Content that builds a brand (not just traffic)

Like a werewolf in the glare of the full moon:

Content is changing (a-woooooo!)

The question is no longer:

How many keywords can we hit?

Now it’s:

How can we create content that builds a brand?

Lots of answers to that question, of course.

But one of the smartest I’ve seen comes from Cassandra Naji:

Forget ‘What is XYZ’ content. The future is ‘How we’re doing XYZ at [Company Name]’

Cassandra says:

Here’s why this works:

‘Build in public’ and you’ll earn more clicks and increase your authority at the same time.

The good news? You don't need a massive budget to start creating this kind of content. 

Whether you've got 20 minutes or 20 hours, there's a way to put this into practice – to grow your freelance biz or create banging content for your clients.

Here are real examples of LinkedIn posts, SEO articles, and newsletters that showcase how to ‘build in public’ at every level...

Let’s dive in…

🧑‍🔬 Level 1: Micro-experiments (1-2 hours)

Most people who read educational content don’t act on it.

I should know – I’m one of ‘em 🙋

That means an easy way to stand out in people’s feeds, SERPs, and inboxes is:

Do The Thing, then talk about it. 

Nathan Ojaokomo’s adventures in content distribution are a perfect example of this in action:

This post earned 2,500+ impressions and 200+ reactions, comments, and reshares.

Plus, it shows potential clients Nathan seriously knows his stuff 🔥

Here’s another simple example from Cassidy:

Your quickest path to becoming a “thought leader”?

Spend an hour or two doing A Thing that other people will be interested in hearing about, then write about it.

🚀 Level 2: Mini case studies (1-2 days)

Here’s a question from Joe Michalowski:

Next time you find yourself searching for a stat to slot into an article, ask if you’ve got budget (and buy in) to do your own bit of original research instead. 

That way, you’ll have your own unique insight to bring to the conversation. 

Or in SEO speak: you’ll have achieved “information gain”. 

Check out this example from Andy Crestodina’s guide to how inaccurate Google Analytics is to see this in action:

Andy and the Orbit folks noticed people were interested in how consent banners affect GA4 accuracy. So they dug into 60 client accounts to find out, then turned their findings into the best article on the web on that topic.

👷 Level 3: Building in public (weeks/months)

Once you’ve found A Thing your audience cares about:

The more time you can dedicate to Doing The Thing yourself then talking about it, the better.

Want examples?

Well, there was the time Ann Handley literally couldn’t give two hideous brown couches away for free. Then she used her copywriting superpowers to rewrite the Facebook Marketplace listing and sold them for $95. 

There’s also the time Nat Eliason grew a blog from 0 to 50,000 visits a month, then shared exactly how he did it. 

Or the time Ali Wert 100x’d Databox’s podcast audience, then Peter Caputa shared exactly how she did it on LinkedIn (to the tune of 1,500 reactions, comments, and reposts).

This kind of content (IMHO) is the best way to prove your expertise and become a thought leader in a space.

Second only to…

🤓 Level 4: Original research (serious time + budget)

Okay, we've officially left 'scrappy' territory. 

But if you've got the budget and buy-in, original research is the gold standard for authority-building content that earns backlinks for years.

Case in point: 

Leigh McKenzie and the Backlinko team ran some original research that proved ChatGPT is using Google Search.

That not only blew up on Linkedin (2,000+ reactions) – it also drove 10.4% of Backlinko’s search traffic for 7 days 🤯

Want to create research that drives that kind of impact for your clients?

Here's how to get started:

Three lessons from the amazing Erin Balsa’s course – The Research Report Playbook (normally $250) – are now available to MOFU Mastery members:

• Planning + Project Management

• Data Collection + Analysis

• Report Writing + Design

👉 Join MOFU Mastery for access to Erin’s lessons (and $4,000+ of other resources)

Something to think about for now:

The next time you're about to write a LinkedIn post or a ‘What is X’ SEO article, stop. 

Ask yourself: 

Have I (or my client) actually done this thing? And if not… could we?

If the answer to either question is “yup”, maybe write that instead 👀

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