How Yvonne Heimann Teaches and Monetizes Content Marketing

In this content marketing series, I am interviewing some of the most amazing bloggers and content creators, and digging into their preferences and processes so that we can all learn from their example.

Today’s interview is with a wonderful friend whom I’ve known and followed for years, dating back to the Google+ days, Yvonne Heimann. Yvi’s blog & educational content through her website and YouTube channel is focused on helping you improve and streamline your business processes.

Yvi is thorough and witty, and I can’t wait to share her insights with you, so let’s dive in.

“When I finally figured it out I turned it into a blogpost, simply because there was no resource out there.”

Yvonne Heimann

What’s your poison? Blog or Video or Podcast? Why?

Video… ’cause I don’t have to type. 😅

Put me in front of a camera and I won’t stop talking. I could have gone podcast, when I started this journey though my accent was a little heavier than it is now (accent, what accent?!) so Video it was. And it’s more efficient… it’s easier to extract audio from a video, but adding video to audio always makes the video look like an afterthought and you just didn’t care.

What has been your most successful piece of content marketing, and why? (Include link please!)

Hhhmmm… How to remove user’s access on multiple Google Drive Docs (read here).

I had run into the issue of not being able to remove one user from a multitude of Google Documents. When I finally figured it out I turned it into a blogpost, simply because there was no resource whatsoever out there explaining how to do so.

To this day it generates traffic and luckily still fits into what I do even tho my focus has changed over the years.

How do you streamline your content creation process for efficiency and excellence?

I use my SOAR method:

S treamline
O ptimize
A utomate
R inse & Repeat

in combination with ClickUp.

Streamlining something just means simplifying it.

Too many overthink process… streamlining something is an ongoing process. You need to do the thing to know where things aren’t working right.

Lay out the process, get it digital (it’s the only way you’ll be able to hand it off or scale), do the thing, analyze, adjust, do it again.

Once you’ve done that a couple times… automate. NOT before.

Automation = amplification, if your workflow is not cleaned up yet you’ll just amplify all that’s not right yet.

Where do you get your ideas for content marketing?

Just listen, and then note it down.

– browse your own content and see what people ask – answer that!
– browse similar content and see what the audience asks – answer that!
– Stephanie Liu’s 10×10 : 10 questions your clients ask and 10 that they should ask

RELATED: Track & Generate Ideas with the Ultimate Blog Planner

How do you, how do we put it… make money off this stuff?

AAAAALLLLLLL THE WAYS

• Monetization on Youtube (but that’s chump change, don’t plan to pay your rent with that)
• Clients (I fast track them through all I know, rather than them spending hours on my YouTube channel)
• Brand collaborations (limited series or challenges sponsored by brands/tools I use)
• Buy me a coffee or YouTube chat supporters
• Affiliate Income
• Course, downloads, & templates

Follow-up Question From Mike: That’s a lot of ways! How do you balance or prioritize them?

Monetization on Youtube

This one just “happens”. My YouTube is monetized and by focusing on my audience, work on being better, and grow engagement my monetization income grows alongside.

Clients

This income stream is one that takes the most effort. Between Dubsado, ClickUp, & Nimble I use tools that help me not having to “remember” what I need to do. Processes and workflows are set up to help me stay on track and keep me accountable. Also, planning my week on Sundays to make sure anything I can’t template doesn’t slip through the cracks.

Brand Collaborations

I only collaborated with brands I already use or promote either way… with that, they continuously get exposure without me even thinking about it.

If we have targeted collaborations or summits go on (which I try to one have 1, maybe 2 going at a time) it goes on my ClickUp and schedule just like clients would. That way it is part of my regular work and get’s prioritized.

Buy Me a Coffee or YouTube Chat Supporters

This is another one of “just happens”. I have an overlay on my live show that promotes my Buy me a coffee page.
I mention my ClickUp Office hours which are sold through the page, and the link has a permanent home in my YouTube video description.

Affiliate Income

And yet another “just happens”. My community often asks me what I use to film, what lashes I wear, how I make my smoothies… >> I simply use Amazon affiliate links.

And through my brand collaborations, I have affiliate links with all those tools I use, which are linked in descriptions and posts. It ads up to nice little chunk of change. 😉

Course, Downloads, & Templates

This is the other income stream that takes more effort.

I talk a lot about systems, workflows, and templates on my YouTube channel… so why not sell them?!

I promote those through my YouTube videos and link them in the description. The nice thing is that these are 1:many, where my consulting is 1:1. But a course and templates need regular updating… that’s where the work comes in (as I am completely revamping my academy to provide a better user experience).

What would you say has been a defining moment in your career as a content creator?

When I moved to San Diego I went to one of Pat Flynn’s meetups and when we all introduced ourselves I had my first “OMG I know you!!!! I watch your YouTube videos” moment. It was an amazing feeling having someone recognize me that I never met.

When it comes to content creation over the next year, what are your plans and intentions?

FOCUS – I’ve tried a few things, dabbled in a few niches and I think I finally found my home.

So focus, and then double down 😉

Who is your favorite content creator and why?

When Stephanie Liu, Doc Rock, or Amanda Robinson go live and I get that notification I try my best to go watch cause you never know what little “oh, didn’t think of that” you gonna get.

My newest addiction is India Delgado though. Her livestreams are fun, engaging, as well as educational – more and more I have opted for a live show over TV.

What’s the one takeaway you want to impart on someone who, let’s say, is a blogging or content marketing n00b. 🙂

JUST DO – it’s all just data and you’ll never have the data to adjust if you don’t DO.

Also, life is too short to do the things you wanna do tomorrow!

You can read and subscribe to more of Yvi’s fantastic content at AskYvi, and be sure to follow her on Twitter!