There’s an easy way to waste tons of money as a content creator. And that’s by creating content for the wrong audience on the wrong platform. If you want to use content to monetize your personal brand and reliably drive revenue for your business, then you need a focused strategy that starts (and ends) with your ideal audience. Keep reading and I’ll show you what I mean.
Step 1: Identify Your Audience
Your audience consists of people who “click” with your message and (this is crucial) have the budget to pay for your products or services. Step one is figuring out who these people are on a demographic and psychographic level. What are their behaviors, preferences, and online activities?
This information will allow you to identify the platforms your ideal audience hangs out on. For instance, if your target audience includes professional men in their mid-forties who hold leadership roles, LinkedIn might be your best bet. If your target audience consists of hedge fund managers, you’ll likely find that traditional social media platforms aren’t where you’ll engage them effectively.
The question you need to ask isn’t, “Where can I monetize?” but rather, “Where does my ideal customer spend their time online?”
Step 2: Tailor Your Content to the Platform
Once you’ve identified where your audience congregates, the next step is to curate your content specifically for that platform. This is where many content creators falter. They spread themselves too thin across multiple platforms and ignore the unique environment and user expectations of each platform.
The format also matters. Does your audience prefer detailed, thoughtful videos, or are they more inclined to engage with quick, impactful posts? Let your audience’s behavior and preferences guide your decisions.
Step 3: Ask the Right Questions in the Right Order
When you start with the tantalizing “how to monetize” question first, you’re likely to end up with misaligned content that fails to attract the very people who need your offer.
Instead of hyper-focusing on monetization, focus on understanding your audience and their habits. When you take an audience-centric approach, you position yourself as a trustworthy authority and create valuable content that resonates on the right platforms. This strategic approach increases your chances of success and aligns your audience’s needs and behaviors with your expertise.
Every piece of content requires time, energy, and money to create. I want you to invest your time wisely by targeting the platforms where your ideal customers are most active and tailoring your content to meet their specific needs.
Capture their attention, earn their trust, and then figure out the monetization piece.
My team at Brand Builders Group has a knack for helping personal brands nail their content strategies. If you’d like a thought partner to help you figure out your strategy, schedule a Free Brand Call with us. We’re not afraid to get into the nitty gritty of audience building, content creation, and monetization. Book a Free Brand Call and let us help you!
