Marketers Who Are Just Too Smart for Their Own Good (e.g. PLR)

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by Hililuud

orignality doesn't always increase quality, nor does taking a plr and just extending it.

Great marketing can get you a sell regaurdless, so it doesn't matter how many times a plr is sold. Caring about the content more than the sale is the difference between an entreprenuer and a writer.

Like I said, great marketing can get you a sale, but that doesn't make it right. I don't sell junk, maybe some people feel comfortable with that, but I don't.

Now, I'm not saying PLR is junk, and I'm not trying to be a PLR nazi, but that's just my business model. You don't have to like it, but it works for me.

I personally don't feel comfortable selling anything that isn't a quality product.

[BizBoost]

Originally Posted by jasonl70

lol - that was my attempt at sarcasm... obviously a normal dog house works just fine

lol sorry Jason... I was in hyperfocus mode.

Eric

[SiteSeller52]

You know I mainly use PLR for articles, newsletters, and blog posts.

I find an interesting story, or some solid content that teaches one method or another and then I use each chapter as a different article, newsletter, or post.

Now I obviously rewrite the articles with dragon dictate to make the content more like me and my style, but it works, and the value it gives my viewers, subscribers, and those who happen across my blog is tremendous.

We are all crunched for time and if we all took the time to write a new article, newsletter, or blog post every time we needed one, we would all be writing articles all day long and we would never have the time to do the things that are more important.

I think that some people would be surprised to see the sheer amount of people who don't want to wait for part 2 or 3 or 4 and so on.

It's like a television series that always leaves you wanting more, that's the emotion I cater to when I want to keep them coming back, and I do it with PLR content and books.

To top it all off I give them what they want without pitching to them every other paragraph.

I do however use CPA lead and a few other methods every other chapter or two and it makes me some money, but money isn't the focus for who I target with this, these people are used to being pitched to and can see it a mile away, just like all of us can.

I use the PLR to:

1.) Warm them up.

2.) Establish Myself as an Authority (Using "How To" PLR)

3.) Answer Questions Presented on the Blog and/or Through Email (Its good to see what people still need help with or have the hardest time comprehending even when everything they need is right there in front of them. Its good info for future marketing)

4.) Build and Establish Trust

It seems some people just "flip" the PLR content as is with no change whatsoever (except usually the graphics), this is what ends up giving PLR a bad name, especially when it is bad content to begin with, outdated, washed out, written horribly, or the method just doesn't work.

Those who care about their customers and subscribers would never pass "Warmed Over PLR Crap" to them. We want them to succeed with what we theach them, we want them to have a solid foundation in the basics, we want to give them an answer/solution to their biggest obstacle/problem. If they do good, we do better.

Its a let me help you help me type of sittuation. My point with all of this is PLR if used in the right way can help you skyrocket conversions, build a great reputation, help others to succeed, and overall it can help you grow your business while leaving more time for things that require a lot more attention than adding content, writing articles, or posting on your blog does/should.

Thanks to all of you for giving me a place to let all of this out, keep an eye open for more posts from me because I have been holding a lot in for a long time, and I think it's about time I let it out.

To Our Success,
Matt

[dndoseller]

I agree, and hiring someone to do your PLR rewrites is an even faster route to unique content, since it is usually cheaper.

[BizBoost]

Originally Posted by Nathan Hangen

Like I said, great marketing can get you a sale, but that doesn't make it right. I don't sell junk, maybe some people feel comfortable with that, but I don't.

Now, I'm not saying PLR is junk, and I'm not trying to be a PLR nazi, but that's just my business model. You don't have to like it, but it works for me.

I personally don't feel comfortable selling anything that isn't a quality product.

Hi Nathan, for most people, a baseball is a baseball. For all the kids playing pick-me-up games, or catch, in their neighborhoods and local parks, a generic baseball will do just fine.

A purist could argue that an "official ball" will have a more realistic feel and throw more accurately and so on, but it has absolutely no bearing on the target audience. So, why shouldn't a company order the same baseballs from the same Philliphine company that 90% of all other baseball vendors do and just repackage it differently?

If Joe's Baseballs fails to put on the box, "Made with 100% aerodynamic slipcover for smooth sailing!" but Mike's Baseball does... then Mike is the better marketer and mikes makes the bigger sales.

Same baseball... Same quality... Kids are still happy. But, Mike's happier than Joe.

Originally Posted by SiteSeller52

It's like a television series that always leaves you wanting more, that's the emotion I cater to when I want to keep them coming back, and I do it with PLR content and books.

To top it all off I give them what they want without pitching to them every other paragraph.

I do however use CPA lead and a few other methods every other chapter or two and it makes me some money, but money isn't the focus for who I target with this, these people are used to being pitched to and can see it a mile away, just like all of us can.

I use the PLR to:

1.) Warm them up.

2.) Establish Myself as an Authority (Using "How To" PLR)

3.) Answer Questions Presented on the Blog and/or Through Email (Its good to see what people still need help with or have the hardest time comprehending even when everything they need is right there in front of them. Its good info for future marketing)

4.) Build and Establish Trust

It seems some people just "flip" the PLR content as is with no change whatsoever (except usually the graphics), this is what ends up giving PLR a bad name, especially when it is bad content to begin with, outdated, washed out, written horribly, or the method just doesn't work.

Those who care about their customers and subscribers would never pass "Warmed Over PLR Crap" to them. We want them to succeed with what we theach them, we want them to have a solid foundation in the basics, we want to give them an answer/solution to their biggest obstacle/problem. If they do good, we do better.

Its a let me help you help me type of sittuation. My point with all of this is PLR if used in the right way can help you skyrocket conversions, build a great reputation, help others to succeed, and overall it can help you grow your business while leaving more time for things that require a lot more attention than adding content, writing articles, or posting on your blog does/should.

Hi Matt, good formula to follow.

Thanks,
Eric

[bellis160]

I'm relatively new to internet marketing and find this thread facinating. What I can't understand is why anyone would have a prejudice against private label content. Stores are filled with these kinds of products. I'd go so far to say there are more private label products on the market than original products.

My first job while in high school was working for a company that made pickles. I would be packing pickle jars in boxes and see jar after jar of the same exact product being labeled and marketed by at least a dozen different companies. All were selling the exact same pickles out the exact same vat.

Walk through any book store and look for a book for counting calories. You should be able to find about 6 or so and every one of them will be selling the exact same information. Repackaged, relabeled but otherwise essentially the same.

I don't see any real difference between what these companies are doing and what an internet marketer does when he spins PLR. You offer the same (presumably good) content and try to market it better than the next guy.

If the product is crap (doesn't meet the market's need) they won't be successful. If the product does meet the customers need then who has the right to say the marketer shouldn't sell it?

This is something that should be determined strictly by the marketplace.

[Bev Clement]

Nathan I have to say, you seem to have a closed mind when it comes to PLR. I would be the first to agree that most of it is total rubbish, but not all is.

This is where I have a problem with what you say. You are happy to pay a writer to write a report/articles/book for you to sell. You are happy because you believe they will do indepth research and give you quality. Why does the same writer then write junk because they make it PLR? Don't you think they can and do the same amount of research as they did for your request? Don't you think they can and do write the same quality whether they write for a client or creating PLR?

Some writers take a pride in their work, and they don't care who the client is, they research the topic/niche to the same extent for whatever they write about.

I write for 2 types of clients, one is a client who comes with a request to write on a specific topic, the other is for myself, and I may sell that report with personal rights only, or I might make it available as a PLR.

I'm not saying you should or shouldn't use PLR but to say that it is junk just because it has a PLR label is crazy.

I have seen as many crap reports written by people and sold with personal rights.

The bottom line is a crap report is a crap report and has nothing to do with the rights given to it.

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by Bev Clement

Nathan I have to say, you seem to have a closed mind when it comes to PLR. I would be the first to agree that most of it is total rubbish, but not all is.

Yes I do, but I'm entitled to having one

This is where I have a problem with what you say. You are happy to pay a writer to write a report/articles/book for you to sell. You are happy because you believe they will do indepth research and give you quality. Why does the same writer then write junk because they make it PLR? Don't you think they can and do the same amount of research as they did for your request? Don't you think they can and do write the same quality whether they write for a client or creating PLR?

I have a very small group of writers that I pay and I know exactly what they do to create articles for me. They are given detailed instruction. I didn't say all PLR is junk...I said most of it is. The difference between paying someone to write fresh content and using PLR is that I am the only one that has a license to that content. It is mine and unless someone steals it, you won't find it anywhere else. Small price to pay for uniqueness.

Some writers take a pride in their work, and they don't care who the client is, they research the topic/niche to the same extent for whatever they write about.

I agree...I've found many of them here.

I write for 2 types of clients, one is a client who comes with a request to write on a specific topic, the other is for myself, and I may sell that report with personal rights only, or I might make it available as a PLR.

I'm not saying you should or shouldn't use PLR but to say that it is junk just because it has a PLR label is crazy.

I don't think I said that...but I'll take a 2nd look.

I have seen as many crap reports written by people and sold with personal rights.

The bottom line is a crap report is a crap report and has nothing to do with the rights given to it.

Again, I don't disagree, but I prefer not to use PLR and I don't understand why people can't accept that? I've purchased it before and I will probably purchase it in the future, but it just doesn't fit with my business model.

I don't mind taking the position of the anti-PLR guy, but really it amazes me by how many people feel this strongly about it.

My reponses are in bold within yours

[jasonl70]

Nathan,
My only real difference of opinion was that old=crap And that very often the fundamentals are often covered somewhere in plr. My business is based on some fundemental and well known strategies, albeit sometimes with some 'tricks' on the tactical side when it comes to implementing them (which I have shared with you recently )

I've seen a lot of bad plr, that was obviously written by people just going through the motions, but I've also come across some that was really good.

As an expirement, I'm actually trying to put an entire sales funnel together using plr (well, except a big ticket item). Too bad the saless letters for everything I find seems to to suck

[Ram]

Originally Posted by jasonl70

My only real difference of opinion was that old=crap (

I've found the reverse to be true most of the time!

A lot more marketers would be successful if they learned -- and applied -- the basics and quit trying to chase the ever-elusive next new thing, program, flashy gizmo, etc. that's supposed to magically transform their lives.

Ram

[jasonl70]

Originally Posted by Ram

I've found the reverse to be true most of the time!

A lot more marketers would be successful if they learned -- and applied -- the basics and quit trying to chase the ever-elusive next new thing, program, flashy gizmo, etc. that's supposed to magically transform their lives.

Ram

I was the one saying that old did not equal crap

Simple squeeze pages & email marketing is 'old', yet it still works like gang-busters for me

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by jasonl70

I was the one saying that old did not equal crap

Simple squeeze pages & email marketing is 'old', yet it still works like gang-busters for me

I 2nd that and you'll have to forgive me, as I told BizBoost privately, a lot of what I say is intended to keep me from being bored until I return to the states...I enjoy "healthy" discussion

[Brad Spencer]

Jay,

You literally stole this message from my brain

I totally agree and that area you quoted is one of the better quotes I've found from posts on WF recently.

I vaguely remember my junior year "marketing" course at Penn State (lol I use "marketing" generously) and a fact that was published YEARS ago, way before the internet and computers that stated that

"anything that is newer than 10% than the best product on the market will generally fail "

That's not the exact quote but that was the point...

People usually don't like super new things unless you're one of the "early adopters" who has to have all the new cool gadgets and toys. These people make up less than 10% of the population so you better not rock the boat too much.

So, using PLR is a great way to teach newbies. In fact, most of the basic information is already in the common domain (AKA in PLR already) so reconstituting it is fully ethical, legal, and (in my opinion) should be encouraged to be shared.

Business is business and as long as you under-promise and over-deliver w/o selling out your integrity then you should do whatever you want. Consumers who masquerade as "marketers" need to get out of this business.

Let's face it, we are in this to make money. As long as you're not poisoning the well, there's no problem in taking a drink...

Cheers,

Brad Spencer

Originally Posted by JayXtreme

I think you're right..

Good, solid information is what it is.. and if it comes in PLR form first, then so be it. I use a whole heap of PLR when publishing web content for traffic. If the content is worthy of reading then it is worthy of sharing, for whatever reason that may be.

I like this;



Kudos to ya.

Peace

Jay

[Mark .W. James]

I sure as hell am glad that some marketers think PLR is crap.
The more idiots out there, the lesser genuine competition I have.

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by amudara

I sure as hell am glad that some marketers think PLR is crap.
The more idiots out there, the lesser genuine competition I have.

nice...

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by Brad Spencer

Jay,

You literally stole this message from my brain

I totally agree and that area you quoted is one of the better quotes I've found from posts on WF recently.

I vaguely remember my junior year "marketing" course at Penn State (lol I use "marketing" generously) and a fact that was published YEARS ago, way before the internet and computers that stated that

"anything that is newer than 10% than the best product on the market will generally fail "

That's not the exact quote but that was the point...

People usually don't like super new things unless you're one of the "early adopters" who has to have all the new cool gadgets and toys. These people make up less than 10% of the population so you better not rock the boat too much.

So, using PLR is a great way to teach newbies. In fact, most of the basic information is already in the common domain (AKA in PLR already) so reconstituting it is fully ethical, legal, and (in my opinion) should be encouraged to be shared.

Business is business and as long as you under-promise and over-deliver w/o selling out your integrity then you should do whatever you want. Consumers who masquerade as "marketers" need to get out of this business.

Let's face it, we are in this to make money. As long as you're not poisoning the well, there's no problem in taking a drink...

Cheers,

Brad Spencer

When did this become a discussion about new vs old?
My problem is with uniqueness, not new vs old.
I want to own my content, and I find it easier if I just create from scratch.

[JayXtreme]

Originally Posted by Nathan Hangen

When did this become a discussion about new vs old?
My problem is with uniqueness, not new vs old.
I want to own my content, and I find it easier if I just create from scratch.

Not every reply in this thread is talking directly about you/your points Nathan.. although you might like to think so

I think Brad was replying with regard to the OP, not the pi***** contest that happened afterwards

[jasonl70]

Originally Posted by Nathan Hangen

I 2nd that and you'll have to forgive me, as I told BizBoost privately, a lot of what I say is intended to keep me from being bored until I return to the states...I enjoy "healthy" discussion

I grew up with a dad who's a lawyer - I learned to 'debate' things w/o taking it personal As he once told me when I was still just a kid - "we aren't arguing, we're just having an 'intellectual debate' ".

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by JayXtreme

Not every reply in this thread is talking directly about you/your points Nathan.. although you might like to think so

I think Brad was replying with regard to the OP, not the pi***** contest that happened afterwards

Are you calling me an egomaniac? because there is only room for one
opinion in here and its mine Anyway, no pissing contest here...just a healthy "intellectual debate"
I'm off to go buy some PLR

[BizBoost]

Originally Posted by Ram

I've found the reverse to be true most of the time!

A lot more marketers would be successful if they learned -- and applied -- the basics and quit trying to chase the ever-elusive next new thing, program, flashy gizmo, etc. that's supposed to magically transform their live.

I think Jason was saying he differed with the idea that old=crap. In other words, you two actually agree.

Originally Posted by Brad Spencer

So, using PLR is a great way to teach newbies. In fact, most of the basic information is already in the common domain (AKA in PLR already) so reconstituting it is fully ethical, legal, and (in my opinion) should be encouraged to be shared.

Business is business and as long as you under-promise and over-deliver w/o selling out your integrity then you should do whatever you want. Consumers who masquerade as "marketers" need to get out of this business.

Let's face it, we are in this to make money. As long as you're not poisoning the well, there's no problem in taking a drink...

Bravo! Well said, Brad!

Originally Posted by Nathan Hangen

When did this become a discussion about new vs old?
My problem is with uniqueness, not new vs old.
I want to own my content, and I find it easier if I just create from scratch.

It was originally a discussion about someone referring to PLR as "warmed over crap" as if he was an elitist who was better than those who choose to use PLR. His characterization of it WITHIN someone else's WSO was, despite theoretically defendable, really misplaced and truly unkind.

Originally Posted by JayXtreme

Not every reply in this thread is talking directly about you/your points Nathan.. although you might like to think so

I think Brad was replying with regard to the OP, not the pi***** contest that happened afterwards

You got the situation correctly, Jay. Nathan has a valid point to which he's entitled but I'm not exactly sure it was obvious to him, or anyone else really, when his point caused a kind of sub-thread to form. It went from PLR being perfectly viable and well-suited for a great many newcomers seeking to make solid money and get traffic, and became about his personal taste for original, fresh content. They are not mutually exclusive. He gave his opinion about the USE of PLR but it didn't really address the snottiness of the guy mentioned in the original post who referred to some "warmed over plr crap" in the middle of another warrior's WSO.

No big deal... it's been a good healthy discussion, but, Jay, you ARE right, that IS what happened.

Best to all,
Eric

[Nathan Hangen]

And...that's what tends to happen when 60% of the posters take issue with what you have to say...I would have been happy making the first point and walking away...unfortunately for this thread, some were not.

I didn't see you here steering it back in the right direction Jay.

I took issue, and still do, with calling someone that is "anti-PLR" a consumer and not a marketer, as if there is only one way to do business.

[JayXtreme]

Originally Posted by Nathan Hangen

I didn't see you here steering it back in the right direction Jay.

I'm not here to "steer" anything Nathan, you're a big boy now. If you want to jump in here talkin' about yourself all day.. cool

I just happened to see you turn Brad's interesting comment into an "attack" on you (which it wasn't) and I thought I would let you know it wasn't.

There's nothing I can do to stop you thinking that people are "attacking" you, only share my thoughts...

The thread went OT and from that point on, I didn't much care for it. I actually quite enjoyed your strong stance, it shows character..

Peace

Jay

[Nathan Hangen]

Originally Posted by JayXtreme

I'm not here to "steer" anything Nathan, you're a big boy now. If you want to jump in here talkin' about yourself all day.. cool

I just happened to see you turn Brad's interesting comment into an "attack" on you (which it wasn't) and I thought I would let you know it wasn't.

There's nothing I can do to stop you thinking that people are "attacking" you, only share my thoughts...

The thread went OT and from that point on, I didn't much care for it. I actually quite enjoyed your strong stance, it shows character..

Peace

Jay

Jay, if someone directly responds to you in a thread, it isn't uncommon to reply. I don't see how that can be considered talking about yourself all day. Regardless, I don't have any issue with you or anyone else in this thread...I just happen to enjoy discussing hot button topics, I just didn't realize this was one until the replies started coming in.

It happens sometimes when you get attacked so many times in a thread that your defenses go up and you can't see straight. That's what happened with Brad's post.

I do have a question for everyone that uses PLR...when you market it, do you advertise it as PLR or "cutting edge" or are you simply advertising "this is how you build a dog house?"

I remember reading some stuff in the Immediate Edge that talked about using reports like these in conjunction with a Squidoo lens to test a niche. There are so many ways to sell stuff online that I'm wondering if the application makes any difference? I mean, would you use PLR for how to make money online and sell it as a course? Or...are we just talking about repurposing content to save yourself the time of constantly coming up with new stuff (such as in a members area).

[Peggy Baron]

This is an interesting thread and many good points have been made.

I think that the people who sing the praises of PLR have actually taken PLR, changed it, added value, and gone on to have profitable success with it.

PLR is not something you should buy willy nilly and stock up on your hard drive for some day when you might need it.

Buy from a known quality PLR producer who stands by her/his name. Yes, there are quite a few of us here on the WF who do quality work. Buy knowing ahead of time what you want it for and what you intend to do with it. Then actually do what you set out to do.

Your decision to use PLR or not is up to you. But don't slam it if you haven't tried to do more than slap it up, unchanged, on a website.

Thanks,
Peggy

[tommygadget]

I write content for my members and I take quality VERY SERIOUSLY. I do the writing myself. It does not matter where the final product goes, I am not going to add to the web pollution that lots of people complain about. I also limit the quantity of distribution so it does not become tired and old. Having said that, the money is in the right niches and having the right backlinks. That is where your efforts should be focused if you want to make money.

TomG.