Grow Your Business With Written Content, Not Video

At least don’t put all your focus on making videos.

Start investing in written content.

Here’s why:

Back in the day, we used to build amazing websites for startups. Most of them looked great—clean design, solid copy, everything done right.

But within a year, most of them went out of business.

They didn’t have the discipline to actually run a business or deliver for their customers… so we couldn’t even use them in our portfolio.

I learned this hard way so you don’t have to:
​not all clients are good for your business.

The worst clients?

They’re the ones who ghost you for weeks, never follow through, and then blame you when nothing works.

The best clients?

They listen, take action, and then thank you when the results show up.

And here’s the funny thing—those “best clients” usually come through written content.

Yep, an email newsletter.

Readers vs. Watchers

I know everyone’s obsessed with video content right now, but honestly… I think video is overrated.

I did a quick dive into the psychology of people who read vs. those who watch, and here’s what stood out:

📖 Readers are usually more focused and patient.

📺 Watchers are easily distracted and seek instant gratification.

Is that really surprising though?

If I have to hit someone with flashy edits and dopamine spikes just to keep their attention for 10 seconds… that’s not someone who’s going to follow through on anything.

Whether it’s content, workouts, or even finishing an online course—they’ll be the first to give up.

So the real question is: who do you want as your client, readers or watchers?

How to Attract the “Right” Readers

A lot of marketers (including me) talk about having a lead magnet, which is basically a freebie in exchange for an email address.

It works, sure… but it also kills your open rates over time.

Because let’s be real: if someone only signed up to get something free, they’re not exactly eager to read your next email.

If you want loyal subscribers who actually open your emails (and even look forward to them), focus on voluntary sign-ups—people who subscribe to your list because they like what you write.

Then, just keep delivering great content.

How to Grow Your Mailing List Faster

Here’s the thing — getting people to voluntarily subscribe to your newsletter is painfully slow. That’s why everyone uses lead magnets.

You’re probably thinking, “So what should I do then, Sun?”

Use a hybrid approach.

Instead of just saying “Subscribe to my newsletter,” give them a specific reason and a specific time to subscribe.

Here’s how:

A few days before you send out a long-form newsletter, post a short-form version of it on social media. The short-form post should teach why something matters, and your newsletter should go deeper into how to actually do it.

Then in your short-form post, add a call to action like:

“If you want to learn how to do this, I’m sending the full breakdown in my newsletter tomorrow — so subscribe.”

Simple, right?

Here’s an example of this in action:

👉 https://www.instagram.com/p/CtJq1dMAsCb/​

I hope I inspired you to start writing newsletters!