A common content marketing mistake is giving away tactical "how-to" steps, leaving nothing to sell. Instead, educate your audience on the conceptual "what" and "why" (declarative knowledge). This builds trust and demonstrates expertise, creating demand for the step-by-step implementation (procedural knowledge), which is your paid product.
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Most content fails because its intention is selfish: to convert a user. A successful strategy treats the content itself as the final product, designed solely to provide value and build a relationship. This consumer-centric approach, which avoids treating content as a top-of-funnel tactic, is what builds long-term trust and a loyal audience.
GoProposal didn't push sales. Instead, they focused on developing prospects' understanding of the problem through content like books. This educated them into becoming better customers who signed up faster, stayed longer, and spent more, as they were primed for the solution.
A critical mistake in content creation for sales is leading with a product pitch. Instead, content should share insights that highlight a customer's problem, sparking a conversation. This strategy positions the salesperson as a trusted advisor who guides the buyer to the solution, rather than just a vendor pushing a product.
In an age of abundant free content, sell your course by highlighting its curated path to a clear outcome. Emphasize saving users time and avoiding mistakes, which scattered free resources can't guarantee. This reframes the value from pure information to guided transformation.
The core content for a course isn't built from a blank page. It's found in the proven, step-by-step advice you already share with friends, colleagues, or clients. These informal solutions are the raw material for a structured, marketable roadmap.
Simply promising a desired outcome feels like a generic 'win the lottery' pitch. By first articulating the audience's specific pain points in detail, you demonstrate deep understanding. This makes them feel seen and validates you as a credible expert who can actually deliver the solution.
To create scalable offers that deliver results without you, shift from asking 'What do I know?' to 'What must my people do?'. Transformation comes from implementation, not just information. You must surface the hidden, instinctual actions and decisions that experts make to provide customers a clear path to results.
Customers want a quick, desirable result (the cake), not the foundational work or hard truths (the broccoli). Frame your content around an appealing outcome, like 'less frizz tomorrow,' to get them to accept the underlying, necessary steps, like adopting a new daily hair care routine.
Counterintuitively, sharing your best knowledge for free builds immense trust and authority. This strategy proves your expertise and makes potential clients eager to purchase your paid implementation services, overcoming skepticism in a crowded market.
