Content: Turning Viewers into Buyers

Content marketing is the heartbeat of most successful online businesses. It’s how you attract people, build relationships, and eventually, hopefully turn casual browsers into paying customers.

But here’s where many entrepreneurs get stuck: they create content that gets views, likes, and maybe even comments… but no sales. It’s frustrating. Believe me, I know the feeling. You feel like you’re doing all the right things, yet the bank account doesn’t match the effort.

The problem? Engagement alone isn’t the goal. The goal is conversion — moving people from curious to committed, from “just looking” to “take my money.”

My mentor Dean Holland clearly defines this process as the 4 core areas you need to be aware of and focus on:

1. Traffic
2. Capture
3. Follow-up
4. Sale

Many of those selling the shinny objects out there forget to talk about these critical points. If they do, they like to wrap it up with so much information that you lose the core aspect of it all.

One big thing that we all can agree on though, it’s that whenever someone starts to be pushy or manipulative, we usually walk away. Having lost the trust.

So in all of this, we need to go back to basics. But what does that mean? It means understanding the psychology of your audience, guiding them through a journey, and creating content with intention.

Today, we’re breaking it down into three parts:

1. From Views to Value to Sales.
2. The step-by-step formula for creating content that sells without feeling salesy.
3. How to refine your content strategy so conversions keep growing over time.

Section 1: From Views to Value to Sales

Engagement Isn’t Enough

 

It’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing likes and shares. But high engagement doesn’t always mean high conversions.

We’ve all seen creators with 100,000 followers making less than $500 a month — and others with 1,500 followers making $5,000 a month.

The difference? The second group focused on attracting buyers, not just spectators.

What Makes “Conversion” Content Different

Conversion content is built with purpose. It:

• Addresses a specific pain point or desire.
• Positions you as having the solution or knowing how to resolve it.
• Clearly guides the viewer toward a next step.

I’ve learned one big lesson these last few weeks: It’s not about creating more content — it’s about creating the right content. Truth be told, this part was quite the challenge for me to understand. It took some time but with mentorship, I was able to understand that content may be king, but the right content pays the bills!

The “Know, Like, Trust” Path

Your audience needs to:

1. Know you exist.
2. Like your personality, values, and approach.
3. Trust you enough to invest.

Regular content builds “know” and “like.” Conversion content accelerates “trust” — by offering proof, clarity, and a solution.

I remember when a mentor told me: “Marc, you don’t exist on the internet. You’re a pebble in the beach – surrounded by other pebbles”.  At that time, I was hesitant to go on and create videos to promote my blog and money-making opportunity.

He also mentioned that I’d make errors; make videos that created more of a “what’s he trying to say?” moments than anything else but with time, I not only would get better (I’m getting there), but also would find my rhythm and more importantly, how I wanted to present myself so that my viewers could trust me.

The “One Problem, One Solution” Rule

Trying to solve every problem in one post overwhelms people. Each conversion-focused piece should target one clear issue and show one clear solution.

For example, when I started creating my videos, I was more inclined to use this scenario: “Here’s how to start a business, build confidence, and make your first sale.”

After some great mentorship and having reviewed how I was making my videos, I turned it around and now use phrases like: “3 mistakes keeping you from making your first online sale — and how to fix them today.”

We all have about 3 seconds to keep the attention of the person watching our video. You can’t start your video by talking about the weather or anything not directly linked with what you’re trying to bring across. So you have to make it count.

Action Step for Section 1:
Look at your last 10 posts or videos. Which ones clearly guides people toward a next step? (e.g., signing up, buying, booking). Which ones just entertain or inspire? Make a plan to increase the first category. Having a call-to-action (CTA) in every video – at the end of it – gets your viewer to act on what you’re telling them.

Section 2: The Formula for Content That Sells Without Feeling Salesy

Start with the Hook

As I mentioned before, people won’t buy if they don’t even watch. Your first 3–5 seconds (in video) or first sentence (in writing) should grab attention by:

• Stating a bold claim (don’t forget, it’s not about lying, it’s about getting their attention).
• Asking a thought-provoking question.
• Highlighting a pain point.

Example: “You’re losing customers every week — and you don’t even know it.”

Connect Through Story

Stories make you relatable. They lower defenses. A quick personal story or client example makes people think, That’s me.

One example that will get people to think is this. Instead of saying: “Follow up with leads quickly,” say something in the line of: “I once lost a $500 sale because I waited three days to respond to a message. Don’t make that mistake.” Put it in a way that they will be able to relate to you because of the experiences, good and bad, that you provide.

Offer the “Aha!” Moment

Give them a valuable insight they can use right now. Something that makes them feel like they’ve already gotten a win from you. This builds goodwill and positions you as an authority. Don’t forget, one big way we can build trust, (if you haven’t read my post from last week where I talked about trust online, you can read it here), is to make yourself relatable to those listening.

The valuable insights you can present can be life experiences you may have had. There’s nothing more relatable than a common experience and don’t forget, any bad experience you can provide will help them avoid those pitfalls and make you even more relatable.

Show the Path Forward

Once they see you as the solution, give them a clear next step:

• “Download my free guide.”
• “Join my workshop.”
• “Book a strategy call.”

Avoid vague endings like “Hope this helps!” Instead, point them toward action.

A fitness coach posted a 60-second video explaining why “eating less” isn’t always the solution for weight loss. She shared a quick personal story about overtraining and under-eating, then gave one simple fix: eating more protein. At the end, she invited viewers to download her free 5-day meal plan. Over 1,000 downloads — and dozens converted into paying clients within a month.

Action Step for Section 2:
Write your next piece of content using this 4-part structure: Hook → Story → Insight → Next Step. Test it and track the results.

Section 3: Refining Your Content for Ongoing Conversions

Track What Works — and Double Down

Not all content will convert equally. Watch your analytics: which posts lead to the most clicks, sign-ups, or sales? Create more of those.

Repurpose High-Converting Content

If a post works well once, don’t let it fade. Reformat it:

• Turn a video into a blog post.
• Turn a blog post into a carousel.
• Break one long video into three short clips.

Listen to Your Audience

Comments, messages, and emails are gold mines for content ideas. Every time someone asks a question, that’s a clue to a potential conversion topic. One quick note that my mentor mentioned was this: respond to every comment.

Even those that are really weird (I’m getting those types as well LOL!). I was deleting them but as she mentioned, the algorithm doesn’t really care about this, it’s looking for engagement.

Keep Testing Your Call-to-Action (CTA)

Sometimes, the difference between no sale and multiple sales is how you ask. Test different CTAs:

• “Download your free guide now.”
• “Grab your spot before it’s gone.”
• “Let’s work together — here’s how.”

Contrary to what is being sold online these days, there is no “one perfect solution”. You need to test, retest and test again. What may work at one point changes (like the habits of our viewers) and you need to adapt accordingly.

Action Step for Section 3:
Choose one high-performing piece of content and repurpose it into two new formats this week. Track whether the conversions hold up.

Conclusion

Views and likes don’t pay the bills — conversions do. And the good news? You don’t have to choose between being valuable and being profitable.

When you create content that:

• Speaks directly to a problem.
• Offers a clear solution.
• Guides people toward the next step…

… you can casually turn those viewers into loyal buyers and customers.

Remember: content that converts isn’t about tricking people into buying. It’s about showing up with clarity, proof, and value so they want to buy from you.

So the next time you sit down to create a post or record a video, ask yourself: Will this inspire action — or will it just get a like? Then craft accordingly.

Like what you’re reading or have any questions? Don’t be shy, write it up in the comments section for me to reply and more importantly, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for continuous insights and tips.

Trust the journey – victories await along the way!