The Market Your Message Show is hosted by a professional blogger, Jonathan Milligan, who loves helping messengers (bloggers, writers, speakers, and coaches) rise above the noise so they can get paid for what they know! The podcast covers topics like web traffic, SEO, email list building, platform building, growing an audience, marketing funnels, making money blogging, creating online courses, launching membership sites, creating great content, and more!
In this episode of 'The Market. Your Message Show', Jonathan Milligan explores Chapter 4 of his book 'Validate Your Offer,' emphasizing the importance of finding a killer topic idea in business. He shares the story of Walt Disney and provides insights into identifying market needs, avoiding common pitfalls like shiny object syndrome, and using empathy to connect with audiences. The episode breaks down four proven methods to create compelling topic ideas: solving the first problem, addressing common challenges, providing quick wins, and splintering larger projects. Listeners are encouraged to brainstorm multiple ideas using these methods to ensure business success.
00:00 Welcome to the Market Show 00:05 Introduction to 'Validate Your Offer' 00:30 Exclusive Offer for Podcast Listeners 01:13 Chapter Four: Finding Your Killer Topic Idea 01:18 The Walt Disney Inspiration 02:29 Identifying Your Audience's Problems 03:32 Breaking Through Idea Blocks 06:30 The Four Methods for Killer Topic Ideas 11:19 Today's Exercise: Brainstorming Session 13:01 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts
Hello and welcome to the market. Your message show. I'm your host, Jonathan Milligan. And we are going through the third book in the series. Validate your offer. This is an important book because a lot of people will start their business online. And then they're trying to figure out how do I create something that people will want and how do I do it without wasting time? And that's what this third book in my book series is all about. Now as a thank you for being a loyal podcast listener, I am making the audio book available one chapter at a time every single week. And as you're listening to this, we are currently going through that. Validate your offer. Now, if you ever want the audio book or you want the book or the workbook, you can go to platform growth, books.com again, it's platform, growth books.com, and you could order one of those. And of course, listen, as you go through the book or use the workbook to implement what you hear. In each episode. So with that being said, let's jump right in to today's chapter. Chapter four. The four secrets to finding your killer topic idea. A dad takes his two young daughters to the local amusement park on a sunny Saturday afternoon. He watches them ride the merry go round and eat cotton candy. He notices the old rides, the trash on the grounds, And the bored parents on benches. In that moment, an idea starts to take shape in his mind. What if there was a place where the whole family could have fun together? A clean, safe, immersive environment that sparked the imagination? That dad was Walt Disney. And the idea became Disneyland. See, Walt didn't just have a random idea. He noticed a problem. The amusement parks of the day weren't appealing to parents and kids alike. They were seedy, dirty, and frankly, kind of boring for adults. But he also spotted an opportunity. By creating a theme park that catered to the whole family, Walt knew he could fill a huge gap in the market. So, he took that first inkling of an idea and ran with it, and we all know how that turned out. Now, you might be thinking, that's great for Walt Disney, but what does that have to do with me? Well, everything actually. Because the secret to finding your killer book idea, it's not so different from Walt's approach. You've got to identify a problem your target audience is facing, and then find a way to solve it with your unique skills and expertise. Maybe you're a productivity coach. You've noticed that most time management advice ignores single parents. So you decide to create a mini course specifically for moms and dads, trying to juggle work, kids, and everything in between. Or maybe you're a health coach who sees your clients struggling to stick to a workout routine. So you create a 30 day fitness challenge with short doable workouts and daily accountability check ins. The point is that your killer topic idea is out there. You just need to know how to look for it. And that's exactly what we're going to cover in this chapter. We'll cover four proven methods for coming up with ideas. They will make your ideal readers buy faster than you can say bestseller. So grab a notepad and let's get started. Breaking through the idea block strategies to spark innovation. You've got your notebook ready. You're pin poised and. Nothing. Crickets. You rack your brain for the perfect topic idea, but everything feels either overdone or overwhelming. Sound familiar? Don't worry, you're not alone. Coming up with validation offer ideas is a struggle for most people. And it's not hard to see why. For starters, there's the shiny object syndrome. You know, when you're scrolling through social media and see an ad for the latest foolproof business idea. Suddenly, your mind is racing with visions of passive income and beachside margaritas. So you jump on the bandwagon, only to realize that everyone and their grandma is doing the same thing. Cue the sad trombone. Then there's the copycat approach. You see a competitor killing it with their coaching program or e book. So you figure, hey, if it worked for them, it'll work for me, right? Wrong. Because here's the thing, just because an idea is successful for someone else, doesn't Doesn't mean it's the right fit for you or your audience. Plus nobody wants a carbon copy. They want the real authentic you. And don't even get me started on analysis paralysis. You know, that feeling when you've got so many ideas bouncing around in your head that you can't seem to land on just one. So you spend hours, days, even weeks, weighing the pros and cons of each one until you're so overwhelmed. That you just throw in the towel altogether. But here's the harsh truth. None of these approaches work. Chasing shiny objects is like playing business whack a mole. Copying your competitors is a recipe for blending in instead of standing out. And getting stuck in your own head is a surefire way to. To stay stuck, period. So, what's the solution? It all comes down to one word, empathy. See, the key to coming up with killer validation offer ideas is to put yourself in your target audience's shoes. To really understand their needs, their challenges, their secret desires. Because when you do that, you'll start to see patterns emerge. Maybe you'll notice that your audience is always complaining about the same pain point, like feeling too busy to cook healthy meals. Or, maybe you'll spot a common goal they're all striving for, like launching a successful side hustle. Whatever it is, when you take the time to truly listen to your people, the ideas will start to flow. But it's not enough to just understand your audience. You've also got to know how to tap into that knowledge in a strategic way. And that's where the four methods we're about to dive into come in. These are the same techniques that the most successful entrepreneurs use to come up with ideas that practically sell themselves. So get ready to take some notes because we're about to unlock the secrets to finding your killer topic idea. And trust me, once you've got that in your back pocket, there will be no stopping you. The four ways to create a killer topic idea. All right, let's dive into the nitty gritty. Here are four ways to come up with offer ideas that will have your target audience pulling out their credit cards. Topic idea one, the first problem method. First up, we've got the first problem method. This one's all about focusing on the very first challenge your audience faces when they're just starting out in your niche. Think about it. When you're a beginner, everything feels overwhelming. You don't know where to start, what to do first, or how to avoid common mistakes. That's where you come in. By creating an offer that solves that first problem, you'll be the hero they've been waiting for. Imagine you're a doctor, and a patient comes to you with a nasty cough. You don't just throw a bunch of random medications at them and hope for the best, right? Nope. You start by identifying the root cause of that cough. Is it a cold? Allergies? Something more serious? Once you've pinpointed the problem, you can prescribe the right treatment. The same goes for your audience by identifying their first problem. You can create an offer that nips it in the bud. For example, let's say you're a blogging coach. You know that one of the biggest hurdles new bloggers face is choosing a niche. They're paralyzed by indecision, afraid of picking the wrong topic and wasting their time. Sound familiar? So why not create a mini course called discover your blog niche. You could help them find their passion, study their market, and And narrow their options. First problem solved. Topic idea two, the common challenge method. Next up, we've got the common challenge method. This is about identifying a challenge. Almost everyone in your audience struggles with it, no matter how experienced they are. And let's be real for most people. That challenge is time management. We're all busy. We've all got a million things on our plate and we're all trying to figure out how to squeeze more hours out of the day. Don't believe me? Just look at the stats. The American Psychological Association found that over 80 percent of Americans feel stressed at work. And, lack of time is one of the top reasons why. So, if you can create an offer that helps people be more productive and manage their time better, You've got a winner on your hands. For example, you could create a low content book called the ultimate bloggers productivity guide. Fill it with your best tips and tricks for maximizing your time, staying focused and getting more done in less time. Whether your reader is a newbie blogger or a seasoned pro. They'll appreciate the help topic idea three the quick win method But what if your audience is looking for something they can accomplish quickly? That's where the quick win method comes in The idea here is to pinpoint a specific goal or result that your audience can achieve fast like really fast We're talking hours or days not weeks or months think about those old school door to door vacuum salesman They didn't just show up on your doorstep and start talking about the features of their fancy new machine. They offered to give you a quick demonstration right then and there. They'd sprinkle some dirt on your carpet, fire up the vacuum, and boom, clean the floor in seconds. That quick win was enough to convince plenty of folks to pull out their wallets. You can use the same principle in your offer. For example, you could put together a one day virtual workshop called, How to create and sell your online course in a weekend. Focus on the key steps they need to take to get their course up and running fast without getting bogged down in all the details. The promise of a quick win will be hard to resist. Topic idea four, the splinter method. Finally, we've got the splinter method. This is about taking a piece of your larger body of work. It could be a coaching program, a course, or a methodology. You break off a smaller chunk to sell on its own. As Dave Ramsey says, you don't need to know everything to get started. Just focus on one small problem and be part of the solution. So take a look at your signature system or framework and see if there's One specific element you could splinter off and go deep on. For example, let's say you teach a comprehensive system for attracting high paying coaching clients. One key piece of that system is creating a lead magnet that really speaks to your ideal client's needs. So why not create a mini course called craft your client attracting lead magnet. You could dive deep into lead magnets psychology. You could share your top converting examples and walk them through creating their own. It's a small piece of your larger system, but it's an important one that your audience will be eager to learn.
Speaker 3:
Today's exercise, find your killer topic idea. Alrighty. It's time to put all this theory into practice, grab a notebook, a whiteboard, or even the back of a napkin, whatever works for you. Set a timer for 15 minutes and get ready to brainstorm like a boss.
Here's your mission, should you choose to accept it.
Speaker 3:
Come up with at least three validation offer ideas for each of the four methods we just covered. That is three ideas for the first problem method and three for the common challenge method. Also, 3 for the QuickWin method and 3 for the Splinter method. Aim for a total of 12 ideas minimum. Now, I know what you might be thinking. What if my ideas are stupid? What if they've been done before? What if I can't come up with anything? Good. Don't worry about that right now. Focus on rapid implementation. This is the time to let your creativity run wild and see what you come up with. Remember, the goal here isn't to come up with the perfect idea right out of the gate. The goal is to generate as many potential ideas as possible so you've got a solid list to choose from when it's time to validate.
So don't judge your ideas as they come to you.
Speaker 3:
Just write them down and keep going. And hey, if you get stuck, don't be afraid to ask for help. Bounce ideas off a friend or colleague, or even hit up ChatGPT for some inspiration. The key is to keep that pen moving and those ideas flowing. Trust me, by the end of this 15 minute brainstorming session, You'll have a treasure trove of potential topics to choose from, and who knows, one of them might just be the key to unlocking a whole new level of success for you and your business. Key takeaways. Empathy is key. Understand your audience's needs and create offers that solve their problems.
Four proven methods. Solve the first problem, address a common challenge, provide a quick win, or splinter your methodology.
Speaker 3:
Brainstorm without judgment, generate as many ideas as possible to find the best ones. Take action, pick an idea and run with it, refining it as you go. Your killer validation offer is out there. Trust the process and stay focused on your audience.
