TDW #034: Simplify Your Marketing Funnel: How to Build a Loyal Audience with Less Effort

Marketing funnels are a bulletproof way to automatically:

• land new clients
• generate leads
• build your email list

But here's the problem: Most folks overcomplicate it. Like, WAY overcomplicate it. So they get frustrated and quit. Missing out on all those juicy benefits...

I'm going to share a simple 4-step system you can use instead. It's the simplest "funnel" you'll ever see. You can take what you read here and apply immediately.

I'll be using a recent, real-life client example to demonstrate how this can work for you.

"John" (not his real name) is the CEO of two multi-six-figure businesses. He has successfully managed both businesses to the point where his direct daily input is no longer needed. He rented my brain for an hour to get input on starting his personal brand.

My four-step system, which I call the "Content Machine," is the same for everyone, including myself. It follows the four steps a dream client takes to go from “complete stranger” to “raving fan”:

1. “I follow you online.”
2. “I love your content.”
3. “I get your emails.”
4. “How do we work together?”

Here’s how it worked for him…

Know: “I follow you online.”

The first step we focused on was establishing his main social media channel. We didn’t focus on all of them. We focused on one. And only one.

His previous efforts were hindered by the insane pressure most every business owner feels when it comes to social media—be all things to all people on all channels.

For his audience, LinkedIn made the most sense. That’s where his dream client is most active. So that’s where he’ll be most active. Every other channel got deleted (bye bye Facebook!) or shelved indefinitely.

Why this works: Growing an audience on any social media channel — let alone multiple channels — is a tall task. Focusing John’s efforts on one platform gives him the highest probability of succeeding long-term. If you’re feeling the same overwhelm John did, focus your efforts.

Like: “I love your content.”

Aside from a few random political & sports tweets (yikes!), he wasn’t producing any content consistently. So we needed to get John creating content. It didn’t even need to be good content. Just needed to get his thoughts a.) down, and b.) published.

Now this is usually where head trash starts collecting in the mind of an owner:

• What if people don’t like it?
• What if it’s not any good?
• What no one reads it?

Spoiler alert: I gave John the heads up that no one would even be paying attention to him in the beginning. So there was no need for him to worry about those (super common) fears coming true.

So we set a rhythm (how often he’ll publish) and a schedule (the actual dates and times) for his content. He’ll publish consistently for 30 days, then go back and evaluate what worked and what didn’t.

Why this works: Content creates connections at-scale. It’s simply a game you must be playing if you want to grow your business in the digital age. The more people that see his content, the more connections he makes. More connections means more opportunities.

Trust: “I get your emails.”

Email! The most underrated business asset every owner has access to—but hardly every uses correctly.

John’s number one call-to-action in his content is not to:

• pitch a product
• hawk one’s wares
• market his businesses

The number one CTA is to move his audience from his social feeds to his email list. Invite early, and often. I want John filling his list with people who already know him (from his content) and like what he has to say.

Makes everything a million times easier.

Why this works: Email is where conversions happen. It’s a conversion channel. Plus, everyone already knows how to use it. Unless your name is Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, you don’t own your social media audience. But you own your email list. Big 🔑!

Convert: “How do we work together?”

John will email his list once a week to start with using a newsletter format.

Nothing fancy. Just a weekly recap of a few cool links, articles, and a thought or two from John that his audience might like. That’s it.

This is the “squishiest” step in the process because there’s no definitive timeline for when it’ll start to happen. And when I say “it”, I mean people responding to your emails and asking how they can give you money. But it will if you do the other three steps consistently.

It all depends on two factors:

1. The quality of the relationship you’ve built with your audience
2. If you stay consistent or not

Why this works: All things being equal, people prefer to work with folks they like. But building relationships is a messy process. You never know when someone in your audience will be ready to pull the trigger. But you better be there when they do!

Final Words

The "Content Machine" is a super simple 4-step system to build a loyal audience with way less effort:

• Step 1: Pick your main social media channel
• Step 2: Keep churning out consistent content
• Step 3: Invite your audience to join your email list
• Step 4: Shoot them a friendly newsletter once a week

Focusing on one social media platform gives you the best chance of success, and email is where the magic happens. Consistent content is key to building relationships with your audience and turning them into clients.

Easy peasy, right?

When you're ready, there are two main ways I can help you:

Spirit-Led Business Plan: Learn how to create a kick-ass faith-driven business (without sacrificing your soul or sounding like a weirdo).

Clients & Content: Discover how Ryan made his investment back in just two months + dropped his ad spend by 50 percent.