Posting content offers a scalable way to reach your audience compared to warm outreach.

At some point, you'll run out of time to personally reach out to people.

Content allows you to communicate with thousands or even millions of people simultaneously, providing tremendous leverage.

However, it also requires more skill due to the competitive nature of the digital landscape.

The Pros and Cons of Content Posting

Pros:

  1. Scalable: One piece of content can reach a vast audience.
  2. Cost-Effective: Content can reduce your CAC and make all other advertising activities more effective.
  3. Evergreen: As opposed to ads, content stays online forever and has the potential to deliver higher ROI.

Cons:

  1. Less Personalized: Content can't be tailored to individuals as effectively as direct outreach.
  2. Competitive: Standing out requires continuous innovation and creativity.
  3. Copycats: Successful content can be copied, requiring constant evolution.

The Content Unit: Hook, Retain, Reward

Every piece of content can be broken down into three essential components: Hook, Retain, and Reward.

1. Hook: The hook's objective is to grab the audience's attention.

It should redirect their focus from whatever they were doing to your content.

Effective hooks involve:

  • Good Topics: Choose interesting and relevant topics.
    • Far past: Life lessons
    • Recent past: Calendar breakdown
    • Present: Real time capture (Do shit. Talk about what you did. Repeat)
    • Trends: Apply your lens to something happening
    • Manufactured: Turn a crazy idea into reality (Mr. Beast)
  • Good Headlines: Craft compelling headlines. Instead of a Formula - Model the News
    • Recency - As recent as possible, quite literally the ‘news’
      • a) People pay attention to something that happened an hour ago more than a year ago.
    • Relevancy - Personally meaningful
      • a) Nurses pay more attention to stuff that affects nurses compared to stuff that affects accountants.
    • Celebrity - Including prominent people (celebrities, authorities, etc.)
      • a) Normally, we wouldn’t care what another human has for breakfast every day. But if it’s Jeff Bezos, we do. Since he’s a celebrity, many people care.
    • Proximity - Close to home - geographically
      • a) A house on fire across the country doesn’t get your attention. If it’s your neighbor, it sure does. Make it as close to home as possible.
    • Conflict - Of opposing ideas, opposing people, nature, etc.
      • b) Pineapple vs no Pineapple on pizza? Conflict!
      • c) Good vs Evil. Hero vs Villain. Left vs Right.
      • d) Freedom vs Security. Justice vs Mercy. You get the idea.
    • Unusual - Odd, unique, rare, bizarre
      • e) Think of a six-fingered man at the old-time circuses. If it’s outside of the norm, people pay more attention.
    • Ongoing - Stories still in progress are dynamic, evolving, and have plot twists.
      • f) If someone goes into labor, people want updates every ten minutes because anything could happen.
  • Match the Format: Tailor your content to fit the platform and audience expectations.
    • Each platform has its own style and format that resonates with its users.
  • A Curiosity Gap: Sparks curiosity and interest in the reader, encouraging them to click to find out more. It involves providing just enough information to pique interest without giving away too much, thereby creating a "gap" between what the reader knows and what they want to know.
    • instead of a title like "How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills," a curiosity gap title might be "The One Trick That Instantly Improves Your Public Speaking."
    • Effective curiosity gap titles often:
      • Pose a question or present a problem that the content will solve.
      • Promise valuable information or a surprising revelation.
      • Use phrases like "You Won't Believe," "The Secret to," or "This Is Why."

2. Retain: Once you've captured attention, you need to keep it. Retention is achieved through:

  • Lists: Presenting multiple tips or ideas in a numbered format (e.g., "Top 10 Ways", "10 Tips", "10 Mistakes").
  • Steps: Providing step-by-step guides to achieve an outcome.
  • Stories: Telling engaging stories that keep the audience curious about what happens next (transformation - intention, obstacle, stakes).

3. Reward: You must reward your audience for their time and attention.

This builds trust and encourages repeat engagement.

Rewarding your audience means delivering valuable content that meets or exceeds their expectations.

This means delivering on the promises made in your hook.

There's no such thing as too long, only too boring.

Think in terms of:

  • Value Per Second: Ensure every second of your content provides value.
  • Fulfill Promises: Deliver on the promises made in your headlines or introductions.
  • Consistency: Consistently provide high-quality content to build a loyal audience.

Long-Form vs. Short-Form Content

Content can vary in length and format.

Long-form content (e.g., YouTube videos, podcasts) consists of multiple content units strung together, while short-form content (e.g., tweets, TikToks) contains fewer units.

Start with short-form content to build your skills and gradually work your way up to longer formats.

The most important thing is to ensure you always:

  • Hook
  • Retain
  • Reward

Making Content for Strangers

When creating content, make it accessible to new audience members.

Avoid inside jokes or references that only existing followers would understand.

This approach ensures that new viewers feel included and are more likely to engage with your content.

Conclusion

Posting content is a powerful way to grow your audience and increase your brand's reach.

By mastering the art of creating compelling hooks, retaining audience attention, and delivering valuable rewards, you can build a loyal following and set the stage for monetizing your content.

In the next chapter, we'll dive into how to turn your content into a revenue-generating machine.