The exact amount of content you should give away

by | Jun 6, 2022 | Newsletter

Creating Clarity Newsletter #016 3 minutes 13 seconds
  Last week, I was having a discussion with a client about the amount of “free stuff” you should give giveaway in your lead gen docs and content. The discussion made me think about the song “Give it Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a song about the theory of abundance. In a VH1 Behind the Scenes interview with the band, lead singer Anthony Kiedis explained the song’s meaning. 
“The more you give away, the more you receive, so why not give it all away?”
I believe this reasoning is why you should give away your content for free.  

Should you give away your content for free?

When it comes to content, most content creators are concerned about “giving too much away.” Their reasoning is if they give too much away, no one will want to buy their products or services. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this thought process is what prevents them from growing their business. Why? Two reasons.
  1. Scarcity thinking.
  2. Selfishness.
  Scarcity mindset A scarcity mindset refers to people seeing life (or content) as finite, meaning there is only so much knowledge in the world, and if one person takes it, there will be less for everyone else. A scarcity mindset makes it difficult to focus on anything else, resulting in overthinking and holding your business back.   Selfishness   Selfishness focuses on what’s good for you vs. what’s good for your audience. To grow your brand, you need to build awareness. One of the best ways to do this (outside of running ads) is through your content. Your content helps prospects understand your thinking, thought process, and personality. In addition, content helps prospects imagine what it would be like to work with you.  Not sharing your best content makes it difficult for prospects to understand why they should work with you vs. your competitor.

The three types of personas who consume your content

  There are only three types of personas that will consume your content.   1 The Freebie Seeker 2 The Tried and Failed crew 3 The DIYer The Freebie Seeker The Freebie Seeker is someone who is always on the lookout for “Free” stuff. They have folders filled with ebooks, guides, cheat sheets, checklists, and pdfs, which they will never read. Freebie Seekers are only in it for the free stuff. You can give them everything you do with instructions, and they will not take action. They are collectors, not action takers. The Freebie Seeker will never be your client, so who cares if they take your stuff. The Determined Crew Ahhh. The Determined Crew are action takers. They will download your optins and consume your content because they see the value. They know what you are putting out into the world will help them grow. With this persona, no matter how much they “take” from you, some will struggle to implement it on their own. Not because they are not capable, but because they are too close to their work. The Determined Crew is your ideal audience. They will become your client, eventually, but only if you continue to share your content without limits.  The DIYer Exactly as it sounds, these folks will take your stuff and implement it in their business. But, will they do it as well as they could with your help? Maybe, maybe not, but here’s the thing about this group. The DIYer may or may not be your client. I say “may not” because the DIYer may recognize the difficulty involved as they attempt to implement your free content.  After starting, they might get muddled with their thinking and, as a result, will begin to understand how much time, effort, and possibly money it will take to use your content in their business. If the pain of implementation exceeds their DIY mentality, they will need your help and may become your client.  

Here’s the exact amount of content you should give away

All of it. If you believe the more you give away, the more you receive, why wouldn’t you give it all away? There will always be freebie seekers. There will always be DIYers. But what won’t always be there are opportunities if you choose to hoard your knowledge vs. giving it all away.  
  That’s it for this week’s edition of Creating Clarity. Until next time, here are some lyrics from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to ponder. I dare you not to sing the song as you read them. Give it away, give it away, give it away now Give it away, give it away, give it away now Give it away, give it away, give it away now Oh, oh yeah… Cheers, Ryan   Ps. If you struggle with determining what content you should publish, schedule a call, and let’s talk. Helping our Determined Crew clients get their content sorted is what we love doing at The Distilled Brand.

Features: The Stuff

We love our features, however, let’s be clear, when we talk about features, we’re referring to what your product or service is or does. The chair, for instance, is this color, has these dimensions, or distributes weight evenly.

Bad messaging leads with features.

But, hey, I get it. You’re proud of your service and what you’ve built because they showcase what you offer—but here’s the catch: your audience will not care as much as you do.

Think of features as the raw ingredients in a cocktail; yes, they are essential, but not enough to make someone order it without knowing what’s in it for them.

For example, if you run a leadership coaching program, a feature might be the 45 videos in the program or the program lasting six months.

While important, these features describe what your program is and NOT how it helps (that’s next).

Action Steps for the stuff:

  • Create an Ingredients list.
  • Identify all of the features of your service.
  • Note the features that distinguish you from the competition.

BTW, I’m not saying you shouldn’t use features in your marketing; you shouldn’t lead with them.

Benefits: The Spoils

So, you’ve got your features identified in an ingredients list. Next, you need to turn them into something meaningful. That’s where benefits come in.

A benefit provides tells your customers what they will be able to do, feel, or have because they hired you. Benefits explain why the feature matters and how the value proposition is achieved. Benefits are the transformation your customer experiences by using your product or service.

Benefits help your customers visualize how their life improves, so connecting the dots between what you offer and how it impacts them is essential.

The chair, for example, has a seat that is so comfy, you can sit there for hours without getting a sore bum.

For your coaching program, a benefit could be 1:1 coaching or website copy revisions (both of which I do as part of The Brand Messaging System™️.

Action Steps to Translate Features into Benefits:

  • For each feature, ask: “So what? How does this make my customer’s life easier or better?”
  • Frame benefits in terms of customer outcomes—what do they gain?
  • Be specific about the improvements they’ll experience.

For messaging, benefits sit in between your features and value proposition, connecting your features to your value proposition.

Value Proposition: The Solution

Your value proposition is the distilled essence of why someone should choose your brand over the competition. Your value proposition must be tied directly to your customer’s goals.

It’s the promise you make to your audience that captures both the features and benefits, typically wrapped into one compelling statement. The chair might enable you to meet the right person or call an Uber to get home.

Your value proposition communicates why your customer should care—and pay.

Think of it like the signature cocktail at the bar: it’s not just the ingredients or how it’s made; it’s the feeling and experience your customer wants when they place their order.

Your program’s value proposition might sound like this: “Our personalized leadership coaching helps solopreneurs scale their businesses with 1:1 coaching and website revisions that resonate with your ideal audience.”

Action Steps to a Strong Value Proposition:

  • Link your features to the benefits they enable.
  • Match the benefits to the outcome your customer will achieve.
  • Write your value proposition by telling prospects how their lives will be better.

The Last Call: Key Takeaways for Sharpening Your Brand Message

Turn your frown upside down and do the same to this list. Start with your Value proposition. Highlight your service’s benefits, then link features to the benefits to show how your value prop is achieved.

Craft a value proposition: Identify the transformation your clients achieve and how it links to their goals.

Identify your benefits: Show your customers the benefits of using your service.

Jot down your features: Note the raw facts about what your product or service is or does.

When you nail this down, your messaging will become the perfect drink that they can’t wait to sit at your bar and order over and over.

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help.

1 Brand Messaging OS:  Join over 100 founders and solopreneurs and create your own brand messaging operating system (BMOS) and bring clarity, focus, and alignment to your audience, message, and offer.

Imagine not worrying about what to say when asked, “What do you do?” Or not worrying about needing to get another job because your leads have dried up. If that sounds like something you need, the BMOS may be for you. Schedule a call, and let’s chat.

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