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Combining a blog, list and product - Difficulties I've encountered

by ShaunQ
6 replies
The premise behind my site is that I have a blog, which I update frequently with high quality posts. From the blog I am offering a freebie as an incentive to get people to join my list. I am currently creating a product to sell to my list, as I have decided I'd rather create my own than sell Clickbank products.

My niche is non IM.

My problem is that there is a finite amount of topics and also that I am a perfectionist and like my blog posts to be very thorough. This is causing me problems as I can't just include the same info from my blog in the book I am writing. Of course it would be re written, but I am conscious that if I am now charging for the info there would have to be new info, or the concepts in my blog will need to be developed further.

So my dilemma is that I want to maintain the high standards in my blog, but this means I struggle to create new material for my paid product.

This is similar with my autoresponder series, I don't want to dilute the info too much, but don't want to just churn out repeat info. I am trying to get around this with the autoresponder, by making my emails more actionable, to try to get the reader to act on the info provided in the post.

Any tips for this? How do you write an email, blog post and product without repeating the content too much, or making the content too weak in some areas?
#blog #combining #difficulties #encountered #list #product
  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    Originally Posted by ShaunQ View Post

    Any tips for this? How do you write an email, blog post and product without repeating the content too much, or making the content too weak in some areas?
    Well, it is something I manage to do, but I am having some difficulty thinking about how I do it :confused:

    In truth, finding things to blog about can be an issue - at least, at first. After you have been writing a daily blog for more than 1 year, you will just get a lot better at it.

    Here's my best stab at explaining what I do:

    My Blog: I tend to focus on news, humour, videos, entertainment and mix in informational articles.

    My Newsletter: is simply a round up of my blog - 2 birds with one stone there

    My Products    : solve specific problems that people within my niche face.

    That's about all there is to it.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author betterwtveter
    You need to find hot topics on the internet that people want to read about and use your product or service a solution. Write an article about the problem and use your auto responder for them to access the solution.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marksv
      Hey, I'm struggling with this as well, and I just posted a very similar question without seeing yours...

      I definitely want to give good content, advice, and tips to my blog readers and subscribers, but I also want them to buy my product...

      I've been thinking that maybe instead of focusing on teaching the "how to" in your blog, maybe you could focus on really outlining the subject and educating them about the various benefits, issues, and broader topics surrounding your main topic.

      Then leave the Book to provide the exact how to content.

      The blog would still educate people about the issue, but it wouldn't attempt to solve all of their problems right then and there...

      I don't have a clear grasp of this yet, so I'm hoping we can get some ideas through the answers in this thread...

      Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author The Mysterious Marketer
    Originally Posted by ShaunQ View Post

    The premise behind my site is that I have a blog, which I update frequently with high quality posts. From the blog I am offering a freebie as an incentive to get people to join my list. I am currently creating a product to sell to my list, as I have decided I'd rather create my own than sell Clickbank products.

    My niche is non IM.

    My problem is that there is a finite amount of topics and also that I am a perfectionist and like my blog posts to be very thorough. This is causing me problems as I can't just include the same info from my blog in the book I am writing. Of course it would be re written, but I am conscious that if I am now charging for the info there would have to be new info, or the concepts in my blog will need to be developed further.

    So my dilemma is that I want to maintain the high standards in my blog, but this means I struggle to create new material for my paid product.

    This is similar with my autoresponder series, I don't want to dilute the info too much, but don't want to just churn out repeat info. I am trying to get around this with the autoresponder, by making my emails more actionable, to try to get the reader to act on the info provided in the post.

    Any tips for this? How do you write an email, blog post and product without repeating the content too much, or making the content too weak in some areas?
    Hi Shaun,

    How small is the niche you're targeting?

    Well, you are right in not repeating the content that you put in your blog exactly in your paid product.

    The thing is that you will probably need to add some more new content to your paid product in order to make it valuable enough since you're giving away a lot of the content already.

    Of course there are other things you can consider doing, if you don't feel like adding new content. You can make it clear that all the information in the book is available on the blog, but it is well organized so that readers can find it in one neat spot. Thus, for readers who don't feel like going through your blog, they can get that information directly from your book.

    Also, some other ideas. You can sell audio and perhaps video versions of the book in addition, so people are getting more methods of consuming the content, thus justifying the extra charge.

    What do you think?
    Signature
    @xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::> IM COUPONS <::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}]xxxx@
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Now that I think about it, my process is similar to Will's.

      In the blog, I kind of dance around the subject - news, humor, videos I've found and why I'm highlighting them, interviews, surveys, etc.

      In the newsletter, I do a blog roundup along with a topical article related to the product, but not usually a 'how-to'. If I do decide to do how-to, it's on a small part of whatever my topic is.

      Products offer bigger solutions, whether they are mine or others'.

      The main purpose of my blog is to get people on my mailing list. The main purpose of the mailing list is to extend the blog experience, with the next logical step being a purchase. My after-sale follow-up builds on the experience and points the way to another purchase, and the wheels on the bus go round and round...
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  • Profile picture of the author Anonymous Affiliate
    Originally Posted by ShaunQ View Post

    So my dilemma is that I want to maintain the high standards in my blog, but this means I struggle to create new material for my paid product.
    Which is precisely why blogs suck as a monetizing tool: You have to keep on providing ENDLESS quality content for FREE... It's a sucker's business model! Why would you provide so much free content when you can actually charge for it in the shape of ebooks, premium training videos, upsells, etc? Yeah, yeah I know: branding, positioning yourself within the niche, blah blah blah... non of that brings cold cash.

    Besides, you don't need an endless amount of free content to pre-sell your stuff and to establish yourself as an authority within your niche. A handful of selected pieces of pre-sell content delivered in a carefully scripted email sequence will work just as fine.

    Do less blogging and more selling. Your bottom line will appreciate it.
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