The “Fast Then Last” Quality Traffic Generation Strategy

Your traffic strategy should have only one goal:

Getting you a consistent influx of high-quality prospects that fit your ideal audience profile.

Paid ads most likely won’t get you there. At least not when you’re starting from scratch or if your entire strategy is based on them.

Same goes for affiliate/influencer marketing. 

Both are things you should try & test later on. But they can’t lay the foundation for your course business’s success.

Only one thing can do that for you:

Content marketing. If done right, of course. 

But how do you do it “right?” Where do you start, and how can you get quality traffic fast…

And then maintain it in the long run?

Today, I want to show you my “Fast Then Last” strategy, which answers these questions. It stems from my experience as a course business owner, success stories on my podcast, and the countless course creators I’ve worked with in my programs.

So, the “Fast Then Last” strategy is tried, tested, and proven to get results (as you’ll see in a Case Study I’ll share below). Obviously, it will only work if you tailor it to your own unique circumstances…

But it’s a great mold to start from. Especially with the practical content-creation advice I’ll share today.

With that said, let’s dive into it. 

How The “Fast Then Last” Traffic Strategy Makes Content Marketing Easier & More Effective

Many course creators fall prey to the “Paradox Of Choice” inherent to content marketing. I mean, there are so many platforms to choose from:

Blogging, Podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts. 

Plus, there are many others – I singled these out because they are the ones course creators are succeeding with today. 

So, should you pick just one? And which one?

Or should you be on all of them? 

Well, for starters, look at how quickly the above platforms can get you results. (When I say results, I don’t mean just getting followers. I mean reaching just the type of person who will likely end up buying your course.)

The last three short-form based ones (TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts) really stand out in that regard. And yes, they can deliver the “fast” part of our strategy.

Focus on one of them, do it right, and you’ll see great tangible ROI quickly.

There’s just one catch:

The results on short-form platforms are the most fleeting.

It’s amazing to get viral videos and all that traffic, attention, buyers, etc., out of the blue. But if you don’t play your cards right…

The moment will fade into oblivion. 

A week or two after — and the video is no longer viral. You must keep feeding the algorithm machine to get such results continuously.

Yet, for example, I have a YouTube video that went viral several years ago. And it still makes me thousands of dollars in “Piano In 21 Days” course sales every month to this day.

To get similar results, you have to also use the “last” part of the “Fast Then Last” strategy.

Here’s how you can do this:

Pick one of the short-form platforms and start posting valuable video content CONSISTENTLY. 

Once a day is ideal. If it’s too much for you, do every other day. Or every third day. 

The key is to stay consistent.

Once you start getting some traction & results with viral videos, followers, sales, etc., then you add one of the longer-lasting platforms to your content marketing system:

Blogging for SEO, YouTube, or a podcast. 

For example, start on TikTok. Post every day for two months. When done right, you should grow by at least 500-1,000 followers (if not more). Then, you can add a YouTube channel and dial back your short-form efforts to three times per week.

I could go on and on with examples, but you get the gist of the “Fast Then Last” strategy:

Get traction fast by offering consistent value via short-form content. Then capitalize on it by moving your followers to a platform that boosts your chances of keeping said traction going for a long time… 

With a lot less friction.

Now, I recognize it’s easy and not very fair for me to just say:

“You’ve got to do content marketing and I recommend this “Fast Then Last” approach. So, go ahead and start with the short-form video content.”

But I want to do more and give you some tips about creating said content…

And a case study that shows how one of my students applied the “Fast Then Last” approach and got outstanding results.

So, let’s do that.

3 Main Components Of Short-Form Content And How To Do Them Right

It all boils down to these three:

 1. Hook

If you don’t get your audience’s attention in the first 3-5 seconds — you’re toast. 

You can do this in three main ways:

Share & tease a big desire, some social proof, or controversy.  

So, the next time you create a hook, verify you touch one of these. If not, go back to the drawing board.

2. Body

You want to be short & concise, get straight to the point, and move at a relatively fast pace. 

Keep in mind that being on camera will bring your energy down. So, you have to account for this and dial it up as much as possible while staying authentic. 

Finally, include captions to make the video easier to follow.

3. CTA 

I’m not a fan of including a CTA in every post because you don’t want to always be asking for something. 

But you should do it in about 50% of your short-form content. You can point to the caption, ask for a follow, or promote something from your website.

Don’t forget you can also ask people to comment and give their opinion. Which is a more “natural” CTA than others.

It’s a simple 3-step framework, really. But it works. 

Let me show you what it’s done, along with the “Fast Then Last” approach, for my student Christina Umarez.

The “Fast Then Last” Strategy In Action

Christina Umarez started with posting valuable content on TikTok only. In fact, she launched her course from just the TikTok traffic…

And immediately started making 5 figures a month.

Then she added a YouTube channel, which now has 40K+ subscribers, to get that lasting traffic too.

This is the one-two punch of the “Fast Then Last” strategy in action. Now, let’s also analyze one of her TikTok videos with almost 5 million views to see the short-form content framework in action too.

If you click on this link, you’ll see how Christina instantly taps into that big desire with the “Looking for a side hustle that can bring in thousands a month” hook.

Then, she starts off the content body by crushing the common objections of her target audience. Note how fast-paced & intriguing her video is — yet Christina is obviously filming with a phone in her left hand.

Also note how she gives tangible value and delivers on the hook’s promise in a concise way. Finally, she uses the “leave a comment” CTA to boost engagement.

As you can see, everything I talked about is, in fact, quite simple to apply. Yes, it will take some time and failed attempts…

But when you know what you’re gunning for — you’ll get there.

Conclusion

If you overcomplicate things, content marketing will overwhelm you, and results won’t come. 

The “Fast Then Last” approach not only helps you crush that overwhelm…

But also helps you grow traffic quickly and set your course business up for long-term success.

Here’s to applying the “Fast Then Last” approach and the 3-step short-form content creation frictionlessly in your business and seeing fast results that never fade. 

I’m rooting for you.

-Jacques