The Surprising Reason Your Free Advice Isn't Working For Your Online Business

Do you give away lots of free tips and advice?

If you do, you might think this is a great way to get more customers.

You are doing this to become an expert in their eyes.

But what if I told you it might not be working as well as you think?

Let's talk about why this happens and what you can do instead.

I have already written an article about this topic, but here, I want to get into more detail.

Why Your Free Advice Isn't Working

Giving away free tips is a good idea.

At least this is what you think.

You want to show people you know a lot. You want them to trust you.

But it doesn't always work that way.

This is because you need to think like a businessman.

When you give away too much free advice, people might not need to buy from you.

They think they can do it all on their own. They take your tips and try to fix their problems without you.

This means they don't become your customers.

Let's say you teach people how to create Notion templates.

You give away all your best tips for free. People read your tips and think, "Great! Now I can create the

Notion template on my own." They don't need to buy your Notion template course anymore.

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Why It's Important to Change Your Approach

If you keep giving away all your knowledge for free, your business is not going to grow.

You gain more followers, but not more customers.

This means you won't make more money.

It's important to change how you talk to people.

You need to make them want to buy from you. You need to show them why they need your help, not just how to do things.

What Most People Do (And Why It Doesn't Work)

Many people with online businesses do these things:

• They write long posts about how to do things.

• They make videos showing step-by-step instructions.

• They answer every question for free in comments or emails.

These things seem helpful.

Of course, they should be part of your content strategy, but not the backbone of your business strategy.

This is because creating such content can stop people from buying your products or services.

• People think they can do everything on their own after reading your tips.

• They don't see why they should pay for more help.

• They might even share your free advice with others, who also won't buy from you.

A Better Way to Grow Your Business

Now, let's talk about a better way to do things.

Instead of telling people how to do everything, focus on why they should care about the problem you solve.

Here's what you can do:

• Talk about why the problem is important. Don't just tell people how to create a Notion template. Talk about why having a template in Notion matters. Maybe it's about making people more productive. Or it could be about feeling more organized.

• Share stories about the problem. Tell stories about people who had the same problem. Talk about how it affected their lives. This helps people see why the problem is serious.

• Show the benefits of solving the problem. Don't just say how to do something. Talk about how life gets better when the problem is solved. For the template example, talk about how people feel when they have the template inside the Notion app.

• Point out what can go wrong without help. Talk about the mistakes people might make if they try to do things alone. This shows why your help is valuable.

• Give a taste of your knowledge, not the whole meal. Share small tips that make people curious to learn more. Don't give away everything at once.

Let's see how this works with an example.

Say you help people learn to read better.

Instead of: "Here are 10 tips to read faster."

Try: "Did you know that reading better can change your life? It can help you get a better job, make new friends, and feel more confident. Let me tell you about John. He used to struggle with reading. He felt left out at work and couldn't help his kids with homework. But when he learned to read better, everything changed. He got a promotion at work and now reads bedtime stories to his children every night. Reading better made John happier and more successful. Do you want to change your life too?"

Do you see the difference?

The second way makes people think about why reading matters. It makes them want to learn more from you.

How to Use This New Approach

Here are some easy steps to use this new way of talking to your audience:

• Think about the problem you help solve. What do you teach people to do?

• Ask yourself why this problem matters. How does it affect people's lives?

• Write down stories about the problem. Think about people you've helped or stories you've heard.

• List the good things that happen when the problem is solved. How do people's lives get better?

• Think of small tips you can share. These should make people want to learn more, not solve the whole problem.

Now, when you write a post or make a video, use these ideas.

Talk about why the problem matters. Share a story. Show how life gets better when the problem is solved. Give a small tip that makes people curious.

This new way of talking to people will make them want to learn more from you.

They'll see that you understand their problem. They'll want your help to solve it.

Learn to understand that giving away too much free advice can stop people from buying from you.

So, start focusing on why your help matters.

Show people how their lives can change. Make them curious to learn more.

Try this new way of talking to your audience. Maybe more people might want to buy from you. Your business could grow faster.

Enjoy your day,

Miroslav from The Growtharo Alert

TOOLS YOU CAN USE

When starting out, you need tools to help you with your projects. Here are some tools I use on a daily basis.

For YouTube Channels

• Voice overs - ElevenLabs, Murf

• Video editing - inVideo, Pictory

For Newsletters

• Email providers - Beehiiv (this newsletter), ConvertKit

Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate partnerships, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.