Let’s suppose you have a set of PLR articles and you’re looking for something fresh and new to do with them. You know by this point that most everyone else is going to use the content in the simplest way possible (such as putting the content on their blogs).
Which makes you wonder: what can you do with these articles to make them unique?
Here’s one answer: turn your PLR articles into valuable tools.
Here are examples of the types of tools I’m referring to:
· Worksheets.
· Checklists.
· Cheat sheets.
· Planners.
· Calendars.
· Templates.
· Swipes.
· Infographics.
And similar tools that are relevant to your niche.
The point is to give your prospects and customers items they can use to act on the information they’ve learned (or about to learn).
For example, if you’re teaching people how to write a sales letter, then you might offer them a sales letter template to make it quicker and easier for them to create effective sales copy.
Another example: if you’re teaching people how to lose weight through healthy eating, then you might offer a set of meal plans to make it easier for them to figure out what to eat.
One more example: if you’re teaching people how to brainstorm and pick a niche, then you might offer a swipe file of niche ideas as a starting point for your readers to begin their brainstorming.
Now that you have an idea of how it all works, let’s get into the step-by-step instructions of using this strategy in your own business. Read on…
Tutorial
Here are the three steps you need to take to turn your PLR articles into useful tools:
Step 1: Explore Your Options.
Step 2: Evaluate PLR Articles.
Step 3: Edit Your Chosen Articles.
Let’s look at each of these steps in more detail…
Step 1: Explore Your Options
The first thing you need to determine is what sorts of tools your prospects may be interested in. As you explore your options, you’ll need to ask yourself these questions:
What does the market research reveal?
In other words, what sorts of tools are your prospects already interested in? What sorts of tools are they purchasing elsewhere?
Here’s how you can find out what your market wants:
· See what they’re already buying. Check your competitors’ sites, as well as marketplaces such as ClickBank.com and JVZoo.com. Look for tools that are bestsellers, as well as multiple vendors selling similar tools. (Plenty of competition is a sign that a particular product is in high demand.)
· Find out what your market is talking about. Read product reviews from customers. See what your prospects are discussing on blogs, forums and social media. In other words, spend some time “eavesdropping,” as that will give you an idea of what your market wants.
For example, if you read a review about a diet guide and several reviewers say they wish the guide included meal plans, that’s a clue about what your market wants.
· Ask your market what they want. This is where you directly survey your market to find out what sorts of tools they want. Keep in mind that what people say they want can be different than their behavior (i.e., what they actually buy and consume), so don’t use this method in isolation. Be sure to ask open-ended questions, as this will open you up to possibilities you may have never even thought of.
Once you’ve figured out what sorts of tools appeal to your market, then here’s the next question to ask yourself…
What tools would be a good fit with my sales funnel?
Here you need to zoom out and look at the big picture. Namely:
1. How will these tools fit into your overall sales funnel? For example, are you going to offer the tool as a free lead magnet to draw prospects into your sales funnel? Will your tool be a low-cost tripwire product that you use to turn new subscribers into cash-paying customers?
Point is, you need to determine how your tool will fit into your sales funnel before you create it. That’s because its place in the sales funnel will determine the price you charge for the tool (if any), as well as what sort of offer you’ll embed into the tool. Which brings us to the next point…
2. What will you sell on the backend of your tools? Namely, what offer will you embed directly into the tool? For example, if you’re selling a sales letter template, you might promote a copywriting course on the backend.
Be sure you figure out the above issues first. Once you’ve done that and you know what sort of tool you want to create and what you’d like to promote on the backend, then move onto the next step…
Step 2: Evaluate PLR Articles
Now what you know what sort of tool you’d like to create, your next step is to evaluate your existing private label rights articles to determine which ones are a good fit for this product. If you don’t have any existing articles, then you’ll need to evaluate PLR articles from vendors to see which ones will best suit your needs.
In all cases, here’s what you’re looking for:
· Well-written PLR. You want to be sure the content reads well, as that means you’ll spend less time tweaking it to make it more coherent.
· Factually accurate PLR. If you see even one factual error in the content, then all of it becomes suspect. Stick with the PLR content that is well-researched and accurate.
· PLR articles from a reputable source. Even if content is well-written and factually accurate, you need to be 100% sure that you’re buying from a respected vendor. That’s because a shady vendor may be trying to pass off someone else’s content as their own (meaning they may not even have the rights to sell the PLR to you). As such, be sure to research the vendor thoroughly to be sure you’re dealing with someone who’s honest and reputable.
Beyond that, the content you’re seeking is going to depend on the type of tool you intend to create.
For example, if you’re looking to create a checklist, then select articles with plenty of steps and sub-steps. You can then pull out all these steps to create your checklist.
We’ll cover this in more detail in the next step. Read on…
Step 3: Edit Your Chosen Articles
The first thing you need to keep in mind is that you don’t need to directly convert one article into one tool. In many cases, you may find that your tool is more useful and comprehensive if you create it using multiple articles.
So, with that in mind, here’s how to edit your PLR articles to create your tools…
Checklists. You can easily convert step-by-step (how to) articles into checklists by pulling the main how-to steps out of the content. If needed, rewrite them to be succinct.
NOTE: You can put a short blank line (e.g., ____) at the end of each point so that users can check off the item after they’ve completed it. Alternatively, you can phrase the item in the form of a question. E.G., “Did you do your market research on Amazon?”
Cheat sheets. These tend to have a lot of steps and tips, but very little in-depth information. As such, you can compile cheat sheets by using both step-by-step articles and tips articles. Keep each point succinct, and list as many steps, tips and ideas as you can fit on one page.
Worksheets. Here you need to create something that will help people act on the information they’ve been learning. As such, you can use a step-by-step article to create the basis for your worksheet.
For example, let’s suppose you want to create a worksheet to help online marketers create a sales letter. In this case, you’d use one or more step-by-step articles on the topic of creating a sales letter. You’d then ask questions or request that users record information on the worksheet.
For example, let’s suppose that one step is to “create a benefit-driven headline.” You’d pull this step out of the article, and then ask your worksheet users to do the following:
· List the benefits of your product.
· Rank these benefits in order of importance to your prospects.
· Brainstorm headlines that showcase the top two or three benefits.
In the section where you ask users to brainstorm, you can provide a set of a dozen or so templates or swipes to inspire them.
Next…
Planners. Here you can take one or more step-by-step articles, and then assign a timeline to the steps.
For example, let’s suppose you have an article on the topic of setting up a blog. The steps might include:
· Choosing a niche.
· Getting a domain.
· Securing hosting.
· Installing a WordPress blog.
· Creating content for the blog (ongoing).
· Promoting the blog (ongoing, multiple traffic-generation steps).
You can then assign timelines to each of these steps. For example, on the first day your may instruct users to choose a niche. On Day 2, you’ll have them get a domain, secure hosting, and install the blog. And then you continue on by giving users a specific timeline of when to complete specific steps.
Swipes. In order to create swipes, look for articles with a lot of ideas or examples (e.g., look for “top ten” list articles).
For example, if you have an article about how to create compelling book titles, and the article lists a dozen examples, you can use this list to start your swipe file. Ideally, you’ll use multiple articles so that you have dozens of swipes to share.
Templates. In this case, you’ll look for the same types of articles as you do for swipe files: that is, articles with a lot of examples. The difference is that you create a fill-in-the-blank template out of the example.
For example, let’s suppose you’re creating headline templates. And let’s suppose you have an article with examples, such as this headline: “How to Lose Weight the Quick and Easy Way.” You can turn this into a template like this: “How to [Get Some Benefit] The Quick and Easy Way.”
In all cases, you’ll want to include graphics and icons to make the tool look more professional and visually appealing. For cheat sheets, keep your graphics limited to small icons (as regular graphics take up too much space). For all other tools, you can use relevant illustrations, charts, tables, photos and other graphics to add value and appeal to the tool.
So as you can see, you convert different types of PLR articles into useful tools for your prospects and customers. But you’re not quite done yet. Read on…
Tips
Now that you know how to turn articles into tools, it’s time to kick this strategy up a notch to optimize your results. Check out these tips…
Present Professional Tools
Yep, your users are going to judge your tools based on appearance. That’s why you want to make sure your tool looks professional and polished. If you don’t have the skills needed to create a professional layout and design, then hire a pro to make your tools look good. You can post a project on a site like upwork.com, or search for a reliable freelancer on a site like fiverr.com.
Offer Actionable Content
Remember, your tools are designed to help people take action. As such, that means you should be creating a tool that naturally puts people one step closer to their goal.
For example, a debt-management worksheet will help users get clear about where their money goes, and it will help them plan how to pay off their debt. These items are the first steps in one taking control of their finances.
Include a Call to Action
At a minimum, your tool should include a link and call to action at the bottom (such as in the footer). In some cases, you may even be able to embed your offer directly into the tool.
Let’s suppose you have a worksheet for dieters to help them determine how many calories to eat each day. Right within the worksheet you may remind users that not all calories are created equal, and then point to a dieting guide to help them eat the right kinds of foods.
Encourage Users to Print the Tool
Your goal is to get your users to use your tool often, which means they’ll be seeing your link and call to action often. One way to encourage users to do this is by suggesting that they print off the tool. If they do this and lay it on their desk, they’re more likely to use it. (Because if they don’t print it off, it will start gathering virtual dust on their hard drive, as they’re likely to forget about it.)
Add Value to Your Tools
The point here is to give your users extra tips and information. If your tool is part of a bonus alongside a paid product, then be sure your tips and additional information are not found inside the main guide.
For example, if you have a dieting checklist, you might offer extra information such as:
· A sample meal plan.
· One or two example recipes.
· Tips for using ingredient substitutions to cut calories.
And similar. If you add value, your users will not only be more satisfied with your tool, they’re also likely to reference it more often.
Create a Relevant, Compelling Title
As with any asset you create out of PLR articles, you need to create a compelling title.
E.G., “The Copywriter’s Checklist for Creating High-Converting Sales Letters.” (That’s much better than “Sales Letter Checklist,” which is descriptive but not very exciting.)
Make Use of Color Blocks
Some of your tools (such as cheat sheets) are limited in size. In those cases, you may use icons (like an “question mark” icon or a light bulb icon), but you’re unlikely to use other graphics as they simply take up too much room.
So, here’s a solution to draw in reader’s eyes without using graphics: use color blocks. For example, put your link and call to action inside a color block, which attracts attention without eating up additional space.
Now let’s wrap things up…
Conclusion
And that concludes this tutorial on how to turn PLR articles into valuable tools such as worksheets, checklists, cheat sheets and more.
As you discovered, this is a worthwhile use of your time and your PLR articles, as people place a high value on these tools. Plus, people who use the tools tend to be satisfied (since they’re getting good results), so they’ll come back to your site to solve additional problems.
Bottom line, these tools work well as lead magnets, tripwire offers, bonus products and more. But they won’t work for you if you never get around to creating them, so set some time aside right now to start planning how to create your next worksheet, checklist, or other tool!