Have you ever stopped paying attention to content when a publisher stepped up their marketing game?
I know I have.
I’ll turn off a YouTube video faster than I can eat a vegan cinnamon roll once I learn it’s sponsored by a product I will never buy. And if there are consistent videos for products I don’t want to hear about, I might even stop watching the channel.
Liking the free content on a platform is no guarantee that you’re going to like what the publisher sells.
That’s okay; no one is to blame here. The content creator didn’t make a mistake and the audience member has every right to lose interest.
But there is an eye-opening lesson for anyone afraid of marketing or selling more aggressively.
“Fewer people. Tighter relationships.�
“We don’t write much about creating content to generate massive anonymous traffic. We write about creating content to support a business with an engaged audience. Fewer people, tighter relationships.� – Sonia Simone, Chief Content Officer: Copyblogger
I think unsubscribes are the best.
Someone who unsubscribes from your content is simply not interested in what you offer. People avoid information that is irrelevant to them; they don’t leave because you’re marketing to them.
It’s great to hear about something that fits your wants or needs. That’s marketing. Whether it’s through content or word of mouth.
If a sponsored YouTube video is about a product that might help me, I’ll definitely keep watching.
But a product that fits my needs might make someone else stop watching or unsubscribe.
That’s why I wrote above that no one’s to blame. However, content creators can always work on building more focused audiences of interested prospects.
Of course every subscriber isn’t going to buy from you, but if a large portion of your “prospectsâ€? enjoy content you create that has nothing to do with what you sell … when it comes time to sell, you’ll be disappointed with your results.
Please interested prospects
If you build a list of interested prospects, you can ditch your fear of selling for good.
You hook people who are good matches for your products or services.
Even if someone isn’t ready to buy yet, you have the opportunity to educate them about what they need to know to do business with you.
Serve those people, rather than creating content for “everyone,â€? and forget about those who don’t stick around.
People who don’t like your content don’t stop you from succeeding; they were never a part of your success in the first place.
Reader Comments (10)
Thanks for the great info! I’m always telling people to focus on the people who really want what they’re selling, which is why unsubscribers aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Thanks for giving me some ammo in my arguments in favor of unsubscribers.
Right on, Alison!
This is so true. Whenever I see I got an unsubscribe from my emails, I think “well, at least I won’t be bothering that person anymore!” Plus, I save a few cents on my ConvertKit account. 😀
Content marketing is and will continue to be a tool for developing relationships with prospects. Unfortunately, that makes it hard to track its effectiveness, but as it always happens, if you think long-term, you will reap the benefits.
When you trust the people on your list, it saves time and energy you might waste thinking you did something wrong, or worse — changing your content to please the type of person who left.
There’s always room for improvement but that usually comes in the form of getting more clear about who you’re selling to and helping those people.
Wow, you kinda blew my mind, Stefanie. I’ve struggled writing my blogs and posts, trying to balance my sales pitch with content. I think I can take the chains off a little and direct my conversations to those interested in what I’m writing about.
Glad the post gave you a new perspective, Todd!
This was AWESOME and something I really needed to hear right now, I think as bloggers and writers we can get caught up in the “numbers� game. How many people engage in our feed, quantity over quality. I am still building my site AND I also offer services and I find once I make the personal connection, I have a sale. They aren’t the numbers that make advertisers woo ~ but I feel really good about building a solid business.
As much as we’ve all heard “quality over quantity,” it’s still so easy to forget the power of “quality.”
The allure of “quantity” is that strong — even though it pushes you further away from the meaningful content that actually contributes to your bottom line.
Creating engaging content woven around targeted marketing bears most effective results. You are absolutely right, Stefanie! 🙂
Hey Stafanie, Great piece of content. Very true on how relevant your content should be to the audience. Especially when it comes to small business marketing
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