Section 1.1: The 4-Step Process

Throughout this guide, I will outline a four-step process that I've successfully employed across more than 20 industries. The core principles remain consistent, but the key is to tailor the right market data accordingly.

Regardless of your writing skills, if your content fails to resonate with your intended audience, you won’t achieve the desired results.

Now, let’s kick off with: Step #1 — Micro-solutions.

From my observations, all it takes is 5 to 10 articles to construct a comprehensive inbound marketing system. It may seem counterintuitive, but in this case, less truly is more.

Too many people get trapped in the "busy trap," mistakenly believing that content creation requires 300 blog posts. While that approach works to some extent, it's also highly inefficient.

When readers only engage with 500-word articles at a time, they miss out on the full transformation, often taking months before they reach out.

In light of this, I prefer to build specific "pillars" that act as gateways to our main offers. This method is applicable across all markets, though it requires adjustments based on:

• Market sophistication
• Offer specifics

A common example I like to use is targeting tax accountants.

Tax accountants frequently assist sole proprietors in transitioning to S-Corps to save on self-employment taxes—potentially saving up to $10K annually. While this is an excellent offer, many in this demographic don’t fully grasp the issue.

People generally prefer to ignore complexities they don’t understand, especially when it involves taxes. Therefore, to effectively engage this audience, you need to meet them at a more accessible point—offering solutions to smaller, immediate problems before guiding them towards the larger issue.

To achieve this, I typically brainstorm 10 questions or concerns they have in mind. I aim for a degree of sophistication in my topics; for instance, I wouldn’t write about:

"What is bookkeeping?"

However, coming up with 10 relevant topics is usually straightforward.

For this audience, I know they're often concerned with:

• How to file quarterly taxes?
• When to switch to an LLC?
• How to pay myself as a freelancer?

These insights stem from my experience, but if you're new to the field, you can always gather information from forums and other online resources.

Step #2: Creating the Content

The volume of content I generate initially hinges on the revenue goals I’ve set. If I’m planning a significant launch and aiming to gather a large cohort, I will create all 10 pillars beforehand. Conversely, for an evergreen offer, I might build the backend system and officially launch after completing the first pillar.

It’s crucial to take one of the "micro-problems" identified in Step #1 and offer a complete solution without holding back.

People dislike content that lacks value. When you provide a genuine solution, you foster reciprocity; they appreciate a valuable answer, making them more inclined to take the next step—something we will discuss in Step #3.

When crafting these solutions, I don’t follow a strict formula, but I typically break it down into three components:

1. Problem
2. Big Idea
3. Headline

For instance, if our first problem is "How to pay quarterly taxes," the "big idea" might be:

"Quarterly taxes can be perplexing, as there isn't a universal solution. It largely depends on your tax structure, so here's a comprehensive guide to what you need to know."

This big idea serves as a guiding principle for what I want to elaborate on next. Following this, I draft three different headlines to select the most effective one.

In this case, my options might include:

• "How to Pay Estimated Tax as a Freelancer (Ultimate Guide)"
• "Freelance Taxes Depend on 3 Main Factors—Here's How to Find Your Solution"
• "Freelancers Must Pay Their Own Estimated Tax—Here's How"

While not perfect, these options illustrate my point. I typically conduct SEO research to identify trending phrases, but for the sake of brevity, we will choose:

"Freelancers Must Pay Their Own Estimated Tax—Here's How."

Once I have a suitable headline, I don’t stress over it until the following morning, allowing my subconscious to work overnight. This method has proven effective for me over the years.

As we progress, the amount of content you create upfront will depend on your overall objectives. If you’re a coach launching your first program under a time constraint, I suggest drafting at least five articles initially. Many people prefer to read multiple pieces before taking action, which can be beneficial.

For an evergreen offer, focus on drafting one article now, then develop additional content weekly for the next four to five weeks. This approach allows the initial article to start generating business sooner.

Step #3: The Conversion Vehicle

In the online marketing landscape, many business owners struggle with various challenges, but one area where they frequently falter is the conversion vehicle.

This issue arises not from a lack of understanding but from a fundamental misalignment with audience expectations.

Some mistakenly assume that simply labeling something as FREE will compel people to engage, but that’s no longer sufficient.

The reality is that your offer needs to be genuinely appealing. Contrary to popular belief, the type of conversion vehicle (like ebooks or videos) doesn’t inherently dictate success; it often hinges on pre-framing and perceived value.

For instance, in our accounting example, we might inadvertently pre-frame our audience for the next step by discussing:

"Freelancers Must Pay Their Own Estimated Tax—Here's How."

In this article, we would naturally touch on different tax structures, illustrating how some can lead to significant savings.

By subtly planting this idea, we can include a call to action at the article's conclusion:

"That’s everything you need to know about paying estimated taxes. If you’d like to learn how most freelancers save $5K on taxes annually—click here."

This strategy will likely drive many to click through to the next step.

From there, they would arrive at a landing page, where the actual offer could vary. Personally, I prefer utilizing an infokit since people often want to understand how you can help them before committing to a call.

This leads to an upside-down funnel approach, where users must opt-in first to view an explanatory video. If they don’t convert immediately, I follow up with six to seven automated emails containing valuable content that helps address their concerns.

One essential topic might be:

"What are the downsides of switching to an S-Corp?"

In the first email, I’d mention this, while the second email might include a tax calculator illustrating potential savings based on their income.

Ultimately, the aim is to encourage them to schedule a call. Some will take action after watching the video, while others may respond after a few emails.

From my experience, the second email tends to have the highest conversion rate, but that’s not the primary focus right now. The key takeaway is to establish a robust conversion vehicle for your main offer.

Step #4: Building an Audience

Now, I will guide you through an effective strategy for audience building, equipping you with everything you need.

Before we proceed, however, I want to address a common misconception that affects many business owners today.

While striving for SEO is important, it shouldn’t be your primary focus. Over the years, I’ve amassed hundreds of thousands of views through SEO, but I never approached my articles with SEO as the main goal. Instead, I followed the process outlined so far and let SEO emerge as a natural byproduct.

That said, SEO is not a quick fix, so you should find faster alternatives to achieve results initially.

I typically explore one of three options:

1. LinkedIn Audience Building:

   Invest in Sales Navigator and connect with your ideal prospects. For example, if freelancers are your target audience, you can easily find them and send a simple connection message:

   "Hi [Name], I share content on saving money on taxes for freelancers. Let’s connect!"

This approach is economical and can help you build a substantial audience.

2. Facebook Groups:

   This method works well if your audience is active on Facebook. Consider creating your group where you can share your 5-10 content pillars. Utilize Facebook Ads to attract members. A well-crafted ad saying:

   "We provide free content to help freelancers save money on taxes—join our group today!" can yield good results.

3. Boosted Posts:

   Although this strategy has lost some effectiveness recently, it can still be beneficial. In the past, I would write a compelling blog and boost it on Facebook for inexpensive clicks and high conversion rates.

However, recent changes like Apple's iOS 14 update have made tracking conversions more challenging. Without effective tracking, this option may not be as fruitful.

Regardless of your chosen method, the goal is to create a streamlined system that looks like this: