In recent weeks, I've watched several creators scream as algorithms changed and I remember the panic in January this year, when TikTok threatened to shut down. Their businesses hung by a thread because they built on borrowed land.
A creator and infuelncer was referred to be by Kajabi following an event I spoke at of theirs in January in Dubai. I spent some time only to discover their business was going nowhere fast even though they had an audience of over 1 million subscribers on YouTube. Brand deals were getting less and less, and money earned from the platform as a creator was getting squeezed too. I did some digging with them and here's "the science bit" from what I found out...
Creators have seen a drop in earnings from most platforms. YouTube’s CPM (cost per thousand impressions) rates dropped by around a quarter in 2023 compared to the previous year, and dropped again in 2024, meaning advertisers were paying less per view. Facebook saw similar trends, with Reels ads generating almost a 50% lower CPMs than traditional feed ads, reducing the earnings potential for creators relying on ad revenue.
Algorithm changes have redcuced creator earnings too, limiting reach and engagement. YouTube’s focus on Shorts and AI-driven recommendations is redirecting traffic, causing many long-form creators to experience massive drops in views and ad revenue. Facebook’s shift toward family-and-friends content in the News Feed has steadily reduced organic reach for pages, forcing many creators to rely on paid promotion just to maintain visibility.
Creators today need to be looking for ways to monetise what they know in the form of courses and digital products, like every coach, trainer and expert has been doing for years.
While I know that most coaches, trainers and consultants, don’t want to become the next viral superstar dancing to some trending sound or having to do some kind of crazy prank in order to go viral (I know I don't want to be doing that), we need to pay attention to one thing that they do better than anybody else on the planet...
Building an Audience and Keeping them Engaged.
The trouble is for most creators and influencers, most stop there, relying on brand deals and platform monetisation as I have said. But, if you have created any kind of online course, digital program or you have a membership, you have what many creators don't - valuable digital products and expertise.
This gives YOU a massive advantage...
❌ You don't need 100,000 followers
âś… You need the right 10, 50 or 100 people to find you,
trust you, and buy from you every month
❌ You don't need to become a dancing
creator or influencer like them
âś… You need a systematic audience-building
process that leads directly to your products
The Dangerous Middle Ground
Most experts find themselves stuck in a dangerous middle ground between desiring the large following and going viral, chasing what they think is the best way to build an engagement audience, without discovering how to do it properly.
They often find themselves in a position of…
- Creating too little content to be visible
- Having too much random content with no strategy
- Constantly chasing platforms but seeing little return
- Working overtime on content that doesn't convert
This approach creates the worst of both worlds - the exhaustion of content creation without the business results.
The Systematic Approach... Audience Building + Sales Conversion
Instead of randomly creating content and hoping for sales, what if you had a system where…
- Your content strategically attracts your ideal clients.
- Your platforms funnel people into your ecosystem – where you own the land you’re building on.
- Your digital products solve specific problems they already told you they have
This isn't about dancing on TikTok or posting daily.
It's about applying the SEED Marketing™ framework systematically that I talk about in my book “Simplify The Funnel”
S - Shape Expert Content - Create content that demonstrates your unique approach to solving specific problems. Don't try to be the smartest person in the room - be the most helpful one.
E - Engage Your Audience - Move beyond broadcasting to conversation. Respond to comments, ask questions, and build relationships. Remember that one genuine connection can be worth more than 1,000 passive followers.
E - Echo Core Values - Let your principles guide everything you create. Stand firmly in your authentic voice rather than copying what works for others. This isn't just about integrity - it's about attracting clients who align with your approach.
D - Deliver Actionable Content - Give people something they can implement immediately. When someone gets a small win from your free content, they're far more likely to invest in your paid solutions.
Platform Dependent vs. Asset Focused
If you’re still not sure about this, and you’re thinking “but Ant I really don’t want to become a creator, I’m a coach!”
...Let's contrast two approaches I've seen…
1 - Platform-Dependent Coach
- Posts across multiple platforms daily without a clear strategy
- Measures success by follower count and likes
- Connects with potential clients through automated DMs
- Constantly worries about algorithm changes
- Has unpredictable income tied to visibility
2 - Asset-Focused Coach:
- Creates targeted content for specific client problems
- Builds an email list they control
- Develops digital products that solve specific problems
- Uses content to guide people to their products
- Has multiple income streams that work while they sleep
The first coach is exhausted and vulnerable. The second is building a sustainable business.
When you focus on creating digital assets first and then building visibility systematically second… this is what you get…
- Stability - When platforms change, your products don't disappear
- Clarity - Your content has purpose - to guide people to solutions
- Efficiency - You create less content but with higher conversion
- Control - You own your customer relationships
- Value - You serve people at scale without trading time for money
The Systematic Path Forward
Here's how to implement this approach in your business:
- Asset First, Visibility Second
- Ensure you have a clear digital product that solves a specific problem
- Make it easy to buy and implement
- Strategic Content, Not Random Posts
- Identify the 3-5 core problems your product solves
- Create content that addresses each problem and points to your solution
- Capture, Don't Just Engage
- Every piece of content should have a clear next step
- Focus on moving people from platforms to your email list
- Systematic Selling, Not Desperate Pitching
- Create a consistent nurture and sales process
- Treat selling as a service, not an interruption
Take Control This Week
The online knowledge-commerce and coaching landscape gets more crowded every day. Client acquisition costs will continue rising. But you don't need to become a dancing influencer to stand out.
You need to be systematic about visibility and sales.
The most successful people won't be the ones with the most followers. They'll be the ones who strategically build an audience of perfect-fit clients and guide them smoothly to valuable solutions.
Focus on this simple truth…
10 perfect-fit clients who value your expertise are worth more than 10,000 followers who never buy.
Having a focus only on creating the best product or program, and then hoping that people will be attracted to it, is not a strategy to be able to grow your business.
Borrow the audience building and engagement strategies of the creators and influencers, to speak to your people and make them aware of you, then lead them into your digital product empire, and then you will have a truly scalable business.
Visibility and conversations. That’s what you need to focus on.
What one step will you take this week to become more systematic about your audience building?
Speak next week!
PS... If you want discuss anything that I've talked about here or ask any questions, you can join me on my live Q&A that I host every Monday inside my member-only community. Click here to learn more and join today.
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