260: I am seeing WAY too much of this content and it has to calm down

Scrolling for content to engage in and all I see? 

Promotion this, promotion that. 

No wonder people are bored. Let’s talk about it and what you can do to be loud on social media without adding to the noise. 

Welcome aboard flight CQM222, I am your pilot, Mariah - you have your ticket to good content marketing in hand. 

While on this flight the flight attendants will be here to assist you to get off the content creation hamster wheel and onto a new way of marketing to help you live a more freedom-based lifestyle. 

Each week you will be given a new stamp in your passport and by the end of the 90 days you will be on your way to explore the world of Content Marketing as a solo traveller.

This is week ten - get ready, it is going to be a wild ride!

If you LOVED this part of your trip (the episode), make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @contentqueenmariah.

⁠⁠⁠GET YOUR TICKET TO GOOD CONTENT MARKETING⁠⁠⁠⁠

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS 👇

✨What type of content works well on social media 

✨How to still sell your products and services 

✨Why this has GOT to change  

SHOW RESOURCES 👇

If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @contentqueenmariah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Other than that, enjoy - chat next week 💕

PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

This is your pilot speaking. My name is Mariah and welcome to this special series of the content queen podcast. You have boarded flight CQM 222 and you have in your hand, your ticket to good content marketing. We hope you have a safe journey on this 90 day trip strap in and get ready to experience all the strategy and learnings you need to enter 2024 with a direction on how to create content that is unique to you and your business.

While on board you'll have complimentary access to all the learnings that will help you attract your own new passengers to grow and expand your trip. While on this flight the flight attendants will be here to assist you to get off the content creation hamster wheel and onto a new way of marketing to help you live a more freedom based lifestyle.

Each week you'll be given a new stamp to your passport and by the end of the 90 days you'll be on your way to experience the world content marketing as a solo traveler. Seatbelts on we're ready to take off. Hello gang. All right as you know.  We have landed in destination one content audio experience the content guide to Content strategy.

The link is in the show notes if you would like to check it out This is really about helping you with content strategy. It is a free downloadable and by downloadable I mean, it's a secret podcast that you will just get the link to and you can listen to it whenever it's convenient for you So check that out because that is the first stop on this destination so  Our last stop is going to be somewhere very special in a couple weeks, stay tuned for that.

I want to talk about the type of content that I'm seeing way too much of and I'm over it. So basically, um, for some of my clients, they like to comment on other people's content. They want to be seen, right? They want to  contribute. They want to use. Social media as a social media platform. So, of course, that includes engaging.

Content is only one element of socials. So, sometimes I find bits and pieces and share them with them so that they can comment. And  the people, you know, some of them have quite a few followers. I'm seeing the same thing. It's just promotional. It's just sales. It's giving nothing. Like, I don't know why people engage with it because it's just literally like buy my thing,  whatever.

And then also what I'm finding is when they do comment, they get that automated mini chat,  you know, download this, listen to this, whatever. But they haven't actually typed in the keyword that should trigger that message. So they're not asking for  what they're delivering, right? They're just commenting to add value and to just build community.

And this was a video that Maddie Avery, who was on the podcast in 2023,  I will put the episode in the show notes. She brought this to our attention. That basically,  if you look at a marketing funnel, the bottom of the funnel, or a cycle, whatever, there's too much content in that bottom of the funnel or the end of the cycle.

And then there's no new people coming in. So people are just getting tired of, you can't sell to a cold audience and you also like,  you can't just keep selling to your audience and expect them to continue to buy because the leads dry up. So that's what I want to talk about today. Because when you work out a balance of content for your business, then you don't exhaust yourself and your audience, but you build a connection.

So I want to break this up into three parts and I want to share an analogy of what we've been seeing in Vietnam when we're traveling. Currently, we are now in the Philippines. We had a bit of a drama with Visas and passports. I think we'll do a TikTok on that so if you're following at atravelers.co on TikTok, you'll hear about it.

I can't be bothered explaining it this episode I'm too tired. I will do like a summary episode on our travels at some stage but basically this is what we're gonna get into. The first step is being intentional with your social media content So I know obviously your goal is to get leads and business from these channels.

I understand that but it's like this when we were going through the markets in Vietnam, there is everyone just selling the same thing Buy this, buy that, I've got this, I've got that. You know, if you buy more, it's cheaper. There's just people selling at you all the time.  Right? All the time. And after a while, it's like, oh, I'm just gonna tune out and not listen anymore because I'm just sick of it.

I'm just sick of being sold to. So, on my walk in the old quarter of any city or wherever in Vietnam or in any, lots of places around the world. South America, uh, we noticed it in Morocco.  There's lots of places around the world that's the same thing. And eventually you go, okay, I'm just going to tune out.

So  using social media  for many different things than just selling is very key.  So  all their goals are is to get you to buy something in these markets, but it's always the same. We get tired, we end up ignoring it. So it's the same thing with socials. How can you do something different? How can you be seen a little bit differently?

Yeah, of course, you want to still sell your products and the people in those markets. Eventually they make a sale, right? If they're persistent enough, they will make a sale, but maybe just maybe they could think about that connection piece first.  The people that I've bought from have been ones that I've made connection with or been recommended to.

And I'm going to talk about that in the next part. But first thing I want you to think about is being more intentional with the content you put out there  and have different. Um, goals and different meaning around the content you're creating.  Then the next thing  is pour in some more top and middle funnel content in between launching and selling.

So I know you want to make money, but you can make money in more places than just back to back launches on social media.  Right? And this is what happened when we were traveling Vietnam, the shops that had a nice exterior.  Attracted me more  and this was because They were being loud in a different way because obviously on social media you have to stand out So you have to be loud in some way But it felt like they were giving me more value and it felt like they were thinking of me And how I would feel in the experience more than just the sale.

Now, of course, I understand not all of us have the income, not all of us have the means to invest in that. So if I was to think about walking through markets in Vietnam, how could I be more attractive even if I can't afford to have a massive nice exterior or a nice store?  Thinking about building connection in a different way.

Thinking about doing something different. Rather than buy this, buy that. Do you want something? I've got this, I've got that here and throwing stuff at me. Thinking about a different way of giving value.  Using the top and middle funnel more in your content than just the bottom, which is sales. Now if you're like, I have no idea what top and middle funnel is.

The top is really about inspiring. It's really about connection. It's really about giving Something to your audience that is not about you and what you sell. And then the middle of the funnel is this value piece. Now I know people are going to be like, give value, give value. What does that even mean?

There could be means of some form of education. Sharing something that they don't know. Giving them a quick win. Giving your audience something that they can go, Ah, I can connect more with that person. You could build community. You could build something more than just, buy from me.  Right. And that's why those shops in Vietnam or even the market stalls that had put energy or effort into connecting with me into providing me a feeling and experience rather than just buy my thing.

So think about how that can happen. Now, I know you don't have a lot of time. I get it. But there's many things you can do that aren't super time consuming when it comes to content creation. Storytelling. Um, the easiest form of content you can have because the stories that you know, it's just about spending a little bit of time practicing storytelling and getting better at it  and really starting to understand what your audience is looking for, right?

Because you have to do that anyway to sell your products and services through many channels to connect with your audience. So think about how you can do that in your content.  And then the third thing is the power of connection and community. How can we harness this more? Now, I just saw a TikTok literally today of someone doing like a stitch, which is, you know, remixing someone else's piece of content.

Gen Z has destroyed the marketing funnel. And the guy kind of said, well,  no, they just made it a little bit different. It's probably more of a cycle. And he talks about. Rather than awareness content, it's inspirational content rather than consideration. It's more about building community, right? And we know community and connection is huge.

It's no different. It's been like this since 2020. It's just people are,  you know, back in 2020, we could sell a lot more easier. Now it's just like, give me more community. So how can you use these channels to build more community and use.  Other spaces on these platforms for sales.  So,  for example, I spent more money on quality things than just everything and anything in the market that was thrown at me in Vietnam.

Obviously, different times that I've gone to Vietnam, I've had different, like, shopping experiences. The first time it's like,  buy all the souvenirs. The second time it's like, buy nothing and the third time that I came it was like, okay, I want to buy quality. So I would more likely do videos and content on things that I bought from an experience and something that felt like was building a feeling community and connection in me.

There was one shop That we went to, we bought, we spent more than buying, and I could see they had imitations of them in the markets, but we bought ones from the proper brand, because one, they supported the local artists that created them, so they gave back to the local artists rather than ripping them off, so that was something that I felt like I was part of the community, it was an experience that  they shared with me within their store,  and then what they did ask is, if you give us a Google review, we will give you a free postcard, and the postcard had  some of the art on it.

The bum bag that I purchased or I got made was leather and the necklace that I'm currently wearing I bought and it was more expensive. It was a more expensive piece and it was handmade. Um, because I listened to the community. So for example, the shop that had the jumpers with the local artists that was giving back to the community.

And I really liked that the bum bag and the necklace were recommendations that were given by the hotel manager and a friend from back home, because we're more likely to listen to our community and people that we trust. So rather than people going to Instagram just to scroll, they're going to Instagram, they're going to TikTok to find things that they need, right?

And they just leave. Sometimes we're just scrolling for certain things, and we get stuck in the void, but for purchasing decisions, we're looking for something. So,  how can you change,  what do I want people to see if they're finding me? So not just, how can I always be selling my offers to everyone and everything and whatever.

Because when we had this conversation, and this This whole analogy I've extended was brought to my attention by Mitch when we were having coffee. And he was talking about how people go to social media for, you know, what they're looking for now. Like, we use it as a search engine. And usually we go to places that are recommended by us or what we know.

So, if you're new in the game and you're like, well, people obviously are just going to social media to find what they're looking for and leave. Then you don't need to be always selling to them. So you could be like, how can I capture their attention when they are on the platform? And then sell in other spaces, you know, sell,  create a sales strategy that doesn't have to be solely reliant on social media.

So you can alleviate the pressure of social media and you can just sell, you can just show up to be there for connection, community, And of course you can share your offers in different places, maybe on Instagram stories to the people that are following you are more likely to buy from you. You can sell in many ways through your email marketing through potentially.

Paying, spending some money on advertising or going networking, like you have to test that and see what's gonna work in your sales strategy. But social media doesn't have to be the place that you're always selling 'cause everyone else is. So if you think about the marketing analogy, the market analogy, rather than being that store owner in the market.

So, I think that having maybe a low key stall or a store that gives an experience, looks beautiful, and is probably going to be, you know, something that people will talk about. A TikTok someone will make because it looks nice or they got a really beautiful experience from it.  And it's a different experience rather than being out there trying to be loud and get everyone to pay attention to you.

And really build from that really intimate experience. People are looking for these experiences now, right? Rather than Oh, I've got a problem. I'm going to go find a solution to it. It's like, Oh yeah, I need, that is an issue for me, but I want to look for someone that's going to give me a really great experience.

And we saw that with all the things that we did in Vietnam, the tours, you know, we booked a group tour that was absolutely jam packed and we hated every minute of it, even though the places were beautiful versus a private tour that we spent extra for in Ninh Binh with one guide and just us in a car.

And we could, you know, do what we wanted and tailor it to us. And we were happy to spend more.  So you see where I'm going with this, how can we show those experiences on social media rather than buy this, buy that, I've got this, I've got that, and just really create an experience of what it looks like to work with us to buy our product or service.

So to summarize, I want you to think about, and it's totally up to you what you action, but just think about it. How can you be more intentional with your social media content? How can you do things differently so you're not just here I am by my thing and you're trying to be the loudest person there and scream over people That might have a big following that might be creating different types of content That might not really rely on social media for sales, but they just do it anyway.

And they get them because they do have, you know, they've been doing it for longer. They have exponential growth. They have that audience to, how can you think about the top and middle funnel more than just launching on social media back to back to back and really create. How can you create a different sense of content on your page so people aren't just seeing you sell to them all the time, which is what I'm seeing at the moment and it's exhausting and I can't be bothered with Instagram to be fair.

And the third one is how can you create that connection and that community piece on these social channels so that, and even throughout your whole customer journey and experience, so people are sharing about you. So people are talking about you and referring you and maybe they're creating content about you.

And creating those experiences that really gives quality over quantity, right? You know, back in 2020, we were just creating products, like millions of different products and selling heaps of different digital things and whatever. But I think I can see it now, like businesses are just going to like, less is more.

And you can also do that with your content, right? Give that really cool experience that is unique to you. And what does cool experience mean is based on. Um, what is going to work for your audience, you know, what they really connect with and seeing, is it a space to be a little bit more like  a overview of your brand and your business, but really about connection and building community around it.

Right. And as I said, I know you didn't start this to be a content creator, but that's what it's about. It's not about creating the content. It is about you delivering something. So how can you deliver to people on these channels? So it's just a space that they like to be in. So I'm going to leave you on that, my little market analogy, what we experienced in Vietnam and how I could really see that customer journey or my own consumer behaviors in where I decided to make my purchases.

Right? So I'm curious to know what's coming up for you in this, but when we are really building.  This journey with our customers, our clients, whatever that looks like really listening to them and what they're coming on those channels for and how you can meet them there. It's similar to what I said about, you know, what are they consuming after hours?

What are people consuming when they're just scrolling or when they're looking for something? And how can you then replicate something that they would stop and listen to or they will go, Oh yeah, cool. That's me. That's me. Oh my God, that was funny. Or that got me thinking that was inspirational. That was motivational.

So whatever that looks like, you have to decide that. And the first place to do that is by understanding what content strategy is and how that can help your business. And I go through all of this in the audio guide. So you can have a think about what it looks like for you. Cause there's no cookie cutter approach.

There's no like here, do this formula and that's going to work. You have to learn it yourself. It's a process. It's a journey. Like traveling, there's no end destination. You're just always learning this and starting to enjoy it in the way that feels good for you is very important. So be a content queen or king, and remember that developing your strategy and story develops your business.

Thank you so much for joining me today on this flight. Stamp your passport and please don't forget to share this with all your business and entrepreneurial friends. You can do this by adding it to your insta stories and tagging us at contentqueenmariah or just tell them about it. Because as we said, we share our experiences and we share them with others.

That's the whole point, right? That's building that connection and community. And I can do that as well if you leave a rating and review. I can get more amazing guests. We can continue to strengthen this content if I hear from you, if you share how you feel about this episode. So, please tell me. Follow me on Instagram or TikTok and let me know if there's any topics you'd like me to cover in the future.

I'm planning after this campaign. So I would love to hear from you and I'll talk to you soon. Bye! 

PodcastMariah MacInnesmarketing, marketing advice, how to be authentic online, business ownerComment