Content Creation

Mindset For Getting Value From Consumed Content

This call covers a powerful mindset for ensuring you get real value and an "ROI" from any information products, courses, books or other learning materials you invest time and money into.  

Approach Consumption With An "Get My Money Back" Mindset

Adopt a mindset of extracting enough value to recoup your investment when consuming anything.

Chris advocates for consciously approaching any paid information or learning experience with the intent to get back the monetary value you put in, and then some. He uses the example of books behind him on his shelf - for every book he paid for, he made the investment back many times over by applying the ideas, teaching the concepts, or building something off the material. View your consumption not just as an expense, but as an opportunity to create value. Don't just take in and hold the information, but find ways to give it back out through your work.

View Creation as Generating Byproducts
The creation process naturally yields many valuable byproducts beyond the core offering.

Chris describes a mindset from the book "Rework" about finding value in the byproducts created during the development of any main creation like a course, book, product etc. For example, worksheets, self-assessments, tools and other pieces you create in the process can be extracted and turned into their own separate products to sell at lower prices. Most creators focus only on selling the main thing, but you can exponentially increase your revenue streams by selling off these byproducts.

Action Steps:

1. For your next creation, keep a list of any support tools, templates, exercises, etc. you develop along the way.
2. Identify which pieces have potential standalone value and could be packaged up to sell individually.
3. Add these byproduct offerings to your sales pipeline at lower price points to create additional revenue streams.

Staying focused on measurable goals
When reviewing examples members share, Chris steers feedback towards concrete goals the work should achieve, like lead generation or sales conversion.

Keeping objectives specific and quantifiable helps optimize strategies and assess whether they are effective. It prevents vague or vanity metrics from guiding decisions.

The copywriting framework called R.O.T stands for Results, Objections, and Time. Results refer to the outcomes or promises made in the copy, while objections address potential doubts or hesitations the audience may have. Time indicates the timeframe associated with achieving the promised results. By addressing objections and clarifying guarantees, copywriters can overcome resistance and build trust with their audience. The three stages clients go through before making a purchase are problem awareness, solution awareness, and product awareness. Homework for copywriters includes crafting clear and focused headlines, ensuring lead magnets have strong hooks, and understanding the customer journey to tailor messaging effectively. Additionally, being prepared, asking questions strategically, and practicing good hygiene are essential elements of effective participation in workshops or meetings.

Key Points:
1. ROT framework: Results, Objections, Time.
2. Address objections and clarify guarantees to overcome resistance and build trust.
3. Understand the customer journey: problem awareness, solution awareness, product awareness.
4. Craft clear and focused headlines; ensure lead magnets have strong hooks.
5. Practice good hygiene and be prepared for effective participation in workshops or meetings.

Top Action Steps:
1. Apply the ROT framework to your copywriting efforts by clearly defining promised results, addressing objections, and specifying the timeframe for achieving outcomes.
2. Analyze potential objections your audience may have and develop strategies to overcome them in your copy.
3. Tailor your messaging to align with the stages of the customer journey: problem awareness, solution awareness, and product awareness.
4. Review and refine your headlines to ensure they are clear, focused, and compelling, with strong hooks to attract your audience's attention.
5. Prioritize good hygiene and preparedness for effective participation in workshops or meetings to maximize your learning and networking opportunities.

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Content Bingo Overview

Introducing the concept of "Content Bingo" - gamifying the content creation process to hit various milestones.

Why Content Bingo?

- Makes the process of building an audience through content more fun and engaging
- Provides a clear roadmap of achievable goals to work towards
- Capitalizes on the psychological motivation of completing a pattern/row
- The accomplished points need to be within the last year

The Bingo Card

- 5x5 grid with different content/engagement goals in each square
- Goals range from straightforward (5K LinkedIn followers) to more involved (Giving a TEDx talk)
- First person to get 5 squares in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) "wins"

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Dissecting some of the Bingo Squares

5K LinkedIn Followers  

Having an established audience on LinkedIn

Description - One of the more straightforward goals, having 5,000 followers on LinkedIn demonstrates you have built a reasonably sized audience on the platform. This can be valuable for increasing the reach and engagement of your content. For some, this box may already be checked off.

Action Steps:
1. Optimize your LinkedIn profile for discoverability
2. Consistently share valuable content tailored to your target audience
3. Engage authentically with others' posts in your niche

Leaving LinkedIn Comment with 50+ Reactions

Creating engaging commentary that sparks discussion

This relates to the content strategy from Yasmin Alec of posting once but commenting 5 times with thoughtful responses that add value. The goal is to leave a comment that generates more reactions/engagement than the original post, indicating you fueled an interesting dialogue. Chris mentions using contrarian views to spark debates as one effective approach.

Action Steps:
1. Study posts/comments that tend to generate high engagement in your niche
2. Identify opportunities to provide an alternative perspective or pose thought-provoking questions
3. Aim to be a catalyst for rich discussions in the comments

Giving a TEDx Talk

Building credibility and visibility through public speaking

While requiring significant preparation, giving a TEDx talk at a local university or event can be a great credential and content asset. It involves pitching your idea, working with coaches, writing drafts over 6 months, and ultimately memorizing and delivering your speech. This is a challenging but rewarding goal for establishing yourself as an authority.

Action Steps:
1. Research upcoming TEDx events in your city/area and their application processes  
2. Brainstorm a novel, compelling talk idea that aligns with your expertise
3. Start building public speaking experience through smaller local events

LinkedIn Collaborative Badge

Engaging on LinkedIn by answering community questions

LinkedIn has started prompting experts to answer topical questions related to their listed areas of knowledge. If your responses are selected as high-quality, you can earn a 30-day "Collaborative" badge on your profile. This visually signals your active involvement in sharing expertise.

Action Steps:
1. Update your listed areas of expertise on your LinkedIn profile
2. Monitor the Q&A section for relevant questions in your domain
3. Provide detailed, valuable answers to position yourself as a go-to resource

Strategies for Effective Content Creation

Leveraging Engagement for Algorithm Favor
Growing your reach by creating engagement

Chris notes that platforms like LinkedIn will favor accounts that generate lots of engagement through tactics like sparking debates in comments. This signals to the algorithm that your content is resonating. He cites examples like posing "Team X vs Team Y" questions around polarizing topics to fuel engagement.

The Ordinary, Extraordinary, WHY, 3 Things Framework

Crafting compelling story-driven content

This framework provides a structure for creating content that hooks the audience through storytelling. It involves:

1. The Ordinary - Start with something extremely common/ordinary that everyone can relate to. This draws people in by establishing familiarity.

2. The Extraordinary - Transition into something extraordinary, novel or counterintuitive related to the ordinary situation. This piques curiosity.

3. The WHY - Explain the motivations, reasons or deeper insights behind why the extraordinary event/perspective exists. This satisfies the audience's desire for understanding.

4. 3 Things - Provide 3 concrete takeaways, tips, or action steps the audience can implement related to the content. This makes it actionable.

By segueing from the ordinary to the extraordinary, providing the "why" context, and giving 3 takeaways, you create an engaging, insightful, and practical content experience.

Action Steps:  
1. Identify an ordinary situation as your familiarity hook
2. Determine the extraordinary perspective/event to introduce  
3. Unpack the motivations/reasons behind the extraordinary
4. Outline 3 specific takeaways or actions for the audience to implement

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Resources

Jasmin (Jay) Alić - Building A Powerful LinkedIn Presence: Tips from a LinkedIn Expert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfDMqfnFHxM&t=9s

Ryan Robinson's Content Marketing:
https://thefutur.com/content/content-marketing-ryan-robinson

Why Most Creatives Fail Online: Strategies for Lead Generation, SEO, and Content
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6z8-ZAXfHE

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Building Social Proof

The Importance of Social Proof
- Social proof is crucial because we feel unsafe doing things alone when no one else is doing it.
 - *"We know this in restaurants. We know this in movies. We know this in amusement parks. If no one's there, we feel scared."*
- Conversely, when many others are doing it, we feel safer joining in.
 - *"Conversely, when everyone is there, we feel really safe, because we cannot be the only idiots who are going to try this out."*

The Myth of Winning on Craft Alone
- There is a persistent myth that success will come purely from honing one's craft.
 - *"Here's the myth: you will win based purely on your work."*
- This myth is perpetuated in schools that focus solely on technical skills while ignoring other important skills like marketing, sales, and communication.
 - *"So they invite speakers to come to schools who are really all about the craft. They couldn't explain their way out of paper bag."*

The Importance of Building an Audience
- Instead of focusing only on craft, effort must be made to build an audience and social proof.
 - *"So in your way of trying to attract new clients. You have to do everything you can to establish social proof."*
- A key question to ask is: "What am I doing to build social proof?"

Picking the Right Platform
- The first step is picking one social platform to dominate that aligns with:
 1. How you like to create content
 2. Where your potential clients gather for information, entertainment, and inspiration

Action Steps:
- Reflect on the platforms you enjoy creating content for
- Research where your ideal clients spend time online
- Use AI tools to analyze your situation and get platform recommendations
- Commit to posting consistently on your chosen platform

Understand Your Ideal Client
- To choose the right platform, you need to clearly define your ideal client:
 - Demographics (age, gender, income, education, etc.)
 - Psychographics (values, interests, behaviors, etc.)
- Thoroughly understanding your ideal client allows you to determine where they spend time online.
 - *"I would describe it [to the AI]...They're probably in their late twenties to mid fifties. They're split between men and women. They have some kind of education."*

Use AI for Platform Analysis

Prompt Start "I need help identifying the most suitable social media platforms for reaching potential clients or prospects. I aim to understand where they typically engage with news, entertainment, and inspiration on social media.

About Me:
(Insert details about you)

Ideal Client Profile:
(Insert details)

What are the top 3 social platforms and break it down by demographic, psychographics and reasons why you would recommend creating content on this platform.

Additional Information:
(Please provide insights on your preferred mode of content creation (e.g., text, audio, visual), personal interests, or creative strengths to refine the platform recommendations.) " Prompt End*

Consistent Content Creation
- Once you've chosen the platform, commit to posting consistently to build an audience over time.
 - Quality content distributed consistently is key.

Action Steps:
- Create an ideal client persona with detailed demographics and psychographics
- Use AI tools to get platform recommendations based on your persona
- Plan a consistent content calendar and posting schedule
- Celebrate small wins as your audience grows over time

Building Authenticity and Chance Encounters

The Power of Authenticity
- Being authentic in the content you share increases the chances of serendipitous connections with ideal clients.
 - *"She told that story and of all the things that she told. This is how this person found her."*

Embracing Your Unique Story
- Don't filter out the unique aspects of your life and experiences when creating content.
 - Those could be the very things that attract your ideal clients.

The Long Game of Audience Building
- Building a real audience takes patience and commitment to showing up consistently over a long period.
 - You never know when sharing your authentic self may attract your next ideal client.

Action Steps:
- Get comfortable sharing personal stories and experiences in your content
- Lean into what makes you unique, even if it seems irrelevant
- Adopt a long-term mindset for growing an audience slowly over time
- View each new follower as a potential future client opportunity

Reflection Prompts

Here are some reflective questions to consider regarding building social proof:

- What platforms do I truly enjoy creating content for? Which feel like a natural fit?
- Where do my ideal clients likely spend time online to learn, be inspired and be entertained?
- How can I better define the specific demographics and psychographics of my ideal client?
- What unique personal stories and experiences could I share to attract ideal clients?
- How can I develop more patience and a long-term mindset for slowly building an audience?
- What's one small step I can take today toward consistently creating content?

Closing thoughts

Building strong social proof is crucial for attracting ideal clients, as people inherently feel safer following the crowd. However, the myth that technical craftsmanship alone leads to success persists.

The reality is a multi-pronged approach is required:

1) Deeply understand your ideal client to identify the right platform for reaching them.
2) Consistently create authentic, personal content to build an audience over time.
3) Embrace the long-game of audience building through patient, persistent effort.
4) Remain open-minded, as sharing your unique story can lead to serendipitous client connections.

While there are no shortcuts, strategically building social proof by choosing the right platform, sharing your authentic self, and developing an audience over time, increases the chances of your ideal clients discovering you.

Main Insights from the Pro Call #241

Business Evolution and Adaption

- Cyrus shared about focusing his creative agency more on consumer finance, sparking discussion on maintaining creativity while expanding into new areas.

- Maintaining the creative aspect of a business while expanding into new industries like consumer finance requires resources and planning.

- Industries and costs fluctuate over time - healthcare costs are rising while consumer finance costs are falling, requiring adaptation.

- As competition increases, unique styles that initially secured jobs may lose their advantage, necessitating new approaches.

- Being open to changing methods and industries allows scaling skills to emerging opportunities while avoiding becoming stuck in old ways.

Operational Effectiveness

- Hiring the right people, delegating tasks, and investing in training/automation frees the founder for higher-level work and maximizes productivity.

- Developing diverse skillsets within a team allows more flexibility in tackling new initiatives.

- Outlining blueprints for others to assist the founder is important for diligent delegation of responsibilities.

- Tracking and adapting acquisition costs (CPA) across industries helps optimize lead generation budgets over time.

Relationship Management  

- Maintaining proximity to and understanding of clients increases chances of retaining their business.

- Building good relationships with financial institutions is important but also difficult, prompting considering of alternative industries like healthcare and entertainment.

- Implementing ethical practices in subcontracting work prevents poaching of clients and protects partnerships.

Communication Strategies

- Investing in good audio equipment allows conveying emotions and impressions effectively over communication channels.  

- Content marketing by providing valuable resources is more effective than unsolicited cold pitches for attracting potential clients.

- Pursuing a subscription-based model is worth testing for consistent lead generation and client retention.

Action Steps:

1. Assess your business model and industries for need to adapt to trends

2. Evaluate team skillsets and roles for optimization opportunities  

3. Develop blueprints and processes for task delegation

4. Track key metrics like CPA and compare across sectors

5. Build closer relationships with clients through proximity & understanding

6. Implement ethical contracts protecting partnerships  

7. Invest in high-quality audio equipment for presentations

8. Provide valuable content to prospects instead of sales pitches

9. Consider subscription offerings for recurring revenue streams

10. Remain open-minded and willing to change approach over time

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GPT Prompt

I am a ____. I generally ___ _____.

For the kinds of things that I do help me to design a business model that's a subscription-based model, as described by Ronald Baker in his book Times Up.

Help me figure out my target audience, the offer, and suggest anything that is currently trending in terms of what people need and how you see that moving into the future.

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(Fill in the blank with your relevant details about your service/product and goals.)
Example:

"I am a copywriter. I generally write copy for email marketing funnels and websites. For the kinds of things that I do help me to design a business model that's a subscription base model, as described by Ronald Baker in his book Times Up.

Help me figure out my target audience, the offer, and suggest anything that is currently trending in terms of what people need and how you see that moving into the future."

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Why Podcast?

Podcasting provides opportunities to reach large audiences and develop expertise in an effective way. Some key reasons include:

Access to a Captive Audience:
Podcasts allow speakers to repeatedly engage with the same group of listeners over time rather than a single conference talk. Listeners choose to listen to podcasts out of interest in the topics and speakers.

Lower Barrier to Entry:
Podcasting has a lower cost and commitment than traditional public speaking. It only requires audio recording equipment and regular publishing of content. This makes building an audience easier.

Leverage Existing Conversations:
Popular podcasts interview thought leaders and get their insights in long format conversations. This provides value to listeners and networking opportunities.

Develop Online Presence & Expertise:
Consistent podcast publishing contributes to search engine optimization as transcripts become blog posts. This raises the profile of the podcaster as an expert in their field over time.

Action Steps:
1. Reflect on your areas of knowledge or passions that could become regular podcast topics
2. Research basic podcast setup and recording equipment options
3. Outline a potential podcast format and sample episodes
4. Identify potential guests or types of interviews that would interest your target audience
5. Create a 2-3 month content and publishing schedule

Setting Up the Studio

The speaker outlines the core equipment needed for a basic podcast recording studio:

Teleprompter Monitor: Displays notes, slides or camera feed for the podcaster to refer to without being visible to listeners.

Camera: Minimum 4K resolution for high quality recording that is future proof for different formats.

Microphone: Beginner podcasts are often well served by a single microphone placed centrally. Companies may provide microphones for promotional consideration.

Mixer: Combines microphone and any additional audio sources like music. Key is clean audio quality.

Background Material: Acoustic panels, plants and separation from walls improves sound quality. Warm colors reduce white reflections.

Distance between podcaster and background provides perspective. Practical lighting helps viewers see the space. Consistent weekly recording allows developing expertise over time. Audio goes to podcast editing, video to YouTube team.

Action Steps:
1. Research basic microphone, camera and mixer options within your budget
2. Map out camera angles and sound treatment needs for your recording space  
3. Test equipment setup and do a practice recording/editing session
4. Consider background decoration options that fit your brand and sound needs
5. Establish regular recording schedule to stay consistent

Growing Your Audience

Leveraging podcast interviews to expand one's professional network can amplify a brand over time. Some strategies include:

Develop Expert Connections: Respectfully interview influential figures, then follow up to broaden the relationship. Offering future assistance builds goodwill.

Frame Questions Generously: Pose questions from the perspective of helping your audience rather than personal gain. Guide answers to help listeners through practical scenarios.

Network at Events: When running into past guests, referencing engaging prior conversations is a organic way to stay top of mind in their network.

Leverage Multiple Platforms: Transcribing and repackaging audio as blogs, videos and social graphics expands potential reach. Consistency contributes to search engine optimization over months.

As the audience and community grows, opportunities can emerge. Maintaining positive relationships allows calling upon contacts and built goodwill down the road.

Action Steps:  
1. Identify 5-10 experts you'd enjoy interviewing and consider initial outreach
2. Draft sample question formats focused on helping listeners over self-promotion
3. Create social graphics and templates to leverage all content formats
4. Connect with local industry events or conferences to meet potential guests/network
5. Establish processes to nurture ongoing relationships over time

Overcoming Objections

Reflecting on past efforts can provide insights to improve future performance:

- Low turnout for live events may indicate messaging did not effectively convey value and next steps.

- Not understanding technological tools fully limited this talk's impact. Focusing more on practical implementation could resonate deeper.

- Some find transformation difficult because change requires leaving comfort zones. Leading with empathy to meet people where they are builds trust to progress together.

- Over-scheduling self for clients risks burnout from trying to do too much alone. Independent growth of community members spreads workload over time.

- Unexpected opportunities emerge from persevering through challenges. Having vision for listeners' success maintains motivation during obstacles.

Overall, approaching each interaction as an experiment to learn from, leads to continuous optimization. Maintaining service focus over self-interests cultivates long term relationships.

Action Steps:  
1. Reflect on past speaking experiences - what resonated most & least with your listeners?  
2. Inventory your strengths and growth areas to optimize future impact
3. Consider accountability or community elements to support listeners' independent progress
4. Schedule dedicated reflection time to evaluate efforts and avoid burnout
5. Maintain a learning mindset and growth vision beyond any single talk

Action Planning

To take meaningful steps from these insights:

- Set specific podcasting goals such as regular publishing schedule, listener numbers or guest interviews by a target date

- Map out content and equipment needs like a studio space, microphone, equipment budget

- Research technicians, designers or developers who could support setup and ongoing production

- Create sample episode outlines, interview questions and social sharing graphics

- Identify 5 potential guests to interview who are experts in your desired topic area

- Schedule blocking time on your calendar for regular recording, editing and publishing

- Setup analytics tracking and surveys to evaluate what resonates most with listeners over time

- Consider joining a podcasting mastermind or event for community support and networking

- Commit to consistent action and learning through iterative refinement of your podcast over 6-12 months

Transforming high-level intentions into clear action steps is key to gaining momentum. Maintaining service-focused habits supports continuous growth.

Action Steps:
1. Select 1-2 of the above to implement this week
2. Block time on your calendar to take meaningful action
3. Evaluate your efforts openly and establish accountability  
4. Maintain learning mindset through experimenting and refining your approach
5. Find a growth-oriented community for mutual support and motivation

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Quick Announcement:
New Rule for Asking Questions: Members are now allowed to ask only one question. To earn the privilege of asking another question, they must demonstrate that they have taken action based on the previous guidance or information provided.

Shift from Information to Action: In 2024, there is a shift in focus from information dissemination to action. Chris Do emphasizes that he will prioritize reviewing and providing feedback on the actions that members are taking, rather than just discussing ideas.

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Quick summary: AI integration, LinkedIn optimization, client targeting, lead generation, and event participation, aiming to improve overall business performance and effectiveness.

Top 4 Highlights

1. Incorporate AI Tools for Enhanced Productivity:
  - Explore and integrate AI tools to enhance understanding, productivity, and real-time editing of sales pages.

2. LinkedIn Profile Enhancement:
    - Use AI tools to rewrite and simplify LinkedIn profiles.
    - Post clarity and readability for the reader.
    - Focus on image quality and audience identification.
    - Refine customer persona for better lead generation.

3. Lead Generation and Business Growth Strategies:
    - Double down on generating leads from existing categories.
    - Leverage email, social media, and referrals for growth.
    - Address challenges posed by the post-pandemic economy.

4. Securing Speaking Slots at Live Events:
    - Explore alternative strategies like teaming up with a prominent individual.
    - Consider creating a Youtube video or submitting a case study.
    - Record a video pitch or sample talk for event organizers.

Resources:
AuthoredUp: https://authoredup.com/
Glasp: https://glasp.co/
Dave's Office Hours - "Make Content Effortlessly with AI with Dave Katague": https://thefutur.com/membership/pro-library/make-content-effortlessly-with-ai-with-dave-katague

Chris Do Prompts:

1. Reflection on Past Successes:
   - "List your top three most successful projects. What common attributes did these clients share?"
   - "Think about a project you really enjoyed. What made this client or project stand out?"
2. Analyzing Client Characteristics:
   - "Describe your ideal client. What industry are they in? What are their main challenges and needs?"
   - "If you could choose, what kind of projects or problems would you solve every day?"
3. Financial Viability and Market Demand:
   - "Research and list niches you are interested in. What is the market size and potential for each?"
   - "For each niche, identify potential clients. Are they actively seeking design solutions? How urgent are their needs?"
4. Understanding Client Mindset:
   - "Imagine yourself in your client’s shoes. What are their top priorities and decision-making factors?"
   - "What fears or hesitations might these clients have about hiring a designer?"
5. Unique Value Proposition (UVP):
   - "What unique skills or perspectives do you bring to the table that others might not?"
   - "How does your design approach specifically address the needs of your ideal client?"
6. Realistic Persona Building:
   - "Create a detailed persona of your ideal client. Include demographics, psychographics, and their typical day."
   - "What are the communication preferences and platforms commonly used by your ideal client?"
7. Testing and Feedback:
   - "Choose a potential niche. Reach out to potential clients for informational interviews. What insights did you gain?"
   - "Based on your research, are there adjustments needed in your approach to better serve this audience?"

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For the next Pro Call we are looking for 4 experts:

1. Cold Outreach and Emails:
If you've rocked at reaching out to folks using emails or bought email lists, share your success for the next call.

2. Paid Ads Whizzes:
If you're a champ at running ads, whether on Google or Facebook, and it helped you grow your audience.

3. Content Strategy Pros:
If your LinkedIn, YouTube, or Instagram content strategy brought in leads that boosted your business.

4. DM Masters:
Whether you're great at chatting in person at events or nailing virtual outreach, tell us if you've got the DM game.

Let us know via Circle DM to Andres

Highlights:
Transitioning From Content Producer to Strategic Partner:
   - Focus on building trust with clients.
   - Understand clients' goals to provide valuable services.
   - Implement sales strategies by educating clients of the value of your product.
   - Identify and leverage compelling events in your sales approach.
   - Invest in content marketing, such as articles and videos, to attract clients.
   - Ensure online visibility and make products more exciting for clients.
   - Develop the skill of asking probing questions to understand client problems.
   - Relate clients' issues to the buyer's journey for a better understanding.
   - Gauge clients' pain points and their willingness to invest in solutions.
   - Strive to become a strategic advisor by understanding clients' business objectives.
   - Learn about decision-making processes in clients' businesses.
   - Position yourself as a valuable partner by facilitating strategic discussions.

Education vs. Simplicity in Business Success:

   - Assess if there's potential in simplifying your business model.
   - Innovate in teaching or duplicating successful approaches.
   - Reflect on motivations and tactics for financial success.
   - Focus on enhancing services and operations rather than adding complexity.
   - Simplify offers and ensure clear communication within the team.
   - Invest in marketing strategies to stand out in your category.

Quick Summary:
In Pro Call #234, Pro people shared valuable insights to elevate business success. They mentioned the pivotal role of a client-centric approach, emphasizing the profound impact of understanding and prioritizing clients' needs for heightened satisfaction and positive referrals.

A conversation on transitioning to coaching, the focus shifted toward cultivating long-term value over aggressive content marketing, and urging participants to consider implementing a minimum commitment period for services.

Highlights of the power of content creation, motivational giving, and setting realistic goals.

Participants were encouraged to adopt focused goal-setting practices, embrace strategic partnerships, and infuse an element of gamification into their endeavors.

The discussions touched upon refining service offers, aligning goals with meaningful outcomes, and fostering efficient meeting practices. The overarching takeaway is a holistic approach to business success, encapsulating client satisfaction, value-driven services, strategic partnerships, and robust personal and professional development.

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Goal Gamification in 10 Steps:

Define Your Big Goal:

1. Clearly state your main objective.
Break It Down into 10 Steps:

2. Identify 10 achievable milestones.
Create a Visual:

3. Make a visual representation of your goal and steps.
Establish a Star System:

4. Develop a simple system to earn stars for each step.
Post on Social Media:

5. Share your goal breakdown on LinkedIn or social media.
Record Dates of Achievements:

6. Note the dates when you complete each step.
Applaud Yourself:

7. Acknowledge and celebrate each achieved step.
Community Support:

8. Encourage others to join and support each other.
Ongoing Accountability:

9. Regularly update your progress on social media.
Celebrate Milestones:

10. Celebrate when you complete all steps and achieve your big goal.

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Storytelling and Script Structure Effectiveness

‍Alex, a creative director and entrepreneur, discussed the effectiveness of storytelling and script structure in increasing reach. He planned to share his insights, a few videos, and propose exercises to reinforce the points made. Alex emphasized the significance of this approach based on real-world examples of success, despite the promise of exponential growth might be seen as clickbait. He shared his journey from working with big consumer tech companies to establishing a creative team at Typeform and starting his agency, Sub One. Alex stressed the importance of risk-taking and experimentation in content creation.

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‍Organic Content vs Advertising: A Comparative Analysis

‍Alex discussed the comparison between buying and renting, using the analogy of acquiring a property versus paying for advertising. He emphasized that investing time and resources into creating quality organic content is similar to buying an asset, while renting attention through advertising is more akin to an expense. He noted that brands often struggle with understanding the dynamics of organic content and how to effectively leverage it. Alex also highlighted the technological disruption in media distribution, specifically the rise of platforms like TikTok, which has changed the way content is distributed online. He stressed the importance of making engaging content to reach a wider audience and effectively market products.Content

Engagement and Growth Strategies

‍Alex discussed the importance of improving content engagement and growth on various platforms, with a focus on watch time and retention as key metrics. He shared a success story of a friend who grew his following by finding a resonating storytelling formula, which in turn increased watch time. Alex then proposed creating a 'content compass', a guide to help individuals focus on their content creation, using Erfan's self-improvement positioning as an example. He suggested identifying four themes for discussion under Erfan's mission, such as business, personal life, mindset, and productivity, and generating specific topics under these themes for more focused content.

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‍Creating Engaging Short Videos for Audience Connection

‍Alex emphasized the importance of creating simple, engaging short videos to connect with the audience and learn from them. He suggested experimenting with different content topics and themes, and using viewer response to inform future content. Alex stressed the importance of storytelling and discouraged selling or promoting services in content intended for a general audience. He also discussed the importance of monitoring retention rates and adjusting content accordingly to reach specific view counts. Stephanie praised Alex's use of visual aids and promised to share his system with the team. Alex also shared his strategy of creating three distinct video shows and producing five videos for each without altering the videos as they are posted, analyzing the results based on total views and engagement. Alex emphasized the importance of audience engagement and retention, noting that high retention could lead to increased exposure. He also touched on the concept of 'improving' video content, suggesting that the first one to two seconds of a video are crucial to capturing viewer attention.

‍Content Creation Strategy: Innovation and Authenticity

‍Alex discussed Humphrey's content creation strategy, emphasizing the importance of innovation and keeping content fresh. He noted Humphrey's use of skits and talking head videos to explain financial concepts in an engaging way. Alex also highlighted the risk of relying solely on viral short-form content and the importance of staying up-to-date with audience interests. He stressed the need for authenticity and spontaneity in video content and expressed skepticism about the sustainability of fake podcast methods. Alex suggested experimenting with different techniques to capture audience attention and using software like CapCut for creating videos. A discussion was set up between Alex and Mark to delve deeper into these examples.Website Design

Expansion Discussed

‍markgoodkin, a graphic designer, discussed with Alex the possibility of expanding his services into website design. Alex suggested replicating successful content and creating engaging content that would attract viewers, including reaction videos and showing the work process. markgoodkin agreed to focus more on Youtube channels for inspiration. Alex emphasized the importance of creating compelling video hooks and understanding viewer engagement, hinting at a secret tool for understanding viewer engagement.

‍Exploring Content Creation for BusinessesAlex explored the evolution of movie genres and their invention by distribution companies for commercial purposes. He extended this idea to digital media, highlighting how content genres such as podcasts, interviews, tutorials, and pranks have been created to increase engagement. Alex proposed a brainstorming session to generate ideas for content creation targeted at a design studio, barbershop, and wedding photographer. The discussion focused on producing reactions and challenge videos for each of these businesses, with ideas such as surprise haircuts, street challenges, and reactions to photographs proposed. Alex encouraged experimentation to find the most effective format, and Mark from the design studio was invited to contribute ideas specific to his field.

‍Designing Creative Projects and Brand Perceptions

‍markgoodkin and Alex explored potential design-related projects, including creating reactions to new brand identities, redesigning popular logos, and asking strangers design questions. They agreed that these ideas could yield diverse and engaging content. Alex suggested using reactions in video content and proposed asking strangers about their favorite wedding moments, emphasizing experimentation and creativity in content creation. Stephanie emphasized the importance of creating content rather than overanalyzing ideas. The trio also discussed their perceptions of various brands, agreeing that many are too self-focused and lack innovation, leading to a lack of creativity in their content.

‍Content as Product: AI, Short Form, and IntegrationAlex highlighted the importance of treating content as a product and experimenting to meet audience needs. He suggested that AI could be used to brainstorm ideas and enhance script writing. Erfan and Stephanie questioned Alex about the future of short form content, and Alex, while curious, expressed concerns about its potential lack of substance. The meeting also touched upon the strategy of using shows to create different types of content. Alex emphasized the importance of integrating product discussions into the narrative rather than just using them as advertisements.

Highlights:

The Power of Collaboration: Chris Do shares the story of Dave Katague, showcasing dedication and hard work in a collaborative environment.

Lessons Learned: The importance of genuinely useful help, identifying unique gifts, and the significance of good manners in communication.

Personal Branding Mastery: Reflection on the importance of personal branding, focusing on internal self-knowledge, and the significance of clear communication and consistent generosity.

Strategies for Success: the essentials of developing relationships, clear communication, and consistent generosity. Learning the art of making goals known and creating content that resonates in the market.

Year-end Reflection: How to wrap up the year and planning for 2024, with Chris Do revealing his unique strategy of leveraging the holiday period for reflection.

Client Management Strategies: How to cycle out low-profit clients using the One Page Marketing Plan framework, and how to grade your clients.

Becoming a Public Speaker: Chris Do shares insights and how to define clear goals and the importance of consistent action.

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Action Steps:
"The cool part about using social media as content marketing is that you only have to make it once, and then it does its thing. That doesn't mean you only need to make one piece of content, but you don't have to constantly prop it up."
- Chris Do

Content Creation and Overcoming Obstacles Framework

1. What kind of content am I making?

Is it positioning myself in an optimal way for people who are looking for me right now to be able to find me?

2. What's getting in my way of achieving that first step?

Emotional
Physical.
Financial.
Spiritual?
What is it that's getting in your way? Is it a mindset? Write that down.

3. What do I need to have happen in my life for me to overcome that obstacle?

Itemize the steps. For example, if you don't have the equipment:
You need a microphone.
You need cameras.
You need an instructional video.
You need the resources to be able to do whatever it is that you need. Write it down."

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Resources:

School of Life:
https://www.youtube.com/@theschooloflifetv

Cleon Peterson
https://www.instagram.com/cleonpeterson/?hl=en

Elgato Telepromter:
https://www.elgato.com/ww/en/p/prompter

Make Content Effortlessly with AI with Dave Katague
https://thefutur.com/membership/pro-library/make-content-effortlessly-with-ai-with-dave-katague

Autonomy Skateboards
https://autonomyskateboards.com/

Aēsop:
https://www.aesop.com/ca/en/

Live streaming can seem scary and daunting but it is a powerful way to differentiate your business from the crowd, with multiple benefits to accelerate your business growth.3 learning objectives of the presentation:- Understand why live streaming will set you apart in your industry- Learn how live streaming can help you create endless content, endless connections and a super loyal community- Establish yourself as an authority in your field, build a strong network and strengthen your relationships

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Fanny Dunagan is the Co-Founder & Content Strategist for PathLynks, a marketing consultancy serving medium and large tech companies. Her firm specializes in LinkedIn content strategies, livestreams and video marketing. She's passionate about helping people find their voice and create a legacy through thought leadership and content creation. She’s spoken about branding and videos at a variety of marketing and technology associations such as InnoTech Conference and American Marketing Association, as well as at the headquarters of Toyota and Whole Foods. She's also been a keynote speaker at State of Search Conference and Video Marketing World Conference. She's the host of The CG Hour and the Creator Tips, Tools & Tales Live Shows, as well as the Tech Legacies Video Podcast.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Content Creation

AI tools can significantly enhance creativity and productivity by automating repetitive tasks and providing new possibilities.
Embrace AI as a tool to enhance existing skills rather than a replacement.
AI can help overcome common challenges faced in the creative industry.

Specific AI Tools

Mid Journey: A powerful image and photo creation tool that enables the creation of visually stunning content based on user prompts.
Runway: Offers advanced image editing and manipulation capabilities, making it a valuable tool for refining and enhancing visual content.
Chat GPT: A text-based AI tool that can generate human-like text, provide information, and assist with writing tasks.
Claude: A powerful language model that rivals Chat GPT and offers a range of advanced capabilities.

Practical Implementation

Importance of a clear vision: Being able to articulate a clear vision in your mind and communicate it effectively is crucial for successful AI implementation.
Emphasis on practical implementation: The focus is on providing practical insights and techniques for attendees to apply in their own workflows.
Collaborative resource sharing: A shared board serves as a central repository for resources and materials shared during the session, making it easy for participants to access and refer to them.

Action Steps

Analyze: Identify areas in your workflow where AI can be implemented.
Experiment: Explore different AI tools and experiment with different prompts and settings to get the desired results.
Collaborate: Share your experiences and resources with others to foster a collaborative learning environment.
Innovate: Use AI tools to create unique and original content that stands out from the competition.
Stay informed: Keep up with the latest developments in AI and emerging tools to stay ahead of the curve.

Reflection Prompts

What are the specific challenges in your creative workflow that AI could help you overcome?
How can you leverage AI tools to enhance your existing skills and capabilities?
What are the ethical implications of using AI for content creation?

Reinforcing Summation

AI is a powerful tool that can revolutionize content creation. By embracing AI and using it wisely, you can unlock new possibilities, enhance your creativity, and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving industry.

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Homework before the call: Find a customer avatar for your audience or who you'd like to serve

‍About Dave:

Dave Katague help business owners and creatives use AI to fast forward to outcomes they didn't think possible. Obsessed with storytelling, psychology and filmmaking, marketing, I love digging deep to use design to make things look good and make the audience feel.

Call Resources:

Building an avatar to create content
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Mila board

Learning AI Mila board

Film & Grammar Board

Prompts

It's a Futur Homecoming!

Join our special guest, Matthew Encina of Mod Musings, as we catch up on what he's done since going solo as a content creator, including how he's leveraged his content and personal brand to snag clients, brand collaborations, and sponsorships.

And in case Matthew needs an intro ...

Matthew is a creative professional working over 19 years, in the fields of design, advertising, and content creation.

He is recognized by the creative industry, winning multiple awards including 3 CLIOS for his work with Xbox, and 3 Webby Awards for “Ink”, the groundbreaking interactive music video for Coldplay.

As an online educator, Matthew has created content and courses at The Futur, where he shares insights and stories from his journey as a creative professional, to help others navigate their own.

Beyond the digital screen, Matthew speaks at international conferences and events about his experiences in the industry.

You can find more about Matthew Encina at matthewencina.com and follow him everywhere @matthewencina.

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Join Jess Miller as she gives a presentation on how designers and illustrators can leverage instagram for their creative business. I'll touch on all aspects including how to level up IG stories, hashtags, utilize keywords, reels, captions, DMs, etc.

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Jess Miller is a Los Angeles-based designer, illustrator, and educator. Her whimsical style is infused with bright pops of color and layered textures, drawing inspiration from nature, retro artwork, and vintage design. With a background in toy package design, Jess has seamlessly transitioned into a flourishing career in illustration. Her areas of expertise include hand lettering, surface pattern design, and character portraits. Jess's work has graced greeting cards, home goods, tech accessories, book covers, packaging, and more! In just three years, she has amassed a dedicated following of over 100K on her social media channels. She takes pleasure in sharing her strategies with fellow creatives, empowering them to harness the power of Instagram for their own creative businesses.

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Using Instagram Effectively for Creative Business Growth

Overview and Mindset Shift
The key to growing an impactful creative business on Instagram is developing influence by helping your audience grow through educational, motivational and inspiring content. With the right mindset and strategy, Instagram can become a powerful free marketing tool to connect with clients, collaborators and a supportive community.

Profile Optimization  
Brand your profile
Add your name, photo and clearly define your niche/specialty in your bio to establish trust and awareness. Use your username and bio to rank for important keywords.

Archive irrelevant posts  
Remove older posts that don't reflect your best work or brand to curate a polished feed that tells your story.

Separate personal and business
Keep personal details private to maintain a professional presence. Create separate accounts if needed.

Content Strategy
Posting a variety of content engages more people. Mix up informative, motivational, beautiful and fun posts to satisfy different interests.

Post types that perform well:
- **Conversational** - Ask questions to spark discussions.
- **Educational** - Teach skills through tutorials or tips. Provides value people seek on social media.
- **Entertaining** - Make people laugh with humorous memes.
- **Beautiful** - Highlight aesthetics fitting the visual platform.  
- **Motivational** - Inspire action and progress.
- **Inspirational** - Uplift through positivity and feel-good material.

Community Building
Foster connections through engagement.

Engage with others
- Like, comment and ask questions and polls on other posts in your niche.  
- Have friendly discussions to establish yourself as an authority.

Build relationships
- Create educational collaborative content with influencers.
- Offer support to help others grow their businesses.

Growth Strategies
Leverage insights and focus efforts on top-performing content to expand reach.

Optimize further
- Switch to professional dashboard for analytics to A/B test.  
- Refine hashtags for discoverability.
- Repurpose Stories to feed.

Expand reach organically
- Repost top comments to reach new audiences.
- Cross-promote on other platforms.
- Promote in relevant Facebook groups.

Monetization
Larger platforms lead to paid opportunities and clients finding you first.

Income sources may include:
- Classes and workshops  
- Freelance commissions
- Licensing artwork
- Affiliate marketing
- Brand collaborations

Action Steps
1. Audit profile and purge unrepresentative posts within 1 week.  
2. Ask weekly discussion questions to generate engagement.
3. Research hashtags for your niche and use 10-30 per post.  
4. Repost top comments 1x/week minimum.
5. Comment on 5 similar creator's posts daily to build relationships.

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Join Chris Do for a coaching session with Pro members. Topics of discussion include how to develop better podcasting and interviewing skills, how to build a community and who to hire first in order for the community to be successful, how to select the ideal clients and maintain healthy work-life balance, and how to go about hiring and outsourcing a team of freelancers.

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Podcasting Resources:

Dick Gordon The Story

Story Corp

Riverside FM

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