How to Turn Content into Sales (Without Being Salesy)

Read Time: 3 Minutes 10 Seconds

Hey - Robert here.

In today’s edition:

• Why traditional marketing is dead

• How to sell in today’s world

• How to make people care about what you’re selling

Here’s the truth:

Your marketing might not be working - even if your product’s great.

Why? Because traditional marketing is… well, dead.

When you list out product features, post polished promo videos, and brag about benefits…

People naturally tune out.

Because people don’t come online to be sold to.

They come to feel something. To laugh. To relate. To be part of a story.

And here’s the thing:

The more you push your product, the more people pull away.

I mean, how many times have you waited to press SKIP on that ad or fast-forward the video because you don't want to hear someone talking about their boring product or sponsor?

So, how do you actually sell in today’s world?

You stop selling.

And you start connecting.

Here are 3 ways to do that - and real examples of brands doing it right.

1. Create content that doesn’t feel like an ad

If you want to sell the solution, you need to start by solving a problem.

Instead of saying, “Look what we made,”

think: “Here’s how we can help you.“

Here’s how:

• Identify your audience’s pain points

• Make content that solves them

• Introduce your product as part of the solution

The truth is, nobody cares about your product features.

They only care about the outcome.

So, show them the solution and let the product support it.

Successful examples:

DIG - Shows waterproof clothing without mentioning product features.

VictorAI - Learns Mandarin through his app to speak with his grandma.

Dupe.com - Introduces new solution to unaffordable furtniture.

Each one of them is selling without selling.

Because it’s not about the product - it’s about the story.

So, what’s the successful formula behind this?

Story first, product second. That’s the recipe.

Imagine yourself as the guide helping them solve their problem, achieve their goal, or live their story.

Examples that prove it:

• ‘’Day 72 learning Japanese so I can speak to my girlfriend’s parents’’ - Duolingo

• ‘’I taught myself to code while working night shifts as a nurse" - Codecademy

• "I lost 75 pounds and ran my first marathon yesterday" - MyFitnessPal

• “Me and the guy I met on Tinder 4 years ago just got married!”

The content doesn’t feel like an ad. It feels like life.

2. Start documenting, not promoting

Don’t just show your product - show the process, the mess, the story.

People love behind-the-scenes.

They don’t just want to see the result. They want to see the journey.

When you document the journey, your audience starts to feel like they’re on it with you.

Share with them:

• The failures and challenges along the way

• Your team, your workspace, your day-to-day

• The problem you personally set out to solve

• The first time you made your product

People are naturally more drawn to products that signal effort in making them.

So, don’t be afraid to show the messy moments - it shows the effort and dedication behind your brand.

Examples that have nailed this:

TheKindCookie: Shares how she started her bakery from scratch.

Brandon: Shares his struggles of trying to grow a brand online.

Zhysin: Brings people into her process of building a small business.

Be transparent to create stories, not just stats.

3. Build real connections

Ok, now you can document and create authentic content.

But if you want people to talk about your brand…

You need to give them something worth talking about.

Here’s how most brands do it:

• Announce a launch and build hype in advance

• Make a killer first impression (packaging, surprise, shocking value)

• Introduce seasonal drops or limited editions to create urgency

This works best when you’ve already earned trust.

Because now your product feels like an event, not just a thing.

Best examples from creators:

Tommy Wrinkler: Reviewing Crumbl Cookies’ new flavours.
→ Crumbl Cookie drops new flavors weekly.

Yasmin: Trying TheKindCookie.
→ TheKindCookie built a loyal TikTok fanbase by documenting her bakery journey.

Aleks: Unboxing Trikko tracksuit.
→ Trikko creates monthly clothing drops that sell out fast.

These aren’t just usual product reviews.

They’re emotional reactions that other people want to recreate.

If you want to win today, don’t try harder to sell.

Try harder to connect.

I will see you next week :)

Talk soon,

Robert