Brilliant Ideas

#6: How to Outperform Viral Trends with This Multi-Angle Nurture Content Strategy

• Alyssa Bellisario • Season 1 • Episode 6

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The cool thing about Lindsay’s approach is how she bridges that gap between copy and content. When we talk about “copy,” we usually mean words that make people want to take action—like the stuff on your website that convinces someone to sign up, buy, or get in touch. “Content,” on the other hand, is a bigger umbrella—it can be blog posts, podcasts, social media posts, even random musings that pop into your head on that dog walk. What makes Lindsay’s approach so refreshing is that she sees value in both.

And let’s be real: most of us didn’t start our businesses thinking, “Gee, I can’t wait to become a full-time content creator!”. We suddenly realize that to stand out, we actually have to talk about what we do—Cue the frustration, right? Lindsay’s remedy is that curiosity-fueled storytelling: pay attention to your own scrolling habits, watch what kinds of emails make you click (or instantly delete), and figure out the quirkiest, most authentic ways to share your expertise. There’s nothing wrong with going against the grain—especially when the “grain” might just be a pile of outdated trends.

In this episode, you'll find: 

  • The copy vs. content debate
  • Exploring the concept of positioning your online presence as a “comfort account”—the go-to place your audience continually revisits for insights, entertainment, or a sense of connection.
  • Hear Lindsay’s tips on how to market your business (even if you’re not a “marketing person”) by tapping into simple, authentic ways to share your expertise.

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Lindsay:

The easiest way to tell a story, I think, in your content is think about a children's book.

Alyssa:

Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of some of the most inspiring digital products created by solopreneurs just like you. I'm your host, Alyssa, a digital product strategist who helps subject matter experts grow their business with online courses, memberships, coaching programs, and ebooks. If you're a solopreneur with dreams of packaging your expertise into a profitable digital product, then this is the podcast for you. Expect honest conversations of how they started, the obstacles they overcame, lessons learned the hard way, and who face the same fears, doubts and challenges you're experiencing. From unexpected surprises to breakthrough moments and everything in between. Tune in, get inspired, and let's spark your next big brilliant idea. Let's talk about something that doesn't get enough attention. Nurture content. I thought it would be brilliant to have Lindsay Smith on the show today. She is a copywriter and content strategist where she shares gems on the gold standard of creating sustainable content without following the latest trends or burning out. Welcome to the show, Lindsay. Thank you so much for being here.

Lindsay:

Hi. Thanks for having me.

Alyssa:

Amazing. And this is gonna be such a really fun conversation because I find that content is one of the most challenging parts of running a business. At least for me it is. And especially if you don't have like a copywriter in your business or even an assistant for that matter, you're the one kind of doing everything which turns into a beast and a full time job on its own. And I was, as I was reading about story, you were mentioning something about good copy versus good content. And most people lump those two concepts together. But I really, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think those two things are the same. And so I'm curious for you, what would be the difference between someone who can create good copy versus someone who creates good content?

Lindsay:

So, a couple things. It's my opinion that copywriters make the best content people, specifically copywriters with a journalism background. And there are a few of us out there are a lot of journalism folks who, you know, switch to copywriting. And so I think those that combination makes, that makes really good content people. Because one, the journalism training and working as a journalist, like, we're essentially storytellers, we're always telling stories and we, for whatever reason, we have this like, sense of curiosity. So we're always looking for story ideas. Like I always joke that when I take my dog for a w A L K. She's listening. You know, that's when all the good ideas come. So I like, I will be writing emails in my head either for myself or for clients. I don't know if every journalist, their brain works that way, but mine works that way. So we're always coming up with story ideas, which is essentially the same as content ideas. And then a copywriter. Traditionally we're writing words to move people to take action. So I feel like the combination of storyteller and then the marketing background, that's what makes the best content. However, the difference between good content and good copy can sometimes be a bit different. Like when we usually we think of copywriting, we think of like web copy. So what you need on your website, like that's really where you probably need a professional copywriter is your website. The content part. Yes, I agree with you. Like most people did not start a business because they're like an expert in content. Unless you're me, of course. But like most people start a business because there's like something they're really good at or they have like some sort of smartitude for something and they want to share it with the world. So it's normal that sometimes creating content is a bit of a pain because all of a sudden we have to be experts in marketing our business and like that's not really what we signed up for. So yes, it's true. Most, most of my clients come to me cause they're just like, you know, I'm an esthetician. I'm not like, I'm like, I don't know what am I supposed to do to get, you know, visibility. So that makes sense. So that's, yeah, so that's what I think. I think, you know, good copy, there's definitely a place for that great content. However, and when I refer to content, like I'm talking about the bigger picture. Like I'm talking about this podcast interview. Like I'm, Yes, I'm talking about your web copy for sure. Social media. Absolutely. All of those things. Like all of that is content.

Alyssa:

That's a really great perspective and it highlights how the copy and content play equally but different important roles in how they speak to their audiences. Now speaking of content, one thing that really stands out about your approach is how you focus on sustainable long term content that nurtures an audience instead of just chasing the latest trends. Because for me, I find it very exhausting to chase the latest trend. I cannot keep up even if I'm very diligent. About the trends that are out there. I still, with, you know, with a toddler in tow, with, you know, my teaching, it's just, it's really hard to keep up with everything. So what do you think sets nurture content apart from traditional kind of sales content? And why do you think that's kind of critical for businesses right now to get that part right?

Lindsay:

So a couple things. The nurture part is sort of like the in between content. So let's take like email, for example. So if we're speaking about traditional, like building a traditional email list, like, you might start with a lead magnet, you know, and then you might write like a welcome sequence or a nurture sequence or whatever. So in that sense, like that nurture sequence is like the in between. So it's the in between of somebody finding you and then it's like you have the nurture is the in between. And then, you know, the sales come later. So to me it's, you know, and I agree with chasing the trends. Oh my God. And listen, I, like, I'm not immune to them, right? Like, I can look on my phone and find all kinds of screenshots of like, oh, the latest viral hook. Like, I get sucked into that stuff too, right? But it's like, and as we're recording this, like over the weekend, Instagram changed their whole format and everything's rectangles and no longer squares. Like, what does that even mean? And why is that happening? So, right, like that's. And I think for the longest time, you know, we've been taught to sort of like beat the algorithm or, you know, like when reels first came out, it was like this big thing of like creating these lip sync reels, right? And then it was like, now you need to do educational content. Oh no, wait, now carousels are better. Oh no, wait, go back to reels. So there's a lot of nonsense like that, you know, and it's impossible. So I think when you get back to like the basics of content or like the foundations of content, it's essentially like you think of it as like a, you know, your client journey. Like somebody comes into your world, you're nurturing them, which just means, which is hard to. It's. It's a hard concept for people who are very used to promotions and constantly selling. Like I've had clients been like, you mean, I don't put like a call to action in this email. I'm like, you can, but you don't have to and she was like, what's the purpose of this? I was like, just to talk to your audience. So, you know, and I talk a lot about thought leadership. So it's essentially like nurture content is kind of positioning yourself as an authority, but you also kind of have to take a stance on things that are happening in your industry, for example. So it's. Yeah, it's sort of like, you know, like if you were to meet somebody in person, like something that you find you have in common. Right. Like we can chit chat, you and I can chit chat about motherhood if you want. Right. Like, so that is something that, if I talked about that in my content, if I talked about that in my emails, if I talked about something about toddlers, right. And like trying to wrestle them in a car seat, you'd be like, yeah, this girl gets me. So it's that kind of stuff that is makes up nurture content. Which also means we have to get very clear on who our audience is.

Alyssa:

I love that. That is so true. That's like a whole other thing.

Lindsay:

Yes. Oh yeah, yeah.

Alyssa:

And yeah, I find that, I love how that you break that down, you know, having to know, having the nurture content, you know, and just talking to your audience. And I think that is hard because when we think about marketing, we think about we are the ones that have to do the promotions, the launching, but having to actually get away from that is how we most relate to people who are in our audience who are just the everyday business owners. You know, I just find that, you know, when we're chasing trends like the gurus and the influencers, it's almost like we have to drown out that noise that kind of aim to distract us from the content that we're trying to create. You know, back in 2021, I will just say this, okay. I did jump on the, in the where those, that train of trends. I was doing a lot of lip syncing trends, like crazy amount because I thought that was grow supposed to grow your audience. And when I look at the data, it did. Like I was getting thousands of views. But the only reason I was getting thousands of views is because it was like that time reels had just been introduced. So somehow the algorithm was prioritizing reels. And then I jumped on that lip syncing trend and then it just skyrocketed and that's how I grew so fast. So it was just like the right timing. And so now when we're what we're finding I think is that more our audience actually wants more of the nurture content. The ones that were just, you know, what you're mentioning, just talking to your audience, not marketing and not doing the lip syncing, you know, like just being more authentic. And when I was also thinking about it as well, I created a course a few years ago. It was a course about the email nurturing blueprint. And I this is when I was teaching solopreneurs how to nurture their subscribers before they launch their offer and focus on like the customer journey and how nurture content is different whether they're cold, warm or hot. So I'm curious for you, when we think about nurture content, what are the types of nurture content do you suggest for business owners who are really at the beginning stages of warming up their audience?

Lindsay:

So I think there's this kind of like this misconception of when you're starting a business, like you just throw a bunch of stuff up on social media, you send emails and then all of a sudden you just like sit back and everything's going to work out. It doesn't really, maybe five, six years ago that happened. Like you could just put something out into the world and be like, here, buy my thing. And it happened. There's a lot more competition now. So I think with a cold audience, one market research counts for a whole lot. So wherever you're, you know, you have to talk to who your ideal clients are, whether they're your existing clients or potential clients or whoever's coming through your door. You need to understand what problem they're having and what problem that you're solving. And so I think it, if you're just starting out, like their nurture content, maybe it might have to be a bit educational. Like, you know, I'm thinking of some of my own clients, they might not know why you're different. Right. Like if you're a mechanic, for example. Right. Like that's a, there's a ton of mechanics. So why would you choose, you know, Lindsay's mechanic service over, you know, Mark's mechanic service? So you also have to kind of figure out your usp. Like I always, what I talk about is like, what makes you a little bit weird? Because I think all entrepreneurs are a little bit weird. So what makes you a little bit weird and start to really dig into those types of things. And I would start there with your content. Like it, you know, you have, there is some kind of education to be done, does not have to be done in the traditional, like what we've Been taught how to create educational content, you know, like five tips to, you know, increase your protein intake with these four tips. Like, I don't think that type of educational content, there's a place for it for sure. Like, I think it can be used in long form content, but in short form content, I think the people are over it.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Lindsay:

And I'll go ahead and I was going to say the other thing. I was going to say like, you know, people's scrolling habits or like, you know, if you look at your own inbox right now, you know, look at the subject lines in your email inbox right now and like, tell me which emails you opened because you were like, oh, this sounds cool. Oh, this sounds cool, right? Like you have to look at sort of your own habits, you know, like let's use Instagram, for example. Like to me, you know, the swiping for my five tips of the, like, you know, even though I'm sort of anti trend, I feel like that's a trend that's on the way out and it's been replaced by, you know, there was another creator who said this. She was like, you know, you want to be someone's comfort account. I was like, oh, that's good, right? Like, you want to be someone's account that, specifically social media, specifically Instagram, that people keep coming back to. So there's like, sometimes I think there's like an entertainment factor to like get your point across. Not to say that you have to like, you know, sing and dance and carry on, but you have to figure out how to do it for your own niche and your own industry. But I think, like, I kind of feel like that's where we're at now.

Alyssa:

I love how you explain that. That's such a smart way to think about how nurture content. You know, it doesn't have to be this whole cringe of like five tips to do this. And I know what, it's so funny because when I first started my business, I did just that. I did the whole like, oh, I did too, because I, I don't know, I guess that's what was maybe trending at the time. And that's what kind of everyone was doing until people started to get really creative about how they were sharing their strategies. And so even now, like when I look at some of the copy out there, you know, it's not, it's definitely not the five tips, but they're starting to get more creative about how they Reveal things. And I, some things need to be on the way out. Like read caption below. Like I hate that one. Oh my God. Like just reveal it in the real please, so I can just get what I need and go tell me what it is.

Lindsay:

I know. And that's an example of like scrolling habits, right? Like that doesn't work anymore because you're just like, I don't have time. I don't have time. Right? So yeah, so if you look at your own habits and you kind of like this is like Lindsay the yoga teacher talking now. You kind of like observe your own habits from like bird's eye view, right? Like watch your own creative process of how you're absorbing content and how you're consuming content and then whatever like is resonating with you. Be like, just get curious about it and be like, why is this resonating with me? Why do I love this and how can I recreate this for my people?

Alyssa:

This is interesting because I'm someone that can't. Like I need something that's quick to the point. Like I'm very fast. I don't have time for things. Like I'm just like, for me, consuming content needs to be quick and to the point. But I always forget that my audience might not be like me. Like they might prefer more longer form content or more entertainment. So I do have another question. How can I, or how for my listeners who are like that, they're very different than their audience. And how, the way, and in the way that they consume content, what would you suggest they do? Which I'm asking for a friend, I'm asking for myself. Like if I was, if I consume very fast paced content but my audience doesn't, or maybe they do, how do you find that out? Where do you, how do you find that out?

Lindsay:

You know, I think there's a couple things. Like it's okay if you're creating some type of content that is something that you need to hear. Like, I think it's okay however you have to be. I think it's just an awareness of if you're creating something that's self serving or if you're creating something that you know is going to like pair you with your audience. So I think it's just an awareness. Like, you know, and you know, this is where analytics are helpful. And I don't talk a lot about analytics because I don't want people to go nuts about it. But sometimes like the great thing about analytics Is to. Is to tell us what our audience is consuming or what they like best and then just create more of that. Also, PS you can post the same exact thing you did three months ago or six months ago, because nobody is watching as closely as you think. The amount of times I've written the same email over and over, you know, and it might feel like a broken record to you, but probably not to your audience. Right. Like, I had a. I had a friend on my podcast the other day, and she was like, yeah, I announced that I was pregnant. And like, all these people, you know, two weeks later, they were like, you're pregnant? And she was like, yeah, didn't you see my post? And she was like. They were like, nope. So, you know, it's a blessing and a curse that people are not watching as closely as I think, but also, people are not watching as closely as you think, so it's okay to. And that's, you know, a ton of. Most of marketing and most of content is just repeating the same thing over and over again just from different angles. So it's okay. And if your messaging is super clear, that's kind of what you should do. I hate the word should, but it is an idea that one could adopt of just repeating the same thing, because then you become known, right? Like, just from, you know, and it's funny, like, the idea of angles to me makes sense because of my journalism background. Like, for example, if I was reporting on this candle, and I was like, oh, this candle was made in Canada, and it's this company, and. Right. Like, if I had to record a radio segment on this, like, this, that's the story I would tell. But if you were recording on the. Like, you know, if you work for the CBC and you were writing a story about this candle, you might be like, oh, well, this comes from a rock star collection. So the story that you say is different from the story that I would say, even though we're talking about the same thing. So that's what I mean when I'm talking about angles. You just come at your message from different angles, and you're essentially saying the same thing over and over again.

Alyssa:

Oh, my God, that's genius.

Lindsay:

So you don't have to reinvent everything all the time.

Alyssa:

Yeah, I was. You know what? I made that. I made that mistake as well. I'm, you know, in my early stages, I was creating, like, I was like, this is my goal to make 300 pieces of content for Instagram. And I was like. And I burnt out by, like, post 95, I was like, okay, I'm done. So recycling is such a good. It's such a genius marketing move. And because there are many stories to tell with the same type of messaging. So that's such. That's so great. And so we've kind of led to here, which is our next segment. This is where I call this the brilliant bite of the week. This is kind of just a piece of wisdom or actionable advice that can spark an idea for our listeners. So bring out the best strategy that you can to help our listeners create great content for their business.

Lindsay:

Oh, sheesh. Okay. That's a lot of pressure. I know. Storytelling is all often talked about when it comes to content. Tell a story, tell a story. So I'll leave your listeners with this. The easiest way to tell a story, I think, in your content is think about a children's book, whether it's like a favorite children's book from your own childhood or something that you read to your kids or to your nieces or nephews or whatever. Usually the way children's books are set up is I always use the example of Rabbit's new rug. It's a book that my parents read to me as a kid, and now we have it, and I read it to my kids. Rabbit got a new rug, and he doesn't want anybody to step on it because it's brand new, and he doesn't. His friends come over. Raccoon and fox and Owl, they all come over, and Rabbit's like, don't step on my rug. It's brand new. And they all stand on the wall, and they're like, well, this is lame. And they leave. So Rabbit spends all this time with his new rug, and he's. You know, he doesn't want to do any sewing on his rug because it'll get threads everywhere. You know, he's. He's vacuuming his rug every day. He lies on it and pets it. And then after a while, he's like, well, I'm really lonely with my new rug. So he invites his friends over for a party, and they're like, really? Like, we can party on your rug. And they're. He's like, yep. So all the friends come over, they have cake. They make a big mess on the rug. And at the end, Rabbit's like, you know, the moral of the story is, like, well, it's much better to make a mess of my rug with and have my friends over than it is to be alone with a clean rug. So whatever that was A long story. Just to say children's books do it really well. Here's the main character, here's the problem, and then here's the solution. And the solution has to be tied back to some sort of lesson. So if you're telling a story and you can literally turn anything into a story. And I often, like, I always joke, I'm like, I'm the social media lady who's going to tell you to get off social media. Because the best ideas come from, you know, when I worked at CBC for our Canadian folks, like, my producers would say, like, Lindsay, you're not going to find any story ideas, like, sitting behind your desk. So I'd go out and take the CBC car and go out and find the stories. Right? So the same is true for your content. You probably won't find your best ideas sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and scrolling your phone. You will, however, if you leave your phone at home and go into the world and like, put your people watching hat on or put your journalism hat on. You know, and I tell this story a lot. When I was living in Montreal, this was like, before, like, you know, iPhones were still really new. I had a Razer flip phone and, you know, I was taking the metro everywhere. So there was no. I didn't have any, like, games. I didn't have a smartphone. I didn't have anything to stare into. Like, I legit people watched, right? And Montreal, there's some really good people watching. So, you know, put that people watching hat on and let yourself be inspired. Because I think, you know, so much of creating content is creativity, you know, and I think it's missed. And I think, you know, sometimes, you know, I keep seeing all this stuff about like, oh, plan 97 real B roll things in 29 seconds. And I'm like, ugh, nobody. We don't want that stuff anymore. Like, it's too daunting and it's too like, you know, and set up a spreadsheet and. No, I don't want to set up a spreadsheet. Like, I don't like, let me just make my content. So I think there's a couple things here. So the creativity. I believe all entrepreneurs are creative because we essentially like created something from nothing. So the other part is allowing that creativity to come in and to. And to trust it. So, you know, sometimes that piece of content that we randomly created and threw up is like the one that gets the most engagement or you get the most. You know, I believe the best compliment on your content is, oh, my God, are you in my brain. Like, this is so me. Like, I feel like that's the best compliment you can get on any type of content is if it's a reply to your email, if it's a comment on your social media post, if it's a review on your podcast, whatever it is. Like, that is the best compliment because that's what you want. Like, at the end of the day, that's what you want. You want people to feel seen and heard in your content. And I think, you know, that's a trend that's never going to go away.

Alyssa:

I agree. I love that. And we should not be finding other creators and looking at what their content is and saying I should create that too, because that is not. Your audiences are completely different. Because I also find a lot of creators do that is they'll just copy. They'll just copy what other people are doing and not really paying attention, that their audience may be wanting some other types of content and not what they're doing. So I like that you said people watching though, because I think we don't do enough of that. We're all buried in our phones. I mean, of course we have businesses and, you know, we're all into the marketing thing, but I, I think we should just sit down and look around and, you know, B roll. Yeah, you know, I see the attraction of doing the B roll, but not to make it, to not do it all the time. Like, I had one random B roll content, you know, get 1500 views versus my other ones that kind of flopped. And I was like, oh, what should I do differently? But I'm not going to get into the, you know, oh, what happened here? I'm not going to do that. It's. It could be just good timing. It could be that it just random, completely random. So, you know, not to really get caught up in what's trending, what's new, just to create content that is relatable and real. And, you know, and this is why I created the show is because I didn't want. I wanted to get away from that picture perfect moment that we share online that is just a highlight reel. Like, give me the goods, give me the real things that happen, the mistakes that people have made. Like, show me the. What's underneath all of the glitz and the glam that we show online. And so we. You did a really great job at showing what, how to create realness in your content. And I'm sure our listeners are already brainstorming so many ways that they can put that into practice. So thanks so much Lindsay for everything and for joining me today. This conversation has been packed with so many gems that even I can take away today.

Lindsay:

I'm so glad.

Alyssa:

Coffee and content. And you know, if you do want to connect with Lindsay, her contact information is in the show notes. So go check her out. And if you want to search for her, search for this episode. It's on my website as well. Alyssabell serio.com and make sure to check her out. Follow her on social media and I will be connecting with you as well too. So thanks again for tuning in to Brilliant Ideas everyone. Make sure to subscribe, leave a review and I'll see you next time. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Brilliant Ideas. If you love the show, be sure to leave a review and follow me on Instagram for even more insider tips and inspiration. Ready to bring your next big brilliant idea to life? Visit alyssabelsur.com for resources, guidance and everything you need to start creating something amazing.