SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

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Welcome to The Tilt, a twice-weekly newsletter for content entrepreneurs.

How To Add a Consulting/Coaching Revenue Stream

Entrepreneurs Robert Rose, Ashley Bakery, and Jason Schemmel have traveled different paths to coaching and consulting – the most popular and most profitable revenue stream. Now, they share how you can do it, too.

Robert has offered consulting services as chief troublemaker at The Content Advisory for years. It came about after working on the startup of the Content Marketing Institute (founded by The Tilt founder Joe Pulizzi).

They listened to the CMI audience. Robert explains, “We had many brands come to us and say, “OK, this content marketing thing seems great, but how do we evolve our marketing operations to handle it?’”

Coaching services are a new offering that also originated from listening to his audience. “It grew out of our consulting practice. Once we were done with a road-mapping strategy, the practitioners often needed assistance implementing it,” Robert says.

But Robert doesn’t end his coaching services with his agency. With his new book, Content Marketing Strategy: Harness the Power of Your Brand’s Voice, the author built a content hub with additional resources, including access to coaching services.

His advice for becoming a successful creator consultant? “Market where you’re going, but operate where you are,” he says.

In Robert’s case, when he started in the content strategy and content marketing industry, he wasn’t known in the field. “I had to earn my way into that space through my content. So, I still took (eagerly) the email copywriting, SEO, website construction, and other gigs to pay the bills,” he says.

“Don’t be shy about leveraging what you have in your pocket as a way to keep your business running as you build toward the dream,” Robert says.

Ashley Baker turned full-time freelancer during the pandemic. “I decided to after my dream of being my own boss,” she says. A few months after launching Coastline Marketing, she added consulting services. “I could see the trend of businesses needing help developing their own internal personnel who weren't ready to offload to a freelancer or agency and decided to add consulting as a service,” Ashley explains.

She doesn’t promote consulting services on her brand’s website because they don’t want to confuse visitors about their primary service – creating and implementing digital marketing tactics. But consulting services now make up 15% to 20% of her business.

To creator entrepreneurs, she offers this thinking: “Studies show that the average person asks about 20 questions per day. Sure, Google has answers to a lot of them, but the one thing Google doesn't have is your experience and your knowledge.

“Don't undervalue that. Be the person people seek out instead of the blog articles to answer, comprehensively and in a one-to-one manner, those questions on your specialty. If they're asking them, why not be the one who profits from answering?”

Ashley says any creator considering adding consulting or coaching services should start by talking to a lawyer. “The amount of time and money I would've saved myself in the beginning by having a solid contract is significant,” she says.

​Jason Schemmel has been down the consulting and coaching revenue path a few times. This fall, he’s launching a new consulting and coaching endeavor, Get Social Done, based on what he learned in his prior attempts.

Jason realized he needed to document his journey and provide social proof and validation of his expertise. He needed to show prospective clients rather than just tell them why they should hire them. He’s created a content path to attract his target audience. It includes a webinar on the psychology behind social media content as well as free documents and resources.

“The last time I tried it, I wanted to help everyone who gave me a chance and ended up over-exerting myself, stretching myself beyond my limits, burning myself out, and subsequently burning the bridges of the clients whom I didn't help properly,” Jason says. “Experiencing that has helped me make sure that I have reasonable and attainable goals this time that not only help me but help my relationships with my community and future clients.”

– Ann Gynn

​A longer version of this article can be found on The Tilt website.​

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Entrepreneur: Jen Mann

Biz: People I Want To Punch in the Throat

Tilt: Anti- “mommy blogger”

Primary Channels: Substack (15K), books

Other Channels: Facebook (32K), TikTok (13.7K), Instagram (6.7K), X (10K), website, blog​

Time to First Dollar: 8 months

Rev Streams: Books, paid newsletter

Our Favorite Actionable Advice

• Don’t be afraid to break the rules: Jen took her book to a popular author’s book signing and gave it to their representative, hoping it would lead to a book deal.
• Follow up: She thought leaving the book was enough. But after her sales professional husband encouraged her, she followed up and realized the worst thing they could say was no.
• Listen to your audience: Jen’s first self-published book came at the urging of her audience. If your audience asks for something, they will probably buy it, too.

– Marc Maxhimer

​Read the fascinating story of Jen Mann’s entrepreneurial journey.​

Know a content creator who’s going full tilt? DM us. Or email tilt@thetilt.com.

• ​How to Build Your Content Marketing Empire [Special Episode] with Louis Grenier (Content Inc.)
• ​A Media Business Dumpster Fire (This Old Marketing)
• Tilt Your Business will return live on LinkedIn on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
• From now until Friday (Sept. 29), Thinkific is offering 33% off its course, community, and membership platform. You’ll get six months for the price of four and access to advanced features like AI outline and funnel generators, course creator training, and more.*

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