For those of you who’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ll know that I started publishing a lot more in the month of March.
This is the first of two articles I’m going to publish about my new content creation process.
In this article I’m going to share with you the secret to how I’m doing it.
In the next article I’m going to tell you the benefits I received from increasing the amount of times I’m publishing.
Delegation (Once Again) is King
I’m not a bad writer. In fact, I really enjoy writing.
The thing that was most difficult for me to realize is that while I might be good at writing a blog article, I’m not the best in the world.
I need to delegate the things that I’m good at doing so I can concentrate on what I’m best at doing.
This is where Alexandria Powell enters the scene. Together we have found a way for her to focus on her unique ability — writing, so that I can concentrate on my unique ability.
This simple act of delegation has completely changed the way that I view my content creation process here with my company.
A Look at my Editorial Calendar
You can see in the following image I have set a target to publish three times per week.
I want to have one video every Monday sharing something inspirational people can use to get started on the right foot.
On Wednesdays and Fridays I want to publish text content in the form of blog articles.
In the past I was publishing perhaps one or two blog articles per month.
Now, I’m publishing eight blog articles per month, and four videos per month.
If I didn’t have the following two workflows set up, there is no way I would be able to churn out this much activity on my blog.
The Secret Ingredient
You might be jumping ahead with the thought that I just hired someone to write all my articles.
The problem with the expert industry is that most often the expertise, the very thing people will come to us to hear, exists only in our heads. Content creation is not easily outsourced!
[shareable cite=”Jason R Owens” text=”Content creation is not easily outsourced! Here’s the next best thing.”]Content creation is not easily outsourced![/shareable]
Until we get to the days where we can sit down into a matrix-style chair and have somebody download our brains, it will remain very difficult for us to find ways to scale content creation.
Meet Alexandria Powell, the person who almost single-handedly has transformed my content creation process.
As you’ll see in the upcoming workflows, we found a way to download information from my brain and put it into my blog.
Once we tackled this step, content creation began to flow like water.
For those of you who are experts, public speakers, workshop leaders, and published authors, I highly recommend you contact Alexandria to set up this exact same workflow in your business.
My Workflow for Video Creation
I employ our time-tested technique called block scheduling. I usually shoot all of my videos on a Saturday morning.
In a few hours I’m able to create and upload all of my videos for the month, yet the blog posts that announce those videos still remain outstanding.
Here is the workflow for creating 4 video posts to show on each Monday:
Jason – Records videos on iPhone (time: ~ 30 minutes)
Jason – Edits and trims the video on iPhone (time: ~8 minutes)
Jason – Uploads the video to YouTube (time: ~ 30 minutes)
Jason – Sends video ID, headline, and publish date to Alexandria (time: 20 minutes)
Alexandria – Creates and schedules 4 video posts (one for each Monday in the month)
At the end of this workflow each of the videos I have hosted on YouTube are scheduled to be released on a given Monday morning for each week of the month.
[shareable cite=”Jason R Owens”]Block scheduling your content creation is key to success.[/shareable]
Likewise there is a corresponding blog post that announces this video to all of my blog readers. These are also scheduled and ready to go for every Monday morning for the month.
At this point I have maybe 2 to 2.5 hours into the entire process of capturing the idea, jotting a few notes on the flow of each video, shooting and uploading all four videos, and sending over all of the descriptive text to Alexandria so she can publish the corresponding blog posts.
My Workflow for Blog Creation
As a precursor to this workflow, I usually use a tool called Evernote to capture all of my blog article ideas. I like Evernote because it is available not only on my desktop, but my laptop, too.
It’s also available on my phone, so I have Evernote with me everywhere I go. I usually use Evernote to make a very quick notation as to what the blog article would be about.
Once I have chosen the ideas I’m going to use for a given month, here are the steps I follow to turn these ideas into blog articles:
Jason – Uses voice dictation on a word processing app on my phone (the Pages app on my iPhone) to create a first draft of the blog article. (time: ~7-10 minutes)
Jason – Sends article to my Content Manager, Alexandria.
Alexandria – Enters a more polished version of the article, chooses a featured image to capture the theme of the article, sets up any tweetable quotes inside the article itself, and schedules the article for publication.
As a rule of thumb it takes me about 20 minutes from capturing the idea, jotting a few quick notes for an outline and then creating the first draft for each regular blog post.
If I have to create any additional images or include screen capture images, like I had to do for this post, that will add another 15-20 minutes depending on the level of detail.
Total Time
In all I am probably putting in about 6 hours of work per month to create 4 short videos and 8 blog posts.
Again, I can’t stress how important it is to find someone who can help you do the very things you are not world class at doing. This has completely transformed my content creation process here at my company and I have a feeling it could greatly help yours as well.
[shareable cite=”Jason R. Owens” text=”Find somebody who can help you do what you aren’t best at doing!”]Find somebody who can help you do things you aren’t world class at doing so you can focus on what you do best![/shareable]
[reminder]What are some tips you have found helpful in creating content for your expert business?[/reminder]
Which email marketing service should I use to get start?
Trick question.
Just pick one and go.
I’ve tried aWeber, Constant Contact, and MailChimp. They are all good.
[shareable cite=”Jason R. Owens”]I’ve tried aWeber, Constant Contact, and MailChimp. They’re all good.[/shareable]
Right now I’m on MailChimp and that’s only because it was free for the first 2,000 contacts in my system.
Most services have a modest monthly fee associated with them, but those fess generally won’t break the bank.
The trick is to start using any one of them.
Just get started.
Don’t get lost for the next 3 weeks analyzing the pros and cons of each service.
Have a bias for action, and not analysis.
You can always steer a moving ship later. The point is to get the ship moving in the first place.
Should I use an email template, or should I go with plain text?
Each have their merits.
Templates look good, and often re-size to fit mobile devices.
Text makes it look like you wrote the message just for the receiver of it, so it may have a more personal feel.
If you choose to use a template, I would stay away from a multi-column versions for starters.
Here’s why…
Formatting, looks like it requires several images, etc. Short answer: they take too much work.
Please stay away from newsletters at all costs.
If you have a heavy retail presence, a newsletter could work for you. But, for authors, experts, and public speakers, it feels like the newsletter format asks you to share 3 or 4 articles at once.
[shareable]Stay away from multi-column email marketing templates if you’re an author, expert, or public speaker to keep the attention on one key idea.[/shareable]
For many readers, this is complete overkill.
If you want to share multiple ideas at once, I feel you are better off with an RSS-style email which shows excerpts of articles you’ve already published on your blog.
It is hard enough for people to focus on a one-topic email let alone a newsletter template that has 4 articles all screaming for attention.
Instead, choose a simple single-column template.
The template calls for a header image, but I don’t have one. What do I do?
Forget the header image. If you can’t fill this block in 30 seconds, it’s best to forget it. Most email templates are just suggestions. You can delete any block you don’t need.
[shareable]You don’t have to have a header image to capture your readers’ attention in email marketing.[/shareable]
In this case, if you don’t already have a ready-to-use image, then you don’t need this block.
Key Take Aways:
For authors, experts, and public speakers, here is my list of take-aways:
• Choose a clean, crisp template and include a small company logo if you have one.
• Boost your font to 16pt – 18pt font for the text in the body of your letter.
• Include one large image near the top of your article to make it stand out to the reader.
• Don’t choose a newsletter template if you are just getting started. Newsletters require a lot of work, so most small teams do not end following through with it.
[reminder]Now that you have a basic idea of how to get started, what will be the first message you share with your audience?[/reminder]
These new rules are no joke. You will want to pay attention to this.
Disclaimer: Please note that I am NOT providing legal advice here. I am simply sending this as a blanket email for educational purposes and to encourage you to pursue GDPR compliance in the way that best suits your business.
I am sending this out to you in hopes of…
Making you aware of what is happening in the industry
Attempting to explain how this could impact you, your business, and your existing email lists.
Europe is enacting new data protection laws (aka GPDR), and they go into effect May 25. Yes, this could very well affect you unless you know for a fact that every single subscriber on your list, today and in the future, is from the US and will always be from the US.
The single best article that I have seen on the entire enchilada is this one, and it is certainly worth the read —> https://www.optimizepress.com/gdpr-practical-guide-to-compliance/
The Time-Proven Model
In the US and across the globe, this is the age-old ultra-proven method to building your subscriber list:
“Give me your email address, and I will send you my free guide on How to Live a Happier Life.”
Build a relationship with your subscribers by delivering great content by email.
Market every last product or service you have.
Europe’s New Model
The new model in Europe requires clear consent for every single thing you will do with this email list.
“Subscribe for my free guide, and I will only ever send you my free guide (no more marketing ever).”
“Sign up for my valuable content, and only ever receive my valuable content.”
“Sign up now to receive my promotions, and I will only ever send you my promotions.”
How This is Playing Out
I was speaking with a lady at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference this weekend. She has a considerable list and mentioned that In talking with her peers, the big debate was…
Do I move forward with my existing list and hope for the best?
Do I scrap everything and start over?
You have no doubt received a flurry of “Changes to Our Privacy Policy” emails lately from nearly every list or service to which you are subscribed. These are moves to become compliant with the new GDPR.
Granted, most of you have subscribers who solely exist in the US; however, take into account that the fine for mishandling European data can reach into the millions. Seriously, just Google “GDPR Fines” to check for yourself. Most US companies are taking no chances, thus the flurry of “Privacy updates” in your inbox.
When you read the law, you’ll see that the companies who only enact changes to their privacy policies are taking a very liberal interpretation. Everything here hinges on something called “fresh consent”.
Fresh Consent
Notice how Michael Hyatt’s team and the US-based company AppointmentCore have taken the more conservative approach of asking people to “stay with with me”. This is called a “Fresh Consent” campaign. This will no doubt lead to massive subscriber loss, but this is the path of a conservative interpretation.
So, with the above in mind, I just wanted to send this to make you aware that this is happening.
To get the complete checklist of what to do, click on the link I provided above and then look for the section titled “What do you need to do to be compliant?”
Here is how you can build a great list and control your destiny.
Those of you who have been with me for any time at all know that I am always on the lookout for ways to help my readers grow their email subscriber base.
I’m writing to share yet one more success that we’ve had recently with a public speaker who used this one simple technique to great effect!
I’ve written about list-building by SMS previously because I heard about somebody in our community who was successful with it.
I was so intrigued with it that I had to try it with one of my clients, and it is working like a charm!
[callout]Get a full 7-page report that details precisely what you need to do to begin leveraging SMS to build your email list today. Click now to get…
3 Methods Anyone can Master
10 Scripts to Boost the Number of New Subscribers
[/callout]
How List-Building By Text Works
You sign up for a service that provides you with:
A Keyword.
Digits to where people text your keyword.
You also get to personalize these two messages that are delivered by the SMS/text system:
The prompt where you encourage a person to subscribe.
Your welcome message.
Once the text system has the email from your new subscriber, it sends that email to your email marketing system so that it can auto-deliver your signup goodie right away.
[shareable cite=”Jason R Owens”]You are crazy if you aren’t using this Oh-So-Easy technique to build your list.[/shareable]
How You Get People to Sign Up
Here are two ways that I’ve seen this used:
The Active Technique. From the stage you say something to the effect of “Thanks for attending my talk today. I have a special piece of bonus content for you [guide, etc. that takes people deeper into your content]. Take out your smartphone now and text GIFT to 33444, and I’ll send this bonus to you right away.”
The Passive Technique. Have the event promoter distribute your keyword and digits. Simply put your info on a business card, on a table tent, on a flyer in a goodie bag, or even list your info directly in the program.
Either one of these techniques are going to help you with enrolling new people to your list.
A client of mine who recently used texting as a way to get people to join her list spoke in 2 different sessions during the day — one morning and one afternoon.
My client received a 36% opt-in rate across the two rooms! This is phenomenal!
Upgrade your reading experience now to learn how you, too, can get a massive influx of subscribers every time YOU speak! It worked for my client. Why couldn’t it work for you?
Why it Works
Not only is having somebody join by text a lot simpler and a lot easier, people feel like they are in a little bit more control.
The user experience is different than somebody asking you to add your name to sign up sheet. This is more of an active strategy and people feel more involved in the process.
Plus, you get the extra push from social proof. If both of my neighbors pick up their phones and start signing up for your bonus, then…I better sign up for the bonus, too, because I don’t want to get left behind.
It doesn’t hurt that they get instant validation an instant feedback from you.
The way the system is set up is that the person ends up getting your goodies, or your freebie, sent directly to their inbox as soon as they register — instant gratification!
For those of you who are not using a technique like this in your list building arsenal, I highly recommend it!
[shareable cite=”Jason R. Owens”]You need to add List-Building-by-Text to your arsenal today![/shareable]
As I begin using this with more and more clients, I’m beginning to see that this technique is working across the board with
health practitioners
business coaches
public speakers
practically anyone who standing in front of a roomful of people in a position of authority.
[reminder]If you have used texting as a way to build your list, how has it worked for you? Good? Bad? Let us know.[/reminder]
It is very common for successful experts to be in business for years, yet not build a considerable email list. The good news is that getting started is easy.
I’m going to show you a strategy for creating your messages and how to put your outreach efforts on autopilot.
1) Make a Plan
When making the transition to using an email list, the simplest things that you can do is to set up a very easy-to-use auto responder.
The trick here is not to write one article per month. Instead, use something called block scheduling and commit to writing several at once.
You can probably come up with 12 ideas off the top of your head.
Simply take out a sheet of paper and put 12 boxes on it.
[shareable text=”These 12 simple boxes can change your email strategy for an entire year. Click to find out how.”]These 12 simple boxes can change your email strategy for an entire year.[/shareable]
Draw to vertical lines on the piece paper, then draw three horizontal lines on the piece paper,
Simply label each one of these boxes with a month and year. See screen capture.
2) Write the Articles
Start something short and easy.
If you run workshops, give people your lessons learned from an event that you just held.
Give people your thought for the day, or an inspiring quote.
If you are an author, simply publish a short excerpt from your book.
There is nothing wrong with having all 12 emails be a two-sentence thought for the day.
You are at the very beginning of your email marketing empire, so don’t make it complicated.
All you have to do is take the first step.
Authors out there have the easiest time of any of us experts. You have already created all of your content.
[shareable text=”Authors are the easiest type of expert to transition to email marketing — they already have loads of content!”]Authors are the easiest type of expert to transition to email marketing — they already have loads of content![/shareable]
I know a very successful author who does nothing but the following approach every single day of the year.
He publishes 1-2 paragraphs from one of his books each week. At the bottom of each email he has a link that says “Hey, if you liked this buy a copy of my book” with a link to his digital store.
Simple. Easy to start. Brilliant!
So here are a few examples. You can do this simply to get started.
3) Turn on the Auto Pilot
No matter which email marketing service you choose (MailChimp, Constant Contact, aWeber, etc.), it will come with the ability to schedule your emails for future delivery.
Just create all 12 of your articles and schedule each to publish to your list, say, on the first Tuesday of each month, or whatever works for your readers.
[shareable]When reaching out to your tribe. Make automation your friend.[/shareable]
The point is you can set up all of these posts at once, and then have your email reminders all lined up for the entire year.
[reminder]How often do you publish? Once a month? Irregular? Weekly? Tell us more![/reminder]
