From: alexhormozi
Building a robust online presence and generating significant engagement requires strategic content creation, especially when targeting a specific audience like business owners. One creator, who saw their YouTube grow from zero to 2.23 million subscribers and their Instagram from 7,000 to 2.5 million followers in 40 months, along with millions of podcast downloads and email subscribers, attributes this success to a refined approach to content. This journey, costing $4 million in resources and involving 35,000 pieces of content, revealed six key changes that drove brand growth and generated revenue [00:00:03], [00:00:44], [00:00:48], [00:02:06], [00:02:16].
The initial plan involved three steps:
- Make as much good stuff as possible [00:01:56].
- Post it everywhere [00:01:59].
- Learn as much as possible [00:02:02].
The lessons learned, particularly for those targeting business owners, revolve around six critical shifts in content strategy [00:02:27], [00:02:56].
Six Key Content Strategy Shifts
1. From Edutainment to Education
Content can be categorized into three buckets:
- Entertainment: The sole purpose is to get people to watch and consume [00:03:39].
- Education: The purpose is to change what someone does, i.e., change their behavior through learning [00:03:55].
- Edutainment: Aims to both teach and entertain simultaneously [00:04:20].
The most common outcome defines the content category. For instance, Mr. Beast’s videos are primarily entertainment, even if a few creators learn something from them [00:05:10]. Conversely, an educator like Walla primarily educates students [00:05:20].
The shift is to go “all in” on pure education for three reasons:
- Not all views are created equal: Data shows that entertainment audiences primarily seek more entertainment, and education audiences seek more education. These audiences do not significantly overlap or convert from one type to another [00:06:04], [00:07:07]. Entertainment audiences do not convert to book sales, email opt-ins, or business applications at an appreciable rate [00:07:27].
- Personal preference: The creator enjoys making educational videos [00:08:00].
- Audience preference: The ideal audience (business owners and business-interested individuals) prefers educational content [00:08:05]. It’s crucial to discern who you are trying to attract versus who simply likes your content [00:08:56].
2. From “For Us” to “For You” (Audience-Centric Content)
A key realization was that comments could lead astray; the people commenting on content might not be the target audience best suited for help [00:10:01]. Serving the wrong “who” has significant impacts on content creation [00:10:14].
Tactically, shifting to content specifically for business owners meant five changes:
a. Different Packaging: From Vague to Clear
Thumbnails and headlines should be clear, not vague [00:10:51]. Rather than creating curiosity, content should directly communicate what it’s about so that someone clicking gets exactly what they expect [00:11:32].
b. Different Introductions: From Confirming to Proof
While entertainment content often confirms the sensational thumbnail/headline at the outset, educational content needs to provide proof [00:12:25]. Education cannot provide universal value, as audiences have varying knowledge [00:12:51]. The goal is to increase the audience’s perceived likelihood they will get what they clicked for [00:13:36].# Tactics for Producing Targeted Content for Business Owners
Building a robust online presence and generating significant engagement requires strategic content creation, especially when targeting a specific audience like business owners. One creator, who saw their YouTube grow from zero to 2.23 million subscribers and their Instagram from 7,000 to 2.5 million followers in 40 months, along with millions of podcast downloads and email subscribers, attributes this success to a refined approach to content. This journey, costing $4 million in resources and involving 35,000 pieces of content, revealed six key changes that drove brand growth and generated revenue [00:00:03], [00:00:44], [00:00:48], [00:02:06], [00:02:16].
The initial plan involved three steps:
- Make as much good stuff as possible [00:01:56].
- Post it everywhere [00:01:59].
- Learn as much as possible [00:02:02].
The lessons learned, particularly for those targeting business owners, revolve around six critical shifts in content strategy [00:02:27], [00:02:56].
Six Key Content Strategy Shifts
1. From Edutainment to Education
Content can be categorized into three buckets:
- Entertainment: The sole purpose is to get people to watch and consume [00:03:39].
- Education: The purpose is to change what someone does, i.e., change their behavior through learning [00:03:55].
- Edutainment: Aims to both teach and entertain simultaneously [00:04:20].
The most common outcome defines the content category. For instance, Mr. Beast’s videos are primarily entertainment, even if a few creators learn something from them [00:05:10]. Conversely, an educator like Walla primarily educates students [00:05:20].
The shift is to go “all in” on pure education for three reasons:
- Not all views are created equal: Data shows that entertainment audiences primarily seek more entertainment, and education audiences seek more education. These audiences do not significantly overlap or convert from one type to another [00:06:04], [00:07:07]. Entertainment audiences do not convert to book sales, email opt-ins, or business applications at an appreciable rate [00:07:27].
- Personal preference: The creator enjoys making educational videos [00:08:00].
- Audience preference: The ideal audience (business owners and business-interested individuals) prefers educational content [00:08:05]. It’s crucial to discern who you are trying to attract versus who simply likes your content [00:08:56].
2. From “For Us” to “For You” (Audience-Centric Content)
A key realization was that comments could lead astray; the people commenting on content might not be the target audience best suited for help [00:10:01]. Serving the wrong “who” has significant impacts on content creation [00:10:14].
Tactically, shifting to content specifically for business owners meant five changes:
a. Different Packaging: From Vague to Clear
Thumbnails and headlines should be clear, not vague [00:10:51]. Rather than creating curiosity, content should directly communicate what it’s about so that someone clicking gets exactly what they expect [00:11:32].
b. Different Introductions: From Confirming to Proof
While entertainment content often confirms the sensational thumbnail/headline at the outset, educational content needs to provide proof [00:12:25]. Education cannot provide universal value, as audiences have varying knowledge [00:12:51]. The goal is to increase the audience’s perceived likelihood they will get what they clicked for [00:13:36].
For educational content, the introduction should:
- Edify the person: Answer “Why should I listen to you?” [00:14:31].
- Present a “Proof, Promise, Plan” framework [00:15:25]:
- Proof: Prove you know what you’re talking about; give people a reason to believe you [00:16:25].
- Promise: Tell them what they will get or learn from the video [00:16:31].
- Plan: Set expectations for what will happen next [00:16:35].
- The order can vary, but leading with proof is often crucial for a business educator [00:15:50].
c. Different Meat: From “Be Real/Vlog” to “List Steps and Stories”
Analysis of content performance on platforms like Instagram and TikTok showed that the best-performing educational videos deemphasized “razzle” (effects, high production) and emphasized clear language and message [00:18:01], [00:19:02]. Content with strong, clear language often performed better than visually elaborate content [00:19:42].
d. Different Visuals: From Overproduction to Effective Production
Overproduction can distract from the objective of education [00:20:11]. If the goal is learning, distracting elements like changing backgrounds detract from the message. Effective visuals should enhance understanding, such as clarifying words on screen or visualizing data through charts to show scale, scope, or changes over time [00:20:44], [00:21:12].
e. Different Pre-Work: From Post-Production to Pre-Search
Instead of relying on extensive post-production editing, significant time should be invested in pre-production research and planning [00:21:37]. Spending a quarter of the time typically used for post-production on pre-work can eliminate 90-95% of post-edit work and man-hours, leading to cost savings, increased production, and higher quality content [00:21:50].
An ounce of pre-work is worth a pound of post. [00:22:53]
3. From Wide to Narrow (Topic Focus)
The strategy shifted from broad topics (relationships, college, food, lifestyle) to a hyper-focused niche on business topics (business models, business leverage, selling, etc.) [00:23:41], [00:23:59]. This is because people who watch content on one topic tend to want more content on that same topic; a college-focused audience is unlikely to be a business owner [00:24:15]. By narrowing the focus, the content becomes more relevant to the desired audience [00:24:46].
4. From Views to Revenue (Metric Shift)
Initially, views were the primary metric tracked [00:25:22]. However, views alone do not reflect business success as “you can’t pay payroll with views” [00:25:33]. For long sales cycles (e.g., 6-12 months for company acquisitions), faster feedback metrics are needed [00:26:00], [00:26:22].
The most measurable and fastest metric found was ad revenue [00:26:56]. Ad revenue is derived from the number of views multiplied by revenue per thousand views (RPMs) [00:27:51]. RPMs indicate the quality of the audience (e.g., business owners have high spending power, leading to higher RPMs) [00:28:40].
Ad revenue serves as a paired metric, combining quantity (views) with quality (RPMs), allowing for real-time feedback and quicker behavior changes [00:28:16], [00:29:49]. Periods with the highest RPMs and ad revenue also correlated with the most book sales, opt-ins, and business applications, regardless of the overall view count [00:29:06]. For instance, an experiment showed views skyrocketing with entertainment content, but ad revenue dropped by half, indicating the wrong audience was being attracted [00:29:18]. This shift to optimizing for ad revenue ensures focus on a leading performance indicator that aligns with business goals [00:30:24].
5. From Shorts to Longs
The common belief that short-form content (“shorts”) viewers convert to long-form content (“longs”) viewers, and then into customers, proved inaccurate [00:30:46], [00:30:52]. Data suggests that shorts viewers primarily watch more shorts, and longs viewers watch more longs; these are often distinct audiences [00:31:11].
For the purpose of conversions (book sales, opt-ins, applications), long-form content drives significantly more results [00:31:54]. While cross-platform discovery (e.g., a TikTok short leading to a YouTube long) can occur, the primary focus should be on longs for business-related content [00:31:39]. Therefore, despite the obsession with shorts, more emphasis is now placed on long-form content [00:32:30].
6. From “Assume More” to “Assume Nothing”
A common mistake is creating content assuming the audience already knows the creator or their context [00:32:53]. For content to attract new people, creators cannot make such assumptions [00:33:32].
Tactically, this means:
- Title content as if they don’t know you: Be explicit in headlines (e.g., “Business Influencer Crushes Haters” instead of “Alex Hormozi Guide to Haters”) [00:33:40].
- Introduce yourself every time: Clearly state who you are and what you do [00:34:40].
- Explain why they should listen to you every time: Briefly edify your authority or experience [00:34:52].
- Fully explain references and inside jokes: Avoid alienating new viewers by making them feel “on the outside” [00:34:58].
- Mentally act as though you’re always talking to a stranger: This ensures content is welcoming and understandable to a new audience [00:35:24].
Addressing concerns about retention or repetition:
- Retention: While some might worry about losing retention by introducing oneself, the alternative is fewer new people knowing who you are [00:35:39].
- Repetition: Warm audiences appreciate reminders, while cold audiences need the introduction [00:36:04]. Repurposing top-performing content is effective because new audience members haven’t seen it yet [00:36:34]. Consistent introductions, like theme songs in old television shows, can build positive associations and brand recognition [00:38:24]. Adding small variations (like The Simpsons’ changing chalkboard gags) can keep it interesting for loyal fans while still serving new audiences [00:39:26].
Overall Content Philosophy
While many types of content and topics can “work,” the goal is to maximize efficiency with limited resources (time, money, energy) to reach the right people [00:41:22].
- Anything works better than nothing: The first step is always to start creating content [00:42:30].
- Some things work better than others: Continuously analyze data to identify what resonates most effectively [00:42:45].
- Nothing works forever: Entrepreneurs must constantly adapt, identify new effective strategies, and maximize them until they slow down [00:42:52].
By implementing these strategies, creators can produce highly targeted content that attracts and educates business owners, leading to tangible business growth and profitability.
Resources for Business Owners
- For starting a business: games offers courses and training on business models and building online communities, with 33.44% of people making their first dollar online after completing the first month [00:43:30], [00:44:03].
- For scaling a business: training provides free courses based on books that cover offers, advertising, lead generation (both paid and free), and content strategies to help scale businesses [00:44:24], [00:44:38].