From Content to Consulting: A Pathway You Didn't Know You Had

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There's a moment that happens to almost every creator, founder, or marketer who shares their ideas consistently online…

Someone DMs you and asks:

"Hey do you do consulting?" "Can I pick your brain?" "Could you help us with this?"

And suddenly, your content isn't just content anymore. 🥹 It's a resume, case study, and referral all rolled into one.

What started as a post turns into a paid conversation. And if you're intentional, that conversation turns into a service offering.

But here's what I've learned after years of building my personal brand and helping others do the same...

Consulting doesn't start with a ✨fancy-shmancy website✨. It starts when your content teaches someone how to think differently about something they care about.

You're already halfway there if you've ever:

• ✅ Shared a framework or process that solves a specific problem

• ✅ Answered the same "Can I get your take on…" question 3+ times

• ✅ Had people assume you already offer help

That's not an accident. That's demand. Your content built that! 🙂‍↕️

Andddd, the data backs this up too.

61% of consultants say their first clients came directly from their existing network or content, not cold outreach (Consulting Success, 2024).

78% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to engage a consultant whose content helped them understand their problem better (Edelman-LinkedIn, 2023).

LinkedIn reports that professionals who share thought leadership content receive 5x more inbound consulting inquiries than those who don't (LinkedIn, 2023).

Translation? Your content’s not only building an audience, it's building a pipeline! 💰

What "Consulting Content" actually looks like:

Don’t just share what you do - share how you think.

Think of it this way: every piece of content is like a mini consultation where you're giving people a taste of what it's like to work with you:

• 🧠 POV posts that challenge defaults

• 📊 Before/after breakdowns with insights

• 🧰 "Here's how I'd approach this if I were you" frameworks

• 🎙️ Industry commentary that signals both fluency + leadership

According to HubSpot, 47% of buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before reaching out to a consultant or service provider (HubSpot, 2024).

You're showing people what it would be like to have you in the room with them.

And if they like what they see? 👀 They'll pay to bring you in.

So how do you start signaling availability without sounding salesy?

3 Ways to Signal You're Available Without Saying "I'm Available"

Show receipts. Share a story or result from helping someone (even if you didn’t get paid for it!) - ie. "A founder DM'd me last month about their content strategy. After one 30-minute call, they increased their LinkedIn engagement by 40%. Sometimes the smallest shifts make the biggest difference."

Make the invisible visible. Walk through how you'd solve a problem you're uniquely good at - ie. "Here's exactly how I'd audit a personal brand in 15 minutes: First, I look at the last 10 posts. Are they teaching, telling stories, or just announcing? Then I check if someone could guess their expertise without seeing their bio. Finally, I ask: would their ideal client recognize themselves in this content?"

Leave the door open. Try this CTA: "I've been helping a few people with [your niche]. If you're working through something similar, feel free to reach out." Other variations: "I've been having interesting conversations with marketers about this lately..." or "A few people have asked me about XYZ recently, so if you're dealing with something similar..."

No pitch. No pressure. Just presence.

In a recent survey, 64% of consultants said their most effective lead-generation tactic was simply sharing case studies and stories not hard selling (Consulting Success, 2024).

Your Turn:

Apply one of the 3 signal strategies mentioned above in your content this week.

1 in 3 creators who start consulting say it happened "by accident" just by responding to DMs like the ones you're probably already getting (Forbes, 2024).

You might be one post away from a new revenue stream and you didn't even know it.

And the best part is you don't need to change what you're already doing. You just need to recognize the opportunity that's already in front of you!

Speaking of recognizing opportunities... if you're already making money from consulting (or about to start), here's something I wish someone had told me earlier: get your business finances sorted before things get complicated.

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_{*Based on the average 2022 tax savings of active Collective users with an S Corp tax election for the 2022 tax year}

When I first started getting paid for my expertise, I made the mistake of waiting too long to properly structure my business. Do NOT be like me! If you're turning content into consulting income, you'll want to optimize your taxes and business setup from the jump.

You got this,

Adriene

P.S. Do you need help with building up your consulting business? Book a 1:1 coaching call with me here. Would love to give you more personalized guidance to help you achieve your business goals!