12. The Algorithm Hates Me! How To Create Content That Gets Clients

Stop Blaming the Algorithm

Is the algorithm really the problem… or is it just the perfect excuse to stay invisible?

Welcome to another episode of The Wanky Thoughts Podcast! 

Today I'm getting stuck into something I've been hearing so much lately everyone moaning about the algorithm. LinkedIn hates me. Instagram's got it in for me. Nobody's seeing my posts. Sound familiar?

I'll be honest, the glory days where you put a post out and the whole world saw it are over  and I get why. 

But if you're scaling your business and you're terrified to be visible, you don't know what to say, or you're convinced that selling makes you sound pushy and salesy… the algorithm isn't actually your problem. I'm calling it out in this one.

Tune in if you're ready to stop hiding behind the algorithm excuse and finally show up.

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Message me at helen@helenwalkercoaching.com 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to another episode of the Wanky Thoughts Podcast. How the devil are you? Today we're talking about the algorithm. Does the algorithm hate me? Why is nobody seeing my posts? Does LinkedIn have it in for you? Does Instagram have it in for you? Facebook, TikTok, whatever you use. I am seeing this so much lately about people moaning about the algorithm. Now, yes, I think it is fair to say, I'm not an expert on this, but I think it is fair to say the reach that we once had, those glory days, I think those days are over. I don't think we are ever going to go back to, especially on LinkedIn up until recently, you would put a post out and the whole world and his dog would see it. And of course, you know, these platforms, these social media platforms are free. So at some point they are gonna go, well, let's now, we've got all these people joined, these platforms, let's now start making money from them. Where, you know, they want you to buy ads and all of that jazz. So I get it, you know, we've had a we've had a good run. But there is something that I am seeing that I think people are still using as an excuse for why their posts get crickets. Now, I'm also gonna caveat this and say not every single post I post gets rave reviews, all loads of people liking it, all loads of shares, all loads of views, right? Sometimes it is a little bit hit and miss, sometimes it is a bit like a lottery and a bit like an experiment. But you just have to play the experimentation game and go, well, what's working and what isn't? Now, the thing that people uh let's just call it what it is. The thing that people moan about is um getting crickets, right? And they go, I put a post out and nobody's liked it, and oh god, rah-rah rah. Well, we've got to look at those posts and go, why did nobody like it? Right? It's not always the algorithm. It is not LinkedIn is not against you, Instagram is not against you. Like, let's think about why these platforms exist. So essentially, they're there to make the money, they make money from advertising, they make money from your attention. You are the product, unfortunately. They want your attention because the more attention they get, the more advertising they can spend. So, of course, it makes perfect sense to for the algorithm or whatever it is, this thing that nobody really knows what it is, goes, Well, which posts are keeping people on the platform? Now I'm going to talk about LinkedIn, but this applies to every platform just because I use LinkedIn the most. So LinkedIn will go, well, that post over there, loads of followers, people who are connected and followers are really liking that post. So I tell you what, let's push this post out to more people. People who might not be first degree connections or second degree degree connections or third or whatever, let's push it out to more people because clearly that is a post that these people are interested in. So if we send it to other people that look a little bit like them and have the same interests, then they'll like it and then they'll share it, and that's what keeps people on the platform, keeps them watching, and it keeps them seeing all the advertising. Now, the more people that are on these platforms, the more they can sell their advertising for. So it makes sense. So if you are somebody, I'm just gonna say this, right? You know, you know me by now. I'm I'm a Yorkshire lass, we call a spade a spade. I don't know any other way to say it, let's just be honest. Because I want the best for you. I want you to go out there and build a business that earns you decent money, you don't have to work so hard, you can take a flipping Friday off just because it's Friday, and you don't have to do, you know, send awful spammy DMs that nobody bloody wants, um, and you don't have to do toe-curling sales calls. Right, this is what I want for every woman in business out there. So the more honest I can be, and the more you know, I'll share what's working for me and what I'm seeing with my clients and right about, the better for us. So I'm just gonna say it. If your posts predominantly get crickets, it's because the content is boring, nobody is engaging with it, nobody finds it entertaining or informative, or it's it's not what they're looking for. So, of course, LinkedIn or any of the others will go, well, nobody's nobody's you know, people are just scrolling past it, they're not even stopping, they're not, they're not liking it, they're not leaving a comment, they're not tagging anybody in, they're not sharing it with anybody. So let's just call that a a a dead fish and leave it where it is. We're not gonna, it doesn't make any sense for these platforms to go, nobody's looking at that content, let's give it to more people. Like it's just that's not gonna be how it works. So you've got to look at these posts and go, well, why is it a dead fish? Why is nobody looking? So when we all started this game, and that's bloody what it is, a game, we all started posting on um the internet, and at that time, you know, things like Claude and chat didn't exist. There wasn't so much information on the internet. I mean, there was stuff out there, but it took you bloody ages to find it, or you might have to buy a book or a CD or go to somebody's seminar. Now, everybody has shared their content. We've all done the let's give away free stuff, let's give away everything we know, it's not about the knowledge, you know. We've all done this now. So we are now drowning in knowledge. I mean, who isn't overwhelmed by the amount of information that is out there? If you need to know anything, if you can't find it, chat and Claude and God knows what else, we'll just find it for you, make it for you, present it for you, put the kettle on, make your cup of tea for you. It will do everything for us. So if you are now sharing three ways to do this ten tips, four life hacks. We've heard it all before, and if we needed it, we could just go and find it in an instant. Unfortunately, and as harsh as it sounds, we don't need you telling us that this thing, this bit of advice, because it's at our fingertips. So now our brains have kind of cottoned on. So remember, your brain is a flipping brilliant thing. It's really there to take shortcuts. So we've now programmed our brains to go, this information is everywhere, it's just you know, I don't need to waste my time reading it, we're all time poor, we're all overwhelmed, most people are on the edge of burnout. We just don't need this extra stuff in our heads. So our brains have made a shortcut and gone, oh, it's three facts about God knows what. Let's just bypass this, let's just scroll past it. The no the the social media now is so noisy. I mean, you could scroll from here to the end of the world and still not get to the end of it. So again, our brains have done shortcuts of going, well, unless anything jumps out and grabs me or feels like I must watch it, or this email or this post was designed specifically for me, or I'm gonna find it in interesting, or it's gonna add some value, big value to my life in some way, I ain't gonna watch it. So this is why you look tonight, you when you go on your phone, the way you scroll, right? Because that's how all your ideal clients are scrolling. Where do you scroll? When do you scroll? What is it you actually stop on? So I'm gonna guess that you scroll on your phone when you are bored and you're just passing time, you're in a queue, you're waiting for the water to boil, you're making pasta, you're waiting for the water to boil, you're on the toilet, you're going to bed, you've just woke up. These are not moments when you are waiting for somebody to deliver a big seminar to you or give you a load of facts. You just want well, most people really are on social media to forget about life, to forget about their problems, just to have a break, a 10-minute break from God knows what is happening in the world, right? We just doom scrolling is what we call it. We're not really looking for anything in particular. So, if this is the case, if all people are doing this, me included, you included, we're all doing this. How then do we make content that isn't a dead fish? What is it we need to be putting out there? So here's the thing: we're up with there's there's so much information out there, there's too much information out there. We know it's it's out there, we're not looking for um homework, we're not looking for facts because actually humans are not hardwired, we're not designed to remember a bunch of facts. Now think back to school, right? What did you actually remember? What can you actually remember that you did in school that you can remember now? Unless you use it for your job, I'm gonna say very little, right? It was just enough for you to revise, to pass your exams, and then it probably just went straight out your head. However, I bet you can all tell me about an experience when you were six or seven years old, or your favourite teacher, or something somebody told you that really inspired you, or you know, something that happened that is really memorable. And the reason we can remember that stuff, and it probably feels like really unimportant stuff, there was nothing you know massive that happened that day, or you know, it felt a quite an insignificant day, but you can remember it in vivid colour. You can remember the sound, you can remember the smells, you can remember who was there, what you were wearing, what day it was. You can remember all these facts about this event, and that's because humans are hardwired to remember stories. So storytelling is how we have it's how we've really evolved, it's how we've survived, it's how we've um built friendships, it's how we've built relationships, it's how we've passed down information. So if you think back to when time began and you know, people lived in caves and shelters and we lived in tribes, storytelling would have been how you would tell your son how to go hunt or your daughter to cook. Don't uh slate me about the stereotypical stuff, that's what happened back then. Um, but that's what you would do, you would tell stories, you would um you know give facts. Well, this is when son, we went hunting and this happened, and you don't really want to do this because this buffalo will get you. It wasn't a load of facts and figures, it was stories, and that has never really left us. That is in our DNA. So if you tell a story, you can tell the same information that you're giving now, your three facts, your ten lie hacks. You can give that information, but you can tell it in a story. Now, stories are way more memorable than if you just give somebody a load of facts. Now, when I say storytelling, forget what you learnt at school about it's gonna have an introduction and then you know, start and a middle, and we've got to end. What I've just told you is a is a form of a story. I could have just come here and said, like, don't do this, you need to do this. Right? I could have just given you a bunch of facts. But when you tell it in the form of a story, and it can be your story, it can be an anecdotal story, it can be your client's story, it doesn't matter, but you just tell it as a story where people are gonna remember it. So I want you to start to think about your stories. Now, most people when I say this go, oh yeah, but I'm boring. Um who wants to know what my story is? Nothing interesting happens in my life. Well, it's amazing that actually the more mundane relatable stuff, the more everyday stuff that you do, actually, that's the stuff that people connect with. This is the relatable stuff. Now, let's say that you are a, I don't know, let's just pull something out of the air, a fitness coach, right? And you help other women get back in shape. You know, you might have struggled with your weight in the past, and uh there might have been a turning point, you might have gone to the doctors and said, look, love, if you don't sort this out, you are at extreme risk of type 2 diabetes. And that was the turning point, and you got fit and you started walking, and then you picked up weights, and then you went to the gym, and you're like, actually, I'm really good at this, and then you got in, you know, you lost six stone or whatever, and you now you're in the best shape of your life, and now you you've got this great life, and you've started a business, and now you're helping others. That is your story, and there'll be other loads of other things that have happened in your journey, um, you know, a time when you were rejected from something because you were too self-conscious, or you didn't go for the job opportunity, or you didn't um, you know, you didn't start your business till you lost the weight, or you um got divorced, but you didn't get back onto the dating scene because you were too self-conscious about getting naked in front of another bloke. All of these stories are what's gonna attract your ideal client because they remember storytelling is is we remember stories, but if we see ourselves in your stories, if we're going, well, God, that's me. I've just split with Barry, and uh, you know, I'd love to get back on the dating scene, but Christ, there's no way anybody's seeing this body, not over my dead body. All of those are relatable stories, and this relatability, this inspiring other people, is what's gonna make you stand out. This is the stuff that when they're scrolling, they go, Oh my god, that's me. She's she's she's she's you know, she's talking about the life that I've got now. And when we start to, when we hear your story, we will start to picture our own story. So now we're not just watching your video or reading your post. We're now in your story. We are now feeling every emotion, every every feeling, every um, you know, we're reliving that moment as if it's happening right now because of the story you're telling us. Now, when you think about how people buy, they don't buy because they see one video or they read one post or one email or whatever. They will follow you over a period of time. Now, that that period of time could be a week, it could be a month, it could be a year, it could be three years. We don't know. But what we need to be focusing on is telling these stories so that that person watching feels like they know us because that relatability creates trust, and without trust, there is no sale. So if they don't trust that you are the person to help, that maybe you've been through their shoe, uh walks up their path, you've been in their shoes, you get how they feel, you understand, you you know exactly what they've got to go through. All of that creates the trust, all of that relatability, all that inspiring creates that trust. And when somebody is ready to buy, and only when they're ready to buy, we can't really influence them. I know people go, you can, you can make them say yes. I personally, you know, knowing how people work, I don't believe that you can change anybody. You you could uh you could manipulate them into buying, of course you could, but we don't want to do anything like that because it's gross. So, what we want to do is nurture these people, and through your stories, that is exactly what we are doing. We're going, do you know what? I see you, I get that you've got a problem, I've had this problem too, and this is how I solved it. So we talk about our stories, is you know, party. This is where I was. I was four stone overway, and I um, you know, going to work and I felt awful, and I was wearing the same outfit every day, and I didn't feel great, and I never put my hand up to um for my ideas, and everybody else came up with my ideas, and I got overlooked for a promotion. So you're telling people your story, this is how my life used to be. Well, they're going, Well, that's me. Oh my god, that's me. You're like reading my mind, and then you go into step two and you go, Well, there was a there was a thing that happened, there was this turning point. And if you watch movies, there's always a turning point, always something happens for the person to go, Oh my god, we've got to change. So, what's your turning point? Well, my turning point, I went to the doctors because I had a I fell over and I banged my leg and he said, actually, love, if you don't sort this out, you are at risk of type two diabetes. So then we start to do the the part two of well, what what the turning point, and what did you do? Well, I started going walking and then I started lifting weights and blah de blah de blah. Then we go on to part three. The the the their goal, this is what they want to achieve. Well, now my life is I've I'm best shape of my life. I'm a I'm a size 10 now, and you know, I'm loving life and I'm fit and I've uh you know, I'm not at risk of two diabetes, and oh my god, I've found the bloke of my dreams. Whatever it is that your ideal client wants, I mean I'm I'm ad libbing here, I'm making this up, but we want to just tell that story in those three parts because we want them to get you've been where they are, part one. We want to lay out the path that, well, this is what you need to do, because if you do, part three, this is what life will look like. And like, God, that's exactly what I want. It's like you've read my mind, you know exactly where I am, what I need to do, and where I want to get to. Now, the person that lays out that path, and the person that connects and inspires and relate, you know, is is relatable. When that person is ready to buy, and only when that person is ready to buy, you will be top of mind. So that's when people will go, I just want to work with her. They won't look at who else is around because you they feel like they know you, so they've built that trust. The sales call then isn't a sales call, it's them going, Can I book a call to see if I can work with you? Because that's what we're programmed to do. We think we need a sales call, right? Yep, we'll jump on a call. My sales calls are literally me in my slippers with a cup of tea, and I go, come on, ask me all the questions you need to the answers to so that you can make a firm yes or no whether this is right for you. Because remember, not everybody's going to be right for your program. What do you need to know? Nine times out of ten, they'll go, Well, I don't know really. Um, you know, when are the calls? Well, Tuesday, right? And okay. Some might say, Do you think it'll work for me? And you know, have a little chat about that. But really, they come pre-sold because you've given them enough information, they trust you, they can see the path, they know where they want to be, you've laid it out for them, and there is no sales call. So there's no trying to convince them, there's no sending spammy DMs. There's you might have to follow up, they might want to go away and think about it. That's quite alright. I know people will say you shouldn't do that, but I like to think about things, so I'll let my clients go and think about things. So you might have to follow up, but there's none of this like awful following up, or oh my god, I've got a messenger. It's just a you know, Gene, what are you doing? Yes or no? Yes, no, whatever. So, this is how we make sales really easy by focusing on the front end. What are you putting out there? So, if you're getting crickets, please don't blame the algorithm. I know it's frustrating, and yes, reaches down, right? It's not like it was, but there's lots we can do to even if you haven't got a big audience, by the standards, I have got a really small audience, but I make money from it because that audience is engaged, they know me, they trust me, and that's not because I do great sales calls, you know, they're not really sales, they're just a just a chat, but because the content is doing the heavy lifting for me, the hard work. So go and have a look at your content, go and have a look at your last 10 posts, in fact, your last 20 posts. What is getting traction and what isn't? And remember, not everything has to be work-related or niche related. You can throw in there just some general chit chat. My posts about air fryers go ballistic. I I don't have an air fryer, but I always think, oh, should I get one? If I ask or do a poll or say, what's your views on an air fryer? Still haven't bought this air fryer, should I get one? They are always my best performing posts because it's just general chit-chat. It's just, it's not that post alone is not going to get me the client, but I'm just building up this relationship and this opportunity to speak with potential clients. So it doesn't have to all be work related. Mix it up, but go and review your last 20 posts and see what's working, what isn't, and then start to introduce some storytelling to it. And I'll see you next week for another episode of the Wanky Thoughts podcast.