From: alexhormozi
Providing free content is a powerful method for advertising and generating business leads, allowing businesses to gain customers by offering valuable material at no initial cost [07:35:00]. This strategy is particularly effective for building a reputation and track record when starting out [05:34:00].
Why Offer Free Content?
Initially, a business’s time may not be financially valuable if no money is currently being made [04:27:00]. Offering a free service provides:
- Practice and Feedback Valuable experience and constructive criticism from “friendlies” (known contacts) [04:32:00].
- Customer Conversion Some recipients of the free service will become paying customers [04:40:00].
- Reviews/Testimonials Clients can provide testimonials, which are crucial for building credibility [04:46:00].
- Referrals Satisfied individuals can send friends or other potential clients [04:51:00].
- Improved Service Feedback helps improve the service, which translates to long-term profitability [05:06:00].
When offering free services, it’s important to frame it as the client “helping you out” by letting you provide the service for free, rather than creating a sense of obligation [05:11:00].
The Hook, Retain, Reward Framework for Content
A core strategy for creating effective free content follows a “Hook, Retain, Reward” framework, applicable to any business [09:34:00]. This framework involves:
1. Hook
The hook is the opening of the content, designed to capture immediate attention, typically within the first 3 seconds, which are the most important [09:37:00].
- Questions Start with a question to immediately engage the audience [09:30:00].
- Curiosity Use a weird or jarring statement to pique curiosity [10:41:00].
- Call-Outs Directly address the target audience (e.g., “Las Vegas homeowners”) to signal that the content is for them [30:49:00]. This can be visual or auditory [30:57:00].
- Relatable Moments Depict common, relatable situations that resonate with the audience [35:36:00].
- Visual Engagement Employ visual action at the beginning to break through typical newsfeed clutter [35:23:00].
2. Retain
Once hooked, the content needs to maintain engagement by providing valuable information or entertainment. This can be achieved through:
- Frameworks Introduce multi-step frameworks, such as a two-step process, with explanations for why each step works [09:46:00].
- Open Loops Present information in a way that creates anticipation for what’s next (e.g., “Way number one…”, then waiting for two and three) [11:09:00].
- Lists, Steps, or Stories Use combinations of these formats to keep the audience engaged [10:00:00].
- Agitate the Pain Detail common pain points of the target audience, highlighting how the problem affects them (e.g., the smell of trash, missing family time) [31:28:00].
- Solutions with Guarantees Present the business’s solutions, potentially including strong guarantees, to differentiate and build trust [31:34:00].
- Addressing Subtleties Delve into deeper, less obvious pain points (e.g., how the smell of trash affects social status with neighbors) to show a thorough understanding of the client’s needs [32:53:00].
3. Reward/Call to Action
The end of the content should provide a “reward,” which can be something amusing that encourages sharing, or a clear call to action (CTA) [10:20:00].
- Shareable Moments Create content that is funny or surprising, prompting viewers to share it with their friends [10:31:00].
- Direct Call to Action Clearly instruct the audience on the next step, such as “call 1800-Alex-Trash” or “click the link” [08:26:00].
- Subtle Engagement Even without an explicit CTA, engaged viewers might comment, like, or direct message the content creator, indicating interest and creating leads [13:21:00].
Content Creation Tips
- Remind More Than Teach People often need to be reminded of information more than they need to be taught something entirely new [12:16:00]. It’s arrogant to assume 100% of the audience consumes 100% of content 100% of the time [12:26:00].
- Repeat and Repurpose Don’t be afraid to repeat concepts across different formats (e.g., tweets, videos, captions, podcasts) [12:40:00]. If content is well-liked, create more of it [13:07:00]. This is a key strategy for content creation.
- Audience Targeting Content can be targeted at potential customers or potential employees, depending on the business’s needs [11:43:00]. The visual representation and setting in an ad can attract the right type of people [34:37:00]. Including diverse individuals in ads can double or triple lead flow [34:54:00].
Generating Leads from Content
An engaged lead is someone who has shown interest in the content provided [13:38:00]. Content is created to encourage engagement (likes, comments, DMs), which provides a natural reason to reach out to potential customers without seeming like a “scumbag” [13:43:00]. This demonstrates effective lead generation and conversion.
Managing Expectations for Content Views
When starting, low view counts can be discouraging [14:00:00]. A helpful frame shift is to imagine the number of views as the size of a room [14:08:00]. For example, 17 views can be reframed as a full classroom, which is a valuable audience to reach for free [14:19:00]. Everyone starts with small numbers and builds from there [14:40:00]. This perspective helps in the role of high-volume content production in marketing.