Now we’re going to shift gears a bit and talk about content repurposing, also known as content recycling. We’ll obviously share the fact that this repurposed content is available, but we’re going to packing it in a different way first.

As a quick reminder, we’re using a blog as the hub, or starting point, of our content. While it doesn’t have to be a blog, that’s one of the most common starting points.

The one thing you quickly notice about a blog, though, is that “new” content quickly becomes “old” content as your write newer articles.

Those older articles get pushed into the archives. They might be found through a search, or a “related links” tag on your blog, but the spotlight is definitely shining on the latest article.

But just because that content is no longer on the main page doesn’t mean it no longer has value. Many of the articles I write for my blog (including this one) are what we call evergreen. In other words, the content is still good whether you’re reading it the day after it was written, or three years down the line.

We can breathe new life into that evergreen content by lifting it off the blog and putting it into a guide or report. What you choose to call it probably doesn’t matter, although report may sound a bit stuffier than guide.

Let me show you a quick example of how I put together my guides.

Take a look at this article from a blog on one of my other sites. It’s called, Here’s a Novel Idea: Connect With Your Connections.

The article still gets found with a Google search or some reference that another person makes to it. But that article in particular struck a chord with people when I wrote it. For that reason, I wanted to put it into a different format so I could use it in other ways.

So I created a PDF which allowed me to format the content a little nicer, giving it a more professional appearance. (Click on the cover graphic to see the PDF.)

I also put it with other guides on a Resources section of that site. The interest in this guide may lead to interest in some of the others. I can also e-mail it to prospects or partners when appropriate.

If you’re not a designer, don’t worry. Simple covers like I’ve done aren’t difficult to create and may not even be necessary. They certainly look nice on your site to entice people, but it’s the information that people want.

And don’t miss the opportunity to include a plug for yourself. If you look at any of my guides, you’ll find an About page at the end. While I always hope the guides help people, there is a business aspect to them and, for me, the guides can lead to new clients.

By the way, it’s not a rule that guides have to be digital. If you want to print them to send to targeted prospects, go right ahead.

Speaking of printing, be aware that many people will print a digital report for later reading. With that in mind, stick to a traditional 8.5 x 11 (or 11 x 8.5) size. This will be easier to print. I tend to do mine as 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high which is a landscape orientation because that’s the orientation of most computer monitors. But it still prints fine on a regular sheet of paper.

Also, go easy on color. People who print your guide don’t appreciate you burning through their non-black color ink.

Of course, as soon as any of my reports are created, I go back to the social networking channels to share a link to them. And that’s something you’ll always want to keep in mind… taking something you’ve done in one channel and promoting it all the other appropriate channels you use.

Other articles in this series:

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Your Starting Point

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Twitter

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Facebook

Content Sharing and Repurposing – LinkedIn

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Google Plus

This is especially true when it comes to magalogs.

If you’ve never done a magalog before, all the things that have to be considered can drive you crazy. But they’re important issues that have to be discussed, and worth it since a well-done magalog can really boost sales.

Recently, I started thinking about ways to make it easier for the prospect, especially on that first phone call when I’m gathering information and they’re looking for answers to important questions.

My solution is simple and it’s something you may be able to apply to your business. In fact, lots of businesses already do it in some form.

The idea is this: Create a short PDF checklist that you can e-mail to the prospect, and then go over it with them on the phone.

This does a few things.

First, it makes it much easier for the prospect to see what needs to be done or questions that need to be answered.

Second, for my clients who do their own layout work in-house and hire me to consult, it gives their team a great way to ensure their magalog has all the components for success.

Third, it’s a time saver for the prospect who only needs to jot down a few notes vs. writing down everything I say.

This idea isn’t new. But it’s another one of those things we might miss because we’re so busy with other tasks.

As a guide for your own checklist, let me give you a brief rundown of how I structure mine:

1. I try to keep it to three pages at most, and the first page is just a title and brief introduction.

2. I list items that are important for the prospect to know, and try to keep each point to about 3 or 4 sentences.

3. As simple as it sounds, I include a checkbox next to each item so it’s easy for the prospect to know what still needs to be done or discussed later.

4. I don’t go nuts with colors and graphics. It’s likely this will be printed, so I created something that won’t burn through their printer ink. You can see the cover page of my magalog checklist. Avoid things like full-page background colors.

5. I end with a quick note about my free book that expands on some of the points in the checklist, and invite them to join me on Facebook and Google+. Beyond that, I don’t go crazy on a sales pitch. Here’s why…

These PDFs are only given to prospects I’m talking with on the phone. So it’s not a traditional lead-gen piece. The lead has already been generated which is why we’re talking on the phone in the first place.

Plus, by e-mailing the PDF, I can ensure that my e-mails actually get through to the prospect in these days of over-aggressive spam filters.

So let me ask you… do you have products or services that would benefit from a short PDF to offer prospects you’re talking with?

I can’t imagine any scenario where a prospect wouldn’t love something that would help them better understand what you do, understand what they need to do to work with you, answer common questions, or just save them some time in taking notes.

It shows you’re making a sincere effort to be respectful of their time and make their life as easy as possible.

By the way, I would be remiss if I didn’t extend an offer to talk about your direct market layout projects, whether it’s a magalog, book, sales letter or something else. I offer a free “get-to-know-each-other” call where we can talk about your project and determine if we’re a good partnership. Contact me to setup a call.

For any type of layout project – magalog, sales letter, book, brochure, etc. – your designer likely is using some professional-level design tool like InDesign, QuarkXPress, Photoshop or Illustrator.

When he/she sends you a proof, it’s usually a PDF that’s easily viewed on just about any computer. Sending you the actual source (or native) files from those professional level tools would be pointless if you didn’t have that software yourself. You wouldn’t be able to easily open the files, if at all. And most projects are made up of many source files.

That’s why PDFs are so great… one file to see the completed project. That makes your life easy.

Print shops sometimes want to print your project from source files. Other times they’re just as happy with a press-quality PDF. It depends on the printer and the project. Designers are happy to provide the printer with source files if required. (If they’re not, they’re not doing you any favors. Consider finding another designer.)

But quite a number of designers will do just about anything not to hand over source files to the client. This is a very controversial subject and I don’t make many friends in the design community when I discuss it because I’m very pro-client on this.

Why some designers don’t want to give you source files

Some designers are afraid that if you have the source files, you’ll simply do future projects yourself, or hand over those files to someone who will work cheaper. By having the source files, it may save another designer lots of time creating similar projects. Personally, I don’t want clients to feel they have to work with me. If a client doesn’t see any of the extra value I bring to a project, we’re probably not a good long-term fit anyway. So if it’s just a single project and they’re going to use that as template for years to come without using me, so be it.

Other designers fear that the client will muck up the files and create a mess that either makes the end-result look bad (with the blame being unfairly placed on the designer), or cause the designer extra work to fix the mess. To be honest, that’s a valid point; I’ve seen it happen. My personal method of dealing with that is to be clear what the results may be if the client does alter files. If they insist on tampering with the files and causing me extra headaches, I simply stop working with them. (I value my sanity.)

And then there are designers who are happy to hand over the source files… for a price. That’s not something I do – I give them to the client for free if they want them – but charging extra for source files is very common in the industry. It’s a discussion to have with your designer before the project starts and have that included in your agreement.

How I came to my “You can have the source files” policy and why you should care

Unfortunately, “stuff” happens. Real life experiences opened my eyes to why clients should get their source files.

Let’s say you have a magalog that’s working great for you, but you change your company’s phone number, address or a URL. If you’re still working with the same designer who created the magalog, no problem.

But what happens if the designer went out of business and you can’t get in touch with him? (Freelancers going out of business is an unfortunate reality.)

What happens if you have a falling out with the designer and they refuse to talk to you or do anything to help you? (That happened to a client of mine with his previous designer.)

What happens if you’re unknowingly working with a designer who has a terrible back-up policy? Computers crash, files disappear. Happens all the time. I’d like to say that most freelancers are good about making regular back-ups. Experience tells me that not everyone does. How safe are your files with your designer?

What happens if you want to print more copies of the magalog with a new printer, but your designer is out-of-business (or not speaking to you) and you have nothing but a low-quality PDF proof?

Well, here’s what happens: A quick, inexpensive change turns into a brand new project for a new designer. That costs you, the company, more money and takes extra time.

It didn’t have to come to that if you had the source files to hand over to someone else. Or could hand them back to your original designer if something bad happened on his end.

The argument that should cause you to consider finding a new designer

If a designer ever gives you the old “Well, does a restaurant give you the recipes for meals on their menu?” argument for not handing over source files, kindly remind them they’re not a restaurant. But if that’s how they want to be judged, ask them if you’ll get “free refills” on certain design services or get “Happy Hour” pricing.

It’s a silly argument and any designer that uses it on you should be embarrassed. Consider whether you want a long-term relationship with a designer like that.

Here are some things a designer may not be able to hand over

1. Fonts – Most fonts have copyright restrictions of some kind. It’s usually OK for the actual fonts to be packaged and sent to the printer for printing along with the source files. But sending you, the client, the fonts with the source files can be a legal no-no. Your options are to simply take the source files without the fonts, or get a list of the fonts used by your designer and buy them yourself.

2. Unique creations – For this article, my focus is really on copy layout projects. I am, however, sensitive to designers who create logos or other unique pieces of art. But designers can “flatten” an image so that you can still have the source file, but are prevented from editing the pieces that make up the final result.

A logo is a good example. You may need to give that logo file to another designer for a different project. Having the flattened source file allows that designer the maximum flexibility to add the logo to a letterhead, banner, business card, or some other project that the logo designer doesn’t handle. Most logo designers understand that and will provide you with the appropriate file(s).

3. Plug-ins – Plug-ins are software extensions that designers can add to their design tools to help automate tasks or create some unique design element. It’s likely that the plug-in has copyright restrictions that prevent the designer from handing it over to someone else. That might mean that while you have the source files, you can’t edit some portion of the project, or even open it, because you don’t have the plug-in. That’s another case where you may need to buy the same plug-in assuming you have the same design tool your designer is using.

There may be other valid reasons, but I simply want to make you aware of some common situations where it truly is an issue.

Beyond that, it’s always in your best interest to get source files and store them in a safe place on a company server or back-up DVD.

Boring, I know, but essential.