Creating a content plan helps me to stay (more or less) consistent with my online visibility. I like to base that plan on what people are actually interested in. So, earlier this month, I reached out to my list and invited people to come for a chat and to tell me more about what they struggle with in terms of websites and getting leads online.

I spoke with 5 people.

Why 5? Interviewing 5 people gives you enough insight to see patterns, but not so much information that you get bogged down and lost in ideas and data. (Ref: Sprint by Jake Knapp)

Listening to them, I noticed the same issues and questions came up again and again. It was easy to make a list of topics for my content plan. But, something even more valuable came out of these interviews. I was reminded of something very important. I have to examine and challenge my assumptions.

When you’re self-employed, a freelancer, or a ‘company of one’ you often work alone. You have to make all the decisions, set goals, create plans, build websites, launch campaigns. It’s all based on what you feel is right, based on how you want to be seen, what you want to be known for. But…planning is guessing unless you examine your assumptions.

My assumption:

Last summer I created a really detailed handbook that contains my entire process and approach to getting leads and clients online. I spent weeks on it, added all my biggest learnings from books I’d read, courses I had taken, the mentorship I had received! I was so excited to share it with people.

But after a few weeks, I noticed that it wasn’t getting signups. So I pushed the promotion a bit more. But nope. My list-building free handbook that was SO valuable was totally missing the mark.

Why?

My assumption was that the greater the value, the more signups I’d get. Conducting a few interviews, it became abundantly clear that it was just too MUCH!

Ebooks are dead (for MY ideal client)

How many times have you downloaded a 20+ page PDF and never read it? I do it too! I always file the thing away with the intention of getting back to it, but then never do!!!

My ideal client knows this about themselves. They know that it’s probably something that they’d LIKE to read, but probably won’t. Chatting with them reminded me of this and allowed me to create something that is much more aligned with them.

When we reconnect with the people we want to serve, they LITERALLY tell you what you need to do to reach them and people like them. And it’s free!

When you know how to reach them, you know what content to write, where to position yourself, what channels to show up on, what to offer! So go talk to your subscribers and create a plan of action!