How to Attract an Audience With a Bomb-Ass Content Strategy Plan

Hello, muffins!

I don’t think I like calling you muffins, but it just sort of slipped out. I may have muffins on the brain—English, of course—but then again, I have been eating way too much bread here in Europe, which is partly because the bread is more delicious than any other place on earth, and partly because every freakin’ meal comes with it. It’s everywhere and I cannot escape it and I’m not even trying. (Even though sometimes they do this sneaky move where they put bread on your table like it’s complimentary, and then charge you for it. This seems VERY standard. Can I get someone to comment on this?!)

Anyway, we’re not here to talk about muffins, but something far more useful for your up-and-coming business empire:

Content.

I used to hate the word “content.” Content just felt so transactional. There I was, pouring my heart out on my blog, writing with everything I had, and it was not just content. *she says with disdain*

But guess what?

It functioned like content.

It did a very good job of: (a) Attracting readers; (b) Converting them into subscribers; (c) Turning subscribers into fans; (d) And turning fans into loyal customers and clients.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret: that was all by accident.

When I first started The Middle Finger Project, I didn’t have a “content strategy” in mind. I didn’t operate in any sort of calculated way. All I did was commit to writing the very best thing that I could, three times a week. That was my schedule. That was what I did. I’d post it to my blog, Facebook, and Twitter, and I would email it out to my email list—all four, 3 times a week. And that was what worked.

Mind you, this was in the hey day of blogging, right? When writing a blog was a novel thing, and people still left comments on-site. Instagram sort of came along and existed, maybe a few years in, but it was used for personal pics that were GODAWFUL. Like, those early filters and borders, I shriek to think about it.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because I think that the way I grew The Middle Finger Project can’t be replicated today, but I also think that, in some ways, it can. Because humans are the same. And what attracts humans is the same. And what humans want to subscribe to is the same. The only thing that’s changed is where they’re hanging out.

Let’s back up a step and talk, first, about how “content strategy” became a thing—and why it matters now.

Back in the very, very ancient pre-internet days, it was much harder to start a small business. That’s because small businesses didn’t have big budgets and it was difficult to compete with the big players who did: you know, the ones who could take out all of the splashy ads, and the TV commercials, and the local billboards, and the radio ads, and afford to sponsor whole festivals and brand their stuff everywhere. That’s really the only way a consumer found out about you: if you were constantly (paying to be) in their face. Consumers were mostly just passive, well, CONSUMERS of whatever advertising you chose to bark at them: there wasn’t much they could do about it either way. They didn’t have a choice: they were receptacles.

Then the internet came along, and with it? Yahoo, Bing, Google. (I legit remember sitting at my friend Nikki’s house in the 7th grade, at her brand-new home computer, getting onto Yahoo.com, feeling like the whole world was at my fingertips!) That was 1997, and by 1998, I had a computer, too. (To this day, I have no idea how we afforded it, but my crush, Brandon, came over and hooked it all up to the dial-up. Enter: the years I spent chatting all night long on ICQ and AIM—and why I’m a hella speedy typer today.)

Google was really the game changer, however, as people started realizing the power of search. It wasn’t just about consuming news on Yahoo, anymore, or logging into your email. More and more people started searching for anything and everything under the sun, and they started turning to Google to do it. Google was streamlined. Google made it obvious: this is what you come here to do.

Moreover, Google promised a better search experience: previously, other engines like Yahoo ranked their search results in the order of pages with the most instances of those search terms inside of it; Google decided to do it differently, and instead made an algorithm that would display search results in the order of authority, based on how many other sites linked to it. They assumed that this was a more accurate measure of true authority and ranking.

ANYWAY, so now you’ve got this really smart new tool that anyone can use all over the world to find information about anything they damn well want, 24/7. Do you realize how monumental this was?! Like, think about encyclopedias before this. Think about that! We take the ability to search for things online sooooooo for granted, but it is this ability that’s given small businesses the world over an opportunity like no other:

The ability to be found.

But! The only way they can be found is if they are feeding the Google engine with the kinds of content people the world over are looking for. That means that you can’t just put up your website and hope that “if you build it, they will come.” Because a single, stand-alone website up there randomly online doesn’t offer Google any answers…and therefore, is irrelevant.

So what IS Google looking for?

1. Firstly, pages with lots of backlinks, i.e. other pages that link to your site. This is basically the digital equivalent of a real-life reputation, and it’s the first thing Google’s searching for. (This is why getting yourself on podcasts and writing articles for other sites is hugely useful, so long as a link back to your site is included.)
2. Secondly, pages with lots of solid, helpful content that’s going to help users in their search.
3. Thirdly, pages that have their shit in order, i.e. your sitemap, headers, tags are all configured.

And then it works its magic and applies its algorithm, which is a secret, and basically acts as a giant match-making tool, analyzing what a user’s intent is when they’re searching. Then, it serves up results to people searching for relevant keywords.

So, why is this important?

Because content is an engine that can find you customers—for free. And once you write the content, it’s there forever. And furthermore, it’s not just about the algorithm: it’s about having relevant content on your website that any person who finds you, even through a different channel, is going to use to determine whether or not they want to do business with you. YES, they’ll read your blog. YES, they’ll see if they like your style. YES, they’ll use it to judge you. It’s a trust signal. Because not having any content on your website feels akin, these days, to not having a website at all. You feel dated, antiquated, unimportant.

So, it’s two-fold: great content can help you get found organically without spending all of your money on ads, and great content can also help convert people into subscribers, subscribers into fans, fans into customers.

It’s the expectation.

Except now, you know where else you’re expected to have content?

Instagram.

Not having an Instagram account is ALSO akin to not existing at all. (I know, I can hear the groans.) That’s because your Instagram account has become a shorthand resume. You meet someone in a coffee shop, and you’re not exchanging phone numbers; you’re not exchanging email addresses; you’re following each other on Instagram. So if you’re a business and you don’t have an IG account, or yours is woefully neglected and aesthetically unpleasing, your prospective customers are going to go look you up and see that, and likely choose not to do business with you. That’s because if you’re not a part of the conversation? You seem like you don’t care. And nobody wants to do business with someone who does not care.

The assumption, of course, is that if you don’t care enough about your content, you don’t care about your customers. You’re out of touch, out of vogue, and out of business.

Which is the worst truth to hear.

Especially because this is all a lot of work. But, I don’t want to sugarcoat it because that doesn’t do you any favors, either. Yes, content is a lot of work. But…it should also be your #1 priority. Also because, consider that if someone DOES want to share about your business?

They need to be able to tag you.

Read that again: the first point of contact will be your IG, not your website, when someone’s talking about you online. They aren’t going to type out your web address; they’re going to tag your IG handle.

Soooooo, this means we must act accordingly!

There are three places I recommend you “do” content:

1. Instagram content that acts as a micro-site for your business and gets strangers to become followers.
2. Blog content that acts as food for Google & helps followers become subscribers.
3. Newsletter content that helps turn subscribers into customers.

That’s the holy trinity, right there.

Which brings us to the next question: what the hell’s the difference?! What do you write for each one?!

Here’s my strategy:

Everything starts with figuring out what people are searching for. I love BuzzSumo and Answer the Public, though you can also begin just by using Google Keywords Planner as well.

If I know what people are searching for related to my topic, then I can write content that answers those questions. Right? This makes sense, so it forms the foundation of my content strategy.

For example, for With Love from Costa Rica, BuzzSumo helped me come up with TONS of content ideas I wasn’t even thinking of, because sometimes when you’re an expert in something, you suffer from the curse of knowledge: you forget that people have way more basic questions than you think!

Here are some of the things I discovered people were typing into Google and asking on forums: Upload speeds in Costa Rica. Is it safe to drink the water? Is it safe in Costa Rica? Is it easy to surf in Costa Rica? Is a mosquito net necessary? Is Costa Rica expensive? How long is the flight? Cheapest time to visit? Cost of a week-long trip. What do I wear to a wedding in Costa Rica? Will my vacation get rained out? Is Costa Rica do-able without a car? How hard is it to communicate? Good destination to go with a toddler? Should you pack long pants? Costa Rica and car theft. Can I use my cell phone? What type of currency do they use? Cutest towns. Good 3-night itinerary? 5-night? 7-night? How to travel cheaply in Costa Rica. Costa Rica for first timers.

…And, you get the idea! This is just a small sampling of the things people are actively searching for online and in forums related to Costa Rica.

So, it only makes sense: if this is what people are searching for, then this is the content I’m going to put on my site.

Simple, right?

The idea here is that I’ll start showing up everywhere, no matter what they’re looking for—and the site will be so relevant, modern, and written in a fun and engaging way, that they’ll go down the rabbit hole and keep reading. That’s when you need to focus on conversions to your newsletter.

My goal—as yours should be, too—is to convert any visitors to your site into subscribers. That’s where the relationship-building happens, and that’s where the money happens, too.

Once you subscribe, my strategy is to send a daily email that’s going to help you regardless of the phase you’re in. My research has shown me—thanks to Google!—that people are looking for information depending on what phase of the planning process they’re in: The Dreaming Phase, The Planning Phase, The Booking Phase, The Experience Phase. For example, the posts that apply to The Dreaming Phase are going to be more aspirational, like “3 Surprising Things I LOVE About Living in Costa Rica”—which, note, is not likely something someone would be Googling, but is likely to be content that someone would definitely want to read if they’re daydreaming about going! On the other hand, content that falls under “The Planning Phase” is going to be more tactical in nature: “The Great Debate: The Pacific Side vs The Caribbean (And Why We Vote ‘Pacific!’).” Content that falls under “The Booking Phase” is going to advance the conversation and sound more like, “Renting a Car? Make Sure You Have at Least $2,000 of Available Credit.” And finally, under “The Experience Phase,” when someone is waiting to go or on their way, I include more human-interest pieces: “How Costa Ricans Have Been Staying Cool for Hundreds of Years (Who Knew This Trick?!)” and “The (Harsh and Hilarious) Nicknames of Costa Rican Men.”

It’s a daily email, because when you’re planning your trip you’re doing it now.

But it’s also a daily email because this is the kind of information that isn’t going to change too much over time, so it lends itself very nicely to being an evergreen email sequence. This means that I can write the sequence and set it up so every new subscriber goes through it from the top, getting a daily email every day. That allows me to serve them while also building a relationship.

So, where does the Instagram content strategy come in?

Well, if we think about what Instagram is used for: (a) like a calling card; (b) like a miniature blog; (c) as a way to let people share your content (d) as a way to let people tag you, then it makes sense that the content that’s going to perform best here is aspirational content: stuff people want to share.

My friend Jamie blew up her content on IG just by publishing her writing there daily. But, notice, it’s not just any content: it’s all incredibly aspirational and positive and uplifting and makes you go “Yeah!!!” when you read it. In my opinion, this is the best Instagram strategy out there: making someone go “Yeah!!!!” (Because they'll want to share it.) BUT, that’s a lot harder than it sounds, because we are not all prolific writers. But, that doesn’t make it any less true. People share stuff that helps them make a statement about their own identity; that resonates with them; that makes them feel seen.

Otherwise, however, DON’T FREEZE IN PLACE BECAUSE YOU’RE WORRIED IT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Screw being “good enough”: just focus on getting it done. If that means publishing something consistently that isn’t aspirational, and is just a damn photo, then go ahead and post the damn photo. The one thing I will say, however, is that you’re going to want the feed to look professional, so source high-quality images, repost user-generated content, take a photography class, do mini photoshoots, do whatever you must—just don’t let your content look amateur and sloppy on IG, because it’s a fast way to completely undermine all of your efforts.

Anyway, back to Costa Rica: I was joking this past weekend that, when we get back to the country for the holidays, I should start a pop-up bookstore….except the only book we sell is The Middle Finger Project. 🤣 The Middle Finger Project everywhere! I was ro-o-o-olling, picturing this entire bookstore in some type of glass cube right on the beach that was just FILLED, top to bottom, with “The Middle Finger Project,” and having all sorts of signage that says something like, “Don’t go home. Don’t go back to your suck job. Get The Middle Finger Project, instead.” And I’m there picturing us giving away free beer on the beach, hawking endless copies of The Middle Finger Project in a glass house covered in bookshelves full of nothing but—just because how funny would this be? I kind of want to do it. Who wants to come volunteer to help???

I think I just want to say that I own a bookstore that only sells one book. That’s such a fun marketing ploy, and I am HERE. FOR. IT.

So, anyway!

Those are my long-ass thoughts on content strategy, and how you can be more strategic about what you’re putting out so you start attracting an audience, turning visitors into followers, followers into subscribers, and subscribers into customers.

It’s a lot of work, but that’s the job. You can either do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, but it’s become a non-negotiable in 2021. The good news is, you can automate your newsletter: the bad news is, you’ll still need to keep your website and your IG fresh. But, when you learn to put a system in place for yourself, this will all get cranked out like clockwork and it will be WAY less overwhelming, and you will not fear it so.

I promise.

Alas, I hope you have a FANTASTIC week ahead of you, full of yummy fall November treats, lots of exciting ideas, and all sorts of progress on whatever it is you’re working on right now.

Ash