I interviewed my friend, Thomas Kopelman.
Two years ago, he NEVER posted on social media. And he worked at a financial advisor firm.
As I'm writing this newsletter edition #6, Thomas is in Mexico with his Fiancée while operating two businesses including his own successful financial advisor firm.
Thomas is a great example of keeping content creation simple. And how to remain consistent (which is the hardest part). He attributes most of the growth for his business through inbound leads.
Learn his easy-to-follow process of generating leads with content.
Interview + Timestamps+ my Three Biggest Takeaways below:
Interview outline & Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:26 - How & WHY Thomas became a financial advisor
4:11 - The Importance of content creation and the need to differentiate for his industry
7:06 - How to keep content simple when you're just starting out. Focus on the one thing.
7:30 - How to know when you should diversify to another channel
8:07 - How the compound effect comes into play with content creation - Playing the long game
9:20 - Goal Setting with Social Media - How Thomas sets goals for his social media
10:37 - 1000 Raving fans > 100k followers concept with customer acquisition and audience building
11:39 - How to find your own Rhythm - Focus on one platform and master it.
13:08 - How to re-purpose content and when to re-purpose.
13:53 - How to be consistent - creating your own schedules
15:55 - "I don't have time for content"
18:01 - How to not HOUND that you are an advisor. jab, jab, jab = bring value though posts and you've earned the right to ask for the sale. You've positioned yourself as an advisor.
20:08 - Making your first post - Share your story + How to
20:22 - Your customer's FAQ is a gold mine for content creation ideas
23: 30 - Why & how Thomas launched his own firm and the courage it took
27:30 - Tapping deeper into niches, Thomas and his partner launching another company, and their Abundance Mindset
31:14 - Final Recap
My Main Three Takeaways From My Conversation With Thomas:
1. Audience is the new currency
The traditional Hollywood rulebook has been thrown out the window and the reality is – one no longer needs writers, editors, producers, and sales team to build a content business. While you certainly could use all those resources, they are by no means requirements to be successful on social media.
The barriers to creating an audience and a community are so low now.
Keeping this new paradigm in mind–it makes no sense to apply an old media production approach and methodology to a new media ecosystem.
As Paul Graham of YCombinator famously says, find 100 customers that absolutely love you, rather than 1,000 customers that sort of like you. We are seeing daily that highly engaged, loyal audiences are a defendable moat worth building.
In my last newsletter edition, I broke down how Morning Brew grew a $75M newsletter. The money flows where the audience goes.
2. Play the content long-game.
Consistency is the hardest part but it's also where you'll see the most return of your time investment into content.
Short bursts of content don't cut it. EVEN IF you go viral.
Re-purpose existing content if you're creatively bankrupt.
Or, my favorite -> interview your customers.
I broke down how to turn a single customer interview into 15 different posts.
Take a gander at the post: How To Get Your Customers To Speak For You (The Best Storytelling)
3. Content positions you as the "Go-To" for whatever service you provide.
Let's look at Gary Vaynerchuck's boxing analogy from his book Jab, Jab, Jab - Right Hook book.
In short, a right hook’s content aims to sell and self-promote and a jab’s content aims to engage and trigger an emotional response.
Vaynerchuk’s long list of examples reveal that brands are throwing far, far too many right hooks that annoy their online fanbase and kill any engagement potential.
He emphasizes over and over the need for well timed jabs that resonate with followers on an emotional level, thus reeling them in closer as brand loyalists and making them primed and ready for when you do want to throw that right hook to actually make a sale.
Less right hooks.
More jabs.
That’s the secret sauce.
Follow Thomas:
-@TKopelman
Thanks for reading this Rocket Fuel edition #6! Like I mentioned, let me know what you think!!
Did you learn something from this newsletter? Tell me via email Me@Jeremyrossmiller.com or message me on LinkedIn.