The problem is most of us will make content with no strategy. We just make spray and prey. Most of you guys are guilty of that.
So you don't know what their pain points or challenges are. You're making content that might be valuable to someone, but it's not with a good strategy. So today, I'm going to try to do that trifecta or at least hit that thing where you can create content that's aligned with what you do that establishes your expertise and also creates opportunities for you.
So, I'm going to show you the road map on my content to clients blueprint. This is your ideal client profile, your ICP. We struggled mightily through two sessions to come up with your ICP.
Assuming you know how to do that. If you don't, just ask Chatbt how to create an ICP and then ask it to ask you questions. Yes.
And then fill it out and see if it comes up with something good. Okay. So what we want to do is we want to make a bunch of pieces of content that every once in a while creates interest or agitates a problem.
So there's a call to action. So here's how we would do something like this. You know, take a diagnostic quiz.
Find out what's really holding your business back. So for him it would be find out what's really holding your your growth on Instagram back cuz his profile wants to grow on Instagram or why your Facebook ads are failing. Right?
As soon as you hear that, you're like, "Wow, I'm going to learn something. " So, these are just sample versions of a quiz that you can ask them to take. The reason why we ask people to take a quiz is because not everyone who consumes our content is qualified as needing our services.
And what we have to do is we have to separate the potential people versus just general interest. Even if you have a,000 or 2,000 followers on Instagram, we know not 100% of those 2,000 followers are potential buyers of your stuff. Nothing wrong with that.
Love you for following me. love you for engaging, but you're not my customer. And that's totally cool.
When I do something, I want it to be for my customer. Okay? Because they're going to buy or not.
So, another form of a diagnostic quiz is discover your biggest growth blocker about whatever and how to fix it. So, who here has a growth blocker? What do you do?
>> I do product design, but specifically in design systems. >> Oh, that sounds so complicated. Make it simple for a fifth grader like myself to understand.
Um, I try to make it easy for companies to understand what color palettes to use, the typography, fonts to use without it being so scattered across their website. >> If I were to make a piece of content to attract you, what would this headline have to read? Discover your biggest growth blocker to what?
>> Scale your business within the website that you make it more visually attractive. >> No, no, no. If I'm not trying to attract you as a coach, what would I have to say to you for you?
like Chris, get me in your program right now. >> Getting your audience to look at your profile as much as you can. >> Okay, that's not bad.
They can use stronger language. Yeah. So, if I were what's your name, Chantel?
If I was trying to attract Chantel into my program, which I don't have one, I would say discover your biggest growth blocker attracting the dream advertising clients or something like that. And you're like, what? And how to fix it.
M. >> So the more specific I can get the language where you say you say that's me, it works. Everybody understand that?
So here's another example. Take this 60-cond assessment to see what stage you're in and what to do next. So all businesses are in different stages.
Maybe you're kind of early freelance or you're like late stage freelance or you're an entrepreneur or something. We would take we would create that for you. Yeah.
So people love taking diagnostic quizzes because it's all about you. I mean anybody take the MyersBrigg test? Basically, it takes like 30 minutes.
At some point, it becomes really painful. Like, god dang it, how many ways you want to ask me if I don't like people or not? I do not like people.
Stay away from people. Clearly, I'm an eye. Yes.
Okay. So, we love taking those kinds of quizzes. Especially if the result is illuminating to us.
Okay. So, what you do is you make content that says, "Would you like to find out what's really holding your business back? Take this quiz.
" Okay? And in the quiz, it's going to give them an assessment, but it's also going to help you figure out, are they good for you or not? So, the quiz is a filter.
Everybody understand the concept? This is like the uh Goldilocks and the three bears. Is it Goldilocks?
Yes. Is it Gold? Oh, yeah.
The porridge is too hot. It's too cold. And just right.
So, too hot, too cold. Well, so hot is Yes. Right.
Perfect. Let's get on a call. Jump on a webinar.
I want you to invite you to this other program. So that's how you separate them. The nos are really straightforward.
You can't afford me. What you want I can't deliver and your timeline is too long. Let's just say whatever whatever the criteria is.
Then you send them a resource and the resource is what to do so that eventually you can become a yes. That makes sense. Yes.
So if they're stuck on like business basics and you teach advanced strategies, we'll teach them the business basics. The key here is this is repeatable, scalable infinitely. So, it's got to be a digital thing.
It could be a Loom recording. It could be a PDF. It could be a template, a resource, something that they would find to be valuable that would then get them back into the cycle when they take the test again in 3, six, nine months.
They're like, "Wow, I'm I'm moving to maybe now from a no to maybe. " Okay, the may are a little tricky. The may in sales waste all your time.
So, what we want to do instead of jumping on a call with all the may is to send them probably a multi-day email sequence to slowly nurture them or a multi-week or multimonth sequence. All right? So, what you can do is you can teach them a small lesson across time and say, "We're not a perfect fit yet.
Here's what we we're going to do. " Okay? I'm going to give you some resources over time.
So, then the nos become may become yes. So no normally is no. Remember this is scalable needs to be scalable.
That's a critical component to this. So it's usually digital almost always. So that eventually in 3 to 6 months they become may and may over time some interval we're slowly building relationship with them.
Okay. The obvious thing that you're probably thinking is do nos always become may? No.
There's a reason why they're no. They're just dead end. They're stuck.
They'll never get out of their own way. We know people like this. Some of them are related to us.
Okay? We move some of them to the may. And then some of the may become yeses.
You follow so far? Okay. So, what we want to do is we want to create content that gets your potential buyer to say, "That's me.
You're speaking my language. You're pointing out the things that I would think. " Okay?
This is a critical part. So, the test is always if they say, "That's me. " Okay?
Now, I want you all to do this. Travel in your mind for a second to the last three to five posts you've done. Be honest with yourself here.
Have you ever once created a piece of content where that would elicit a that's me from your core buyer, from your core audience? Let's Let's be honest. Cuz if you see yes, I'm going to look at your feed.
You have? >> Yeah. >> Show me.
>> I just posted it. >> Well, pull it up. >> Okay.
>> I've always been a slashy. I just didn't have a word for it. So instead of trying to niche down or focus on one thing, I leaned into my slashiness.
And my mom still doesn't know how to explain what I do, but that's okay. And then it tells you to go to Adobe Max to watch my talk. [laughter] >> Is there anybody here slashy?
Uniform Zoolander actor, model slash. >> My my joke to that is if you're a slasher, you're a serial killer. >> I mean, yes.
I I'm slashing your way. Okay, cool. All right.
I want you to describe their stuck moment. When are they stuck? So the example here is it's 11 p.
m. and they're rewriting the same email. That's their stuck moment, right?
Okay. So describe their stuck moment. >> Like they have multiple things that they're always doing and they don't know how to make a career or life with all of those skills.
>> Okay. Is that what they're saying in their head? >> Yeah.
I mean, that's what I think. That's what I said to myself. >> Well, who's a slasher over here?
You're a slasher. When do you experience that same stuck moment? >> I mean, in all honesty, in those moments, I think I'm like, maybe I should just give up everything and just start from scratch.
>> Maybe give up. Start over. Okay.
What else? Anything else? Any other slashers in here?
>> What I would say out loud was, "Damn, you're talented now. Just need to find someone to pay you for one of those talents. " >> Perfect.
Stop there. I'm talented. Just need someone to pay me.
What we're trying to do is there's a bunch of prompts here. We're trying to find each person in a stuck moment. Here's some things that they say.
We got that part. Okay. So, their stuck moment, what they say out loud, what they think privately is, maybe I'm not good enough.
Maybe I want to give up. We can expand on that. What other things might they say?
>> Uh, maybe I should go back to school. >> Perfect. Go back to school.
I'm smart. I'll think this through. There's some paralysis going on there.
The world's not fair. Okay, fine. What do they think the problem is that's wrong?
>> There's not enough jobs. >> That's a good one. What else?
People don't get it. That's a good one. She said people don't get it.
That's a good one. Yeah. >> The market is too saturated.
>> Market is saturated. >> AI would take my job at some point. >> That's such a good one.
That is so relevant right now. >> Okay. AI will take my job.
>> Overthinking. >> Taking action. Making a decision.
Let me just quickly recap everybody. What we're trying to do is create content that highlights a problem in the voice and attitude and opinions of the people we're trying to attract such that by consuming some of the content, they say to themselves out loud or in their own minds, that's me. I feel so seen right now.
If you can do that, you can move them towards the solution. Okay? So, the example here on the paper is it's 11 o'clock at night and they're rewriting the same email and they say to themselves, "I've tried everything.
" and they think to themselves, I'm not good enough. Maybe I'm not good enough. Right?
And they say to themselves, I just need more followers. What the real problem is, they don't know how to communicate their value. The emotion behind is frustration leading to self-doubt.
Follow so far. If it continues, they burn out. Wish what they wish someone told them is you're not crazy.
It's just your strategy that's off. So, the real problem is they're not taking action. They're not being decisive.
What else is the problem? They are a generalist. Isn't the solution to be a specialist?
That would be my answer. And I can argue for all that all day long, >> but maybe you and the slashies have a different point of view. The real problem is find your one thing as a generalist trying to get opportunity.
What is your feeling? >> Um, I think the feeling maybe is confusion. >> Conf.
You feel confused. Is there a stronger emotion? >> Yeah.
I guess like this sounds so dramatic, but like I guess some level of despair. >> Despair. That's a good word.
Do you feel bitter? >> Uh, I wouldn't say bitter. >> Okay, not yet.
You're so young. >> There's [laughter] time. >> Sorry.
I take shots every time I can get them. How's your Anything else? >> I think it's going to be a lot of the same types of words like you.
Hopeless. >> Hopeless. >> Okay, perfect.
If it continues this way, nothing changes. What happens? I guess you either stay like in my mind I'm like I stay at this job that I don't like and I'm unfulfilled.
>> What's the more extreme? Keep going down the logic. The >> topic.
Okay. Okay. I'm unfulfilled and then I get so bitter that I start hating design.
>> There you go. You hate what you used to love. >> Yes.
>> You might become bitter. >> Maybe at that point before hate is bitterness. I believe maybe there's some anger in there and you might you might start phoning it in at work.
>> True. Some of your content could be, have you lost the passion for what you do and you're starting to phone it in? Take this quiz to find out if you're, you know, something like that.
Yes. So now the content is going to ring with all the slashies out there. All the all the specialists are just counting their money anyways.
They're like, "This is not for me. " All right. So now comes the truth.
This is where the rubber meets the road. what they wish someone told them. This is the knowledge, the expertise that you have.
I think if you just package all of your greatness into something easier for people to understand, you have better opportunities. >> How do you feel about that? >> That resonates with me.
Yeah. >> See the way she said that she didn't go high pitch on me. >> I mean, >> she went lower register.
>> You know, it's real hard to do this like real quick. >> It it is [laughter] even when it's not your thing. So, we're not going to ask her to change.
We're just going to package it differently. I think she can hear that. >> So, that's great.
>> It's not this. It's the packaging. It's not you, it's the packaging or positioning or something like that.
And that's what I have a sevenstep program to teach you how to package yourself so you are they're chasing you down. And that's really what everybody wants. We want to be understood, appreciated, and a plan to get us out from A to B.
So, there's just a little A to B in here, and we're good. Okay. Now, you know what the irony of it is?
I didn't mean to trick you. I just do it all the time naturally. The solution is for you to pretend to be a specialist.
So all of you slashies, there's nothing wrong with you. You just have to pretend to be a specialist. Okay?
>> So all you specialists, just keep doing what you're doing. You don't have to pretend at all. So now what you want to do is you want to start writing a powerful empathy based hook.
So the way it works, here's the example. You know that moment when you're questioning your life decisions, you're searching for a job. You get stuck writing your profile on LinkedIn.
and you don't know what to write cuz you want it to be perfect and this is not perfect. Whatever it is that would then that would lead you or if you've ever experienced this thing that we already know what you feel right or most of my this type of client job seekers who are slashies my fellow slashies think this and then write your line. I want to say this I know it's really weird for me to say this at Adobe Max.
This is like a visual audience. Yeah, they make visual tools. An overlooked skill of the 21st century is writing because words shape worlds.
So your ability to craft language will determine how people understand you or if they think you understand them. But it also open doors in your mind or closed doors. So language is very very powerful, more powerful than we think.
All of your experiences, all your memories are locked away with words. So, it's so weird for me to say this at a visual like Adobe visual conference here, but your words really do matter. That's why I do battle with people about their words.
