Why People Scroll Past Your Content (Live Coaching)

Key Concepts

• Business Strategist: An individual who develops and implements strategies to improve a company's performance and achieve its goals.
• Engineering Background (Structural, Electrical, Mechanical, Merchant Marine): Technical expertise in designing, building, and maintaining physical systems and infrastructure.
• Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): A predictable revenue stream generated from subscriptions or recurring service contracts.
• Growth Traps: Situations where a business attempts to grow too quickly without a solid foundation, leading to potential failure.
• Foundation Systems: Essential operational processes and structures that support business growth and scalability.
• Content Creation: The process of producing and distributing digital material (videos, posts, etc.) to engage an audience.
• Hook/Intro: The initial part of a piece of content designed to capture audience attention.
• Curiosity Gap: A technique used in content creation to create intrigue and encourage further engagement by withholding information.
• Bite-sized Snackable Content: Short, easily digestible pieces of content suitable for social media feeds.
• Confidentiality/NDAs: Legal agreements to protect sensitive client information.
• Abstraction (in storytelling): Modifying details in a story to protect privacy while retaining the core message.
• Content Lab: A program designed to help content creators, coaches, authors, and thought leaders improve their content strategy and effectiveness.

Stacey's Professional Background and Transition

Stacey's professional journey began with a strong foundation in engineering, encompassing structural, electrical, and mechanical disciplines, including experience as an engineer in the merchant marine and in construction. This background, spanning over 25 years, provided her with a deep understanding of mathematics and physics, ensuring the safety and integrity of physical structures. Approximately five years ago, she transitioned into business strategy, specifically focusing on supporting businesses within the construction industry. This shift was intuitive, stemming from her extensive experience working with and as a contractor in the field. Her current role as a business strategist involves supporting construction companies in their growth.

Content Creation Goals and Strategy

Stacey's primary goal for creating content is to connect with owners of construction companies who may be resistant to adopting modern business practices. She observes that many rely heavily on traditional bidding methods without robust risk mitigation strategies, leading to cash flow instability, layoffs, or predatory lending due to payment delays. A key area of her specialization is developing Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) models for these companies, a concept less commonly considered in the industry.

Her content strategy on LinkedIn aims to elicit a response from her ideal client prospects, primarily through direct messages (DMs) or profile views. She notes that while owners are present on LinkedIn, they tend to be "lurkers" rather than active engagers. Evidence for this is seen in her LinkedIn Premium analytics, where the majority of profile viewers are owners and senior executives. She also acknowledges a secondary goal: for individuals reporting to owners to forward her content to them, effectively acting as a conduit.

Analysis of Stacey's Content: "Beware of Growth Traps"

The discussion then shifts to a specific piece of content created by Stacey, titled "Beware of Growth Traps."

Key Points from the Content:

• The Danger of Premature Growth: The core message is that businesses often rush into growth and scaling without first establishing a solid foundation. Stacey emphasizes that one cannot grow something without a foundation, nor scale something that hasn't yet grown.
• Foundation Systems Assessment: She proposes a framework of 10 foundational systems. Businesses scoring less than five out of ten on having these systems in a repeatable shape are advised not to seek external help for growth or scaling.
• The 10 Foundational Systems:
  1. Time: Blocking and delegating CEO time.
  2. Outreach: Developing a flywheel that can be maintained by others.
  3. Payments: Streamlining incoming and outgoing financial transactions.
  4. Fulfillment: Performing work in a repeatable manner with associated digital assets for a uniform client experience.
  5. Purchasing Terms: Optimizing procurement processes.
  6. Supply Chain: Managing and growing supplier relationships to match client value. (Note: The transcript only explicitly lists 6 out of the 10 systems. The remaining four are not detailed in the provided text.)

Critique and Recommendations for Content Improvement:

• Hook and Intro: The current hook, "Beware of growth traps. A lot of people want to go right to growth and scale," is considered too abstract. Suggestions for more compelling hooks include:
  • "Do these five things before you think about scaling your business."
  • "Beware of growth traps. Like what growth traps?"
  • "From scaling from seven to eight figures. If you commit these five things, you could be sabotaging your business."
• Information Overload: The content is perceived as too detailed and "engineering-like," lacking the energy and entertainment value needed for social media. The presenter suggests that Stacey is explaining too much, akin to an engineer presenting every step of a process.
• Content Structure: It's recommended to break down longer content into smaller, more digestible parts. For instance, presenting five key points in one video and offering the remaining five via a comment prompt or a follow-up video to create a curiosity gap and encourage engagement.
• Energy and Delivery: Stacey's energy when recording alone is noted as being different from when she is in a live session with someone. The presenter encourages her to bring the same high energy, smiling, and conversational style to her solo content. This involves:
  • Smiling and having fun: This energy transmits through the lens.
  • Working with others: Recording content with another person or simulating a conversation can boost energy and reduce the feeling of isolation.
  • Succinctness: Being direct and to the point, avoiding unnecessary details unless explicitly requested.
  • "Leave them wanting more": Delivering "bite-sized snackable content" that entices viewers to seek more.
• Transitioning to Longer Form Content: The advice is to first master short-form content and nail the energy and hooks. Once a short-form video gains traction, then explore expanding it.

Stacey's Response and Self-Awareness

Stacey demonstrates self-awareness regarding the critique, acknowledging her tendency to be too detailed and that her engineering background influences her communication style. She recognizes the difference in her energy when interacting with clients versus recording content alone, stating she "feeds off of trying to support somebody else on the other side of the camera." She also notes that her content has achieved significant reach (one video with 1.7 million views), indicating an underlying effectiveness that can be refined.

Addressing Confidentiality in Content Creation

A significant challenge discussed is the confidentiality required when sharing client success stories. Stacey expresses concern about breaching client trust and NDAs. The presenter offers solutions:

• Obtain Permission: Always ask clients for permission to share their stories.
• Abstract Details: Modify or remove any information that could identify the client or the specific project. This can include changing industry specifics, anonymizing names, or using phrases like "a friend told me."
• Focus on Impact: Highlight the positive outcomes and transformations achieved for the client without revealing sensitive details. Stacey can use her own experience as an example, framing it as a personal journey and transformation.
• Permission is Key: Emphasize that trust is paramount, and breaching confidentiality is detrimental to both the business and personal reputation.

Stacey confirms she has case studies written up and is willing to apply these strategies.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The conversation concludes with a strong emphasis on Stacey adopting a more energetic, succinct, and engaging style for her content. The presenter believes this shift will lead to greater connection with her target audience. The immediate recommendation is to focus on mastering short-form content with the right energy and hooks. Longer-form content can be developed later, building upon successful short-form pieces.

The presenter also introduces "Content Lab," a new program designed to help content creators, coaches, authors, and thought leaders improve their content strategy. The program offers hot seat coaching, resources on storytelling and hooks, and weekly writing prompts, all delivered with a focus on authentic, white-hat marketing strategies. The cost is $500 per month, with a discount for annual plans.