Building Trust and Business Growth Through Strategic Content: Insights from Richard Millington
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In this episode, I interview Richard Millington, a successful consultant and founder of Fever Bee.
Richard shares his journey of building and leading business development through the power of creating the right kind of content.
He discusses how trust and content have been pivotal in gaining clients proactively and shares practical advice for consultants looking to build their own practices. Learn the secrets behind his successful blogging, speaking engagements, and book publishing, and why focusing on a targeted audience is more effective than going broad.
Don't miss these invaluable insights into the world of consulting and business development.
00:00 Welcome to the Consultants Growth Playbook
00:42 The Power of Trust and Content in Business Development
01:44 Richard's Journey with Fever Bee
03:24 The Evolution of Content Strategy
04:11 Building a Niche Audience
05:38 The Humble Beginnings of Fever Bee
07:25 Intentionality and Luck in Business
09:43 Transitioning from Blogging to Consulting
13:03 Creating Opportunities and Adapting to Market Needs
15:34 Balancing Content Creation and Client Work
18:15 Creating a Course Before Writing a Book
18:59 Promoting the Book Effectively
20:08 Lessons from Writing Multiple Books
21:43 Challenges and Strategies in Advertising
24:04 Balancing Frugality and Investment
25:29 Advice for New Consultants
28:55 Innovative Content Creation
34:30 Final Thoughts and Where to Find More
Building a Consulting Practice Through Strategic Content: Lessons from Richard Millington
In an era where attention is increasingly scarce, building a successful consulting practice requires more than just expertise – it demands trust. Few understand this better than Richard Millington, founder of the community consultancy FeverBee, who has spent over a decade helping top enterprise companies build thriving communities.
The Power of Targeted Content
"Content plays a big part in trust," Richard explains. "But it's about creating the right kind of content, earning the trust of people that want to hear from you, and building relationships where people want to reach out when they need help."
This approach has helped him build a focused consultancy generating over £6 million since 2010, working with some of the world's largest companies. But his success didn't come from following the typical content creation playbook.
Focus on Your Core Audience
One of his key insights is the importance of extreme targeting. "I want to work with the top enterprise companies in the world. There's around 500 people who I need them to know who I am and trust me," he shares. Rather than chasing broad appeal, his content addresses specific challenges these decision-makers face.
For example, he once wrote about managing outdated discussions in large communities, a niche topic that only affects organizations with established, sizeable communities. This precise targeting helped him connect with exactly the kind of clients he wanted to work with.
The Content Creation Process
Richard maintains a disciplined approach to content creation:
1. Early morning writing (7:30 AM) for personal blog content
2. Mid-morning work on FeverBee content
3. Afternoons dedicated to client work
This routine allows him to consistently produce valuable content while maintaining high-quality client service.
"Most consultants can do it if they manage their time well," he notes. "People tend to get sucked into social media and think they're achieving something, but building a property that people want to come to is such a useful thing to do."
Leveraging Books To Get Consulting Clients
Richard has published three books, each serving different strategic purposes:
1. First book: Filled a market gap for practical community management
2. Second book: Strategic tool to interview potential clients
3. Third book: Traditional publishing for broader reach
His approach to book promotion was particularly innovative. Instead of relying on traditional marketing, he:
- Partnered with platform vendors to give away portions of the book
- Offered bulk deals to event organizers
- Used the books to build relationships with potential clients
"People that won't give you the time of day for a sales call will give you an hour of their time if they're going to appear in a book,"
Evolution of Content Strategy
The content landscape has changed significantly since he started blogging in 2010.
Today's successful content needs to be:
More engaging and entertaining
Built around unique perspectives
Delivered through multiple channels
Consistently valuable to a specific audience
"We can't be boring anymore," he emphasises. "The content that tends to spread and get shared and resonates is when people share a perspective with the advice as well."
Starting Out Today
For consultants starting today, Millington recommends:
1. Build an audience before making the jump to consulting
2. Test ideas and messaging through content
3. Find your unique medium and voice
4. Be willing to experiment and innovate
5. Start creating, even if it's not perfect
"When no one is following you to begin with, there's no judgment. You are free to do whatever you want in obscurity," he advises. "You should take advantage of that obscurity to test ideas."
Investment and Growth
One crucial lesson he learned was the importance of strategic investment.
"Being too frugal with money, 100 percent" held him back initially. Whether it's website development, travel for speaking engagements, or marketing initiatives, strategic spending can accelerate growth.
The Path Forward
The future of consulting content lies in creativity and innovation. While traditional formats still have their place, success increasingly depends on finding unique ways to deliver value and build trust with your target audience.
As Richard notes, "There's so much space for innovation and creativity... just because no one else is using a medium doesn't mean you shouldn't. You can explore different ideas and be creative in different ways of doing things."
The key is to remain focused on your specific audience while being willing to experiment with new formats and approaches. Success in consulting isn't just about what you know – it's about how effectively you can build trust with the right people through strategic, targeted content creation.
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