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Fess up. Do you use PLR?

Welcome to my latest series – Expert Briefs.

So, let's jump in.

The question I asked our experts today is:

“What's your opinion of PLR?
Do you use PLR in your business? How?”

We'll see who's brave enough to fess up. 😉

But before we dig in, here's a quick video about PLR:

Hopefully you can see why PLR is helpful. However, if you don't quite understand it fully, here are some articles to help:

What Can You Do With PLR Articles?
How to Choose a Good PLR Service?
PLR vs. Free Reprint Articles
PLR vs. Ghostwritten Articles

And, here are our expert replies.


Shannon CherryShannon Cherry of The Power Publicist says:

It's the ‘dirty' little secret that the gurus don't want you to know about. It's PLR and they all use it.

So why is it ‘dirty'? (Well it really isn't… more on this in a moment.) Basically, it's because the gurus want to give you the illusion that they are always original… that they work hard for their money.

You see, PLR is a great way to get content without having to create it from scratch. I, like a lot of folks out there, discovered that PLR can be the basis of blog posts, articles, ebooks and teleseminars and even products. It saves me time, and you know that time is money.

The key is not to use the PLR ‘as is', although you can do that, when you are really strapped for time. What you need to do change it to match your own voice and what your target audience expects from you.

And seeing how lucrative PLR is for Nicole with EasyPLR.com, I was inspired to create my own for press releases, which has been very successful.


Susanne Myers of EasyLinkLove.com (<-click to learn about link building) says:

Yes, I use quite a bit of PLR in my business and I like it a lot. There are a few different ways that I use it in.

1) For smaller sites that are generated mainly to create Google Adsense and affiliate income, I use plr articles as blog posts. I do a bit of keyword research and write a new title. I also rework the first paragraph so the content is more unique and includes my keyword again. After that, depending on ROI and how much time and energy I have that particular day, I will try to do a bit more rewriting to make the content unique.

2) For my bigger money sites, I like to use plr as an idea generator for new content. I also like to take several related plr articles and turn them into a special report that can then be given away to entice people to join my list. I also like to create brandable reports from PLR that I can give my affiliates to help promote my products.

3) Last but not least I use good quality PLR as part of my products. I have used it as part of membership sites and even build entire ebooks around plr. Of course I add plenty of additional, unique high quality content to make it a complete ebook.


And, here's my 2 cents. I wrote this before reading the others just to make sure I wouldn't let their ideas sway mine.

 

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I sure do.

I use it just as I teach it to be used – to shortcut your time spent working – and to enhance the end product.

But, I'm picky. In fact, I've been called a “PLR Snob” on a few occasions because … well, I am one. 🙂 There's too much junk out there on the internet and my mission has always been “to make the web and the world a better place” – so I can't use junk PLR obviously or I'd be spitting in the face of my own mission.

My favorite ways to use PLR are …

1. Sales Pages.
I really dislike writing sales pages. So, before I tackle one, I'll see if I already have a PLR product that comes with one (or I'll do a quick search of my favorite PLR sites to see if I can find one). If so, I may buy it just for the sales page and use that as my rough draft and just edit from there. I'll outsource sales pages if I don't, but.. if I do have one, then I can usually just tweak the page and be off and running.

2. Niche sites.
I give PLR to my writers to enhance and improve before adding it to my niche sites. (For instance, I have a recipe site and have my writers get my PLR from www.YummyPLR.com and add it to my recipe site each month.)  Because of PLR, I have several sites that make me money and have for years – with no effort on my part.

3. Products.
Yes, I've used PLR to create infoproducts. I take a PLR ebook and use it as my outline and rough draft and dig in. Oftentimes it can shortcut the process – and I have a better product because I don't have to try to come up with the entire concept from scratch. The end result is completely unrecognizable from the original after I add all my good stuff – plus, I add videos and supporting  bonuses. But it's so much easier to write from a draft, if you're starting with a good piece, than to try to outline the report from scratch.

4. Bonuses for my own products.
When I create a product, I like to include supporting bonuses to help the customer to get results. So, I'll look through the PLR that I have to see if anything really stands out as an extra resource that will benefit my customers. If I find one, then I'll rework it and include it as a special bonus for customers.

5. Bonuses when recommending a product as an affiliate.
When I send out a promotion to my lists for a product that I really think they should buy, I'll oftentimes create an added bonus that I create from a PLR piece to offer those who buy through my affiliate link. It adds value to the customer and allows me to show my gratitude.

Of course there are many other ways to use PLR. That's just a few ways that I regularly use it.

My friend, Ronnie, created a report with more ways to use PLR that you can grab free here: 101 Ways to Use PLR


How Can You Learn More about PLR?

Well, I happen to run one of the most respected PLR sites on the ‘net and have since 2006 – so… I know a thing or two on the topic. 🙂

You can shop here: www.EasyPLR.com

Sign up for my free ecourse here to learn more: www.EasyPrivateLabelArticles.com

Check out my list of Best PLR Sites by clicking here -> Best PLR Sites

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Please post your reasons for using (or NOT using) PLR – and how you use it – below. Thank you!

I appreciate shares and I adore comments! Please share your thoughts.

  • David Breth
    Reply

    Yes, yes and oh yes I have SUCCESSFULLY used PLR for years in every business venture I have.

    The most financially profitable way for me to use plr has been using it for:

    1) My membership web sites.
    2) Lead generation.
    3) Coaching/consulting.
    4) Product creation (personal and for sale).
    5) “Social” proof.
    6) And MUCH more…

  • Trish Lindemood
    Reply

    Hi Nicole – I am “officially” a huge fan of PLR! 🙂

    I have to clarify, however – as a professional writer, I ONLY use it for my own projects – and never, ever for clients.

    In my opinion, PLR’s real value is in how it is used – therefore, I never re-post PLR content “as is” directly to any of my sites or blogs. Infusing it with your own opinions and insights is a great way to make the content uniquely your own – and will keep the tone and voice of your site consistent.

    Without question, well-written (very important!!) PLR content is one of my favorite brainstorming tools. It allows me to leverage another writer’s time and research – reading through a couple articles or an ebook almost always gets my own creative juices going – and helps me create my own original work much faster.

  • Chris Cobb
    Reply

    Count me in, Nicole. If I can find sources of PLR that are really good (like yours), it’s a great source of ideas and the outline for an article, blog post, ebook, etc. Then if the PLR kind of sounds like me–whoa! I just hit the mother lode!

  • Scott
    Reply

    Nice post. I like to use PLR as a starting point for my video courses. I compile a script using several articles or break a book down into bite size sections, add some images and “film” it. Of course I also have the written copy to include for those who lime to read. Another added benefit is making a workbook to go with the package.

  • Mary Pat FitzGibbons
    Reply

    Hi, Nicole. I am a newbie in this arena. I work as a hospice nurse and I have a private healing practice. Time is a premium for me. Like many, I get stymied. I am very knowledgeable and I get writers block like the best of them. My mentors suggested PLR products. It is a great starting point. I can get in, tweak it, change it all around to fit my style. And I do like the sales page. That is a huge saver. Thanks Nicole.

  • Jeanie
    Reply

    I just bought my first PLR package and I like it so far. I use it as a jumping off point as I tend to do better if I have a draft to work off of.

    Thank you Nicole for the great PLR.

    Jeanie

  • DeAnna Troupe, Small Business Training Lady
    Reply

    I do use PLR, but only in my own projects. I will use PLR to create special reports to build my lists. I sometimes use PLR to create presentations. Sometimes PLR content just helps me to get going when I’m having writer’s block.

  • randr
    Reply

    Nice post. I like to use PLR as a starting point for my video courses. I compile a script using several articles or break a book down into bite size sections, add some images and “film” it. Of course I also have the written copy to include for those who lime to read. Another added benefit is making a workbook to go with the package.

  • Edie Dykeman
    Reply

    I use it in a pinch and rewrite at least the first paragraph or two and edit throughout. I prefer to use original content, but recently PLR really helped me keep the site going during a cross-country move and being off-line for longer than I wanted. By the time I was back online, I was exhausted and someone sent out a notification of a large pack that fit my target audience. What a God-send that was!

  • Dean Olmstead
    Reply

    I am a PLR junkie! So much so I created a site just for it. I first discovered PLR about 3 years ago. I rewrote a sales page, reworked the ebook that went with it, and launched it on a domain. On just that one re-worked product, I make around 20 sales every year for a nice tidy profit in an “evergreen” niche. Now I just need to do that times a hundred and I can retire in the Bahamas or something!

  • Monthly Content
    Reply

    Whenever I get my hands on PLR products, if I find it relevant to any of my niches, i chop it up into pieces and use it as freebies or simply us it to lure new clients to my websites by creating free tips and advice. This always works out great for me. I like your ideas as well especially using plr salespage, never thought of this. Thanks:)

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