628: (Solo) The Content Playbook I Wish I Had When I Started

What It Covers

Nathan Chan shares a framework for creating content when building a brand from zero followers. He outlines the unicorn strategy of studying top performers, choosing formats that match your strengths, and committing to ninety days of consistent posting.

Key Questions Answered

• •Market Research Method: Study 10 to 20 top accounts in your niche and identify outlier content by analyzing views, saves, and shares. Focus on hooks, first three seconds, and cover tile art rather than average performance. This evidence-based approach reveals what actually resonates with your target audience before creating anything.
• •Format Selection Strategy: Choose two to three content formats maximum and focus on one social channel until mastery. Match formats to your natural skill set and energy rather than following trends. Example: Foundr prioritizes podcasts and story-based carousels on Instagram before expanding to YouTube and reels after achieving strong performance.
• •Unicorn Reverse Engineering: Identify viral content in your market and reverse engineer why it worked by analyzing hook structure and emotional triggers. Model the formula without copying. Healthish replicated a durability video format from competitors and generated hundreds of thousands of views, while creators adapted MrBeast's escalating quantity format across different products.
• •Ninety Day Commitment: Post one piece of content daily for ninety days using the build-measure-learn cycle. Track performance data after each post and iterate based on results. This consistency builds momentum and reveals patterns. Nathan credits this approach with growing Foundr's Instagram to millions of followers through quote-based content modeled from Forbes and Fast Company.