The Content Marketing Tools For Modern Content Creators

...You may not know it yet, but there is a CORE set of tools, a CORE set of principles, and a simple yet sophisticated framework for building your brand, your audience, and your assets as a Modern Content Creator. Today you are going to be introduced, or re-familiarized with the Content Marketing Tools. These are the tools you will be mastering through practical application for the rest of your career as a content creator.

Your Content Production Toolbox in the Modern World

This core set of tools, when combined with your high value content, skills, and progressive mastery over your 5 functions-culminate to equip you with the mission essential equipment and the ability to achieve everything you want, live the lifestyle you want, and most importantly experience unending freedom and fulfillment doing what you love, for those that love what you do.

Stop Looking Outside for Gold When You Can Create It

Currency collapse has ushered in the era of TRUE VALUE, and intangible assets such as content, knowledge, skills, and relationships have become the most valuable form of TRUE currency in the world we live in.

Although we’ve evolved into the New Economy-and a completely connected planet with open access to worldwide marketing and distribution channels, for in some cases less than pennies per prospective new visitor... We all have a long way to go before we actually master the USE of these tools as Modern Content Creators.

For the last three years, (since I transitioned into coaching and consulting) I have gotten addicted to that show on the discovery channel, GOLD Rush. (One of the two TV shows I turn that thing on for)

Anyway I’ve watched it since the very beginning and i’ve been able to see the progression of these regular blue collar cats, each with their own specialized skills and expertise, work together to put all of the pieces together and learn how to dig, process, and filter dirt from the gold rich ground of Alaska.

The thing is, theres an awful lot of similarities between what you and I do, and what THEY do.

As Modern Content Creators, artists, experts, bloggers, comedians, thought leaders in the modern world... We are essentially going through a strangely similar process to this physical act of digging, sorting, sifting, extracting, measuring, and getting paid; when you think about it.

We are simply working with intangible assets, and mining intangible things. Although, arguably the most valuable asset on earth...

We are Idea Miners.

We are storytellers, we are solution finders, and value creators...

We tear up the seemingly ordinary - everyday ground around us and meticulously sift and drill down to harvest those golden nuggets.

I mean, the process is just, well to me infinitely more fun, exciting, gratifying...

Only because THIS is what I love to do! Create stuff. Music. Content. Training. Ideas.

I imagine physical gold minors harbor and enjoy similar feelings.

I get to create my own music, choose my own projects, work when I feel like it, coach, consult, serve some of the most amazing people in the world...

Then after I do all that creating... I get to learn EXACTLY the things I want and am interested in learning, sequencing my path to mastery in specifically chosen areas, and then create some more value to share with YOU...

All by doing what I love, for those that love what I do, by simply sharing what is working and what’s not, and  then delivering you the gold nugget insights from someone who has the advantageous perspective of both doing AND teaching.

So then YOU can get the best information through my blog and email newsletters and if ever we work together on a project or I take you on as a client, you can rest assured you are getting the best.

As Modern Content Creators this is what it’s all about!

We Can Have The Best of Both Worlds

We aren’t about scamming or manipulating, or overcharging, we are about doing the stuff we are HERE to do, fully integrating BOTH sides of our brilliant little minds to progress and actually REALIZE the potential we have as creators in the 21st century and beyond!

We embrace the entrepreneurial aspects, develop the business savvy, and get to know the TOOLS of the modern content creator so we can live our purpose, make NO compromises, and experience unending freedom and fulfilment doing EXACTLY what we love.

Just as our gold minor friends have mastered their respective crafts, and understand the tools in their toolbox and can effectively leverage, optimize, and improvise with the resources they have to work with, we MUST fully accept the added responsibilities, make no more excuses about the technology, and NOT give in to states of overwhelm or other byproducts of digital frustration.

Just as becoming exceptionally skilled and capable in anything requires a committed apprenticeship of some sort, even if it is self directed... We must as Modern Content Creators, very carefully layout a sequential development of our talents and skills, and then regiment ourselves to build the knowledge and a full picture of understanding for all the relevant aspects of and surrounding what-exactly we are trying to do.

Today, you are going to learn and understand the basic set of tools you have to work with as a Modern Content Creator.

Whether you are creating content for a new product, a full scale content strategy, or for a content marketing campaign targeting some specified objective, there are tools we have available to us... It’s actually pretty sweet, but the problem is that most of us aren’t quite sure how to use them effectively.

Its NOT “what the next new thing,” it’s how can we more effectively use what we already have to create better more meaningful content utilizing the tools and technologies we have at our disposal.

Now, I understand the whole “lean startup” idea, as well as the whole fail fast mindset, but I think we can get carried away and that seems to translate in us NOT learning how to FULLY utilize the tools and resources in our toolbox.

Modern Content Creators carry around a toolbox with them, and In todays lesson, we’ll be looking at what’s inside when they open it up!

And again, just for you, I’ve condensed them all down to a simplified framework.

Take out your pen and paper and prepare to jot this down.

Consider this your first official tour, I hope you’ll begin to see how it doesn’t need to be technical or complicated, because I’ve sorted that issue out for you already through many many years...

Alright, here we go.

 Your Practical Functions and Required Skills:

*A Quick Recap Of Earlier Concepts

Remember. It’s all just a mindset. The discovery of purpose. ..and effective use of the tools at your disposal. There’s no need to complicate the responsibilities and core functions. Here they are again.

1) Platform + Audience = To build a loyal audience that loves what, why, and how you do what you do.

2) Production + Process = To utilize the tools and resources available to develop, perform, and produce high value content through targeted projects and processes.

3) Positioning + Branding = To identify, define, and align your Unique Value Positioning.

4) Promotion + Partnerships = To plan and execute successful promotional campaigns, and build an effective marketing funnel.

5) Performance + Profits = The knowledge and ability to test, convert, measure, and profit from the business operations cycle and create value for the shareholders. YOU.

As a Modern Content Creator, you’re core SKILLs are also very simple.

Content Marketing = Content Creation & Marketing (secondary skills involved: Market research, Listening, Keyword research, Copywriting)

Project Management = Ability to plan, coordinate, and achieve targeted objectives through increasingly well executed projects.

Business Management = Ability to develop your assets, to manage operations, the value creation cycle, and effectively turn a profit that is greater than your expenses.

Your ability to build a business that works FOR you, without compromise.

 Winning The Game

As a Modern Content Creator your job is to use the tools to build your assets, and master your skills, craft, and functions - by providing exceptional value to your audience through an effective content marketing process and targeted focus on your areas of management.

The key to success, and the one constant factor that will always be-in regards to those who are successful and those who are not-is having a loyal audience that loves what, why, and how you do what you do. You need a Platform. You need to know how to use the tools effectively.

Your Tools: The Tools of the Modern Content Creator

Let's take a tour through everything you need to know. Keep on coming back to these, trust me, it'll save you years. ;)

Communication Formats: 

First up we got the communication formats... These are the modalities of packaging and presenting the message and material you are trying to communicate.

Understanding the various formats you have at your disposal, and then ultimately being able to choose which one and why to best deliver a specific type of content, may seem like a daunting endeavor, but remember that it’s not like a text-book, there is no right or wrong answer, creativity is the boss, the primary purpose is to make you aware of the options right now, and for you to understand the positive effects that CONSCIOUSLY being aware of exploring and choosing the way you are going to present a message can have on expanding your effectiveness in delivering information, training, creating your art, etc.

Tweet - syndication of short snippets of valuable information such as recommended content, resources, or updates.

Facebook and Google +:  who the hell knows anymore! (curating content and syndication on relevant and interesting topics)

Blog posts - Formal or informal - Initial stage ideas and concepts

Articles - Formal - Further developed concepts and ideas

Slideshows -  Nice compact visual presentation great for reference, can be consumed at ones own pace and is a great format to repurpose existing content to make more accessible to more of your audience.

White papers - Make it an 8-10 pages Document. State that stuff with a white paper!

Videos - Choose from several visual format styles (D-2-Camera, screencast, animation, etc) to enhance the effectiveness of delivery for the content. Video is the most engaging medium and most effective format for social connection on a one to many level.

Newsletter - Intimate communication and delivery of value in a conversational often short-hand way. like the way you’d talk to a friend over the phone.

Podcasts - 10-60 minute deep dive interviews or trainings on a topic.

eBooks - Make a whole BOOK out of it.

Teleseminars/webinars - LIVE audio and/or visual presentation, performance or training on a topic, with an element of audience Q+A and an offering/short pitch at the end.

Online course/membership site - create an interactive environment to most effectively deliver content within a scalable online community and 24-7 access to resources, discussion, support, etc.

Physical products and home study courses - a whole different equation, thats effective for some audiences, and not necessary or appreciated for others.

Traffic/Distribution Channels: 

As you’re probably aware by now, I highly value focused simplicity, so in typical fashion I’ve broken these down into 6 channels. Grab a pen and pad and write this down.

Modern Content Creators are fortunate to enjoy the beauty of low or NO cost manufacturing and distribution.

At a purely “Traffic generation” level, there are only 3 forms of traffic and 3 ways to get it. Head to Bootcamp to go in depth with understanding how to use them all.

Traffic Generation - The Traffic Avenues

Create: Content Marketing/SEO Traffic

Relate: Relationship/Social Traffic

Pay: Paid Traffic

1) Your Channels: Your Platform - The first is the one you control, and your primary marketing & distribution channel, it includes all properties and lists you control directly (email list) or indirectly (twitter following).

2) Niche Channels: Niche Partners/Market Segment/Network Distribution - This is everyone in your global “neighborhood.” The other relevant organizations, influencers, blogs, and platforms that serve overlapping audiences.

3) Global Search Channels - The search engines.

4) Social Channels - All social channels such as social networks, social bookmarking sites, and the larger ecosystem of social web 2 properties.

5) Traditional Media Channels - PR, publicity, news, radio, tv, magazine

6) Directories - Blog, RSS, Niche, Directories etc.

Leverage & Systems:

*These are your core systems, concepts, exercises, and specific processes you use to amplify what you are already doing, optimize your productivity, and maximize your results while you get to focus on doing the fun stuff. The stuff you love!

Market research - you have to know how to quickly and effectively find data, assess data, get answers, interpret information, and analyze knowledge using that amazing tool the world now instantly has available to them. The internet. You have to not only be able to build a working knowledge of the right tools, and the right services to setup your own ideal workflows, but also to be able to assess the perspectives and the meaning/vet the quality of the data you find as you sift through the noise.

Computer/Operating System - the hardware tools and processors that make up that portable business and life management machine.

Your Platform - Your infrastructure that facilities the global connection between you and your audience.

Marketing funnel - the defined and refined lead generation process - content designed with ADD in mind.

Sales funnel - the refined customer acquisition, upsell/cross-sell and retention process designed from a customers experience.

Three core systems - self, project, and business management

The Modern Project Studio - the workstation and project management concept for modern content creators.

Management System - Functional systems in place to operate your business from any computer, any where in the world, with access to an internet connection.

Some ways to get leverage:

High value activity definition exercise - your list of high value activities

Strong habits - High value consciously refined habits for effortless success.

Process creation - system for creating, refining, and documenting effective processes.

Your leverage list - all the activities that you need to do in your business, and all the activities that someone else could/needs/should do.

Exponential Content Production - In addition to using content marketing as a way to continuously do your marketing and pre-sales for you, exponential production is leveraging high value content by having it rewritten and repurposed to generate unique and original pieces of content out of the hard earned knowledge communicated in a particular concept or piece of material.

1) Maximize High Value Content with Format Syndication

You create multiple formats of that content such as video, audio, text, documents, infographics, etc. to reach more of, and better serve your audiences and accommodate their consumption preferences. This also means more links and more ways to share your content.

2) Repurpose high value content through modifying and reshaping it for different target audiences.

Services & software:

So these are the core services, and pretty much the basic suite of tools you’ll need. Many of which are pretty much the gold standard. All of which, I use personally.

• Domain registrar

• Hosting service

• Fantastico deluxe

• Wordpress.org

• Email Service Provider

• Project/Task/File management System

• Shopping cart/paygate/merchant account

• Google Doc’s

• Skype

• Writing software

• Music library

• Calendar

• Backup system

Once you’ve gotten familiar with these tools, you’ll be ready to advance to the next lesson in this series where we will be diving into exactly how you actually use these tools to create better content.

Are you a Content Creator that hasn't yet signed up for Creators Academy?

If you are ready to apply these tools and take your content creation and traffic generation game to the next level, then I want to give you the complete ROADMAP for learning how to use those tools, the tools of the modern content creator, and guide you through how to create and market high value content for the audience that needs to hear YOUR message, YOUR story, YOUR unique expertise/material that you’ve already mastered or are committed to developing at a very sincere level of depth and contribute to your audience, and to us all.

I want to give you this focused plan of action that has taken me quite literally YEARS of daily progress to create for you. For free, as my gift to you!

Welcome to the New Economy, here is your free access to the Official Bootcamp for Modern Content Creators.

Be Your Best,

Jamie