Market Like a Thought Leader: Design Funnels Ecosystems Worthy of Your Boldest Ideas
A free training on the four types of content marketing—and how thought leaders and change-makers can operate on a whole ‘nother level online.
It will click into place instantly once we fill this matrix in. 👇🏽
tl;dr 👇🏽
There are 4 types of content marketing . . . you’ve probably experienced them all as a consumer. But today, we’re gonna work on intentionally choosing your primary type as a thought leader.
We’ll talk about:
What each style truly costs you
What each one costs or creates for the people you’re trying to reach
The production level necessary to maintain each one
How focusing on the wrong ones causes scope creep, pushback on your pricing, “hustle marketing” (a.k.a. posting 5x/day on social media), people misunderstanding the nuances/depth of what you provide, few people booking with you from scratch after finding their way to your ideas online on their own, etc.
Type 1: Expert Content Marketing
(a.k.a. Know-Like-Trust Marketing)
In full swing circa 2014. The expert teaches, demonstrates knowledge, is generous with information . . . and seems to think that if they just keep building credibility over time, people will know, like, and trust them enough to buy from them. But, this very common model produces one very specific problem that we’ll get to below.
The 4
Expert content marketing (a.k.a. know-like-trust)
Influencer content marketing (a.k.a. want-follow-get)
Secret holder marketing (a.k.a. entice-correct-limit)
Thought leadership marketing (a.k.a. think-spark-invest)
Type 2: Expert Content Marketing
(a.k.a. Know-Like-Trust Marketing)
In full swing circa 2014. The expert teaches, demonstrates knowledge, is generous with information . . . and seems to think that if they just keep building credibility over time, people will know, like, and trust them enough to buy from them. But, this very common model produces one very specific problem that we’ll get to below.
Note:
This guide is designed for idea-based business owners (authors, speakers, program/certification creators, trainers, consultants, and coaches) who feel called to do high-impact work. If you love what you do (and have been doing it for more than a year), think about it even when you’re trying to go to sleep, and potentially even consider it “your life’s work” . . . you’re in the right place. Your goal is to help people transform the way they do things and this guide will help.
P.S.
“Know-like-trust marketing” is also known as “expert marketing.”
It’s a style of content where you teach, constantly “give massive value” (whatever that means 🙄), and try to be in front of people online as much as possible so that they’ll recognize (know) you, then come to like you as you create more and more educational and entertaining content, then come to trust you after they’re exposed to you for long enough.
The thought is that they’ll eventually trust you enough to buy from you. Cool story, bro.
It’s a type of marketing that gives “prove yourself to me” energy 👎🏽.
But, the good news is: there’s a way to do marketing that gives much more “ooh, you make me think in new ways; I love the way this feels; I want to work with you.”
So, back to why we’re cancelling know-like-trust marketing . . .
Let’s say you have a life-changing thing you help people with in the form of 1-on-1 work, corporate consulting, nonfiction books, or even curriculum-based group coaching programs.
Let’s also say you have a good amount of experience in your field; you didn’t start yesterday.
And lastly, let’s say you’re actually good at what you do, and you don’t want to be lumped in with everyone else in your industry.
The question is:
How do you consistently get clients enrolled in your offer so that you can help them transform their lives, businesses, homes, marriages, finances, relationships with food, etc., while making a freeing income for yourself each year?
The title of this guide gives away some of my feelings:
The answer is not more know-like-trust marketing.
Let’s examine why . . . and in doing so, let’s examine the four types of content marketing you have available to you to help you sell knowledge-based products or services.
Note—for the purposes of this piece, and in general, here’s how I define two key things:
Marketing is: filling the gaps a person needs filled before they make a (purchasing) decision or commit to an action.
These gaps may be related to: belief, unlearning, knowledge, desire, self-efficacy, and more.
Now, you can do this gap-filling (a.k.a. marketing) in many ways—cold calls, conversations in a coffee shop, commercials on TV (is that still a thing?), etc.—but one popular way people have done marketing for a while now is content marketing.
Content marketing is: filling gaps (skills, desire, belief, etc.) through compelling content, typically published online.
Examples: podcast episodes, Instagram reels, blog posts, YouTube videos, webinars, etc.
But—we’ve had like three decades (??) with the Internet and blogging already, and . . . there are multiple ways to be helpful or “compelling” using content, so, surely we can get more specific than just “content marketing” . . . right?
Right.
As mentioned earlier, there are four types (or models) of content marketing in play right now for people who sell knowledge-based products or services (online courses, consulting, eBooks, coaching, etc.) or who monetize their content through advertising or partnerships (views on YouTube, sponsored posts on Instagram, podcast sponsorships, etc.):
Expert content marketing (a.k.a. know-like-trust)
Influencer content marketing (a.k.a. want-follow-get)
Secret holder marketing (a.k.a. entice-correct-limit)
Thought leadership marketing (a.k.a. think-spark-invest)
And here’s where things go really wrong for most authors, consultants, trainers, coaches, etc.
Each of these models of content marketing can work, but they each trace back to a certain business model that they are the best match for.
So, oftentimes, when your marketing efforts feel long, drawn out, stressful, low ROI-y, and/or confusing, it’s because the trends or strategies you’re executing on (beautifully 😍, I might add) belong to a type of content marketing that is not a good fit for the services, ideas, and programs you sell.
I’ll say that again in different words:
Your content marketing model might not match the level of sophistication and nuance you offer in your services.
Meaning: your marketing might be beautiful and valuable but still map back to a low-ticket business model, when you sell high-ticket programs.
And a viral reel or LinkedIn post won’t fix that.
We are changing all of that today.
In today’s guide, we’re going to fill in a matrix that explains the four types of content marketing.
It will illustrate:
why “influencers” and “experts” have a hard time selling premium programs
how a lot of content online is actually disempowering content that leaves people feeling like they need the secrets and products that others have 👎🏽
why content with a “higher barrier to entry” means your clients won’t say yes out of desperation, but empowerment
how people using thought leadership marketing can post less but have more impact 🤓
why “know-like-trust” is not your friend (hint: that’s in Part 2—but I promise we’re gonna get to it)
and so much more
