If you want to grow your email list faster? Then, the Content upgrade is the solution!
Content upgrades are revolutionary and with the best content upgrade ideas, you can generate content upgrade easily. Therefore in this post, I will share some awesome content upgrade ideas. Also, I will intersperse some real-life examples to let you have a better understanding.
Let’s start!
What is the Meaning of a Content Upgrade?
For those who don’t know, the content upgrade is an opt-in or lead magnet designed especially for a specific page or blog post.
According to Brian Dean, a famous blogger, content upgrade helped him to increase his email conversions by 78% without conducting any A/B testing. You see, the power of content upgrade is spectacular. And even creating content upgrades is very easy.
So, here check some ideas that will help you generate great content upgrades.
Content Upgrade Ideas to Double Your Subscribers:
1. Checklist:
They are great for posts of more than 4,000 words or with ‘how to’ title, which can be segregated into smaller chunks. It can be a step-by-step list, best tips on a topic, or materials or instructions to follow for a project.
For example, if you are writing on how to create a design using HTML, your checklist must be the steps explaining the same.
2. Cheat Sheet:
Another excellent content upgrade is the Cheat Sheet. It can deliver highly effective results, but only if used in the correct way. It is about putting together the most vital information related to a post in a handy manner.
For instance, if your post is on boosting conversions, then you can create a cheat sheet of blog titles related to the same.
3. PDF Post:
This is one of the simplest upgrades to provide. You just have to save your final draft in PDF format and offer it as an upgrade. If your content is valuable then your readers would love to read it again and again. A PDF format will make it easier for them to download and read the content multiple times.
4. Podcast:
Offering an exclusive episode of the podcasts works well if you have numerous valuable podcast episodes. One example is when you are able to invite an extremely popular personality to the podcast.
5. Webinars:
It is an in-depth workshop available online to teach your audience something. It is deemed as a valuable opt-in if the subject of your post is of great interest to the target audience. It is possible to host webinars for free of cost on YouTube Live. In addition to this, you can also use platforms like Every webinar and Webinarjam.
6. List of Tools:
This is of benefit for posts that heavily focus on resources and tools. You can create a master list for them and link it directly to each of them so that your readers don’t have to search much for each specific tool.
7. Swipe Templates or Scripts:
Swipe scripts or files are usually available for use. It includes the plug and play templates, which you use. For example, if you are a fitness coach, you can offer scripts to help beginners learn the basic exercises to tone their muscles.
8. Audio or Video Recording:
Video or audio recordings are ideal content upgrades for those who host interviews, informative videos, or webinars. In addition to this, you can record a blog post in an audio file format talking through your content with some additional information, which is appealing to the listeners.
9. Quick Start-up Guide:
It is always better to teach a complex subject in a simplified way. It is because people want to start quickly and learn easily. Hence, it is great to offer them a quick guide on the basics of your topic. Make sure the guide is laid out in an easy to understand format and language.
10. Transcripts:
Transcripts work well when featuring videos, podcasts, or interviews in your content. It takes very less time to create a transcript. If you don’t know how to do it, then you can always hire a transcriber.
11. Comprehensive Guide:
You can always offer your readers something more than just a starting guide. This can be a comprehensive guide that holds details of every step mentioned in your post. It is of great use to explain complicated posts.
For instance, if your post is ‘how to’ and explaining about a specific thing then it is better to break it down in steps in a comprehensible manner.
12. Case Study:
You can gain the trust of your audience and help them to know the complex steps related to a particular subject by offering them an in-depth case study. The case study can be related to someone’s success or great to showcase the results obtained by others, which your clients are also willing to achieve.
13. Printable Stuff:
It is a great content upgrade idea to offer your readers something that they can print out. This way, they will be able to stick it up, keep it in their diary or pin to their noticeboard. Make sure you offer them something inspiring and motivating.
It can be related to your blog post and include inspiring quotes, images, backgrounds, and more.
14. Spreadsheets:
Most of the individuals perceive spreadsheets as difficult to create and complex. Hence, if you offer one, then it can work in your favor to a great extent.
15. Infographics:
Every individual these days has a preference for the infographic. They are appealing, easy and quick to read and at the same time can be shared with others.
16. Report:
A report is a wonderful content upgrade option for those who hold expertise in a particular subject or niche of their post. It is because you can create a report only if you had done extensive research in the field. The report will help to educate your readers.
If you have a deep knowledge of social media marketing then you can create a report on the same. The report can choose statistics and facts about the influence of social media marketing on businesses and brands.
17. Challenge:
You can create a challenge in the form of a mini project, which the reader has to take on. The challenge could be a small reminder or related to an ongoing task and require their time to invest in.
The best part of this upgrade is that it offers the opportunity for enhanced community engagement. Also, you can create a hashtag for your customers so that they can share their progress on the project on a social platform.
If your blog is about helping others who are in need, then the challenge can be to post a maximum number of pictures helped in a day or week.
18. Planners:
Create an e-planner and provide it as a download. This will help you as well as your customers to stay on track with their goals.
But make sure that the planner you create is developed in your specific niche. For example, if you are in the cooking niche, then your planner designer could rotate around different dishes or cuisines, or you can even include small recipes with it.
19. Templates:
Templates are loved by all. It is because templates make the work a lot easier for people. You can create templates in different forms and versions, like budget templates, email templates, business templates, and more.
The template you create must be related to your post. For instance, if your post is a lesson to new bloggers to reach out to brands and businesses then the template can include some important contacts, which might be helpful to them.
20. Video Tutorials:
Offering your customers an exclusive video tutorial or an exclusive interview is a fabulous content upgrade idea. It works well for all kinds of posts.
21. Worksheets:
If your blog is teaching something then it is an excellent idea to offer homework assignment or worksheet, which can be downloaded. This will help the learners to drive the concept back to their home and revise it again.
No matter what subject you are teaching, you can always create an assignment related to the topics you have covered in a lesson or taught that day.
22. Mini EBooks:
Mini eBooks are ideal if you are writing numerous posts about a single topic. You can attach these eBooks into a single PDF format and offer it as a content upgrade with each blog in this series. Since these are mini eBooks, make sure you don’t create too long books and add too much extra content. It can be difficult for readers to consume lengthy eBooks.
23. Snippets of Your Course:
Offering a small portion of your paid course is another way to enhance the value of your blog. It helps you to build a list of people who are interested in your paid offerings and most probably can help to increase sales.
There are free of cost tools available that you can use to create snippets of your paid course. It helps you to organize and present your course in an impressive way.
24. Bonus Content:
An easy content upgrade idea is offering bonus content. If your blog includes a long list, just cut down the information in half and offer the other half as bonus content. The post from Pauline Cabrera on headline ideas is an excellent example of this. To get more subscriptions she provides more than 50 bonus ideas as well as printable PDF format of her blog.
25. Free Course:
If possible, then try to give the full course for free. This is an amazing way to portray yourself as an expert among your audience. The free course can be in various forms, such as an eBook, a series of videos, and more. But the format has to be really effective.
If your blog offers advice to startups then the free email course can include lessons on ways to use social media to promote your brand. The Branded Solopreneur is a perfect example of this.
26. Free Trial:
If you do not want to give away a free course, then giving a free trial is another option to consider. When offering a service or product, a free trial, free consultation, or a free sample is an excellent content upgrade idea. This is a highly valuable bonus for readers who are interested in what you have to offer.
27. Formulas:
Great formulas can help readers to adapt the information provided by you for their own requirements. It is a great recipe for success. For instance, if your post talks about using social media practices for your business, the formula sheet must have a flexible framework of social headlines to grab the reader’s attention.
28. Teaser of Your Offerings:
Another exciting offer that you can deliver to your readers is the teaser of your service or product. No matter what kind of service or product you are offering, you can always create a teaser for it. If the first part is appealing then this will help you bring enough email addresses for the second teaser. Also, it is an easy and effective way to get more sales for the course.
29. Tool Kit:
The content upgrade idea of offering a toolkit works excellently for blog posts having a list of resources or tools. The offered resources or tools can be packaged into a PDF toolkit and offer to the customers as a content upgrade. For example, check the toolkit of Syed Balkhi.
30. SlideShare:
Offering the slide share of your post is ideal to attract readers who prefer receiving and reading information in a different way. The unique thing about SlideShare is that it has fewer words and hence is easy to grab in. For this reason, SlideShare makes a great content upgrade.
To Sum Up:
You see, there are endless possibilities to content upgrade ideas. You need to be creative and can think of new ideas to repackage and repurpose your content and offer the version to interested readers in exchange for their email address.
So, try these content upgrade ideas for now and see how well they work for you!