Creating content is an excellent way to sell services.
You can do this in 3 steps:
- Create content for a specific audience
- Identify potential services
- Design different tiers
#1 Create content for a specific audience
The best person to write for is the person you were two years ago.
The knowledge you’ve gained is invaluable to anyone in the same position.
For instance, you might have struggled with career advancement, personal fitness, or building a business.
Whatever your struggle is, there are millions of people out there going through the same issue.
Create content specifically for them. You’ll be able to articulate their pain points better and identify effective solutions.
What topics should I create content around?
Start with the basics. For example, if you’re into personal fitness, you can dive into:
- How to pick the right diets
- How to manage your cravings
- Where to get the best ingredients, etc.
Doing this sets the stage for future content and gives you something to link back to — which is great for SEO.
And because you’re simply documenting your journey, content ideas come more easily.
Whatever you do, make your content as actionable as possible.
Always ask yourself: “What’s the big takeaway? Would they share it?”
What formats should I create content in?
Create content in the format you enjoy consuming content most. You’ll enjoy the process better and attract others like you.
If you enjoy watching YouTube videos, start a YouTube channel in your bedroom with your cellphone.
You don’t need a fancy mic, lights, or backdrop — those are just excuses.
If you enjoy writing, launch a blog or newsletter. If audio is your thing, start a podcast or host regular Twitter Spaces.
Don’t overthink it. The earlier you start pumping out content, the better you’ll get.
Promote your work
Content creation is only half the battle — the other half is distribution. You need to meet your audience where they are.
Suppose your newsletter teaches creators how to monetize their brands.
If your audience lives on Twitter and Instagram, share your content there.
On Twitter, join Spaces as a speaker and share your content in the Space. Alternatively, host your own Spaces.
Look for relevant hashtags and create content around them, linking to your threads.
On Instagram, do Live videos with other creators and expose their audiences to your content.
Follow popular accounts in your niche and add to their conversations, referencing your content where appropriate.
Become a guest on podcasts and share your point of view. Give the audience practical takeaways — that’s how you get invited back.
If you create TikTok videos about career advancement, cross-post your content to LinkedIn under the #opentowork hashtag.
Just get as many eyeballs on your content as possible.
Track what resonates
After 20 pieces of content, you’ll have a better idea of what people resonate with.
This might be:
- Personal stories with actionable tips
- Templates and tools
- Books and links
You’ll learn this through the likes, shares, and comments on your content. Pay attention to these metrics — and double down on what works.
#2 Identify potential services
As you create content, identify potential services you can offer.
For example, if you write about social media marketing, you can sell:
- Social media management services
- Tools and templates
- Conference tickets
- Marketing courses
- Speaking services
- Ghostwriting
Not all audiences and services are created equal, either.
If your audience is full of small business owners, they’d likely need social media management services, tools, and templates.
If you’re talking to marketers, they’d attend social media conferences and sign up for marketing courses.
If you’re talking to CEOs, they’d buy ghostwriting and social media coaching services.
You can promote these offerings at the end of each newsletter, thread, post, video, or podcast episode.
Over time, this leads to a growth loop:
- You create and share content
- Your audience gets bigger
- You get more feedback
- You sell more services
- Rinse and repeat
Your content becomes a profit engine that spits out more content ideas and services to offer.
#3 Design different tiers
After identifying the best services, design tiered packages for each stage in the customer journey.
Let’s take social media services.
Business owners need help with social media. But demand for that service will depend on:
- Budget
- Urgency
- Competitors
- Your credibility
A business owner just starting out likely won’t spend a lot on social media management. But they’d appreciate a quick social media audit.
Based on your advice, they might pay for content templates to improve their engagement rates.
After using the templates, they might sign up for 1-on-1 coaching to better understand social media marketing.
And over time, they’d just pay you to manage all their social media accounts. Your content and earlier offerings have built up trust.
Your service tiers would look like this:
- Social media audit (free 15-minute call)
- Social media tools and templates ($9.99)
- Social media coaching (one-hour session, $99)
- Social media management ($299/mo per account)
Why offer something for free?
Offering free stuff costs you time. But there are several benefits.
Firstly, you get to learn who’s most interested in your services.
In the above example, each business owner has to share their email address, website links, and social media URLs.
They’ll share what they’ve tried, how much they’ve paid before, and what their pain points are.
This is all invaluable market research.
Secondly, each ‘free’ 15-minute call is an opportunity to sell yourself.
For example, after finding out their budget, you might realize they can only afford templates.
That’s fine — an easy $9.99.
But you might also discover they need urgent social media management — which leaps them straight to your priciest package ($299/mo).
They’d have never bought from you if they hadn’t heard your voice, seen your face, and learned your expertise.
In 15 minutes, you managed to show them you’re the best person for the job.
Content leads to cash
Content is the car — and cash is the destination.
The more content you create, the more you discover what resonates and what products to sell.
However, the key is consistency — sharing valuable content over time that builds trust and credibility.
Pretty soon, you’ll be getting paid to write, shoot videos, or record podcasts all day.
Start creating content today. If you’ve already started, keep at it.
Need help with your brand or business? Reach me here.
Mohammed Shehu, Ph.D. writes on content and marketing for creators and brands. You can find him online @shehuphd everywhere.