The way I see it, there are 3 basic ways to get unique content for your web site:
- Create it yourself
- Buy Private Label Right (PLR) articles and rework them into something new
- Hire a ghostwriter to write it for you.
The first option is, of course, the least expensive in monetary terms. However, you will need to make a significant investment of time and in many cases, that might end up being a lot more expensive in the long run.
I often read about writers who say they can turn out several 500-word articles per hour. Let me say right now – I am not one of those writers. I tend to over-analyze things and have been known to stare at a blank screen or two – especially when writing for a client in a niche or industry that is new to me. However, when I am writing about something I am already very familiar with or am passionate about – the writing usually flows much more smoothly – and much faster.
Ideally, the content you need to create will fall into this latter category. (You did choose a topic or niche you actually like and want to learn more about, right? 
) If so and you happen to enjoy writing – you are way ahead of the game.
Simply schedule blocks of time for content creation just like you would for a dental check-up or any other necessary appointment. Then, set realistic goals based on the amount of time you have available and try to achieve them. In my opinion, it is much, much better to produce 2 or 3 quality articles per week than to set unattainable goals and end up discouraged and doing nothing.
Look at it this way: 2 high-quality articles per week submitted to 10 article directories will generate approximately 40 back links (assuming each directory allows 2 links) – not including all the links created when other online publishers pick up and republish your content. Do that 48 weeks a year and within a year, you will have 96 articles out there driving targeted traffic to your site and a minimum of 1,920 quality back links pointing to your site.
I have a feeling once you start seeing some of the results of this modest effort, you will get excited and want to ramp up your production schedule. Imagine the above scenario with 20 new articles per week. Yep, that is 400 back links added per week , 960 articles in circulation after a year – and… drum roll please… 19,200 back links (again, not counting when your work is picked up and republished by others).
Tomorrow, we’ll look at how (and how NOT) to incorporate PLR articles and ghostwriters into the mix to make this happen!
Til Next Time,
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Hi Trish,
The most challenging part for me is actually sticking to a writing schedule. I do make the effort and block off chunks of time, but it is so easy to get distracted.
However, I do agree that even if you end up only getting one good article out, you are still in a better position than not doing any at all.
So I guess the take away would be just start writing
.
Keep the great tips coming.
Omar
As a full-time professional writer, I know about that “blank” page of which you comment! A quote I have had on my business office door for years reads “Writing is easy; you just stare at a blank page until drops of blood form on your forehead!”
I’m doing your 90-day challenge and am happy to report I have added a number of new blogs to my site and have submitted several articles to several sites (I find myself gravitating toward the ones that compensate writers vs. simply submitting for free). Because I have so many client projects to work on during the day, I have found that the best time for me to write my own articles and blogs is while the rest of the world sleeps. Though I have not crafted even 30 articles or blogs (yet), I am much farther on that path than I was before your challenge!
I am also following your blog – great content all the time! The information you so succinctly provide in marketing both my site and myself as a professional writer has saved me countless hours of my own time! Thanks Trish!
Hi Omar.
I agree completely. I sometimes find that after spending hours writing for others the LAST thing my brain wants to do is start working on my own projects. It is hard to do sometimes.
The thing I keep reminding myself is that time is going to pass one way or another – I would rather look back 6 months from now and say – “Wow! The results from those two articles a week has really started to add up!” (vs. saying “Darn! Where did the time go? I’m really going to have to get on this some day…”)
Hi Vicque
Thank you so much for such a wonderful comment. What a nice thing to wake up to this morning – so glad to hear you are finding value with the 90-Day Content Marketing Challenge.
As a fellow writer, I totally understand what you mean about submitting to directories that offer compensation vs. those who don’t. (I will cover this topic in my upcoming report on Article Directories).
In the meantime, here are a couple things to keep in mind if you are using your articles for SEO purposes (as well as to build a residual compensation base). Check to see if the site is a “DoFollow” or “NoFollow” directory. I have a number of articles with Associated Content – which is NoFollow – so they do not provide much SEO benefit.
However, they do generate a small amount of traffic – and my objective there is to eventually build a small, but steady residual income stream. (My goal is to create the equivalent of a car payment at some point.
). So, once I submit an article elsewhere and get it indexed – I will add it there as “Display Only” so that I start earning based on page views. No harm. No foul.
Going forward, I will use AssociatedContent.com for articles I want to write (i.e. travel, gardening, local attractions, etc…) and submit them as original (under either “exclusive” or “non-exclusive”) for up-front payment (which can range anywhere from $1 – $20 per article) along with residual income based on page views.
Not a lot of money – but also some unique tax advantages to that approach (I’m not an accountant and I don’t play one on TV – so won’t get into that here!
)
Thanks again for the great comment! Now off to face another blank screen!
Those numbers really showed me what great potential article writing has. I never thought about it like that. Still don’t have that publishing schedule I was supposed to come up with bad, bad!
Don’t be hard on yourself! The most important thing (in my opinion) is to just do one thing every day – no matter how small it is – to move your business (and yourself) forward. I also think it is very, very important to know what your “big goal” is – what are you trying to achieve and what baby steps can you take each day to get there?
For what it is worth, I am posting an update tomorrow re: the results of the first 30 days of the 90-Day Content Marketing Challenge – and will come clean on those areas where I didn’t hit the goals I set for myself.
However, the things I did do “right” have yielded very promising results – and have REALLY encouraged me to keep moving forward.
Remember, slow and steady wins the race!
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