Erika Heald and Catara Lane discuss leveraging YouTube for content marketing and selling books. Catara emphasizes the importance of playlists, which act as sales funnels, guiding viewers through a series of videos. She advises authors to create original content, optimize titles and thumbnails, and use tools like Canva and Riverside. Catara suggests starting with a personal brand channel and focusing on consistent posting, aiming for 2-5 hours weekly. She highlights metrics like click-through rates and returning viewers. For viral videos, she recommends unlisting them to prevent them from overshadowing the channel. Catara also stresses the need for a mindset shift, viewing oneself as a media company.

Conversation highlights:

0:00 Intro – Why YouTube is critical for authors and thought leaders

2:48 Common struggles with YouTube & why you don’t need perfect production

4:14 Turning playlists into a YouTube sales funnel

12:43 Messaging map – understanding what your audience is thinking, feeling & doing

16:14 Packaging your videos: titles, thumbnails & identity-based hooks

19:30 Examples of top, middle & bottom-of-funnel playlist content

31:29 How much time YouTube really takes & creating a workable system

41:14 Tools to make YouTube easier: Canva, Riverside & simple setups

43:25 The metrics that matter & what to do with an off-brand viral video

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/JPqHonqm2gU?si=pPvmgKggLIletXKV

Otter transcript: https://otter.ai/u/LF2TTRu4QdPKCaRUuYcBWSCw3ko?utm_source=copy_url

Marketing teams across industries face similar challenges in reaching their audiences with relevant, timely offers that support overall acquisition and retention. Some organizations, however, face additional hurdles because their audiences are savvy to marketing tactics and may have an especially high standard for what it takes to truly grab their attention and earn their trust.

In this #ContentChat conversation, Erika Heald was joined by Maureen Jann, a marketing strategist with deep experience connecting with marketing-skeptical audiences, including IT leaders, startup founders, and marketers themselves. They covered how to build trust with skeptical buyers, why generic outreach backfires, and what it really takes to stand out when everyone’s been burned before.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube, or read through the highlights below.

What is content governance, and why is it essential for scaling content operations—especially with AI in the mix?

In this #ContentChat episode, host Erika Heald and guest Maureen Jann explore how content governance bridges strategy and execution, ensuring consistency, compliance, and brand alignment. Erika shares lessons from her earliest governance experiences through to her success at Charles Schwab, and previews her new book, Content Foundations.

You’ll learn how to build a brand voice chart, train AI tools with your content standards, and identify the tools and workflows needed to support scale without sacrificing quality.

Ideal for content marketers, content ops teams, and marketing leaders preparing to grow responsibly with AI.