My Approach To Scalable Content - The Content Accordion | Ep 845
In this episode of The Game with Alex Hormozi, the host shares his approach to scalable content creation, balancing quantity and quality through an "accordion of content." Hormozi reflects on his journey from Facebook Lives and podcasting to expanding onto YouTube, Reels, and TikTok. He discusses the importance of striking a balance between broad, beginner-friendly content and narrow, advanced topics tailored to specific audiences.
Hormozi emphasizes the need for authenticity in content, incorporating personal interests alongside core business topics. He details his strategic approach to creating an optimal content mix, drawing from frameworks like Google's 70-20-10 rule. The host also underscores the value of experimenting with content frequency and refining techniques to appeal to diverse audiences across experience levels.
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1-Page Summary
Accordion of Content: Balancing Quantity vs Quality
According to Alex Hormozi, the goal is to continually increase content production and refine it. Hormozi began with Facebook Lives and a podcast, before expanding to YouTube, Reels, and TikTok.
During a high-volume phase, he realized some pieces resonated better. Shifting focus to fewer but higher-quality pieces sustained total views while bolstering impact. Hormozi notes platforms reward both quantity and quality.
Narrow vs Broad Content Topics
Initially, Hormozi's broad lifestyle content boosted views but didn't improve key business metrics like book sales. After refocusing on narrow, business-centric content for nine months, he saw improved metrics aligning with his priorities.
Hormozi recognizes the value in both broad beginner content and narrow advanced content. He advocates balancing wide and narrow elements to engage audiences across experience levels.
Hormozi plans to incorporate personal interests like fitness, suggesting authenticity is important; personal elements can attract viewers and add relatable depth.
Speaker's Journey and Content Creation Approach
Originally averse to publicity, Hormozi overcame hesitation to share expertise through content, evolving from no-frills live formats to high-quality polished videos with editing techniques.
Experimenting with volume, Hormozi found increased frequency boosted viewership. He also refined his strategic content mix with Google's 70-20-10 rule: 70% core business, 20% adjacent topics, 10% personal interests.
Hormozi strives to provide value to novices and experts alike, balancing accessibility and depth to maintain longevity and relevance across a diverse audience.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- While platforms may reward both quantity and quality, the algorithm changes can unpredictably shift the balance, making it difficult to maintain a consistent strategy.
- Focusing on high-quality content may not always sustain total views if the content frequency drops significantly, as audience engagement can be tied to consistent posting schedules.
- Broad content, while not directly improving key business metrics, can serve to build a larger audience base that may indirectly benefit business goals over time.
- Narrow, business-centric content might improve specific metrics but could also limit audience growth by not attracting casual viewers who could become interested in the business later.
- Incorporating personal interests can add authenticity, but it also risks diluting the brand message and confusing the audience if these interests are not aligned with the business goals.
- High-quality polished videos may not always be necessary or even preferred by certain audiences who value authenticity and raw content over production value.
- The 70-20-10 rule is a guideline and may not be the optimal content mix for every creator or business, as audience preferences and industry standards can vary widely.
- Providing value to both novices and experts is challenging and may lead to content that is too complex for beginners or too simplistic for advanced users, potentially alienating parts of the audience.
Actionables
- You can refine your social media presence by creating a content calendar that includes a mix of core topics, adjacent subjects, and personal stories. Start by identifying the core message or expertise you want to share, then brainstorm related topics that complement it. Finally, sprinkle in personal anecdotes or hobbies to humanize your content. For example, if you're passionate about sustainable living, your core content might be tips on reducing waste, adjacent topics could include eco-friendly products, and personal stories might involve your journey to a zero-waste lifestyle.
- Enhance the quality of your content by learning basic video editing skills through online tutorials. Focus on one editing technique at a time, such as improving audio quality or adding text overlays, and apply it to your next video project. This incremental approach allows you to gradually increase production value without being overwhelmed. For instance, if you're making a cooking video, start by ensuring clear audio, then in your next video, try adding captions for the ingredients.
- Diversify your learning by following experts in both your core interest area and in fields that are tangentially related. Allocate time each week to consume content from these experts, aiming for a mix that reflects the 70-20-10 rule. This could mean, for example, spending 70% of your learning time on your main interest, such as digital marketing, 20% on related areas like graphic design, and 10% on a personal interest like mindfulness. This approach will broaden your perspective and may inspire innovative ideas for your own content.
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Accordion of Content: Balancing Quantity vs Quality
Alex Hormozi provides insights into his experience with creating online content, discussing how the balance between quantity and quality impacted his journey as a speaker and content creator.
From Long-Form to Short-Form: The Speaker's Journey
Hormozi began his content creation journey by hosting Facebook Lives for a gym owner group and later repurposed the audio into the Gym Secrets podcast. This strategy served him well for around two to three years before he decided to broaden his horizons into different content formats.
Started With Facebook Live, Podcast Episodes, Then Added Youtube, Reels, and Tiktok Content
In 2020, Hormozi moved into YouTube content by uploading his traditional podcast episodes to the platform, after receiving advice from a vendor that this could be worthwhile.
Accordion Concept: Alternating Quantity and Quality
Hormozi discusses the intersection of quantity and quality in content creation, noting that the goal is to continually increase content production and then to improve upon it.
Increased Content Boosted Views, but Not Key Metrics
During a phase of producing eight shorts a day, it was noticeable that some content significantly outperformed others. This led to the consideration of whether producing fewer, but higher-quality pieces, could be more effective in terms of garnering views.
Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity Retained Viewership and Enhanced Content Impact
Hormozi observed that by concentrating on more refined, high-quality content, the total views remained consistent with when more content was produced, supporting the notion that quality is capable of sustaining viewership.
Balancing Quantity-Quality Tradeoffs For Content Creators
Finding the right equilibrium between quantity and qual ...
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Accordion of Content: Balancing Quantity vs Quality
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- While platforms may reward high-quality, high-volume content, this approach can lead to creator burnout if not managed sustainably.
- Prioritizing quality over quantity might not be feasible for all creators, especially those who rely on frequent uploads to maintain audience engagement due to the nature of their niche or audience expectations.
- The strategy of posting quickly after a successful post to leverage increased audience attention may not always work, as audience engagement can be unpredictable and influenced by many external factors.
- The balance between quantity and quality might differ significantly across different platforms and content types, and what works for one creator or audience might not work for another.
- High-volume content production could potentially dilute a brand's message or lead to a decrease in content originality over time.
- The advice provided is based on Hormozi's personal experience and may not be universally applicable to ...
Actionables
- You can track your content's performance by setting up a simple spreadsheet to monitor views and engagement metrics after each post. Start by creating columns for the date, type of content, platform, number of views, likes, comments, shares, and any other relevant metrics. After posting, regularly update this spreadsheet to see which types of content are performing best. This will help you identify patterns in what your audience prefers, allowing you to adjust your content strategy for quality and quantity accordingly.
- Experiment with a content batching system to maintain a consistent posting schedule without sacrificing quality. Dedicate one or two days a week to creating content in bulk. For example, if you're making videos, you could record several in one day, edit them the next, and have them ready to post throughout the week. This approach helps you stay ahead of your content calendar and gives you more time to focus on creating high-quality material.
- Use a timer to limit the time spent on creating ea ...
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Narrow vs Broad Content Topics
Alex Hormozi shares his insights on balancing the breadth and depth of content topics and their impact on business metrics and brand authenticity.
Speaker's Experience With Broad Vs Narrow Content
Lifestyle Content Boosted Views, No Improvement in Business Metrics
Hormozi’s initial experimentation with broad content, such as lifestyle videos and generic life advice, led to an increase in views. However, he noticed that this did not translate to progress in his business metrics—book sales and interest in potential portfolio companies declined.
Refocusing On Business Content Improved Speaker Metrics
After nine months of refocusing on narrow, business-focused content, Hormozi observed a significant improvement in the metrics that mattered to him, highlighting the value of specificity in content creation.
Value Of Creating Content For Beginners and Experts
Beginner "Wide" and Advanced "Narrow" Content Both Valuable
Hormozi recognizes that both broad content, which may attract beginners, and narrow content, which caters to more advanced audiences, are valuable. He indicates that content often leans more towards one type at different times.
Effective Content Balances "Wide" and "Narrow" Elements to Benefit Novices and Experts
When discussing the ideal strategy for content creation, Hormozi advocates for a balance. He suggests a strategic mixture of wide and narrow elements, ensuring the content can engage and benefit both novices and seasoned professionals within his audience.
Personal Elements Add Depth and Broader Appeal
Content Should Reflect ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Narrow vs Broad Content Topics
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- While focusing on narrow content improved Hormozi's business metrics, it's possible that this strategy might not be universally applicable, as different audiences and industries may respond differently to content strategies.
- The assertion that both broad and narrow content are valuable may not consider that some businesses might benefit more from a highly specialized approach, especially in niche markets.
- Balancing wide and narrow elements in content may not always be the most effective strategy for every creator or business, as some may find greater success with a more targeted or segmented approach.
- The idea that content should reflect the creator's true interests might not align with the strategic goals of a business if those interests do not resonate with the target audience or detract from the brand's core message.
- Adding personal content to increase depth and a ...
Actionables
- You can refine your social media strategy by alternating between general interest posts and niche-specific content to cater to a diverse audience. Start by identifying the core topics that resonate with your broader audience and intersperse them with deep-dive posts that provide specialized knowledge or insights. For example, if you're into fitness, mix posts about general wellness with detailed workout routines or nutrition tips for athletes.
- Develop a personal branding plan that includes sharing stories or experiences that showcase your genuine interests and values. Create a content calendar where you dedicate certain days to sharing personal anecdotes or behind-the-scenes glimpses into your life or work process. This could be as simple as sharing a weekly story about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it, which helps humanize your brand.
- Enhance your content's relatability by i ...
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Speaker's Journey and Content Creation Approach
Hormozi details the transformation of his role as a content creator and the strategic evolution of his approach, highlighting the shift from live formats to more polished videos, and a strategic content mix that considers quality, consistency, and audience diversity.
Speaker's Disinterest In Becoming a Public Figure
Initially content with generating wealth over acclaim, Hormozi had a natural aversion to the limelight. Despite this, he overcame his reluctance to become a public figure, deciding to share his expertise through various content platforms.
Speaker's Content Creation Process Evolution
Hormozi embarked on his content creation journey with Facebook Live sessions and podcasts, characterized by a straightforward, no-frills approach; some of his early videos were even filmed in his closet. Not concerned with aesthetics, these live videos served their purpose for engaging audiences on platforms where the quality was not paramount.
Later, he repurposed this content for YouTube, committing to a thrice-weekly posting schedule, which was simply a matter of trimming and uploading the live sessions. Hormozi continued to broaden his repertoire, incorporating Reels and TikTok into his strategy, leveraging these platforms' format to repurpose content without additional workload.
To improve his reach, Hormozi increased his posting frequency, noting a 60% increase in viewership when he upped his content production from three to five times a week. Observing the positive impact of higher volume, he further refined his content by partnering with an editor who offered enhanced editing techniques, leading to superior quality and more impactful sequencing. This shift to quality content significantly improved performance.
The speaker's experimentation didn't stop at quantity versus quality. Hormozi also tinkered with the scope of his content, balancing broad topics that could lure in viewers with narrow ones that catered to specific interests, always anchored in authentic self-represen ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Speaker's Journey and Content Creation Approach
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- The shift from live formats to polished videos might alienate some audience members who prefer the authenticity and immediacy of live content.
- Becoming a public figure, despite initial disinterest, could be seen as a necessary evil rather than a genuine desire to share expertise, potentially affecting the authenticity of the content.
- Repurposing content across different platforms may not always consider the unique audience demographics and preferences of each platform, leading to less effective engagement.
- While increasing posting frequency led to a 60% viewership increase, it could also lead to audience fatigue or a decrease in content quality if not managed carefully.
- Enhanced editing techniques improve content quality, but they can also create a barrier for entry for new content creators who may lack the resources or skills for high production value.
- Balancing broad and narrow content topics is challenging and may not always meet the needs or interests of all audience segments.
- Following Google's 70-20-10 rule may not be the best strategy for all cont ...
Actionables
- You can experiment with different content formats by starting a blog and then adapting your best posts into short-form videos for social media. Begin by writing detailed blog posts on topics you're passionate about, then condense the key points into 60-second videos to share on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. This allows you to reach different audiences and see which format resonates more with your followers.
- Increase your online visibility by setting a challenge to post daily on one platform for a month, then analyze the engagement data. Choose a platform where your target audience is most active, and commit to posting content every day for 30 days. Use analytics tools to track which posts get the most engagement, and use that data to refine your content strategy moving forward.
- Diversify your learning by dedicating 70% of your reading or research time to your main field ...
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