What It Really Like to Create Content for A Living?

Hi Reader,

My boss pushed the brown envelope across the glass table.

I opened it up while he watched on.

I was in my early thirties, and this was my dream job.

My son was eight, and my daughter was two.

I didn’t know how we would pay the bills or what this meant for my career.

From a dream job to the social welfare office.

Getting fired is never pleasant.

It took 12 months, but eventually, I got a fresh start.

A friend referred me for a job as a content marketer.

I spent my 30s learning almost everything I now know about writing and earning a living online from writing and creating content online.

Lesson 1: Create Content About What You Do

We sold software that helped small businesses market to their customers.

The problem?

B2B software isn’t the sexiest thing to write about.

So, instead, I wrote about how we were marketing to our customers, i.e., the reader.

I explained what worked.

What didn’t work.

And why.

Trials of our marketing product went up.

It turns out customers love hearing authentic stories from the front line.

Write or create content about what you do.

Publish more of that.

Lesson 2: Writing is a Superpower

Colleagues often sent me emails like this:

“Bryan, can you rewrite a sentence in this presentation for me?”

Or

“What headline should I use for this sales page?”

I’d spend five minutes changing their passive to active voice draft. I’d take out some corporate jargon. Or I’d insert a power word and benefit statement into the headline.

And they’d treat the results like I was a Voodoo Shaman with magical copywriting powers.

In hindsight, I reacted the same way when a coder fixed a technical problem on the company website at short notice.

Words I can handle.

Code? No.

If you’re already comfortable writing, you’ve got a huge advantage over other content creators.

Use it.

Lesson 3: Go Where Your Audience Is

“We need a TikTok strategy.”

A sales rep wanted to hit a big target for the end of the year.

His bonus was on the line.

Mine was too ;)

The rep was convinced TikTok was the way to hit his ambitious year-end target. He’d read all about this trend new network.

The problem? Our ideal audience wasn’t on TikTok (this was back in 2017).

They were spending their lunch breaks and commutes on LinkedIn.

So, we doubled down on creating content for LinkedIn instead.

Create and repurpose content for different networks. But focus on the one that drives the most ROI.

Lesson 4: Content That Converts Isn’t Always Sexy

One year, we spent months creating a campaign all about… spreadsheets.

Small business owners love spreadsheets.

They’re free, versatile, and easy to use.

So, I wrote articles, guides, and video scripts explaining how to use a spreadsheet to manage a business.

At the end of the article or guide, I’d suggest why the company’s business management software offered a better solution than Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

They weren’t the most fun pieces of content to create. And spreadsheet content NEVER goes viral.

But then a funny thing happened.

Readers downloaded the guides and emailed in their questions. Some had no interest in leaving Excel behind.

Others took out a trial and went on to become customers.

That was when I realized content that converts isn’t about vanity metrics such as likes, shares, and follows.

It solves customer problems.

Write on,

Bryan Collins

PS: I'm working with a select group of writers to help them create their content strategy. It's a premium coaching program.

If that's something you're interested in, email me back with the words CONTENT ;)