Content Marketing That Actually Converts

The Content Graveyard

There are millions of blog posts published every day. Most of them will never be read by anyone other than their creators.

Why? Because most content is created for search engines, not humans. It's optimized for algorithms, not outcomes.

Let's fix that.

The Content-Market Fit Framework

Before you write a single word, answer these questions:

1. Who specifically is this for?

Not "entrepreneurs" or "marketers." That's too broad.

Try: "Solo founders making $10k-50k MRR who are struggling to hire their first employee."

2. What's their immediate pain?

What are they Googling at 11pm? What keeps them up at night?

3. What transformation do you offer?

Content should take readers from Point A (pain) to Point B (solution).

The Anatomy of Content That Converts

Every piece of high-performing content has these elements:

Hook (First 100 words)

• Acknowledge the reader's pain
• Promise a specific outcome
• Give them a reason to keep reading

Substance (The Body)

• Deliver genuine value upfront
• Use concrete examples, not abstract advice
• Structure for skimmability (headers, bullets, bold)

Bridge (The Transition)

• Connect the free value to your paid offering
• Make the next step obvious and low-friction

Distribution > Creation

Here's an uncomfortable truth: a mediocre piece with great distribution beats a masterpiece that nobody sees.

My 80/20 distribution strategy:

• 20% time creating content
• 80% time distributing and repurposing

Distribution Channels That Work

1. Email list - Your most valuable asset
2. Twitter/X threads - Repurpose key insights
3. LinkedIn posts - B2B goldmine
4. YouTube - Turn written content into video
5. Podcasts - Guest appearances drive qualified traffic

Measuring What Matters

Stop obsessing over pageviews. Track these instead:

Metric	Why It Matters
Email signups	Growing owned audience
Time on page	Content quality indicator
Conversion rate	Business impact
Social shares	Organic reach potential

The Compound Effect

Content marketing is a long game. Here's what the curve looks like:

• Months 1-3: Crickets. Maybe a few hundred views.
• Months 4-6: Signs of life. Some pieces get traction.
• Months 7-12: Compound growth kicks in. Old posts start ranking.
• Year 2+: Content becomes a moat. Leads come to you.

Most people quit in month 2. Don't be most people.

Your Next Step

Pick ONE content channel. Create ONE piece per week. Do this for 6 months before evaluating.

That's it. No elaborate content calendars. No 47-point strategies. Just consistent execution on a single channel until it works.

The best content strategy is the one you'll actually execute.