The Getting Started Playbook: Make Content That Actually Drives Revenue
TL;DR
- Organic content works only if distribution is your constraint and trust drives sales.
- Budget for it: you’ll pay in money or founder time for 6–12 months before it compounds.
- Define one core viewer = core customer to simplify scripting and offers.
- Pick one platform to master first (Instagram for discovery/DMs, YouTube for depth, LinkedIn for B2B).
- Optimize for conversions > views and track everything (surveys, UTMs, CRM).
- Build lean Content Ops: Head of Content → Editor → (YouTube? add a Thumbnail Designer).
1) First, Ask the Only Question That Matters
Is organic content the right lever for your business right now?
Content is powerful, but it’s not a universal fix. If your growth bottleneck isn’t distribution (people discovering and trusting you), spinning up an organic engine won’t solve pricing, positioning, sales, or product gaps.
Common growth channels:
- Earned/Organic (this playbook)
- Product-led growth
- Paid (ads)
- Referrals/word-of-mouth
If you need to build brand trust, tell your story, and educate buyers—organic content is a smart bet. If not, fix the real constraint first.
2) Budget: You Pay Either Way (Cash or Time)
Content is never “free.” You’ll pay with:
- Money: team, tools, editors, thumbnails, distribution
- Time: your calendar (opportunity cost)
Reality check
- Organic is a long tail: expect 6–12 months to see consistent outcomes.
- Ads can start today—but turn off ads, leads stop. Organic compounds and remains, generating leads for years.
Decide now: how much can you invest long-term? If it’s founder time, make sure it’s truly your best use of time (it often is).
3) Define Your Core Viewer (So Content Converts)
If your content “gets views but not buyers,” your viewer ≠ customer.
Answer these with one person in mind:
- Who is it for? (role, stage, pain, urgency)
- What do they do all day? (environment, constraints)
- What do you sell that solves their #1 and #2 pains?
Use the simple overlap test:
What you do ∩ What you can talk about ∩ What customers need = the content you make.
When you nail this, scripting becomes easy, offers feel obvious, and every video “talks to the same person.”
4) Choose One Primary Platform (Mastery > Everywhere)
We made the mistake of posting everywhere. Don’t. Each platform wants content packaged differently—spreading yourself thin kills learning and results. Start with one:
Instagram (Discovery & Conversations)
- Fast to produce; lo-fi works.
- DMs = gold. When someone follows, send a genuine “Hey—what are you trying to solve?” to start real conversations.
YouTube Long-Form (Depth & Trust)
- Builds authority over time.
- Friendly to links/CTAs (description + pinned comment).
- Great for high-intent education and nurturing.
LinkedIn (B2B Direction)
- Written + image posts still win, video growing.
- Founder narratives and case studies perform.
- Ideal if your buyers are pros/teams.
Pick the platform where your customer already lives. Master it. Then add the next.
5) Define Success: Conversions > Vanity
Virality feels great. Revenue feels better.
- A 100-view video that converts at 3% beats a 10,000-view video with two signups.
- Track leads, trials, signups, qualified calls, revenue—not just views, likes, or watch time.
Starter KPIs
- Primary: content-sourced signups / qualified opportunities
- Secondary: reply rate (DMs), click-through rate (YouTube descriptions), average watch time (proof of resonance)
Write your success rule where you’ll see it:
“500 views & 10 signups > 50,000 views & 0 signups.”
6) Track Conversions (So You Can Make More of What Works)
You can’t optimize what you can’t see. Use three layers:
Post-purchase/lead surveys
- “Where did you first hear about us?”
- “What brought you here today?”
Simple, high-signal, catches dark social.
UTMs & Analytics
- Standardize UTMs in every link (platform, campaign, content).
- Build a basic dashboard to see channel → page → conversion.
CRM Attribution
- Sales/team logs “source” and “assist” at contact and opportunity.
- Periodically reverse-engineer your best customers: what content and channel brought them in?
Your goal: a weekly loop of publish → attribute → double down.
7) Build the (Small) Team & System
If you’re serious about organic, treat it like a function, not a hobby.
Minimal viable Content Ops
- Head of Content – owns strategy, calendar, scripts, packaging, results
- Editor – shapes pace, clarity, retention
- Thumbnail Designer (if YouTube) – controls click-through
Why not “just freelancers”? Consistency and depth. A small, focused in-house pod compounds faster than a rotating cast.
Operating cadence
- 90-day theme → monthly pillars → weekly episodes
- One platform to start; repurpose later with intention
- Weekly review: what converted, what didn’t, what we try next
8) Paid vs Organic: Use Both—Intentionally
- Paid wins speed and scale, but costs rise and stop = zero.
- Organic compounds slowly, earns trust, and keeps paying.
Smart playbooks often use organic to lower CAC and improve paid performance (better creatives, better messaging, warmer audiences).
9) Your First 14 Days (Checklist)
Day 1–2: Write your Core Viewer Profile (job, pains, desired outcomes).
Day 3–4: Choose one platform; draft a 4-week content slate.
Day 5–7: Set KPIs (leads, signups) + implement UTMs/surveys/CRM fields.
Week 2: Produce 4–6 pieces around one pain → one outcome → one CTA.
End of Week 2: Review conversions, refine the next 2 weeks. Repeat.
Common Traps (Skip These, Save Months)
- “Everywhere at once.” Pick one platform first.
- “Views = success.” They don’t. Conversions do.
- “We’ll see results in 30 days.” Plan for 6–12 months.
- “Our viewer isn’t our buyer.” Fix that alignment immediately.
- “Let’s buy gear first.” Strategy before gear.
What’s Next
- Hire for the engine: Head of Content → Editor → (Thumbnail Designer if YouTube).
- Build your attribution loop: surveys + UTMs + CRM.
- Prioritize consistency over virality. Boring discipline wins.
We’re documenting every step of this inside Clipflow—next up: how to set up a hiring funnel to find great creative talent fast and keep your pipeline full without drowning in interviews.
