(And why they make ZERO common sense
to ANYONE
once you take even the BRIEFEST moment
to consider them.)
Granted, I’m in full on launch mode right now…. selling Content 2 Cash: The Habits, Hacks & How Tos of Profitable Content Marketing.
So, I woke up thinking about what people needed to hear about content marketing… that would IMMEDIATELY up their content game even if they never joined Content 2 Cash. (Which is unthinkable, I know… lol…)
The first thing I came up with is…
THEY NEED TO KNOW IT REALLY WORKS.
I mean, look at me.
I’m such a walking, talking, imperfect, nobody of an example of JUST HOW PROFITABLE content marketing ALONE can be.
I live this out loud, in public and
there’s nothing else I’m doing to grow my brand, business, and income.
So, there’s that. It works.
Even for nobodies. =)
Frankly, just seeing what I do with content marketing alone… with ONE very part-time assistant and hardly ANY “tech” stuff should be reason enough to sign up. I’m not hiding anything here. Look at what I do,
what I’ve accomplished,
and then you will CLEARLY see the commercial power of content marketing, when done right.
But there’s also this entire industry,
propped up by charlatans and liars,
who are teaching content marketing
in ways that:
👎DECEIVE people into following the leader (rather than BEING the leader they are called to be);
👎 DILUTE the commercial power of content to not ONLY sell stuff, but drive demand for your brand; and
👎 DESTROY the heart of what makes content so impactful, which is YOUR “twisted” view of whatever it is that you share.
I don’t know if these charlatans are well meaning or not. I assume many ARE, and that they are just following the leader themselves… creatively re-packaging what THEY bought and deployed… and dutifully continuing to propagate what so many have accepted as TRUTHS about content marketing.
Unfortunately, much of what they are sharing / selling as STRATEGY and BEST PRACTICES actually work AGAINST the people learning from them and conscientiously applying what they’ve learned.
Consider that for a minute.
There are people who talked to their spouse about buying an expensive content marketing course (or even a — I kid you not — made-up certification) and then committed FULLY to taking action on what they learned…
only to be WORSE off than they were before they began.
Digging in only to find themselves deeper in a hole than before….
doubling down (thinking it’s THEM) only to find that their actions resulted in NOTHING….
So, here are the TOP FIVE LIES sold to people like us about using content marketing as a cash creation machine:
🗣 THERE’S A NEW WAY TO MEASURE ROI ON CONTENT MARKETING.
Lie. I GET that the media we use today is “new.” BUT business principles remain the same. And, content marketing isn’t new. Dr. Robert Brinkley used it in the 1930s. Benjamin Franklin used it in the 1700s. Edison’s company used it in the 1880s as did Johnson & Johnson.
So, Yeah… the media we use is NEW,
but ANY advice you get from people who want to DISCOURAGE you from measuring ROI in terms of DOLLARS should be ignored.
Quote from Dan Kennedy: “There is a literal conspiracy of charlatans, con artists, promoters, and dunces acting in concert to get you to count the wrong things…. to count “new metrics”; likes, views, viral re-tweets and just about anything BUT money.”
Do not put content marketing into some obscure category of ROI. When done RIGHT, content marketing drives DEMAND and DOLLARs, both easily measured.
🗣 LOOK __________________________ FOR EVIDENCE OF WHAT YOU SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT.
Unless the fill in the blank includes “inside of yourself and conversations with your market,” this is a lie. An institute DEDICATED to content marketing actually encourages people to look at top google rankings to decide what THEY TOO should be talking about.
lol….
An entirely DIFFERENT #metoo movement…
one that literally ENCOURAGES “thought leaders” to follow the leader, to join the chorus of what others are already saying, encouraging you to “jump on the bandwagon.”
Just, yuck.
And also… you know better.
How will you EVER stand out enough to be NOTICED
let alone FOLLOWED
if you are simply adding to what everyone else is saying???
YOU should be talking about the things you can’t not talk about. YOU should be asking yourself what YOUR people most need to hear… what is being left OUT of the mainstream conversation… not how to add “a little something” to the mix.
🗣 NO ONE WILL TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY UNLESS YOU’RE PERFECT & POLISHED.
Recently, I posted a draft of my podcast cover art with a question about HOW LONG before a podcast was published on iTunes. A few people chose that opportunity to “recommend” that I “clean up” my artwork. =)
Here’s one such response: “I really think you need to improve your artwork one woman entrepreneur to another. It looks very poorly done and I’d hate for people to misjudge you.”
Another: “I’ve been a photographer & coach for years. If you have the resources, I’d clean up your cover image where you are cut out. It will help your brand authority with creative entrepreneurs like me 🙂”
Lol…. My EXACT response was this:
“Thanks for the advice. I hit six figures… and then 7-figures and then a more curated multi-6 figures with logos that would PROBABLY have made you scream. I’ve never been hired for my design or eye for design NOR attention to detail. lol. To your point, this image I uploaded was done by me as an IDEA of what I wanted, and then handed off to a proper graphic design artist. I’m sure whatever was uploaded was amazing. =)”
Now, I’m not poo-pooing on good design. I probably need MORE attention to that, but what I DO know is that perfection is the ENEMY of both progress and profit.
While I am sure I have been “misjudged” by any NUMBER of things, including — but not limited to — my accent, my long hair, my weight, my libertarian leanings, my Christian faith, my logo, my business name, or the jeans I wear on stage, NONE of these things are what I am paid for.
I have NEVER been hired or paid (and never will be) because of my posts or artwork being perfect. And newsflash: NEITHER WILL YOU.
You will be hired and paid,
you will attract your tribe,
you will build demand
based on your PASSION
more so than your PERFECTION or POLISH.
Do NOT edit out the SOUL of your post trying to make it perfect. If you do, you will contribute ONLY to the online noise… not your bank account.
🗣 FOLLOW THIS PROVEN TEMPLATE.
I was once in a funnel for an association for female entrepreneurs. Their BONUS for joining? Templates for images that you — and everyone else in the association– are free to us.
um… not thanks.
Your content should EXUDE the confidence necessary to show up as YOU, my friend. ONLY when your content displays your authority will it have ANY impact at all…
and using “their” shit
that they are allowing / encouraging so many others to use,
in some misguided attempt to stand out and be heard
is next level ridiculous.
Please.
Exit stage left of the stepfordpreneur show…
where the ACTUAL experts encourage you to BLEND IN…
(????)
and dance your way to demand and dollars,
by WILLFULLY ignoring their templates and step-by-step BS
and taking YOUR OWN STAGE
on your own TERMS.
P.S. I want to invite you to learn content marketing from me. HOW to DESIGN & DEPLOY your content with:
AUTHORITY,
ALIGNMENT
and
ALLURE baby!
This program includes:
🎉 Top Ten Bonus: Personalized Content Audit From Me
🎉 Top TWENTY Bonus: Weekly “LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER” email coaching, where I peak in on your content EVERY week and give you personalized & detailed feedback.
🎉 Initial Content Marketing Assessment as pre-work. (This includes YOUR OWN content AND the content of your “competitors,” as well as how to figure out who your competitors REALLY are.)
🎉 Pattern Interrupt Playlist — a step-by-step guide to getting their attention so that your new content CHARISMA doesn’t go unnoticed.
🎉 25 Headline / Title Templates that I Use AD NAUSEUM for tens of thousands of new, different headlines.
🎉 Persuasion in Print (or audio or video) Training, so that your content not ONLY generates demand but dollars. (This is NOT what your English teacher taught you.)
🎉 MISSION: MORE Guide: A guide to repurposing ALL of your content in ways that get you 10x the reach.
🎉 Weekly Trainings and Action Guides on Content Habits, Hacks & How Tos to make sure you have FULLY embodied these new skills within the month.
🎉Accountability as you embrace, embody and employ the ONLY marketing “technique” that doubles as an evergreen sales force, ongoing branding program, and growing authority generator…. CONTENT MARKETING.
If you are in….
SAY YES NOW.
P.P.S. Today is November 4th. EVERYONE who joins today will get the TOP TWENTY bonus. Join Here.
