Content is King

Introduction

A pencil. Yes, a pencil. In my opinion, every great idea has started with a pencil. Sure, lots stay in someone's head, but to me a great idea doesn't have any value until it's written down. Until it's written down it's just dust I the wind: here today and quickly forgotten tomorrow.

But, every great idea needs a little something extra. Maybe you're great at design, but you simply can't write worth a darn. Or, maybe, you have the best idea for a website, but no real way to get the word out. Either way, we all have different skills and we all have something to give and wouldn't mind getting a little something in return.

The website I'm talking about today is really about just that: getting something valuable in return for something valuable. Whether you are a website owner or a writer, this website has been rather successful at giving you what you need, when you need it.

Constant Content is all about giving webmasters the content they need to make their sites great while at the same time giving authors the exposure and income they need to keep doing what they are great at. At it's core, it's about allowing people to play to everyone's strengths.

The Gist of the Gist

There are really two parts to Constant Content. If you are a webmaster, there are hundreds of articles available for you as free content, licensed content or exclusive content. Constant Content will even have content custom written for you if you don't find what you need!

It's a little bit like having hundreds of writers sitting around at your beck and call. Some would call it spoiled, but I call it a dream come true.

The flipside of this equation is for authors. As you can tell, I'm an author. I've written articles, reviews, tutorials and curriculum for magazines, universities, books? You name it, I've done it. For me the two hardest parts about being an author are exposure and a revenue stream. Either you can't find enough work, or the work you find doesn't pay you often enough or well enough to make life easy.

For writers, this is where Constant Content comes in. It provides you a place to showcase your work, to license it (lots of people buy, lots of money for you) and even to sell exclusive, lucrative, licenses of content you prepare.

As I said before, Constant Content really is about connecting webmasters and writers up to form a team. A very cool concept which works very well.

Webmasters, Put Your Hands in the Air!

By now any smart webmaster should be aware that content is what makes the site go round. Even if all you have is an Ecommerce site, it's still ultimately the content on that site which gives it legs. Your users need to know certain things, and content is what fills them in. Whether it's articles, reviews, tutorials, essays or editorials, every site benefits from new, professional content.

Before we get in too deep to how you can get that great content right now, let me go through some of the basics of how Constant Content works for site owners. The process is fairly simple. You go to the Constant Content site. Then you find the type of content you are looking for (there are several ways of narrowing it down). Once you've found a piece you like, you are able to see a preview of it to make sure it fits with the overall tone of your site.

You then have a choice. Do you want a "Usage" license or a "Unique" license. A Usage license basically means you are allowed to use the license, but so is anyone else who buys a Usage license. It gives you the content you need, but does not guarantee you won't find it elsewhere. The flipside of this is that the content is very well priced: often in the 10-20$ range, which isn't bad at all. If you're looking for exclusive rights to a piece of content though, you will need to purchase a Unique license. This will guarantee that nobody else buys the piece in question. It's a bit like buying a print of a famous painting versus buying the original. Both are great, both will work, it just depends on your needs.

Ultimately, there is only so much content on Constant Content right now, as it is a fairly new service. So, what happens if you don't find the content you like? Well, you can either submit a Request for Content and hope authors help you out, or you can apply to have a piece custom created for you. Sure, you'll pay a premium, but you will also work with the author to make sure the piece is ideal for your project.

Whether you choose to buy content already on Constant Content or get it created just for you, ultimately you'll find what you need, at a great price, delivered with a smile. Constant Content allows you to play to your strengths, without having to worry about all the extra hassles.

Authors, Princes Among Men

Being a writer is tough these days. Either you can't figure out what you want to write about, or you've written tons of stuff that nobody's buying. After all, we can't all be John Grisham's (nor do most of us want to? though the 3 boats wouldn't be bad).

Working with Constant Content has several key advantages, at least in my experience. First, it helped get my name out there. I submitted several articles for free which are now in use on dozens of sites. It gave me exposure, and several times has given me opportunities to write custom content for a decent fee!

The other area Constant Content has helped me is in writing that I've just got "kicking around". I haven't sent it to anyone, it isn't published and it's basically just gathering dust. I can submit the piece to the site and just sit back. Sometimes I'll get purchases fairly quickly. But sometimes nothing will happen for a few months. Somehow that's even more gratifying. The fact that I can submit content, and have it pay me for years to come isn't a bad deal at all. It feels a bit like some of the royalty checks for book contributions that I get.

Besides the ability to submit free content, Usage content, Unique content and custom content deals, there is one other great thing about Constant Content: referrals. I've referred several friends to Constant Content. Every piece they sell, I get 5% for. Yeah, that's right. Sometimes I wish real world publishing worked like this, because I know a lot of authors. If every time one of my friends got a big signing bonus for a book I got 5%? I could practically retire.

You Too Can be King!

While I'd hate to be really cliché and say Constant Content provides a win-win situation, I really have to. If you're a webmaster you have access to a growing repository of reasonably priced content. If you're an author, you have an easy forum to not only let your writing speak for itself, but to make some decent money while you're at it. Visit Constant Content now at http://www.constant-content.com to find out more and to sign up for your account.

About The Author

Chris Ross

In The News:


American Writers & Artists Inc. Announces New Version of One of Its Flagship ...
PR Web (press release)
The leading publisher of direct-response and web copywriting training programs has just completed an overhaul of The Masters Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. The Masters Program has always been one of my favorites. American Writers & Artists Inc.

and more »

On Responsive Copywriting
Business 2 Community
By Susan Silver, Published May 22, 2012 There is a double meaning to the phrase responsive copywriting. Let me explain exactly what I mean. I am not talking about traditional direct marketing. I am talking about writing copy for responsively designed ...


Gary Halbert, Direct Response Copywriter, Lives on Through Doberman Dan's ...
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Gary Halbert, famed direct response copywriter, is reaching an entirely new online audience through Doberman Dan's Newsletter. The tips and tricks that Gary Halbert taught Dan about copywriting are now available in a monthly subscription newsletter ...

and more »

Adweek

The Spot: Flirting With Disaster
Adweek
COPYWRITING: "You're flirting with a hot female stranger in an elevator," the voiceover begins. "You want to spice things up, so you press the emergency button. Here's what could happen." (Don't worry, she doesn't panic—this isn't reality.) ...


New Small Business Marketing Service Released
WebWire (press release)
Long standing marketing firm releases new marketing service for service based small business owners that saves them valuable time and hard earned money by providing all their copywriting needs. Old Greenwich, CT May 23, 2012 – Taking a business from ...


Business 2 Community

History of Copywriting
Business 2 Community
By Laura Hancock, Published May 20, 2012 The history of copywriting is a long and illustrious one, filled with groundbreaking work, amazing writers, and incredible stories of darn good copy that have turned heads for decades.


English Copywriter
Emirates 24/7
Manage all Aspects of the website Copywriting and communication. This includes but not limited to: Research and understanding of global and regional websites. Generate enough of a learning of the brand's objectives, communication strategy, vision, ...


Business 2 Community

Let's Get Emotional: Conversion Writing and the Client's Heartstrings
Business 2 Community
While nobody is going to realistically sit around and compare copywriting to Shakespeare, there's something to be said about the power of words to trigger emotions; and instead of evoking feelings of romance or patriotism, the emotions make the reader ...


WDSO honors CHS broadcasting students
Chesterton Tribune
A plaque in the shape of the state of Indiana in recognition of her 1st Place Award in Radio Copywriting at the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters competition was presented to Jackie Santos. A similar plaque was presented to CHS at the ...


Is Your Marketing Being Murdered by Your Sales Letter?
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
John Emmanuel, copywriter/direct response marketer shares some of the main reasons why sales letters under-perform and announces the launch of Maximum Conversion: Creating the lifestyle you deserve through words program at www.maximumconversion.net.

and more »
Google News

Can You Become a Freelance Copywriter in Los Angeles?

Is it out there? The chance to be a freelance... Read More

Designing for a Non-English Audience

Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large... Read More

How To Write Direct Mail That Really, Really Works!

So, you have something you want to sell. It may... Read More

Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price

Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing... Read More

Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work

You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More

Writing Benefit-Driven Web Copy ? 4 Steps to More Sales

You've identified the benefits you offer your customers, but how... Read More

Are You Making These Press Release Mistakes?

You've done it. Gotten that press release written. Now you're... Read More

Crank Out More Articles More Often With An Article Swipe File

If you write copy you need a swipe file. A... Read More

16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting

You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have... Read More

Sell Anything To Anyone On The Internet With Hypnotic Writing

I imagine you are the type of person who really... Read More

Who is Your Customer?

When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first... Read More

Hooks, Lines & Sinkers

Hands up if the title to this article made you... Read More

Impulse Writing for Better Ad Headings

Writing headlines for your ads is the most important part... Read More

A Little-Known Secret To Writing Sales Copy, For Serious Copywriters Only!

Have you ever wondered how your copy sounds to your... Read More

Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy

Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So... Read More

The Secret to Drilling Down Deep in Your Target Market

Here's another drill ripped out of the Field Guide for... Read More

Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting

Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is... Read More

Why Copywriting Is The Secret To Your Online Success

Over the last decade, the number of companies selling their... Read More

Can Anyone Succeed as a Freelance Copywriter?

This is a question that can be answered in a... Read More

The Number One Copywriting Technique That Makes Your Prospects Read Every Word You Write

How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how... Read More

42 Deadly Ad Copy Sins That Ive Made

I have read thousands of ad copies online and offline... Read More

Web Writing - Dont Lose Your Visitors Attention!

Did you know that your writing can have a huge... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Web Copy

One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More

The Formulas Freelance Copywriters Employ When Creating Web Content

What is it exactly that copywriters DO when they produce... Read More

How To Write Headlines That Get Attention

No doubt, the headline is the most important part of... Read More