Learn from Dean Seddon, a LinkedIn social selling expert, as he debunks the myth of the content money machine. Through his insightful analysis, he reveals the truth behind content marketing, highlighting the common misconceptions and pitfalls. Additionally, Dean shares practical strategies for achieving genuine success, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and value in building a strong online presence.
Highlights
Who is Dean Seddon?
Dean Seddon is a LinkedIn social selling expert who helps companies leverage social selling to generate leads, enhance their industry thought leadership, and increase their pipeline through LinkedIn. With experience training over 200,000 individuals and working with 24 stock market-listed companies, Dean believes in tailored approaches to social selling. Moreover, he offers various services, including speaking at events, hosting interactive Social Selling Days, and developing LinkedIn integration strategies. With over 20 full-time coaches, Dean’s company supports businesses in all aspects of social selling.
In this article, “The Myth of the Content Money Machine,” Dean Seddon challenges the common advice of simply posting great content to generate leads. He explains that while this approach works for those with large followings and significant engagement time, it isn’t profitable for most content creators and offers alternative strategies for success.
Content Money Machine
You’ve heard the gurus.
“Post great content, and you’ll get leads”
How’s that working for you?
It sounds like a piece of cake when you’re comfortably perched on 174k followers and spend 90 minutes a day outbound engaging on LinkedIn to drive your own reach.
It makes sense if you’re selling content marketing, copywriting, or other related marketing activities online.
However, outside of that, the content creator isn’t profitable for the majority.
I’ll explain why and give you an alternative thought.
Is the content money machine just a myth?
The content creator model isn’t something you do for profit. The average creator makes less than £39k per year, and just 4% of creators make more than £78k per year. The majority of influencers’ and creators’ revenue comes from selling brand deals and courses. The average creator makes £4k a year more than the average employee.
By contrast, a small business owner will, on average, make £78k annually. According to the data, you’d have to be in the Top 4% of content creators on the planet to make the same as a small business owner.
Can you make money being a content creator? Yes.
Is it the easiest way to make money? No way.
Unless you defy the odds, you’ll make an average salary. Oh – and it takes, on average, 17 months of solid content creation before you can go full-time.
Yet when it comes to social media and social selling, when you look at where people spend their effort, they spend too much time on content and engagement and less so on building relationships. The time spent is deployed too much on content and not enough on deepening relationships.
I’m not saying the content is terrible. You should be posting consistently, but its only part of the recipe of making social selling work. If I’d relied on content alone to build MAVERRIK® – Social Selling Training, I would be a solopreneur now with maybe a VA. Instead I built a broader system and have a team of 35. Content isn’t the be-all and end-all for me.
For a small business owner, the time investment doesn’t stack up to over-invest in content. The reality is that relying solely on social media content won’t cut it. You need a robust system that’s not at the mercy of ever-changing algorithms. Therefore, you need a repeatable process.
You can’t wait for inbound leads, which can be inconsistent. We need a system that attracts clients and ensures you won’t end up pulling a Joey Tribbiani by hitting up strangers with sales pitches.
It can be tempting to play the volume game, but it is uncomfortable for many and can harm one’s reputation.
Thus, your system should be consistent and preserve your credibility. In social selling, trust is gold, and we can’t afford to squander it.
So, what’s the solution?
I call it the Educational Selling Method. It’s not just a strategy; it’s a game-changer. A whopping 854 coaches, consultants, and thought leaders have already harnessed its power to spend more time doing what they love and less time worrying about selling.
With this method, you’ll break free from the content treadmill and gain control of your business. You can run your LinkedIn in a 45-minute routine, and if you’re selling high-ticket services, you can comfortably make £10k+ without playing a numbers game.
No more hoping for favor with the algorithmic gods on Social Media’s Mount Olympus. No 90-minute commenting sessions or fretting over the next viral post. You’ll have a reliable system that consistently delivers results while maintaining your reputation.
We’re flooded with content. Content is good, but over-investing will hold your business back. It’s not popular for me to say this, but I’m sharing a truth that flies counter to where the world is right now. It’s a nuanced point that there is a middle ground between pummeling people with pitches and sitting back and waiting for content to do the work.
Let’s be the mavericks, the realists, who build their success on a firm foundation, not an algorithm that can change on a dime.
