🕰️ Is your content stuck in the past?

here's how to know  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 'How-to' content has always been the hero. ​ Back in 2015 and the preceding years, all you needed were a few solid 'how-to' long form blog posts... ​ and a decent email sequence packed with tips to sell your products and services with ease. ​ That was the time when influencers were educating people on why they needed a digital product or why they should start an online business. ​ There was still some novelty surrounding the online space. ​ But a lot has changed since then. ​ Now, there are content mills churning how-to content in droves. ​ Buyers are more aware. More discerning. ​ They've been burned. They're more careful. They have plenty of choices. ​ Does it still make sense to create 'how-to' content? ​ Should there still be a place for it in your content calendar, your prelaunch emails, your email sequences? ​ ​A question that can help you answer this is 👇🏼:​ ​ ​Is what you’re helping your audience with purely technical or tactical? ​ ​ i.e Are you helping them with the tech like Wordpress of Microsoft PowerPoint? ​ Or maybe you're helping them knit or sew or help them fix or build a deck in the backyard? ​ If your answer is a ‘nope, that’s not what I do’... ​ ​Then purely informative content (how-to and tips) is not going to help your audience very much. ​ We know from copywriter Eugene Schwartz that your customer is on an Awareness Journey or customer journey. ​ ​ Your audience regardless of niche is likely to squarely be in the Problem Aware or Solution Aware phase. ​ Where you want to get them to is Most Aware. This is when they ​ ​a. Are familiar with you and your process ​b. Start to have a new state of thinking ​c. Are convinced what you have is the right solution ​ My argument? 'How-to' doesn’t get your audience to where they need to be - perspective shifting does. Perspective shifting content is 👑 king and not the how-to. ​ If you’re saying.. ​ ​“Ok, but I do help people with the purely technical”, then what? ​ Well, purely informative content doesn’t help technical audiences too but I accept the case for having some 'how to' content to build trust. ​ (Annnndddd if you add in a mix of perspective shifting, it adds a whole other dimension and makes your content remarkably stand out from the rest in the technical niche as well.) ​ There’s nothing wrong in helping your audience in purely technical or tactical areas but here are the issues that I’ve seen crop up with people I’ve worked with: ​ ​#1 How do you differentiate your 'how to' free from your 'how to' paid ​ ​#2 Most people I work with reach a point of burn out and overwhelm when subscribers reach out asking for more how to help (which is what always happens!) ​ ​#3 They get tired of churning out 'how to' piece after 'how to' piece ​ ​‘How to’ gives people a false sense of doing by consuming (the same effect 14 or 30 day challenges have). ​ Very few people come out of those executing. ​ Most drown in a trail of unopened emails usually parked in a folder laced with guilt for not having taken any action. ​ ​What percentage of your content is 'how to' and what’s perspective shifting or thought provoking? ​ ​ Does it skew in favor of one over the other? We all still have old ways. ​ To be fair, that's what we've always been told and encouraged to do. ​ But recognizing the need to shift is always the first step. --------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER A QUICK QUESTION FOR ME? ​(I would so appreciate it!)​ ​ I’m working on curriculum for a content strategy and messaging program and would love your thoughts. ​ This is for coaches, consultants and digital product creators who want to build content assets with thought leadership and a bold point of view so that they can sell their programs by calling in best-fit people. ​ ​Will you answer 1 question for me (it’s completely anonymous)? ​ ​[ Click here to answer the question ]()​ ​ ​Thank you! ​ Meera [Unsubscribe]( | [Update your profile]( | CLOVER AVENUE, CLOVER PARK , SG, SG 579334