Category: Blog

Facebook Stories have been around for some time and you’ve probably viewed other people’s and companies stories…and maybe even created some yourself.

But have you considered how Facebook Stories can benefit your business? They can engage your audience, grow your list and even sell more products, services and books.

Facebook Stories are not quite what we usually think of as “stories”. They’ve based on visuals rather than written content (images, video and some text) and they have a limited run of 24 hours. Plus, your story will only show for 20 seconds before the next story is shown, unless the user decides to pause your story.  Therefore, it’s important that you learn as much as possible about creating and using these visual Facebook stories to drive brand awareness, grow your list, and increase sales.

As you create your stories, it’s essential you ensure that they are well-planned, eye-catching, and actionable. But let’s start by looking at Facebook Stories can be so important to your business.

Why Use Facebook Stories

You know that visual content is steadily gaining in popularity among potential customers and subscribers, as well as business owners and marketers. So, it’s probably no surprise that Facebook Stories are becoming more popular too. As new visual marketing options develop, try each one out to find out which ones your audience responds better to. Here are a few reasons you may want to try and then implement Facebook Stories in your marketing plan.

Facebook is also actively encouraging videos, memes, and stories rather than written content. In fact, their CEO has predicted that the majority of content on Facebook will be video by the year 2020, putting them head to head with the extremely popular YouTube.

Facebook does have some drawbacks. It does not show content to all of your followers, only a certain percentage (such as 10%). In order to get more visibility, the post has to get engagement, such as Likes, Comments, and Shares. If it does receive some type of response or acknowledgement, it will be posted more widely. Those sharing it will also help spread the content.

Your Facebook Stories also have a lineup of content, so it will show the most recent thing you have published, even though you might have published several items since your followers were last online. Facebook Stories can be a good format to publish in because they are attention-grabbing, as compared to other types of posts. The downside is they only last 24 hours before they vanish.

Knowing the advantages, disadvantages, and business benefits related to Instagram and Facebook can help you make the right choices for your business needs as well as your audience’s needs. With that in mind, let’s take a look at your goals to assist you in making your decisions.

Meeting Your Facebook Story Goals

Start by setting goals for each story, such as driving traffic, gaining new subscribers, making sales, promoting brand awareness, and much more. Knowing what attracts your audience, visually, and what info or solutions they want from you, will help your stories stand out from the others.

Traffic Goals

Getting traffic to your site often includes providing a clickable link to learn more. A story can work well for this, especially if it is breaking news or a special sale that will be here today and gone tomorrow. Add text and a link to photos and videos (the links are not clickable, so ensure that you created an easy-to-type URL for your follower). Track your results. Without those, you won’t know exactly what you did right or what worked best.

Subscriber Goals

A lot of marketers rely heavily on social media. This can result in neglecting to build a solid mailing list. Yet, the two strategies can work well together. Email marketing is extremely effective when it comes to reaching your target audience, building long-term relationships, and compelling readers to take action. However, before you can accomplish all of that, you need to get them to opt-in to your list with an offer they can’t wait to get.

There was a time when offering newsletter updates or notifications excited potential subscribers enough to sign up to mailing lists. However, that is definitely not the case now. Your prospective subscribers want and expect more value. You can provide this valuable, free item in multiple ways.

A free ebook download, a free multi-lesson eCourse, are both attractive incentives to gain subscribers. In this case, your story would be all about the benefits of the item, with a link to sign up for the list and then receive their item.

Sales Goals

Let’s face it. Sales help you keep the lights on. Whether you offer your own line of products and services or recommend affiliates’ items, you need to make sales. Creating a story for each offer enables you to showcase the item’s features and benefits.

Many business owners automatically plan to incorporate visual social media stories into new product launches and promotions. This is because they can create a huge buzz when shared on multiple social sites, albeit short-term.

However, when you use social story offers with other marketing methods, such as social media posts, ads, and email marketing, you increase your chances of meeting your goals and making more sales.

Brand Goals

You need to see and be seen. Maintaining a social media presence and embracing new marketing methods keeps you in your audience’s mind. Social media marketing is a way to put yourself on the map. Every social network specializes in a specific content type, even though they may offer other options. Right now, stories are hot and growing in popularity.

On Facebook, stories are currently receiving greater visibility. When you add relevant, interesting, problem-solving stories, your brand reach increases, as does your brand recognition. Publish great content regularly and you will soon have everyone talking about you, and your products/services.

What to Do Next: Get $10 Off Our Done-for-You Facebook Story Templates

Our Facebook Story Template Package makes it easy for you to create eye-catching stories for a variety of business-building purposes.

The package includes:

Click here to grab the Facebook Story template package.

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own business, help your clients with getting clients or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!

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A lot of business owners wonder why they should give something away for free when they could charge for it. The reality is, free offers are valuable and they work. Freebies are a great way for people to get to know you. They are perfect for allowing potential customers to try before they buy.

While there are many benefits to the potential customers, you, the business owner can reap the benefits too.

Here are 3 ways:

• Freebies allow you to pre-qualify your potential customers.
• They allow you to quickly build your mailing list.
• They give you the ability to continue to contact these people to nurture the relationship so they become paying customers.

Now a fourth:

Even better, they are the perfect way to make sells. That’s right, you can profit from giving stuff away.

Think about it. When you get something for free, you are excited. Doubly so if the person or company giving away the item has a solid reputation that you recognize or trust. So, when you see an offer after receiving the freebie, you’re more likely to buy, right?

The key to making this method work is to know your audience and what they want and need to solve their problem. Your free offer starts them on the journey to resolving their issue, the upsell(s) give them more tools or information so they can complete the process quickly or easily.

The other important part of this is pricing.

Consider the value (or perceived value) of what you are giving away. You don’t want to offer a free 5-page report with a value of $10, then instantly ask them to drop $200 for the next product…unless perhaps you’re following up in person or via phone call.

However, if the free item is of top quality and has a high perceived value, then it may be okay to offer them a higher-ticket item in the backend. For example, if you are a personal coach and you normally charge $100 for a 30-minute consultation, then it would be expected that your upsell offer(s) would come with a higher price tag.

Just some thoughts to help you get into freebie mode. It really is a lucrative model when done right.

NOW HERE: Get $10 Off Our Profiting from Free Offers Templates

Our Profiting from Free Offers Templates Package makes it easy for you to create professional-looking and well-designed content.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in the package: 

Or click here to read the complete details and get yours

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own site, help your clients with their pages or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!

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Have you ever noticed that if you include a printable, a worksheet or some type of interactive content for your customers or to get people on your list, they just eat it right up? They readily opt-in for your freebies AND they’re willing to pay more for your products and training.

People LOVE interactive content and there are a few reasons for that:

• Your product or freebie has a much higher perceived value. If they can print something out or interact with it in some way, it’s more tangible than something they read.
• You’re giving them a chance to APPLY what they learn. So similar to the first point, it’s not just reading. It’s DOING.
• Your product or freebie stands out from the crowd. There is no shortage of reports and ebooks that claim to solve a problem for your audience…but when you add interactivity, you have a chance to differentiate yourself.

And there are benefits for you too:

• You can charge more for your products because they have a higher perceived value.
• You have a better student success rate because they’re applying what they learn. And when your students are happy, they’re going to talk about you and bring you more business.
• If you are a book author and don’t want Amazon to have your customer info all to themselves, you can offer some interactive content they can opt-in to receive. Just mention it and include a link in your book, so they can get your interactive content and you grow your subscriber list.

Some ways to add interactivity with documents:

• Worksheets
• Checklists
• Planners
• Journals

And it’s super easy to create these types of printable documents. But what if you want to make the document itself interactive WITHOUT printing?

How to Make Your PDFs Interactive

Our friend Debbie actually has some quick training that HOW to do this, step by step. The PDFs you create can be filled on a computer AND then saved with the information filled in, so your customers have a permanent record.

Click here to access the training.

It’s actually very easy to do, using drag and drop technology

Click here to get the training.

We live in a digital world and this is the kind of thing your customers are looking are looking for. So offer it to them to further boost your product’s value.

Free gifts or “Thank You” gifts entice your audience to join or opt-in to your mailing list. It’s also a very effective marketing strategy. However, it’s only effective if the freebie is useful, valuable and of high quality. Your freebies pull double duty for you. They serve as samples and examples of your products, services, values, ethics, and expertise. They also enable you to reach more of the people who want and need the products and services you provide.

If you are serious about getting more subscribers/clients, your freebies should be top-notch and something that your audience needs. Ideally, you want to create the freebie only once. However, under certain circumstances, you may want to make a slightly edited version for a different segment of your target market. Here are a few free gifts you may want to consider offering subscribers.

Ebooks – These are great instant gifts, especially if it’s a book you normally sell. This gives it a greater perceived value. When your visitors see that you are a “giving” person, they are more willing to buy from you.

Reports– A report is just a short eBook that is more focused on solving one problem, instead of a complete guide on the topic like a book would be. If you had a website about vegetarianism, you could, for instance, offer a free pantry check sheet, measurement conversion, or substitution chart for your readers to use.

Coupons– People like getting coupons. Offer your visitors a coupon code for signing up for your email list. Don’t discount your work too much, though, because that devalues what you do.

Videos– Offer a short video that teaches or informs your audience how to do something that will benefit them. An example might be a “How to Install WordPress Editorial Calendar” or “How to Get Perfect Poached Eggs Every Time.”

Checklists– An awesome freebie to give your audience are checklists. People want to save time and checklists can help them do just that.

Charts– Offer your audience a chart or graph that helps them to visualize a complex concept. Pair the chart with a brief explanation of its meaning and relevance.

Related Items Bundle– Compile of all of the above if you want to offer an outstanding freebie to your list subscribers. This is a great way to give them an overall sampling of what you do well.

Ecourse– This is a must-have, especially if you are also a coach. You can provide the course through email or in an eLearning “classroom” type of setting. If you provide eBooks, this might be an introduction to or extension of one of the topics.

Challenge– Offering a niche-related challenge via email is a super way to encourage readers to step outside of their comfort zone or to reach their next goal. Consider including a time or point when you give them personal feedback during or after the completion of the challenge.

Cheat sheets – These quick “reminders” are a great way to teach your audience or provide information that is a bit complex or lengthy. An example you may be familiar with is the emoticons with the keys used to make the symbol like this smiley face : ) .

Templates – You can create all sorts of templates that will help your audience complete a specific task or activity. Depending on your niche/services, you may want to offer a few eBook templates for your clients to use.

Blueprints– Blueprints are wonderful way to share or explain a detailed concept. For example, you can create a blueprint for clients that explains, step-by-step, “How to Get Readers Excited and Ready to Buy”.

Planners– Offer a fill-in-the-blank content planner to help your audience plan, order, and schedule content. Be sure to brand the planner with your site logo and link. You may also want to include a few planning tips or associate this download with a “Planning” or “Efficient Content” mailing list where you can offer even more planning tips along the way.

Audio– Provide a free audio, where you share tips. Interview someone in your client’s niche. Interview someone about marketing or another topic that all your client’s can use. The interview can help you gain additional attention and recognition, depending on who you interview.

Case study – Give away a case study related to the type of writing or editing you do. For example, if you specialize in writing blog or website content, you might want to offer a case study with the latest statistics about fonts (size, color, styles, combinations, etc.)

Graphics– Depending on your niche, you may be familiar with your audience’s needs and usage of graphics. If you also do graphic work, or know someone who does, you may want to give away public domain images, which have been edited to include phrases, tips, quotes, etc., that relate to your audience’s needs. For example, if you cater to home and family sites, you could offer 25 topic related memes with quotes related to home and family.

Private Facebook (or similar) Group– Give new subscribers access to an “insiders” group where they can get info related to their niche and/or business. Keep this group “by invitation only” so it’s more exclusive and is perceived as having greater value.

Pre-recorded webinars –Offer free access to a pre-recorded webinar that you conducted or participated in. This helps potential clients view you as an authority and/or a leader in your niche. In addition, you get to JV with your peers and stir up a buzz.

Free Pass– Give away a free pass to your next webinar, event, workshop, etc. You can limit this to a specific number of people (spots) or by time, where people have to sign-up during a certain period. Keep in mind that the event or activity should be relative to your audience’s needs. For example, a writer specializing in local business would need to make sure that local business issues and interests were covered.

Guide to…– Create a guide your potential clients and your audience would find helpful. Your free sign-up gift guide will be specific to your niche audience. For example, if your ideal target market includes new online business owners, you may need to create a guide, which explains the different types of content they may need and how you can help them. A guide to online safety might also be appropriate.

Plugins & apps– Offering a plugin or app may be a bit beyond your ability. If you have a coder friend, they may be able to help you create one. There are also some apps/plugins that you can buy with the right to brand them as your own and give them away.

Free trial– Nothing makes people more willing to take the plunge and take a chance than a free, limited-time trial of a product or service.

Contest entry– Hold a contest. Give new sign-ups an extra entry into the contest or drawing. Another option might just be the standard “enter to win” strategy.

Worksheets– You can give away a variety of worksheets. In fact, you may want to provide a bundle of them. They could include a traffic tracking spreadsheet, keyword worksheet, content ordering form (with the info you need), affiliate product sheet, promotion calendar, etc.

Free consultation– Help your audience get to know you by offering a free consultation, when they sign up. The consultation can be done through email, on the phone or via skype.

Book preview– Offer a free preview of your next book (a few chapters) or digital product. This is also a great way to make pre-sales before launch. Ask for feedback.

Freebie of the month membership– Offer a free membership to a freebie of the month club. People love freebies. You can provide a helpful, valuable, free download item, such as images, checklists, guides, comparison charts, calendar pages, and more. You could also create a more complex, related item or package to sell each month.

Fun printables– Using what you know about your target market, create fun printables that help relieve stress, educate, and motivate subscribers. These could include niche related crossword puzzles, word searches, color pages (adults or kids), cryptograms, hidden images, etc.

Tangible Items– Offer a tangible item such as a promotional calendar, pen, t-shirt, 3-ring binder, or other helpful promotional items. This is especially appropriate if your target market is mostly made up of local business owners.

Encouraging people to opt in and subscribe to your list is an important part of making your business successful. The major money is still in the email list, even when you market in other places. Get your target market on your mailing list by giving them something helpful and valuable, while you build a better relationship and make more sales.

What to Do Next: Get $10 Off Our Profiting from Free Offers Templates

Our Profiting from Free Offers Templates Package makes it easy for you to create professional-looking and well-designed content.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in the package: 

Or click here to read the complete details and get yours

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own site, help your clients with their pages or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!

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As a writer marketing your business or writing on your topic, it can be challenging to come up with topics. It can be even more challenging to find topics that are unique, interesting, and still relevant to your audience. There are a few tips and tactics you can leverage to make sure you always have something to write about.

#1: Dig deeper.

One of the common problems is that we often focus on general topics rather than digging deep into the problems your audience is dealing with. For example, how to lose weight is pretty general, how to whip up a quick protein rich breakfast for less than $3 is specific and still in line with weight loss. To dig deep, trying writing down your general topic idea and then brainstorming all of the directions that it might go. What questions would someone ask?

#2: “Steal” from your competitors.

Head over to your competition’s blog. Read a post, grab a subheading in one of their posts and make that the topic idea for your post. This gives you the power to expand on an idea and make it your own. It’s a terrific idea to help get your brainstorming juices flowing. (you can also do this with industry

#3: Pay attention to your thoughts.

You have thousands of brilliant topic ideas throughout your day as you’re thinking, talking, and reading. The problem is that you probably don’t recognize them, and you aren’t writing them down. Start writing them down. Just carry your phone with you, you probably already do, and keep the notebook app handy. That way you can quickly dictate your idea or use the keypad and keep track of all of your brilliance.

#4: Steal from yourself.

Grab your most popular blog posts and make the subtitles used within the body of your posts to be the main topic idea of a new post.

#5: Start listening to your audience.

Pay attention to what they’re discussing on social media. Join groups where your audience hangs out. Their discussions can turn into fantastic and relevant content ideas.

#6: Share your opinions, experiences, thoughts, and ideas.

You are unique and relevant to your audience. Don’t forget to put your two cents in once in a while and share something about you. Talk about a recent challenge or success you’ve had. Share your thoughts on an experience, a controversy, a trend or other notable event in your industry.

Coming up with unique topics to write about can be tricky. Don’t let yourself get in a rut. Spend time each day reflecting on what you thought, heard, learned and read. Keep a running list of ideas as they come to you. You won’t run out of topic ideas.

What to Do Next: Get $10 Off Our Done-for-You Content Branding Templates

Our Content Branding Templates Package makes it easy for you to create professional-looking and well-designed content.

The package includes:

• Insider’s Strategy Guide: Discover how to brand and monetize your content to attract more loyal customers and exactly how to use this template package.

• 5 Professionally Designed Template Sets: You get 5 different template sets with 7 templates included in each set to use to help brand and market your content. Each set includes templates for a report/ebook, how to article, tips list, checklist, worksheet, slide show and a blank template. That’s a total of 35 templates + the undesigned originals.

• Report/Ebook Templates: Choose between these 5 designer templates to make your report or ebook writing and branding a breeze.

• How-to Article Templates: We make it easy for you to write your branded how-to articles. Choose between these 5 eye-catching templates.

• Tips List Templates: These 5 list templates will help you write up your list content in no time. You’ll get 5 different designs to choose from so you can focus on the content.

• Checklist Templates: Everyone loves a good checklist. Use the checklist templates to give your readers the details so they don’t miss a thing. Choose between 5 designs to fit your branding.

• Worksheet Templates: Use the worksheet templates to teach your readers something valuable. It’s broken up in different parts to make it easy to follow. Choose from 5 different templates.

• Slide Show Templates: Use the slide show templates to create a course or instructional video. Choose from 5 different templates to help you brand your presentation.

• Raw Content Templates: You will also get all of the templates in a raw unformatted version, so you can use your own creativity and create your own branded documents.

Click here to grab the Content Branding template package.

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own site, help your clients with their pages or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!

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Writing can be a rewarding and profitable way to earn a living. However, to sell books and products, you have to spend a good amount of time marketing your business. Now, most writers would prefer to write. They don’t want to spend their time marketing and selling. An affiliate program can help you sell your products (and double or triple your sales) while giving you more time to write and create products.

Creating Your Affiliate Program

Creating your program is a matter of deciding how much to pay your affiliates and installing the technology to communicate with, manage, and pay affiliates. Once those two steps are done, you can get busy recruiting people to promote your books and products.

Add Your Program to Your Website

Add a link or a page on your website. It should be easy to find but not front and center. Your website pages have other goals. If someone is interested in representing your products, they’ll look for your affiliate program.

Email Invitations

Consider sending your subscribers an email invitation to join your affiliate program. You can segment your list into customers and prospects. Send each list a different invitation. Customers already know your products and may be more excited about representing them.

Prospects may be interested as well. You might offer a freebie to prospects so they can learn more about your products before they sign up.

Automate Invitations

Do you send a thank you message when someone makes a purchase? Consider adding to that thank you message, or following up afterwards, with an invitation to join y our affiliate team.

Any invitation, whether your recipient is familiar with your products or not, should outline the benefits of joining the program. What do you pay? What is your sales page conversion rate? Do you offer incentives or contests? Do you offer marketing support? Also, if you offer a sample or a freebie, let them know that as well.

Search for Affiliates

Do a bit of online research and look for other business owners that target your target market. For example, if you write health and fitness content you might search for bloggers that blog on the topic. If you like what they do, send them an invitation to become an affiliate.

What Appeals to Top Affiliates?

Top affiliates have a large audience, they’re motivated to promote your products, and they are active online. Just a few top affiliates or super affiliates can really increase your sales. Finding these folks is the first step, keeping them engaged and actively promoting your books and information products is the second. You can accomplish this by:

Making your books and information products available for purchase on your website and if possible, on their website too. This is easier for them than a retailer like Amazon who sets the price and don’t pay as high a commission rate as you might.

Providing them with marketing content. Give your affiliates a few emails, blog posts, or even reports to give to their audience. It helps them get started and supports them to actively market your materials.

Pay a good commission rate. Yes, when you have affiliates and they work for you, you have to pay them. When you see the money that you’re making, you’ll be thrilled to pay your affiliates for their hard work. Do the math and see how much you can afford to pay your affiliates and still earn a profit.

Once you have your affiliate program up and running, you’ll probably only need to spend an hour or so each month paying affiliates, and providing them with materials to stay motivated and successful. The rest of the time, you can focus on writing and creating more products to sell.

What to Do Next: Get $10 Off Our Done-for-You Affiliate Recruitment Templates

Our Affiliate Recruitment Templates Package makes it easy for you to recruit new affiliates excited to promote your products.

The package includes:

* Insider’s Strategy Guide: Discover the many benefits of affiliates and JV partnerships. Learn how affiliates will help you with your product launch, how to make solid connections and how to find new affiliates and partners. You’ll also learn how to put the templates and checklists to best use.

* Affiliate Recruitment Checklist: So now that you’ve got your affiliate program set up, it’s time to start promoting your program and recruiting affiliates! This detailed checklist will help you every step of the way. It’s going to give you ideas for promotions and recruitment tips so that you can reach all possible affiliates.

* JV & Affiliate Directories: Submitting your product to launch directories is a great way to recruit affiliates that are currently looking for products to promote. This spreadsheet makes it easy for you to track which directory sites you have already submitted to and when along with the results for even better tracking.

* JV Recruitment Email Templates and Examples: These 6 recruitment email templates and examples are going to save you a ton of time. The templates include emails for following up with affiliates that have not responded and those that have already responded. After all, following up is key!

* JV Sign Up Page Template and Example: Use this template and example to quickly and effectively create your affiliate sign-up page. We’ve thought of everything you need to include on this page to make it easy for you.

* JV Tools Page Template and Example: Giving your affiliates as much information as possible will make it easy for them to promote your products. You’ll want to include all the information they need on the Promotional Tools page.

* JV Tracking Spreadsheet: Keeping track of your affiliates can be a challenge, which is why we created this spreadsheet to keep you organized. The JV Tracking spreadsheet is used to track the affiliates you plan on contacting. Then you can keep it updated with the date you contacted them, their response, any follow up emails that were sent and any other notes you want to keep track of.

* KPI Stats Worksheet: The goal of this worksheet is to gather details about your product performance so that you can share the information with your affiliates. We’ve included all the stats you need along with instructions on how to calculate them.

Click here to grab the Affiliate Recruitment template package.

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own site, help your clients with their pages or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!

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by Rose Gilbert
Amelia Island Ghostwriters

Writing advice exists in abundance. Every book and article has another rule that is a “must” for all writers.

But is it all correct? What should you believe and what should you dismiss? This is a tricky question that most writers deal with at some point in time.

Here are a few of the most often mentioned pieces of advice…

Every writing book will tell you “Show don’t tell”. This, of course, is true. Especially in fiction. But not always. The purpose is to make your reader see your story. You want them to feel like they’re there watching the action. However, if you wrote this way throughout an entire book it would be extremely long and the pace would feel frantic. At some point you’ll need to use a narrative or “telling” voice to show the passage of time.

“Write what you know”. Again, this is good advice, but eventually not possible. I love where I live but I can’t set every book in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Eventually you have to branch out and write about other places and people different from yourself. As a ghostwriter I’ve written about many topics that I knew nothing about – until I started doing research. Then I learn enough to write accurate articles and eBooks about the subject. With the right research skills you can learn to write about almost any topic.

Another often quoted piece of advice is “You must write every single day, no matter what!” I write five days a week unless I’m sick or on vacation. I know other writers who prefer to work in other ways. They might carve out a month to work on a specific project and then take a break for a few weeks. These people are usually not full-time writers, they are business owners who want to write books to add to their authority or use as a sales tool. The point is, work can be produced in more than one way. Do what works best for you.

“Plot or plan everything out before you write.” This is another piece of advice that I personally agree with and use. This is especially true when I write non-fiction. I never start without at least a brief outline of the highlights of my article or eBook in place. With fiction, I still have the basic plot of my book written down – though the characters sometimes take off in their own direction and everything changes.

“Never plot ahead of time. Let the story go where it wants to go organically.” This is the panster’s creed. (A panster being one who writes by the seat of their pants and never plots ahead of time.)

No one can tell you which of the above two pieces of advice to follow. You have to experiment with both methods and see which way works for you. In a lot of cases, a new writer can set herself up for writer’s block by using the panster method. You get somewhere in the middle of your project and have no idea where to go next. If this turns out to be true for you then you should consider at least a basic outline.

I suggest following writing advice long enough to learn the reasoning behind the rule. Then, if it doesn’t work for you or your readers — dump it and try something else.

Last but not least here’s a tidbit of advice from one of my favorite writers:

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.” – Dorothy Parker

I think we’d best forget about that one. 😉

What to Do Next: Get $10 Off Our Done-for-You Content Branding Templates

Our Content Branding Templates Package makes it easy for you to create professional-looking and well-designed content.

The package includes:

• Insider’s Strategy Guide: Discover how to brand and monetize your content to attract more loyal customers and exactly how to use this template package.

• 5 Professionally Designed Template Sets: You get 5 different template sets with 7 templates included in each set to use to help brand and market your content. Each set includes templates for a report/ebook, how to article, tips list, checklist, worksheet, slide show and a blank template. That’s a total of 35 templates + the undesigned originals.

• Report/Ebook Templates: Choose between these 5 designer templates to make your report or ebook writing and branding a breeze.

• How-to Article Templates: We make it easy for you to write your branded how-to articles. Choose between these 5 eye-catching templates.

• Tips List Templates: These 5 list templates will help you write up your list content in no time. You’ll get 5 different designs to choose from so you can focus on the content.

• Checklist Templates: Everyone loves a good checklist. Use the checklist templates to give your readers the details so they don’t miss a thing. Choose between 5 designs to fit your branding.

• Worksheet Templates: Use the worksheet templates to teach your readers something valuable. It’s broken up in different parts to make it easy to follow. Choose from 5 different templates.

• Slide Show Templates: Use the slide show templates to create a course or instructional video. Choose from 5 different templates to help you brand your presentation.

• Raw Content Templates: You will also get all of the templates in a raw unformatted version, so you can use your own creativity and create your own branded documents.

Click here to grab the Content Branding template package.

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own site, help your clients with their pages or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!

[jazzyoptin form_id=”1″]

Your information product solves a problem, so you’ve leveraged your knowledge, skills, and experience into an eBook or an online course and you’re selling it.

But you can think BIGGER!

With a few simple adjustments, that same information product can be modified and turned into a coaching program, a program that can bring ten times the price, or more. Here are the fundamental steps to take to turn your info product into a high-ticket coaching program.

1. Divide the information product into weekly lessons. For example, if you’ve written a book on how to lose weight in 30 days on the ketogenic diet, you can turn that into a 30-day coaching program with 4 weekly lessons.

2. Establish your coaching method. There are many different ways that you can provide coaching. For example, you can offer group coaching or one on one coaching. You can provide one weekly coaching session with supplemental email coaching or a coaching forum and weekly group sessions. You decide what best suits your coaching style and your audience needs.

3. Refine your audience. It’s imperative to know who you’re marketing to and what problem you’re solving for them. Refine your audience so that you’re able to confidently create a targeted Facebook advertisement and leverage other online marketing and promotion tactics.

4. Create an opt-in product. You may actually be able to use the first chapter and/or introduction from your information product as your opt in.

Or you can break down one section of your information product into a value driven opt-in. For example, the first chapter of a ketogenic diet book might be about the benefits of keto. Your opt-in could be “7 Reasons Why Keto Is the Last Diet You’ll Ever Need.” Include a promotion for your coaching program in your opt-in.

5. Create a simple funnel. A coaching funnel may look something like this: Facebook ad – opt in – content – coaching inquiry – phone call – new coaching client.

The value of a coaching program is substantially more than the perceived eBook or information product simply because you’re offering personal interaction with your customers. You’re offering a weekly session, either one on one, or in a group setting. You’re answering questions in real time, providing accountability and motivation. These are high value services. When combined with specialty information, derived from the information product you’ve already created, you’ve upped the value.

Imagine that $27 eBook or online course you’ve created can now be marketed as coaching and generate $270, or more.

Instead of needing to sell 100 books a week to generate $2700,  you only need to sell 10 coaching clients. Or if the price is increased to $300, or more, you need to convert even less. And realize, if you’re offering group coaching, those 10 clients probably only require an hour or two of your time each week because you’ve already created the content and you’ve created your systems.

It’s a straightforward way to earn more money from content you’ve already created, and to spend less time working if you choose.

What to Do Next: Get $10 Off Our Done-for-You Info Product Creation Templates

Our  Info Product Creation Template Package makes it easy for you to get new clients, repeat clients and referrals.

The package includes:

• Insider’s Strategy Guide: This guide will help you get started creating your own information products and tell you exactly how to use the templates included.

• Product Brainstorming Checklist: Use this checklist as a roadmap to keep you on track and motivate you to release your next information product.

• Product Brainstorming Worksheet: This worksheet is designed to help you feel inspired as you brainstorm ideas for creating your information product.

• Product Creation Planner: This planner will turn the creation process into smaller steps for you so you can focus on one task at a time and not feel overwhelmed.

• 3 Ebook Templates: Use these ebook templates to get a jump on the creation of your own ebook.

• 3 Brainstorming Worksheet Templates: Use these templates to create a brainstorming worksheet to include with your info product.

• 3 Checklist Templates: Use these checklist templates to create a detailed checklist for your customers to bundle in your info product.

• 3 Slide Show Templates: Use the slide show templates to get a jump start on creating informative trainings to include with your information products.

• Arrows & Bullets: These handy graphics are perfect for drawing attention to elements on your sales page.

• Call to Action Buttons: You get 5 different sets including, “add to cart”, “instant access”, “buy now”, “join now” and “download now”.

• 5 Guarantee Seals Styles: Get more sales with an attractive guarantee.

• 5 Download Icon Sets: Professionally designed graphics to indicate downloads for your audio, video, documents and more.

• Editable Product Graphics: The includes 2 book covers, CD, iPad, iPhone, software box, Kindle and laptop.

Click here to grab the Info Product Creation template package.

And, of course, use our special coupon code to get an additional $10 off the already discounted price. Coupon code: 10TEMPLATES

You can use these templates for your own Facebook Page, help your clients with their pages or even include the templates in products you provide to your customers. The choice is yours!