The deadly mistake content creators make

Free Value ≠ A Profitable Business

For a few years, I spent hours every week writing and publishing how-to articles, tutorials, explainers, guides, listicles, and explainers.

I explained how to do X and get Y… even if you haven’t got Z.

And in return?

The overlords at Google and a few other platforms showered me with traffic and readers.

A content publishing influencer even coined a term for this publishing strategy: Skyscraper content.

Go one better than your competitor.

Invest dozens of hours or thousands of dollars into giving your best work for free.

Craft the biggest possible online skyscraper, within your niche of choice.

Then, wait for the goggle-eyed masses to turn up.

They’ll climb to the top of your skyscraper and admire the view.

All you have to do is slap a $50 tourist tax on your content (says ads or affiliate promos)... and reap those sweet PayPal dividends.

That content strategy worked for years.

Many creators I know coined it with value content.

But today?

It’s dead.

I’d warn any content creator AGAINST giving away their best stuff for free.

Just the other day, I watched a viral Insta reel full of super-useful ChatGPT prompts.

I even screenshotted a few to my library.

But, I’d put $$ on that content creator struggling to pay their bills by giving away so much value.

Unless you can whack thousands of eyeballs on How-To or value content, it’s exceptionally hard to monetize.

Getting that many eyeballs is a zero-sum game.

You see...

Giving away value attracts two types of people: beginners and tire kickers.

Beginners devour value content.

They’ll like, comment and share.

They’ll even email and say thank you.

But they’ll almost NEVER buy.

They can’t afford what you’re offering.

Or they’re super sceptical about handing over their credit card details to a random internet guy/gal, to solve a problem.

Now, that’s ok for those running a charity or creating content for sh*ts and giggles.

But less so for creators building a business with content.

Meanwhile, those tire kickers?

They’ll try your content out for themselves.

They’ll DM and email you all day long to tell you what you got wrong.

But, no matter what a creator says or publishes, a tire kicker won’t ever buy.

So what should a committed content creator do instead?

I’d give you the long answer, but if you've read this far, you know that strategy will not work.

So here’s the short answer:

Craft a philosophy.

Articulate that philosophy in your content.

Do it in such a way that you let beginners down gently and REPEL tire kickers.

Publish content that attracts committed buyers.

Use insights and authentic stories.

And save all that value for your best customers and clients.

It’s easier and more rewarding to create to follow this type of content strategy.

You’ll attract high-ticket clients.

And earn more money.