Watch out for sneaky Saas founders
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Hi Reader, Would you work for nothing? One plucky SaaS founder thinks I should. He tried to hire me for a pseudo-content marketing role the other day. His proposed pay? O. The founder cold DM-D me on LinkedIn. He found a video review of a tool I recorded for my YouTube channel. He’s developed a competing tool, and he wants me to review his one. “In exchange, we’d love to offer you the Premium version of the Tool.” He gives me access to his tool, which usually costs $199. I create some content. And maybe I earn an affiliate commission later on. The founder is confident his app is waaay better than the other app I created content about. Maybe it is. I don’t know, I haven’t tried his app. I get dozens of these pitches every month, and usually from founders excited about their new-fangled AI app. I don’t usually respond. You see, I spend at least a dozen hours researching and testing apps for my channel. And that’s before factoring in time spent recording and editing videos. So, if I’m going to spend that much time and energy on a review, I’d rather pick it myself. And I only create a video review or a guide about an app if I use it for my content business. Or if I believe in it. Now, this SaaS founder seems like a nice guy. And he didn’t spout any nonsense about AI. He’d also no way of knowing that I’ve changed my entire content strategy. (These days, I’m more interested in helping other creators craft 6-figure offers than reviewing apps and tools.) So, I let him down briefly explaining the maths behind a product review. He didn’t reply. I’ve nothing against someone promoting their work in the DMs. I do it sometimes as well. It’s a grind, but it’s worth doing. But if someone asks you to create content about their product, remember they’re trying to hire you to market their product or service… at a steep discount. Don’t believe the hype about their affiliate programs. They’re effectively danging peanuts in front of you, in the hope that you’ll spend hours working for them. The conversion rates of 9/10 affiliate programs are trash. Would you take an unpaid marketing role at someone else’s company? Or would you rather create content that grows your business? I know what I’m doing. I have two spots open in my coaching program right now. I’m helping a few creators craft six-figure offers. Reply to this email if that’s you. Write on, |