Content Inc. - The Podcast

Sometimes, the name you chose for your content brand just doesn't work. Maybe it did at one point...but now you know the truth...it just doesn't fit. It's holding you back.

It's time to make a change.

Here's my story about making two big name changes. I think it will help.

Also, here's my friend Jay Clouse's story of his name change (with some amazing results).

Content Entrepreneur Expo - Registration is now open.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.comBooks are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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I just refreshed my entire website and made five important changes. Here they are!

One, make it personal. Have the copy come from you, not the third person.

Two, lean in to what makes you, well, you. Your differences are a positive. Accentuate that.

Three, you should have only one major CTA. The most important is that they start to receive regular communication from you. You can sell them things once they come to know, like and trust you.

Four, you don't have to put everything in your copy. Where you can, write secondary articles and just link to those.

And finally, the welcome sequence is a must, for no other reason that if the subscriber confirms and then replies to an email, your deliverability should skyrocket.

Show links:

JoePulizzi.com

OEF Night at the Races

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.comBooks are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

John Mulaney and Louis CK (before all the trouble) have two very different models as content creators. In this episode, Joe breaks down the differences between them and how YOU (the content entrepreneur) need to choose which one you want in order to be truly successful.

Show links:

John Mulaney on Hot Ones

Fereed Zakaria on Prof G

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.comBooks are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

Website traffic from social media sites has fallen off a click for most media, brand and creator sites. Can we even use social media to help our business anymore? The answer is a big-fat maybe...but only if we adhere to the "no-click" social media strategy.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.comBooks are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

Joe's fall travel has begun. The good news is that Joe is listening to the trends. In this podcast, JP breaks down four key trends, including the move to in-person events, the AI-spending freeze in consulting, an overall spending indicator (student loans) and more.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.comBooks are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

Here's everything you need to know to quit your current corporate position and start a content business.

My wife and I (and an amazing group of people) started Content Marketing World in 2011. This is the first year the event is not in Cleveland. I'm a bit sad about this move, but I totally get it. It's so much easier to attract international travelers to a location like DC (direct flights in many cases). That said, I'm a Cleveland homer and want CLE to succeed (which is why our new event, Creator Economy Expo, will be in Cleveland in May).

Instead of doing the same old "here's how to be great at content marketing" speech, I decided to do something completely different. Over the past 12 months, I've been approached by so many marketers looking to leave the corporate world and start their own content businesses. I figure there will be many of these people at CMW as well. So, that's my speech: The Blueprint on How to Quit Your Marketing Job.

Here's a running list I put together on how to quit your marketing job and start a content business.

1. Don't quit your job until you've starting the process of quitting your job (see below).

2. Most fail. You need to know that. Half won't make it five years.

3. Those that do make it (as content creators) are incredibly happy (only two percent regret the decision).

4. First thing's first: Nail your story. Being a generalist doesn't work. What's your expertise? What will you be known for?

5. Think about: Who your specific audience will be? What will you send them? What do you want them to achieve?

6. Focus on something you can be amazing at and forget the rest.

7. Start before you quit: find the story, start your newsletter (maybe a website as well), build out your presence on LinkedIn. Be great at one platform.

8. If you have proprietary processes with your company (that don't belong to the company) save them on a personal drive.

9. Write down your goals and review them often. What do you see this becoming? How will you measure success?

10. Talk to your family. When you start a business, everyone is involved (like it or not).

11. Put aside at least six months of expenses.

12. Find a good accountant and lawyer.

13. Begin the process of lowering your expenses. Things like going to one car or ending one or two streaming services.

14. Actually start the legal side of the business (LLC?). You can do this before you quit.

15. Separate your accounting and finances now. Get a business credit card.

16. What will you do about insurance?

17. Check the agreement you have with your current company. What can you do with a business while you are still working a day job?

18. Make three lists: Mentors (people who've done it - successfully or not) to set up coffee meetings. Contacts (who can help refer business to you in the future) and Future Clients (who can help support your business financially in the future). Keep these lists fresh.

19. Generate revenue before you leave your job. The quicker to revenue the more likelihood for success.

20. When you are a month or so out (but make sure you are ready) have a conversation with your boss. "I love working here...but I'd like to start my own business in the future." Your goal, if possible, is for your current company to be your first customer.

21. Build your internal network at your company now. Odds are your first job will come via someone at your current company. The more internal champions the better.

22. The most successful content creators who leave a "real" job have many ways they generate revenue. The more the better. Top five are consulting, books, online courses and workshops, affiliate marketing and sponsorship.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.com If making money with your content seems like an uphill battle, I have good news. The 2023 Content Entrepreneur Research is out: Books are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

If you are trying to build a content empire, either as an individual creator or as part of a content marketing team, this episode is for you. Here's Joe guesting on Louis Grenier's amazing podcast "Everyone Hates Marketers." In this episode, Joe and Louis break down what it takes to find your content topic, build a niche, how long it should take, how to drive revenue and stupid things marketers do.

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Everyone Hates Marketers.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.com If making money with your content seems like an uphill battle, I have good news. The 2023 Content Entrepreneur Research is out: Books are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

The tide has turned over the past decade. Today, most creators do not control their own content distribution. We've lost direct access to the audience. So, no asset. No data. Creators need to change this, but they cannot do it by themselves. We need the fans to unite and buy direct.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.com If making money with your content seems like an uphill battle, I have good news. The 2023 Content Entrepreneur Research is out: Books are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

I started my first business in 2007. I squandered about two years time because I didn't understand these concepts. Here are five distinct ways you can grow your content business (that I wish I knew then).

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.com If making money with your content seems like an uphill battle, I have good news. The 2023 Content Entrepreneur Research is out: Books are among the top 3 most profitable and most utilized tactics to monetize content.Turning your content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

-------

Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.

This week, Joe answers a listener question about how to survive with your content creator business when your audience is still very, very small. Hint: There isn't just one way. Here are a number of survival tips that will help.

This episode is sponsored by Lulu.com 37% of creators surveyed by The Tilt this year said that one of the top 3 most profitable ways to monetize their content is with a book. Turning your best performing content into a printed book with Lulu has never been easier. Lulu's ecommerce plugins allow you to sell directly to your fans from your site, while they handle all of the printing and shipping. You keep all of your customer data and 100% of your profits.

Create a free account today at Lulu.com to get started.

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Like this episode? SUBSCRIBE on Apple, Spotify or Google. See all Content Inc episodes at the Content Inc. podcast home.

Get my personal newsletter today and receive the first chapter of my new book for free.