role in readability. They include the font and also the font size. Also, the background color and the color of the lettering are important. For example, yellow lettering on an orange background could be very difficult for most people to read.

Ugh: 

Ugly: 

Simple
An interesting logo doesn't need to be complicated. In fact, visually complicated images are often ignored. Simple, strong and clear logos tend to perform much better than trying to convey a complicated message.

  (Rosalind Kimber, Careers Boutique)

Brand Image
Also consider your brand image. Ideally your logo will match your brand image. For example, if your resume writing practice focuses on federal resumes, then you will ideally choose colors and images that support that brand. It wouldn't make sense to go with a gray logo with black lettering in this case.

 (Camille Carboneau Roberts, CC Career Services)

Memorable
Finally, an interesting logo is memorable. Think about the logos that are forever embedded in your mind. Coca Cola, McDonalds, Nike, Google, Harley Davidson, MTV, Gucci, Target, and Starbucks are all memorable logos that you can probably envision without too much effort. These logos are simple, memorable and they relate to the companyís brand and personality. In fact, they contribute to it.

You can create your own logo with a little time and effort. There are very useful design programs online. If you're struggling to create your own business logo, consider hiring a professional. (But not my husband ... I've got plenty of projects lined up for him to work on!) Having a logo designed for $100-$300 can be a great investment in your business.