Easier Channels

Formulas#

• Channel ease = buyer intent × audience density ÷ cost per contact.
• Price decides the channel. Low prices need self-serve channels (search, marketplaces). High prices can pay for direct outreach and partners.
• Borrowed index > built index at the start. Someone else already did the hard work of gathering the audience.
• Linear channels first for speed, compounding channels for the long run. Outreach and ads are linear. Content, search and an email list compound.

Picking the channel (1–12)#

1. Where buyers already shop > where they scroll.
2. A channel that fits your price > a mismatch, like ads for a $5 product.
3. A channel you enjoy > one you dread. You'll be doing it for years.
4. A channel that matches your skill (writing, video, speaking, code) > learning a new medium.
5. One channel > five.
6. A channel competitors ignore > the one where they spend the most.
7. Results you can measure > vanity metrics.
8. A channel you own (email, website) > a rented one (social).
9. A new platform, early > a mature, crowded one.
10. A channel that compounds > one that resets every day.
11. Fast feedback at the start > slow feedback. Search takes months.
12. Growth built into the product > separate marketing work.

Borrowing reach (13–25)#

13. Marketplaces with buyer traffic > your own site with zero traffic.
14. Partners with the same audience > building an audience alone.
15. Listings in bigger tools' integration directories > a standalone product.
16. Communities you're already part of > communities you parachute into.
17. Guest spots (podcasts, newsletters, articles) > your own empty stage.
18. Affiliates paid on results > ads paid up front.
19. Directories and "best X" lists > hoping to be found.
20. Agencies and resellers who serve many clients > one customer at a time.
21. Your existing customer list > cold strangers.
22. Creators recommending you > your own claims.
23. Associations with member lists > scattered individuals.
24. Events where the audience gathers > chasing people one by one.
25. Being cited by AI assistants > relying only on search engines.

Content and search (26–38)#

26. Pages for buyers close to deciding (alternatives, comparisons) > essays for people just starting to look.
27. Answering questions people actually ask > writing about topics you like.
28. Specific long-tail searches > broad, crowded terms.
29. Tools and templates > articles.
30. Documentation that ranks > marketing fluff.
31. Original data > rewritten content.
32. One piece reused in many formats > new content for every channel.
33. Weekly consistency > bursts.
34. Updating your old winners > always writing new posts.
35. Customer stories > praising yourself.
36. Clearly structured pages for search and AI > clever design.
37. An email signup on every page > traffic that leaves forever.
38. One content format mastered > every format.

Outreach and launches (39–50)#

39. Warm contacts > cold ones.
40. Personal notes > templates.
41. Reaching out after a trigger event (they just launched, just complained) > random timing.
42. Helping first > pitching first.
43. A little outreach every day > big blasts.
44. Following up > sending one message.
45. Many small launches > one big launch.
46. Launching to a list you built > launching to strangers.
47. Introductions from happy customers > cold lists.
48. Their calendar > your calendar.
49. Tracking replies per 100 messages > counting messages sent.
50. Doubling down on what works > adding channels too early.