From: alexhormozi
Successfully growing a brand and generating revenue requires a shift in content strategy, particularly focusing on how new audience members perceive and engage with content. A key learning from extensive experience is to “assume nothing” about a viewer’s prior knowledge of the creator or brand [00:32:46].
The Journey to 7.8 Million Subscribers
In a 40-month period, a content creator experienced significant growth across multiple platforms, including YouTube (zero to 2.23 million subscribers), Instagram (7,000 to 2.5 million followers), LinkedIn (zero to 324,000 followers), TikTok (zero to 856,000 followers), and Twitter/X (zero to 617,000) [00:00:03]. Their podcast downloads surged from 3,000 to 25 million, and email subscribers grew from zero to 700,000 [00:00:37]. This resulted in two billion impressions and 7.8 million new subscribers, alongside one million book copies sold [00:00:44].
This growth demonstrated that building a brand is possible without relying on stunts or gimmicks [00:01:16]. The initial strategy involved three steps:
- Make as much good content as possible [00:01:56].
- Post it everywhere possible [00:01:59].
- Learn as much as possible [00:02:02].
Over 40 months, and an investment of $4 million in team, equipment, and software, producing 35,000 pieces of content, six key insights emerged [00:02:06]. One of these was the critical need to “assume nothing” about the audience [00:03:17].
The “Assume Nothing” Principle
Initially, content was created “assuming people already knew me” [00:32:57]. This meant using titles like “The Alex Hormozi Guide to Haters” or “Day in the Life of Alex Hormozi” [00:33:04]. However, if the goal is to attract new people, this assumption is counterproductive [00:33:32]. New viewers have no context for such titles.
Tactical Shifts for New Audiences
To effectively engage new viewers, several tactical changes are crucial:
1. Clearer Packaging (Thumbnails & Headlines)
Moving from vague to clear packaging is essential [00:10:51]. If a thumbnail or headline is unclear, it reduces the likelihood that someone will click on content they actually want [00:11:28]. Instead of relying on curiosity, clearly state what the content is about. If the audience wants that specific thing, they will click [00:12:06].
Example of clearer headlines for new audiences:
- “Business Influencer Crushes Haters and Shows How You Can Too” (instead of “The Alex Hormozi Guide to Haters”) [00:33:45]
- “Day in the Life of $200 Million Per Year CEO” (instead of “Day in the Life of Alex Hormozi”) [00:33:58]
2. Re-introducing Yourself Every Time
For education-focused content, it’s vital to “edify the person” at the beginning [00:14:31]. This answers the viewer’s unspoken question: “Why should I listen to you?” [00:14:34]. Providing proof of expertise increases the perceived likelihood that they will be well-taught [00:14:44].
A recommended framework for introductions is Proof, Promise, Plan [00:15:33]:
- Proof: Prove you know what you’re talking about; give people a reason to believe you [00:16:25].
- Promise: Tell them what they’re going to get or learn from the video [00:16:31].
- Plan: Set expectations for what will happen next [00:16:35].
Leading with proof is particularly effective for business educators, as it immediately addresses the audience’s natural skepticism [00:16:11].
3. Explaining References and Avoiding Inside Jokes
Using inside jokes creates an “outside” experience for new viewers [00:34:58]. People don’t want to be on the outside, and money is spent “on the inside” [00:35:14]. Therefore, fully explain any references to ensure all jokes are “inside jokes for everyone” [00:40:58].
4. Mentally Act Like You’re Talking to a Stranger
Approach content creation as if you’re always addressing someone who has no idea who you are [00:35:24], because if the content does well, you are [00:41:09]. This means prioritizing content that makes sense to strangers and deprioritizing vlogs, hot takes, and personal opinions that require prior knowledge [00:40:44].
Addressing Common Concerns
- “I’ll lose retention if I introduce myself.” While some existing viewers might skip introductions, warm audiences often appreciate reminders, and cold audiences need the introduction [00:36:04]. It’s better to have more people who don’t know you find out who you are [00:35:48].
- “People will get sick of repetition.” Consistently introducing oneself or repeating core messages can create positive associations and help information stick [00:38:52]. Just as classic TV shows used theme songs for every episode (like Cheers) [00:38:24], consistent introductions with small variations (like The Simpsons’ ever-changing chalkboard gags) [00:39:40] can cater to both new and old audiences [00:40:19].
Practical Application
Even reposting old, successful content can benefit from this principle. If content has been posted consistently, new people have entered the audience who haven’t seen “that amazing piece of content” from last year [00:36:54]. Reintroducing “greatest hits” helps new people discover them, compounding the brand’s lore and growth [00:37:13].
Overall Philosophy
The goal is to maximize the number of the “right people” who discover the content, given limited resources [00:42:20].
- Anything works better than nothing [00:42:30].
- Some things work better than others [00:42:44].
- Nothing works forever [00:42:51].
Therefore, an entrepreneur’s role is to start creating, identify what works best, maximize that approach, and then adapt when it slows down [00:42:53]. High-volume content production is effective, but it must be strategic and targeted.
For strategies for content creation and media engagement focusing on business owners, the key is to prioritize educational content that provides actionable steps rather than just entertainment [00:03:02]. This involves a shift from edutainment to pure education [00:05:59]. It also means narrowing the focus from broad topics (like relationships, college, food, lifestyle) to niche business topics (business models, leverage, selling) [00:23:47]. Understanding and leveraging audience targeting is paramount, as different types of content attract different audiences (e.g., entertainment content attracts those seeking entertainment, educational content attracts those seeking education) [00:07:07]. Targeting the right audience leads to better results, including book sales, email opt-ins, and business applications [00:29:07]. This requires shifting from views as a primary metric to ad revenue per view (RPMs), which acts as a quality metric reflecting the engagement of the desired audience [00:25:22]. Tactics for producing targeted content for business owners involve improving packaging, introductions, content “meat” (emphasizing language over production razzle-dazzle), visuals (effective production over over-production), and pre-work (research over post-production editing) [00:10:31]. Branding and audience engagement is strengthened by this targeted approach. Giving away free content and courses is also a key strategy for leveraging content and outreach to increase business profitability [00:43:28].