The 3 deadly traps costing content creators thousands

Content creators fail to monetize for three different reasons.

1. They chase virality instead of creating assets.

I’ve gone viral few times on Medium, Facebook and Substack. Only recently, I shared a post on Facebook about AI that reached over five million people.

I’m human, and I felt good about the post… for all of 60 seconds. Seeing those notifications from a viral post is a nice sugary rush, but you can’t take like and shares to the bank account (with one exception which I’ll cover in a moment).

Look…

Understanding how social media algos work is useful. I spend hours every month honing up on what’s working for YouTube, Substack and LinkedIn. I enjoy creating content, but I spend far more time building hard assets I own like my email list, products, and offers.

You can create content for applause, or you can create it for your ideal clients. The latter might reach fewer people but it’s better for your bank account. I know what I prefer.

You see, broke creators are playing slot machines - putting in cents with time and effort hoping for a viral jackpot. But the house (Meta, X etc.) always wins.

Smart creators own the casino instead, building systems where the odds are in their favor.

2. They lack a clear content strategy.
​I’ve lost count of the pointless roundups and listicles I’ve read on social media. You know the types…

The man who’s been fighting wokeism for years…
21 Best Harvard Business Review Courses
7 Inspiring Pieces of Wisdom from [insert celeb of choice here]

Creators invest dozens of hours in creating this type of garbage.

If it works, you can earn a payout from a partner program, like on X. But those payouts are variable and unsustainable. (Ask anyone who was on Medium circa 2020).

In reality? You’re taking on a low-paying, risky job.

With AI, this type of work is a race to the bottom. Content farms plugged into Claude and ChatGPT can outwork even the most determined creators.

Now, a profitable content strategy doesn’t face those problems. Build it around what your ideal clients needs and what you sell.

This type of content strategy also grow your email list, which turns some of your subscribers into clients or customers. Get this right, and creating content will get much easier.

3. They’re afraid to make an offer.
​I was working with a client recently who said they didn’t want to email their list too frequently about their services in case they “annoy them.”.

Been there.

Another client said they didn’t feel ready to launch a service or an offer yet.

Been there, too.

If you’re still there, open up Gmail or Outlook.

I don’t know about you, but I check my email inbox a dozen times a day. It’s always full of offers. I'm happy to read the content if I like the person or business behind the email. I might even take out my credit card. If I don’t, I unsubscribe. No big deal.

If you’re not emailing your list and making offers, someone else is.

Your ideal clients and customers are getting pitched every day, so why leave it to someone else to help them? You’ve done the work, you know what to do. So take action.

Beyond revenue, proper monetization frees you from the constant content hamster wheel, too. You can get paid to create instead of creating to get paid.

If you need help turning 2025 into your most profitable year yet, I’ve something for you.

This week only, I’m taking on 5 new clients who are serious about monetizing. This isn’t just strategy—it’s week-by-week implementation support to ensure you hit your numbers.

This program isn’t for creators satisfied with likes and shares or for people unwilling to make direct offers to their audience.

The doors are open from NOW until Sunday night. Read more about it here.