From Struggling Self-Help Blogger To 20 Million Books Sold

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📝 One Question Survey

What type of successful content creators do you want us to cover in the future? (Eg. Bloggers, YouTubers, Business Owners Doing Content Marketing, Social Media Creators, etc).

🤬 mark manson

⚙️ Strategy

The Mark Manson content strategy in 3 steps:

Stats (estimates from SimilarWeb + public profiles):

• Blog- 1.5 mil pageviews/month (61% organic search, 9% social).

  • Social traffic breakdown - 37% YouTube, 32% Reddit, 10% Twitter, 5% Facebook.

• YouTube - 1.02 million subs, 1.2m views/month.

• Instagram - 1.1 million followers

• Facebook - 625K followers

• Twitter - 445K followers

💡6 content insights

🚀 Traffic (Get More Clicks)

1. Shock-Value Headlines

“The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F***” is Mark’s blockbuster hit.

A huge reason behind its success?

The title cuts through like a knife.

He uses the same attention-grabbing headline tricks for his blog post and YouTube video titles.

"Screw Finding Your Passion"

“The Creative Advantages of Ignorance”

“Why Your Favorite Self-Help Book Sucks”

His headlines often present familiar concepts from a contrarian perspective.

They challenge popular ideas in a refreshing and blunt way.

They make readers pause enough to drive them to click and find out more.

Takeaway:

Elements of surprise and unconventional thinking in your headlines can increase the click-through rate.

2. Masterful Content Repurposing

Mark Manson is a multi-platform content animal.

He’s active on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

Look closely and you’ll notice that he cleverly repurposes content from one platform onto another.

Examples:

1. Tweets get repurposed on Instagram and Facebook.

2. Instagram Reels get repurposed as Facebook Reels, TikTok videos, and YouTube shorts.

Takeaway:

Content repurposing can be a low-effort way of getting some traction on platforms you don’t have more time for.

💖 Building Trust (Make Them Stick)

3. Deeply Personal Storytelling

His content often includes personal experiences and anecdotes.

The stories often follow a familiar format:

1. Start With A Relatable Scenario

2. Integrate Personal Experiences (overcoming a challenge)

3. Present A Universal Lesson

Personal storytelling, vulnerability, and brutal honesty build trust.

Your audience stops seeing you as an information-dispenser and instead, as someone who has faced and overcome real-life challenges.

4. Recognizable Voice

Developing your own “voice” as a creator is easier said than done.

It takes years before you find a creative voice that’s truly you.

Sure - it won’t ever be objectively “unique”, but it’ll be recognizable.

Mark Manson has that.

A recognizable creative voice:

• Conversational

• Personal

• Blunt

• Irreverent

• Humorous

This distinctive voice is consistent across his blog posts, videos, social media content, and books.

It’s become a key part of his brand and sets him apart from other creators.

Takeaway:

Having a recognizable voice will attract some people while repelling others.

This is good.

Over time, it leads to a loyal and engaged audience that can spot your content without even seeing your name or face.

💰 Monetization (Make More Money)

5. The No-Brainer Value Stack

Mark Manson has a premium content subscription priced at $79/year.

• Exclusive articles

• Online courses

• eBooks

• Audio commentaries on books

• A diverse eBook library

• Interactive PDF workbooks

• "Ask Mark Anything" videos

• Exclusive events

The “freemium” business model:

Tuck the best content behind a premium wall.

Here’s why Mark pulls this off so effectively:

He’s built a no-brainer offer.

He’s added so much value to this “value-stack” that it’s hard to say no.

The beauty of it is that what he’s added wouldn’t have come at much additional cost.

It’s mainly digital products - PDF workbooks, eBooks, audio commentaries, and exclusive articles.

But seeing the additional benefits makes you more likely to convert.

Takeaway:

If you have a product or subscription, think of simple, low-cost ways you can add value to the offer.

6. Don’t Waste Your Email Confirmation Page

The confirmation page you’re directed to after signing up for his newsletter is interesting.

Most creators waste their confirmation page.

“Thanks so much for subscribing”, “Here’s what to expect” - that sort of thing.

Mark’s confirmation page is an immediate upsell for his premium subscription.

A little pushy?

Maybe, but not enough to put people off.

Takeaway:

Maximize your email confirmation page’s potential.

Consider it as an opportunity to:

• Welcome your audience.

• Generate impulse buys from people ready to take the next step

🐰 rabbit holes and resources

🍫 Today’s link candy for content creators:

• A tool that rescues writers from the chaos of scattered ideas, bringing everything into one organized space [link]

• 34 Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2024 [link]

• She tried creating TikTok videos with just AI. Here’s what happened [link]

• How to train ChatGPT to write like you (the easy way) [link]

Our Cheat Sheets For Content Creators:

✨ 47 ChatGPT Prompts For Hundreds Of Instant Content Ideas (That Your Competitors Would Never Think Of) [Link]

32 Psychology-Driven Headline Templates To Get Your Content 5x More Clicks (With Hardly Any Extra Effort) [Link]

🖋️Online Writing Checklist: 20 Little Changes To Keep Readers Hooked And Get Any Piece Of Writing 5x More Engagement [Link]

📱 48 Quick And Easy Social Media Post Ideas (So You Never Run Out Or Feel Stuck) [Link]