Content Marketing vs. Direct Response: When to Use Each for Audience Monetization

Hello and welcome to the show. Before we begin, apologies because today is going to be a noisy episode, and that's because that time of the year is here again. The kids are on holiday and also because the house is being cleaned. But that has never stopped me from putting an episode out anyway. So let me just go ahead and get straight into business. OK? So First off, listener, shout out to Emmanuel at Debulu. I hope I pronounced your name correctly.

He is a student in the University of Ibadan, a pharmacy 500 level student. And while we're chatting over on the WhatsApp, you know, I had to give him props because the University of Ibadan, we used to be the mother campus for for University of EFA as it was called back in the day before it later transitioned to Obafamil World War University. So yeah, I had to give him props because his school is the mother school of my university.

And of course, University of Ibadan in turn was birthed by I think University College London or something like that or University of London or one of those schools. So yeah, I had to give him his props. But apart from that, I would never admit to a UI person face to face that their school in some way has preeminence or priority. OK, No, not priority. Let's say preeminence, preeminence over mine. But anyway, those are just part of the university wars that go on in this part of the world and happens everywhere.

You know, Harvard versus MIT versus whatever. So the same thing happens over here. Unilab versus OAU versus Ibadan versus Abu and on and on. So he's a 500 level pharmacy student who recently landed a content creation gig. And this was an offshore thing because the client is in Kenya. And I like hearing about these sorts of stories because it shows the possibilities that are available now with the Internet and how people are becoming part of the gig economy.

So yes, times might be hard and it's really hard to make an error these days. But there are opportunities. And you should be inspired by folks like Emmanuel Adebulu who are taking advantage of the skills that they have and the Internet to make money. How do I put it outside the shores of this country and put it that way since his the client in this case is in Kenya, so he has been doing content creation for this person in Kenya and I

can't remember how he said he found the show but it's much appreciated. Anyway, whenever I get a new listener of the show and when you people reach out, so the listener shout out for today, Emmanuel Adebulu, University of Ibadan Pharmacy 500 level with hopes to transition into medicine. So yeah, that's it. Thank you very much, Emmanuel, for listening to the show. Also remember to share with people who are also going to find value from the show.

That's if you've been getting value from the show then today still hopping on that whole content thing. Don't worry. For those of you who want us to get back to hardcore sales and business development, we'll be there soon. I'll almost be done with the content. So today we're going to look at monetizing your audience. How to do that? Now, unfortunately, some of us run to the monetizing the audience too quickly. In fact, you've been listening to the show over the past 4:00-ish years.

Because I think I've been doing this since March 2020. I think I should go and check. So if you check, you'll come across episodes where I try to monetize the audiences too quickly. And you know, I've given up on that anyway because that's not the whole point. I'm of the show. No, point of the show is much more of a content marketing play and to try and establish credibility with my audience. So, but if you want to monetize your audience, whether you have a podcast, you have a, A blog,

you have a YouTube channel, you have a whatever it is that you have the, the goal. No, not the goal. I'll put it the mechanism, how it works is you provide value 1st and then you build trust, competence, credibility and all those other things before you start selling. So if you start your podcast today in where are we? OK, where in July? So if you start your podcast today, in July of 2024 and then you start trying to monetize it in August 2024, that's a bit too soon.

You haven't provided value, you haven't built trust, you haven't showed that you're competent, you haven't shown that you're credible, you haven't shown that you're the top dog. Then you know what it is that you know it will be premature. So if we're talking about content marketing strategies and monetizing audiences, we provide value first. We build trust first before we start trying to sell. So those are the things that we're going to be talking about today.

So the reason why this is topical is because, like I said, lots of people are trying to come up with content marketing campaigns for their businesses and then they try to monetize prematurely. They try to get money out of their audiences prematurely. If you've been listening to what I've been putting out for the last week, I hope it has registered by now in your noggin that content helps to establish, know, like and trust.

People know you, they like you, they trust you. Content helps you to establish thought leadership. Whenever people think of XYZ, they think of you, which is what I'm trying to do with this podcast. The goal is that in 10 years, whenever people say sales in Nigeria, they will only think of Tavishima Aidi, They don't think of anybody else. Then it also helps you'd remain top of mind with potential customers so that when they are ready to take that next step,

you are the only person that they can think of. And also, yes, content helps you to become a trusted brand. More like I've been hinting at since this episode began and with the other ones that I, I recorded previously, content, content marketing, you know any of these content XYZ things, no matter what people want to call it, it is a long term strategy build the audience first build trust first try selling later. If you start today, you start trying to sell next week, you're going to shoot yourself in the foot.

Now some of you are going to wonder now look, I'm in this thing to make business. You can't say I'm going to be creating content for 2-3 years and I'm not going to try and sell anything now Mr. Mann, what are you saying? I'm in business, I need to make my money and you're absolutely correct. So if you're looking for near term strategies or if you're looking for short term strategies, the one that you can start today and then try and sell next week, you shouldn't be looking at content marketing strategies, content marketing,

campaigns, content, whatever, whatever, whatever. You should be looking at copywriting or you should be looking at direct response marketing. That is a different discipline. Some people confuse the two or the three, depending how you want to look at it. Some people think content marketing, copywriting, direct response, they just say or join. Somebody's writing something, somebody's contenting something. It's all the same.

No, it's not content marketing campaigns, they're on one end. Copywriting and direct response marketing is on another end. But that's not the focus of this podcast, which is why I don't talk about these sorts of things. But copywriting direct response marketing, these are skills that you need to have in your arsenal, especially when you're considering short term wins, short term money as per we're going to start in July 2024, by August 2024.

Want to see somebody coming in. So copywriting direct response marketing, those are two disciplines that are built around a couple of things, a couple of principles, a couple of dynamics. One thing that these techniques have in common is we need to have the targeting right. Do I need to have the ICP right? You need to have the audience, right? You also need that for content marketing, Yes, but you will see why this is even more important when it comes to copywriting or when it comes to direct response marketing.

Oh, let me try and do a lucid definition. Copywriting. OK, The OK, I will define copywriting as salesmanship. In print, you're writing something, you're typing something, you're drawing something, and the whole point of doing that thing is because you want somebody to part with their naira and Kobo to give you money. That is what copywriting is about. Direct response marketing is that you're putting out a piece of marketing with a very strong call to action.

So you're doing A because you want to see B whether the person gives you money or not. So if you put out a piece of content, then when people see it, they're supposed to watch it, listen to it, like it, or whatever. And then from that they pick up the phone and come to your office for a meeting. That is direct response because it's in the name. You do something, you get a response when it comes to content marketing, branding, and all those other things, while throwing things out into the ether or putting things out into the universe, as people like to say these days, I'm throwing things out into the universe hoping to influence things maybe someday, but maybe not today.

So copywriting, direct response marketing, the focus is on today. What are the returns that I'm going to get today? So the techniques or the principles, the frameworks that you need when you're thinking of copywriting and direct response marketing is you need to know your ICP. There's no guesswork as you need to know who the audience is. Spot on. You need to know because we can't waste time, we can't make waste money.

You also need to make sure that you have a doubt in knowledge of what their problems are and what their goals are. No guesswork here. You need to be sure that you know who you're sending this message to. You know what is checking this person? The reason why I need to know what is choking them is because the next thing you're going to do is you have to craft a killer offer. You have to craft offer that anybody who is in that situation, that has that problem and their brain is working correctly in their right mind,

they'll say Omond is a sweet deal. I guess they take this thing so you can see that the focus is different. Content marketing. I'm trying to show that I'm the expert. I'm trying to show that I'm a thought leader in this space, but if it's copywriting, direct marketing is a matter of look, I know who you are. I know that this is the problem that you solve. I have this thing that will solve that problem. And if you do this, do this, do this, this is wrong that you get and you have it all for the fancy price of XYZ naira book.

Now you put out that kind of content in January 2024. The hope is if you did a good job by February 2024, you'd have started seeing some money. Now example, let's keep it to the paint thing. Since I just started with painter the painter like 2-3 days ago, let me just continue. But for those of you who are new to the show, whenever I say paint example, that's within this whole content thing. I'm not talking about an artist.

I don't mean somebody who paints, paints lovely pictures and tries to sell. Speaking of somebody who carries buckets of paint, you know, 55 liter, 1010 liter and you go and you paint people's houses, you paint inside the house or you go and any you get, you catch my drift? So I'm talking about painters. So for a painter with an example that I gave in the previous episodes, trying to pursue a content marketing strategy, the focus is on thinking and executing as if you're a media company.

You're trying to think of yourself as a paint media company. You're trying to build brand, you're trying to build authority so that whenever anybody sees your stuff in Abuja, in Orca, in in the Keja or wherever you are, they think of you, they think paint, they think Kingsley and Sons Limited you. That's the name of your business. And over time, you're hoping to monetize from future enquiries because you're positioning yourself as a paint media company.

So theoretically it also will improve the quality of people reaching out to you because people who are within your ecosystem been seeing your stuff, when they reach out to you, they're high quality people already convinced that you're the boss or you're the boss babe, you know your job and so they're ready to ready to take action. So if you're a painter and thinking content marketing, that's the focus, that's the thinking.

But if you're a painter and you're thinking copywriting, you're thinking direct response marketing, what you do is you sit down, you and your wife, or if he's the woman, that is the painter. Because we're equal opportunity here, you and your husband or you and your business partner. And you guys will come up with copy words, pictures, text around your social media, your Instagram, your whatever, or around online advertising because direct response typically is not organic as in direct response typically is paid.

You know, I do something, I put it on the radio just to amplify it to boost the message so that the more people see it, the more responses that I get. So for the painter thinking copywriting and direct response marketing, you sit down, you come up with copy, you come up with texts put on your social media or whatever. And in that copy, you identify who the person is because the person who is reading that copy or listening to that audio or seeing that picture has to know that this thing is talking directly to me.

Then you have to identify the problem spot on South. The person will know that OK, this is talking to me and these people know I have this problem. Then you now make a compelling offer. So copywriting direct response for painters will be something like this. Are you living in Abuja? Are you a property developer? Property development is currently slowing down because of the rainy season. If you message me right now, I have paint resistant paint at 75% of the cost for the normal 5

litre bucket. Message me now while stocks last at 080 XYZ. The promo is available for the 1st 120 enquiries starting March 21st 2024. Call now so that you can continue with your property development in the rainy season and then message over the whole point of this thing. Now, I know I didn't put it too elegantly because after all, I'm not a copywriter, but the whole point of this thing is property developers right now can't continue building their houses or can't continue painting their houses because we're in the rainy season.

It slows things down. If you have this revolutionary paint that allows you to still paint in the rainy season, it would be a huge, by the way, I don't know if this kind of paint exists. I'm just making stuff up. So it will be a huge advantage. No, no advantage. What's the word will be a huge selling, unique selling point that, oh, I don't have to slow down because rainy season is here. I can continue building and I can continue painting.

I can continue doing whatever because of this magic paint that this guy has. So that'll be huge. So in this case, the copy here is speaking as you noticed is not an advertisement to everybody. Is that all saying, are you a property developer living and working in Abuja? You can see that this is very, very direct. There's no Farthing around here. And then the next thing is your business slowing down because of the rainy season.

This is very, very direct. So that the person who sees it, who is a property developer who has been complaining that Omar, we didn't finish, rainy season is here. Oh God, we have to slow down. If we slow down now, we're not going to be able to deliver these houses by December. Oh God, what are we going to do? Why didn't we work fast enough blah blah blah. When they see that adware, they'll be like oh so my Savior is around.

Salvation is near. Salvation is 9. That is the whole point of the copy. And then you even put it there. That is the same cost as the normal 5 liter bucket. But the 1st 120 people that buzz you, you're going to sell it to them only at 75% of the price. So in other words, they're going to be saving on the quarter of the price. You can see how this thing is specific. You have identified one person, you have identified one problem,

you have showed them how you will solve that problem and you have told them This is why you should take action. Now, this is the difference between content marketing and then copywriting and direct response marketing and all these other things, the content marketing approaches. Let me put out articles, videos, podcasts, articles about how to handle painting and property development during the rainy season. The goal is to make myself look like I'm credible and like I'm an educated alternative on the matter.

So that when people think painting and stuff like that relating to property development, they will call me and I'll be able to help them come with a plan about how we do project management to make sure that we're not building during the rainy season and blah, blah, blah, and things like that. But then direct response marketing. It's a matter of, I know this is the business. I know this is the problem, and I know that you're in deep shit right now because you have not finished your project.

I have the thing that is going to solve this problem. Message me now, now, now, 120 people, 25% off. That is the difference. So which approach should you use in your business? Is 1 better than the other? The answer that I like to give on the podcast applies here. It's contextual, ideally business. You should be doing both. There's a time for content marketing. There's a time for direct response. Which one should you start?

Which, sorry, should you start with? It depends on how much money or time you have on your hands. People who have plenty of time but don't have enough money, they can start off with the content marketing approach. But if you have a bunch of money, you're a painter, you're and your wife, you have some savings, or the woman is the painter, you and your husband, you have some savings. You want to get this thing going quickly and you have some money to throw behind advertising,

then yeah, sure, direct response might be the way to go. But this is something you have to be in mind when it comes to direct response, marketing and copywriting and all these other things. All the responding stops the day that you stop putting our copy. So if you're doing direct response January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and you stop in July, rest assured that the rest of the year nothing is going to happen because you're not putting this thing out and that's why you're not getting the results.

OK, sorry about that. The rain just started. But for content marketing, on the other hand, the response keeps coming in so long as you're able to put together content that is Evergreen. Evergreen just means things that people should find valuable over the course of a long term. Now that's the reason why YouTube videos perform well because if I want to learn how to let me see OK, how to paint my children's living room, my children's bedroom by myself,

OK, if I go to YouTube and I type a video will come up how to paint children's living room by myself. That kind of content will be Evergreen because there will always be people in America, in Nigeria, maybe not so much in Nigeria because in Nigeria we don't have a DDIY culture do it yourself. But there will always be people who are trying to solve that problem. How do I paint my children's room by myself? What paint is to say first,

blah, blah, blah. So that kind of content is Evergreen because. In 1996, people are looking for that information, in 2002 people are looking for that information, in 2024 people are looking for that information, and in 2076, people will still look for that kind of information. How do I paint my children's room by myself? What kind of paint is the safest to use in my children's room? Now that is Evergreen because people always keep trying to watch that content.

So you do content marketing, right? You will always be getting responses from it, but direct response marketing, you have to keep it going. So there's just something to bear in mind. So if you're starting off, if you want to put in place direct response marketing strategies, copywriting, all that, you want to do all of that in July 2024 and you want to use that to grow your business this year. Just know that you have to write it out for the whole year.

You can't do it in January and then you start seeing results in February and then in March you now relax. When you relax in March, nothing is going to come in. So direct response, you can't turn it off. You just have to keep going, keep going, keep going. So yeah, that's it pretty much about monetizing audiences and whether you can do that with content marketing, how you do that in content marketing, and if you need money to come in,

now, now, now, now, now. We've already discussed what it is that you need to do. So start thinking of things in those terms. Content marketing, put it on one end, put that in the left side of your brain, the right side of your main, think copywriting, direct response marketing, and then weighed up. Size it up. Depends on the business you are, the industry, what else, the customers that you're looking for, your financial goals.

These are all the things that determine whether you do things one way or another. So that's all for today folks. Remember to connect with me on WhatsApp. The phone number is 08064662140. The country code is +234. Then connect with me on LinkedIn. My name is Tavishima Aidi, I'm the host of the show. You can confirm the spelling and e-mail address, my e-mail address from the link where you're currently listening to this episode.

So thanks for your time and attention. I'll catch you guys at the next episode.