PLR content. Should you use it or not? That is the question.
It boils down to a gut decision for you as a business owner.
Everyone needs content for their web sites, newsletters and other online (or even offline) channels. You need to have informative articles for your blog, article directories, email sequences, training courses, etc. You need landing pages for list building and sales. You need themes and software for your sites.
It boils down to content — tons of content.
4 Main Content Sources
So, how do you get content? There are 4 basic ways:
Produce your own.
If you are able to produce your own content in a timely fashion this is the absolute best way to go. You need to be comfortable with writing, speaking or being on camera to create articles, podcasts and videos.
If you are good at it, you will have unique content that has your unique voice. This helps you to stand out.
The flip side is that it all takes time. It is possible to write a 300 word article in 20 minutes. People do it all the time. But if you are really taking care in your work and doing some research, it will be much longer. The time to create video (even screen captures) also takes time.
It can also require extra software if you are getting into the podcasts and videos. This can cost money as well as the learning curve to get up to speed on it.
Hire a ghostwriter.
The second option is to outsource the work. Hire a professional to create the content for you. You will be the owner of the copyright and can even claim that you wrote it. That sounds a bit like lying to me, but it is very common in the literary world. You see it quite often when celebrities write their autobiographies.
You can find people to write articles at freelancing sites and the rates vary dramatically. Articles can be written by people in countries like India or the Phillipines quite cheaply. Or you can spend more to get them written by a local writer.
Either way, you need to make sure that you and your freelancer are on the same page with regards to what you want, when you want it and how much you will be paying.
You also need to watch out for freelancers who simply take existing articles (either PLR or not) and sell them to you as their own work. And some will sell the same article to several people.
Syndicate content.
Syndicated content is readily available at many article directories. Many bloggers will also allow you to syndicate their content.
Syndication means that you are allowed to use the content, but you cannot change it in any way. You must also attribute the source and the author.
You can syndicate some content for free, but remember that others can syndicate it as well, so you won’t be unique. It is also possible to pay for exclusive syndication rights for some content.
Licensed content.
This brings us to PLR, RR and MRR content.
Private Label Rights allows you to do things with the content that are very similar to what you can do with ghostwritten content. However, some licenses will restrict how you sell it and whether you can pass on the rights to others.
But the actual content can be changed in any way that you see fit to make it unique and have your personal twist.
Resell Rights (and Master Resell Rights) are similar except that you are not allowed to modify the content. You must use it as is (although some allows you to brand the content).
The biggest drawback to the various licenses is that the content is not unique — many other marketers will have access to the same content. At least with PLR you can make it unique with a little work.
The Bottom Line
So, you need to ask yourself “Should I use PLR in my business?” And that is a question that only you can answer.
You need to look at your content needs and determine which of the 4 sources of content will work for you. You will probably find a blend of the 4 sources which is just right for you.
Share how you’ve set up your content mix in the comments. I’d love to hear your experiences with the different sources.