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Hey {{first_name|creator}},
Most creators are optimising for a number that doesn't matter. Views fade. Ideas that stick build businesses.
👋 Welcome to Creators In Business, a newsletter where creators learn to think like CEOs, and businesses learn to move like creators.
Name the last three pieces of content you consumed.
Now name the last three pieces of content you actually remember.
Different lists, right? That gap is costing you customers.
The difference between these two pieces is that one had a lasting impact, and the other is, well, forgettable.
It’s getting harder and harder to stick out, yes. But if we look at the value of content out there, most of it is cheap and disposable.
Easy to come by, easy to move on from.
If you don’t want to be forgotten, create memorable content.
Think about the creators that you come back to, time and time again; why? Because of the strong brand connection they created with you.
Caleb Ralston is a brand strategist who has quickly risen through the ranks because of how he packages his content.
Here’s a simple post of Ralston walking and talking on Instagram.
He reframes how creators should view followers, not just as a goal but as evidence that their ideas are resonating.
12k views - standard, but definitely not viral. But the idea stuck, making it memorable.
While views and new followers may spike your analytics and dopamine levels, if people can’t recall you or your ideas even an hour later, let alone a day later, you haven’t actually built much.
If you care about building a strong distribution system and creating something that lasts, you need to care about making things that are memorable.
So, how do you avoid being forgotten?
In today’s issue:
Why more views ≠ business plan
How to design memorable content
The framework for testing your content’s memorability
Let’s go!
Jess Smalley 🔑
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More views ≠ business plan
Every platform rewards higher viewership, which makes creators want to optimise for more views.
It’s exciting when a piece of content outperforms and spikes your analytics. You think:
“This is great! We must be doing something right, right?!”
So it gets confusing when you realise that not all views are created equal.
This has created a false signal among creators who optimise for views.
More views → more followers → more dollars?
That equation broke years ago. With fragmented reach across platforms, you need to get specific about your outcome.
Do you want to just create media? Or are you optimising for conversion?
If you're here to build a business, it's time to change your relationship with views. Put your energy into building memorable content that compounds into a brand that sells.
This means choosing depth over reach.
How to design for memorable views?
Pre-production should be 70% of your creative process.
Most creators spend 70% of their time in production and post-production, yet wonder why their content doesn't stick.
When I work with creators and businesses on content strategy, we start here. We figure out what moments will stick, how their audience actually talks, and build content that passes The Coffee Shop Test - which I'll break down for you next.
Aim at a specific audience
Trying to reach everyone will generate forgettable views and attract the wrong people to your content. So,
Decide who this piece of content is for.
Now, consider the Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Speak directly to that group’s language, problems, and identity so the video feels made “for me.”
Make every beat count
The worst thing you can do is make someone regret spending time with you.
Prioritise moments of insight, emotion, or story over pure watch-time tricks.
Respect every moment of their time
Attention is earned over and over and over until the very end. There’s no time for fluff or wasted space.
Spend disproportionate time on the idea, title, and thumbnail.
Make sure your hook and opening set clear stakes or create curiosity, then pay it off so viewers feel their time was respected.
Use a clear story structure (setup, conflict, resolution) so the content is easy to follow and retell.
Lean into the unique, contrast, or conflict
Create moments that increase the likelihood that your audience will recall them during offline hours.
Change your relationship with the numbers
Accept that by going narrow with your content, you will reach fewer people, but they will be the right people you want to target.
The Coffee Shop Test ☕
Before you hit publish, does it hit the memorable benchmark:
Would someone bring this up in a conversation offline?
Would my ideal audience send this to a friend?
Could they quote a line or idea from it a week from now?
If your content doesn't pass at least two of these, it's not memorable enough to build a business on.
Not sure if your content passes? I walk creators through this exact framework - auditing what's working, what's forgettable, and how to redesign your content strategy for business outcomes
Signals it’s working
Start to think of the number of views you bring in for any piece of content as “raw” views. This is because you haven’t measured its performance yet.
Breakdown the view into minutes or seconds and measure the retention rate.
If you have a content catalogue, compare retention and completion rates with previous content.
Look for signals of being remembered e.g Shares and saves, direct replies, return viewers/subscribers
What’s your community behaviour like offline? Are they recalling concepts and sharing them?
Here's how I'll know this newsletter worked:
A week from now, you're in a conversation about content strategy, and The Coffee Shop Test comes up.
Or you can forward this to a creator friend who's stuck chasing views.
If that happens, I've done my job. Now it's your turn to do the same with your content.
Jess Smalley 🔑
Jess Smalley, creator of Creators In Business
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