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[FEEDBACK NEEDED] Business Idea: Content Repurposing Service

Idea threads

MrDiggs

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Hello beautiful people,

I'm reaching out to your all to get your opinion on my new (and only) business concept.

I'm hoping that but getting the feedback of like-minded people, I'll be able to improve the business concept (against CENTS) and/or pivot into a better more polished version.

It goes without saying that I'm very thankful for ALL your opinions/feedback.... okay, here we go!


Background: I’m a marketer by trade. In the past 20 years I have worked for companies in diverse sectors including mining, science, retail and aviation to name a few. The following business idea came to me because, as the head of a small Marketing department, it would help me solve one major (and ongoing) problem.

The Idea: A “hassle-free” content creation services which uses a client’s previously published content to create several new pieces of related content in alternative formats.

The Problem: Content marketing is a sound strategy to generate market awareness and leads. However, creating new pieces of content take focus, time and knowledge of the topic matter. Most times, salespeople are involved in the content development process as they are the “experts” in the subject. Unfortunately, salespeople are more preoccupied in “selling” than assisting with content creation.

Further, most companies’ content strategy involves writing up articles/blog posts which is the most popular format, making it even harder (less effective) to stand out and get the audience attention.

Lastly, the idea of creating audio and/or video content is perceived as “too hard” and quickly replaced by other “faster wins” ideas.

The Solution: A subscription-based content creation service that leverages previously published content to generate several pieces of fresh content that is on-brand and delivered in a wide range of formats, maximising exposure and awareness. The marketing team’s best friend!

The Result: Never run out of content again.

The Market: Internal marketing teams in the SME space with semi-active presence in LinkedIn

The Fastlane Model: C Graded (62.2 out of 100) - GradeMyBusinessIdea.com: Content Meister (Results)
Strengths
  • Few, if any third-party dependencies.
  • Decent market size.
  • Ease of replication!
  • Service with a lot of repeat use!
  • Your market is relatively easy to reach via ad/marketing initiatives.
Weaknesses:
  • Weak entry barriers.
  • Average need
The Business Model: Membership based service. The client can choose one of several packages based on their content type and volume requirements.

The Execution Challenges:
Finding reliable, cost-effective yet professional freelancers for each type of content format in offer (eg. Infographics, video editing and animation, voice-overs, presentation, etc).

The Brand: Customer-centric focused. Relaying in referrals, case studies and testimonials

The Exit Strategy: Internet-based business with the potential to be self-managed (HR systems) which makes it ideal for the sale of the business.
 
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Kak

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Definitely a need! I’m curious how competitive the market is and how much something like this would cost.
 

MrDiggs

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Definitely a need! I’m curious how competitive the market is and how much something like this would cost.
Hey Kak! Great questions.

Similar to the web designing/development industry, the content creation market is flooded with low cost low quality services. However, most of them focus in written content format which is a significant differentiator to the proposed "get quality content produced in video, audio and other visual formats" value proposition.

I believe that brand positioning coupled with social proof (case studies, testimonials, etc) and a superb service could set the business apart.

But it's not all roses, the proposed business is far from optimal from CENTS perspective...

In terms of my cost, this is virtually zero as all talent will be engaged to work on project needs basis.

If your questions is about potential content package sell prices, that's unknown right now as it will depend on the segment I go after. I think the first step is to polish the concept before looking at the commercial aspect, however I could be wrong!
 
Last edited:

Andy Black

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Don’t worry about CENTS.

As @Kak said, it’s a real need. I’ve got content all over the place and really need to get someone in my team to follow along and pull out little gems, polish, package, and then post everywhere.

I’m likely not your target market as I’d probably just train someone up internally, or find a niece/nephew who’s interested and can follow instructions.

I think your first execution challenge would be getting the businesses signed up? And yeah, I imagine finding quality contractors would be an issue amongst the sea of freelancers just getting started.


“Who already has your customers?” (Jay Abraham)

SEO agencies? Marketing, PR, web design agencies?


“Your market is a demonstrated cashflow.” What do businesses already spend money on that would indicate they might spend money on your services?


I’m curious what @Bekit and @Lex DeVille think.
 
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MrDiggs

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Don’t worry about CENTS.

As @Kak said, it’s a real need. I’ve got content all over the place and really need to get someone in my team to follow along and pull out little gems, polish, package, and then post everywhere.

I’m likely not your target market as I’d probably just train someone up internally, or find a niece/nephew who’s interested and can follow instructions.

I think your first execution challenge would be getting the businesses signed up? And yeah, I imagine finding quality contractors would be an issue amongst the sea of freelancers just getting started.


“Who already has your customers?” (Jay Abraham)

SEO agencies? Marketing, PR, web design agencies?


“Your market is a demonstrated cashflow.” What do businesses already spend money on that would indicate they might spend money on your services?


I’m curious what @Bekit and @Lex DeVille think.

Hey Andy! Thank you for taking the time to read my post and share your insight.

I agree with what you're saying. :thumbsup:

Some deep thinking into the marketing and sales and onboarding processes is still required. However, before doing so I would have to understand who my "ideal" customers are so I can create the right offer at the right price for them.

I'm of the idea that we must first give in order to have the right to ask. Based on that, one option I thought about is to...
- search for companies that are somewhat active on Linkedin (value content marketing)
- have about 20-50 employees (SME)
- grab one of their articles and create a sample content in a different format (eg. video)
- cold email their marketing person and share the new piece of content. (the give)

Of course, I would need to work out how to make it very low cost and high volume in order for the above to be feasible.

Re CENTS: I still would like to refine the overall idea and stress test it against the CENTS principles (I'm aiming for a business with "fastlane" potential)
 

Andy Black

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Hey Andy! Thank you for taking the time to read my post and share your insight.

I agree with what you're saying. :thumbsup:

Some deep thinking into the marketing and sales and onboarding processes is still required. However, before doing so I would have to understand who my "ideal" customers are so I can create the right offer at the right price for them.

I'm of the idea that we must first give in order to have the right to ask. Based on that, one option I thought about is to...
- search for companies that are somewhat active on Linkedin (value content marketing)
- have about 20-50 employees (SME)
- grab one of their articles and create a sample content in a different format (eg. video)
- cold email their marketing person and share the new piece of content. (the give)

Of course, I would need to work out how to make it very low cost and high volume in order for the above to be feasible.

Re CENTS: I still would like to refine the overall idea and stress test it against the CENTS principles (I'm aiming for a business with "fastlane" potential)
It sounds like it could be a productised service like WP Curve or Design
Possum, or a higher ticket service as well. I don’t think it has to be low cost. I’d say lots of businesses see the value in getting their content repurposed - especially when they’ve already spent a lot getting it created in the first place.
 

MrDiggs

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100% Andy! I'll look into those two companies to see how they structure their offerings.

I don’t think it has to be low cost.
I was referring to the free sample content so the marketing initiative could be feasible and scalable.

Thanks again for your insight!
 
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Andy Black

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Check out this SaaS too: Repurpose.io

Maybe there's a Facebook group for the product?
 

Andy Black

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Check out this post in @Kak's thread. What would you suggest Kyle does?

For someone like me... I've loads of threads in this forum, long rambling podcasts on Soundcloud, various videos on YouTube, and I know I should be doing more with them but just haven't had the time or inclination to sort it out. There's got to be loads of smaller business owners like myself who'd appreciate a checklist of simple instructions on what to tackle and in what order.

I imagine there's already plenty of marketing courses aimed at small business owners to help them DIY it.

Then there's likely already a few productised services out there with different monthly DFY service packages too.
 

Andy Black

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Kak

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Check out this SaaS too: Repurpose.io

Maybe there's a Facebook group for the product?

I've used it in the past. It is kind of unreliable.

It would take my podcast episodes to YouTube. Now with Libsyn, that's part of the in house syndication.

I really like IFTTT though! Anything that hits youtube hits my site's wordpress blog, anything that hits that wordpress blog is posted to Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and is automatically included in my Friday email.

@BestDayYet the reason this so piques my interest is because I believe getting someone to listen to a 30 minute episode of the radio show as their first exposure to me is probably a point of tension. I need to win people with smaller bites and my new listeners would have less tension to stick around for the full episodes knowing that it is worthwhile.

I am using a service called Headliner right now to make the short clips and send to social media and YouTube. Hiring that done would be great for me.
 
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Last edited:

BizyDad

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Hello beautiful people,

I'm reaching out to your all to get your opinion on my new (and only) business concept.

I'm hoping that but getting the feedback of like-minded people, I'll be able to improve the business concept (against CENTS) and/or pivot into a better more polished version.

It goes without saying that I'm very thankful for ALL your opinions/feedback.... okay, here we go!


Background: I’m a marketer by trade. In the past 20 years I have worked for companies in diverse sectors including mining, science, retail and aviation to name a few. The following business idea came to me because, as the head of a small Marketing department, it would help me solve one major (and ongoing) problem.

The Idea: A “hassle-free” content creation services which uses a client’s previously published content to create several new pieces of related content in alternative formats.

The Problem: Content marketing is a sound strategy to generate market awareness and leads. However, creating new pieces of content take focus, time and knowledge of the topic matter. Most times, salespeople are involved in the content development process as they are the “experts” in the subject. Unfortunately, salespeople are more preoccupied in “selling” than assisting with content creation.

Further, most companies’ content strategy involves writing up articles/blog posts which is the most popular format, making it even harder (less effective) to stand out and get the audience attention.

Lastly, the idea of creating audio and/or video content is perceived as “too hard” and quickly replaced by other “faster wins” ideas.

The Solution: A subscription-based content creation service that leverages previously published content to generate several pieces of fresh content that is on-brand and delivered in a wide range of formats, maximising exposure and awareness. The marketing team’s best friend!

The Result: Never run out of content again.

The Market: Internal marketing teams in the SME space with semi-active presence in LinkedIn

The Fastlane Model: C Graded (62.2 out of 100) - GradeMyBusinessIdea.com: Content Meister (Results)
Strengths
  • Few, if any third-party dependencies.
  • Decent market size.
  • Ease of replication!
  • Service with a lot of repeat use!
  • Your market is relatively easy to reach via ad/marketing initiatives.
Weaknesses:
  • Weak entry barriers.
  • Average need
The Business Model: Membership based service. The client can choose one of several packages based on their content type and volume requirements.

The Execution Challenges:
Finding reliable, cost-effective yet professional freelancers for each type of content format in offer (eg. Infographics, video editing and animation, voice-overs, presentation, etc).

The Brand: Customer-centric focused. Relaying in referrals, case studies and testimonials

The Exit Strategy: Internet-based business with the potential to be self-managed (HR systems) which makes it ideal for the sale of the business.

I too think this is a great idea. I'm surprised I haven't heard of anyone specializing in this kind of service. It's one of those ideas that's always been right there for anyone to do. Some marketing agencies have this as part of their service.

I think if you offer this as a kind of white label to agencies, and if you have processes in place, this could scale quickly.
 

Andy Black

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I think if you offer this as a kind of white label to agencies, and if you have processes in place, this could scale quickly.
^^^ This. Agencies already have the clients and can sell this service into them.
 

jdm667

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Sounds like a good idea! I think a lot of bloggers without a YouTube presence would be wise to get started, and you could help them.

Recently, I have been repurposing some of my blog posts into short videos for YouTube. I was working in Animoto a few weeks ago, the server was lagging, my computer was slow, and I thought "it would be so cool if someone could automate part (or all) of this process".

Maybe you could reach out to a few blogs without a YouTube channel and pitch them? Once you have some clients, you can figure out what scales and what doesn't.
 
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MrDiggs

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I've used it in the past. It is kind of unreliable.

It would take my podcast episodes to YouTube. Now with Libsyn, that's part of the in house syndication.

I really like IFTTT though! Anything that hits youtube hits my site's wordpress blog, anything that hits that wordpress blog is posted to Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and is automatically included in my Friday email.

@BestDayYet the reason this so piques my interest is because I believe getting someone to listen to a 30 minute episode of the radio show as their first exposure to me is probably a point of tension. I need to win people with smaller bites and my new listeners would have less tension to stick around for the full episodes knowing that it is worthwhile.

I am using a service called Headliner right now to make the short clips and send to social media and YouTube. Hiring that done would be great for me.
Hey @Kak

That's fantastic feedback and thank you for sharing your current pain point. It does indeed help me understand the value a business like this one could bring to people like you :)

I have check out Headliner and it looks very interesting! Right now I'm researching and shortlisting the potential tools I will use to generate these new content, and Headliner hits the mark right on!
 

MrDiggs

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I too think this is a great idea. I'm surprised I haven't heard of anyone specializing in this kind of service. It's one of those ideas that's always been right there for anyone to do. Some marketing agencies have this as part of their service.

I think if you offer this as a kind of white label to agencies, and if you have processes in place, this could scale quickly.

Thank you for your input @BizyDad

Working for marketing and advertising agencies has crossed my mind and I agree that it's a fast way to scale.

What I would need to work out is an estimate of the fixed cost (eg. different tools subscriptions + full-time VA) + time requirement for each content type so I can get an idea of my overall cost per service and from there put together plan/packages that are competitive yet has decent margin.
 
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MrDiggs

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Sounds like a good idea! I think a lot of bloggers without a YouTube presence would be wise to get started, and you could help them.

Recently, I have been repurposing some of my blog posts into short videos for YouTube. I was working in Animoto a few weeks ago, the server was lagging, my computer was slow, and I thought "it would be so cool if someone could automate part (or all) of this process".

Maybe you could reach out to a few blogs without a YouTube channel and pitch them? Once you have some clients, you can figure out what scales and what doesn't.

Absolutely @jdm667

Bloggers with decent traffic should be a good segment to go after. I'm conscious that at the startup stage, I will need to create a service that is targeted to a specific sub-market that have both: the willingness to get their problem solved and the means to afford the solution.
 

jdm667

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Absolutely @jdm667

Bloggers with decent traffic should be a good segment to go after. I'm conscious that at the startup stage, I will need to create a service that is targeted to a specific sub-market that have both: the willingness to get their problem solved and the means to afford the solution.
Good point - I don't think newbies would pay for this. If they aren't making money from blogging yet, why pay for content repurposing?

There are tools you can use to find approximate site traffic, but there are also ways to make revenue estimates.

For example, check at the bottom of a page on the site. If you see "Exclusive Member of Mediavine X" (X could be Home, Finance, Food, etc.), you know that site is getting at least 50K sessions per month (the requirement to join Mediavine).

If they are getting $20 per 1K sessions, you know that site is making at least $1K per month (just from ads). It is no guarantee, but they are much more likely to fork over some cash for content repurposing.

You can also check for "EliteCafeMedia" (AdThrive is another ad network, and they require at least 100K sessions per month).
 

Kid

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Since you've decided to do it i can only tap you on shoulder for good decision.
Remember that if you decide to outsource then there are other countries than US and AU ;)
 
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Johnny boy

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My opinion is that it's a bad idea

As a stand-alone service it's not something people are looking for, or really think they need.

Better to just call yourself a content producing agency, use this idea as how you get the work done for your clients, and do it that way.

If you're going to have this "content repurposing service" as a stand-alone thing, it needs to be sold and advertised in a much more general way. As a business owner I need SALES. I don't search the internet looking for anything remotely close to what you're offering so I would never find you, or be convinced that I need your service.

I know that I'm not articulating my answer good enough, but I just think it's a bad idea. Sorry for not having much great advice or suggestions to back up my opinion.

With that said, I think you should do it anyways, it'll teach you plenty and you might just prove me wrong.
 

MrDiggs

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Good point - I don't think newbies would pay for this. If they aren't making money from blogging yet, why pay for content repurposing?

There are tools you can use to find approximate site traffic, but there are also ways to make revenue estimates.

For example, check at the bottom of a page on the site. If you see "Exclusive Member of Mediavine X" (X could be Home, Finance, Food, etc.), you know that site is getting at least 50K sessions per month (the requirement to join Mediavine).

If they are getting $20 per 1K sessions, you know that site is making at least $1K per month (just from ads). It is no guarantee, but they are much more likely to fork over some cash for content repurposing.

You can also check for "EliteCafeMedia" (AdThrive is another ad network, and they require at least 100K sessions per month).

Thank you for the tips @jdm667
 

MrDiggs

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Since you've decided to do it i can only tap you on shoulder for good decision.
Remember that if you decide to outsource then there are other countries than US and AU ;)
Thanks for your comment @Kid and yes, the idea is to start off by doing the work myself so I get first hand feedback from paying customers.

Once I feel that I know what customers value from hiring my services, I'll delegate the content creation side of things to a talent somewhere offshore (I'm in Australia).
 
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MrDiggs

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Hey @Johnny boy

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I love when like-minded people don't necessarily agree with my views, options, etc as this creates the opportunity for constructive discussions and stress test ideas.

Better to just call yourself a content producing agency, use this idea as how you get the work done for your clients, and do it that way.

I agree 100% with you. This was the idea all along. I apologise if this wasn't conveyed in my original post.

My target audience would already know what content creation agencies are which saves me the step of having to explain what is that I do. However, my angle to that we approach this task by creating content (from old articles, podcasts, etc) in various formats to increase exposure, awareness and leads.

If you're going to have this "content repurposing service" as a stand-alone thing, it needs to be sold and advertised in a much more general way. As a business owner I need SALES. I don't search the internet looking for anything remotely close to what you're offering so I would never find you, or be convinced that I need your service.

My view on this is that, at least in the beginning, I would prefer to focus on reaching out to marketing teams in SME that are already doing content marketing to an extend. While they might not be looking for "content repurposing services" on google, it is far more likely that these people will know the benefits (and challenges) of creating video, podcast, infographics and other time-consuming pieces of content.

I agree that most business owners are focused on sales and might not value content marketing enough to pay for these services.
 

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