Will Creating Free Content Get You More Clients?
The journey of content creation can be an emotional rollercoaster… especially if you’re desperately trying to turn your free readers/viewers into paying clients.
A recent message from a reader dramatically illustrates this:
“Just unsubscribed from a group which I had been a member for only 3 months. She was sharing free content, along with a few live videos. Eventually, she posted that people are taking advantage, not hiring her as a coach after consuming her content. Literally she said ‘If you don’t want to move forward, just leave.’ So I left, because I sensed anger and lack.”
I have to say… I can actually relate to both sides — the client, and the coach!
I’ve been there , thinking that just because I’ve shared a lot of free content with my audience, that I’m entitled to their purchases. When they didn’t buy, I started feeling resentful.
Can you relate?
Resentment can build when we pretend to be generous yet harbor an ulterior motive of expecting people to buy… and then discover that they have their own timing!
Instead, what if we come back to our own life-giving purpose for creativity and service…
What if we create free content as a ministry and as an exploration of our own calling?
In the long-term, you will get enormous benefits by being generous and service-oriented. But nobody can tell you when you can expect that return to be… or in what form.
If you build a genuine and loyal audience — and you understand their wants and occasionally announce aligned offers — you will tend to make sales or get clients… even with gentle launches, as I do.
However, please don’t think of your content strategy mainly as a client-getting tool.
That’s the problem I have with funnel-type of launches. For example, create a free online group (using Facebook or Skool) for a 30-day challenge… and then try to convert them into buyers.
The participants innocently join what they perceive to be a wonderful free thing… but the host has the ulterior motive of converting the members into buyers within a specific timeframe. In this case, almost everybody will experience some distrust or resentment.
An attitude of entitlement will ruin the relationship with your audience.
If you grow an audience, yet feel entitled to having them buy from you (“since I’ve given them so much already!”) then your actions will tend toward manipulation, and erode the very relationship you hoped to build.
We are not entitled to anything, not to our audience’s attention, let alone their purchases!
The Deeper Purpose of Creating Free Content
The deeper purpose of free content — a purpose you can feel great about — is to to clarify your own message and to gather and serve an audience of kindred spirits.
There is no “end” or final stage to that great purpose.
After having coached hundreds of content creators, I’ve come to see that we never “finally” finish clarifying our message or exploring our voice…
It is an ongoing journey of deepening clarity, resonance, and precision.
And you can never “finally” have built an audience — your audience will continue to evolve. Some will leave. Other kindred spirits will find you. You’ll keep being discovered by people who are resonant with you and your message at this time.
Then how do we create content and make sales?
My advice to that resentful coach mentioned at the beginning (again, I can empathize!) is the following:
- Remind yourself of the deeper purpose of creating content. Make that purpose ingrained within yourself by reflecting on it — journaling, meditating, praying, or talking with a friend or coach about it. Feel the privilege you have to share messages that help others.
- Then create and share your authentic free content consistently, in the spirit of exploration and service to your audience.
- Make sure that your ideal audience is seeing your content. See my 7 favorite ways to get more reach.
- As you start to gather an audience that engages with your content, recognize how lucky you are that these people are willing to pay you their precious attention. There are so many articles they can read, millions of videos they can watch. The spending of their time is the one currency that they won’t get back. Appreciate your audience’s attention. Feel and express your gratitude for them.
- Get curious about what your audience wants from you. Notice what pieces of content they respond to, and create more like that. Do this to serve your audience, and as a project of further exploring your Calling — that blessed intersection between your passions and what your audience wants.
- Talk to your audience about what services, products, and programs they have bought, and what they are looking for. What have they bought — related to what you might offer — that didn’t satisfy them? What are they still seeking that they can’t find? Recognize how fortunate you are to have an audience that you can talk to, for clarifying these things. This kind of market discovery is incredibly valuable. (To dive deeply into this process, check out Authentic Market Discovery.)
- Create those services/products/programs that they seek. Alternatively, you can also find another seller who provides those, and earn a commission in sharing those products with your audience.
Keep repeating these seven steps. You’ll grow a true audience and come to deeply understand them. This allows you to build a successful, authentic business.
Remember, your audience isn’t there just to buy from you.
You are blessed to have an audience, no matter how small at the moment.
Over time, you’ll grow your audience and eventually, you’ll have plenty of grateful clients as well!
Just don’t be fixated on an exact time it “should” happen.
I’ll close with a quote from a reader of mine:
“Creating authentic free content is a wonderful lesson on humility, abundance and service.” — Annie LM
This post was originally written in Feb 2018. Updated in 2024.
