There seems to be a general assumption that running a solo business means living on the “content hamster wheel”.
Sitting up at 2am, bloodshot eyes, trying to churn out just one more reel, because Gary V said you have to publish 25 times a day.
But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way.
(Unless of course I’m the only one who managed to build a solo business while cheerfully avoiding a content hamster wheel of any kind.)
See, there’s no doubt that content junkies do exist…
YouTubers, IG babes, LI “Top Voices”, or dare I say… TikTokers (seen the news?) churning out endless pieces of content because…
Well, because it’s the only way they know how.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a thriving solo business while only indulging in content when the inspiration strikes.
I mean, just because Uncle Joe smashes an entire bottle of port before Christmas Lunch, doesn’t mean that discerning adults can’t enjoy the odd glass responsibly, now does it?
So…
Let’s talk about how to approach content sensibly in a one-person business.
First:
You are going to have to create content of some kind.
After all…
How can you teach if you never publish anything?
As Yoda might say:
Publish something, you must.
The key is to do this on your own terms:
- The wrong way: Use content to feed the algorithm
- The right way: Create content to build your positioning
Case in point…
This business right here.
My personal brand has two core content pillars:
- My case study. Establishes my positioning. Wrote it once, gets shared around more times than a cheap bottle of wine in fresher’s week.
- My email list. Where I send you emails like this one and make offers. (Like I’ll do in just a minute.) I send quick emails a few times a week.
Does that sound like a hamster wheel to you?
With this setup, I’m in complete control.
For example…
Many weeks, I don’t send a single email.
I take a week off.
Am I punished by the algorithm?
Hell no – there’s no algorithm in sight!
Instead, I have worried readers email me asking if I’m okay.
More:
50%+ of the entrepreneurs I work with 1-on-1 come from referrals.
That’s someone reading my case study, sending it to a friend and saying “Hey dude, you gotta read this!”
That’s my personal algorithm.
The algorithm of reputation.
So, do I create content? Yes.
Is it a hamster wheel? Hardly.
Now…
To be clear, in addition to all this, I also make other content – long newsletters, which I repurpose to YouTube and social media.
But I don’t have to do that.
I just choose to do it because I’m good at it.
(Been doing it for 10 years.)
People who end up on a genuine “content hamster wheel” usually just sleepwalk into it because they don’t know any different.
But this very newsletter is proof that you can do it differently.
Namaste,
Olly