Entertainment First. Sales Second. That’s How Modern Content Works

Because no one shares a sales pitch -but they’ll share a story

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Most brands are still trying to sell before they’ve even earned attention.

They lead with product features.
They talk about their process.
They shove a CTA into content that no one wanted in the first place.

And then they wonder why their content gets ignored, skipped, or ghosted.

People Don’t Want to Be Sold To - They Want to Be Entertained

Social media is not a marketplace.
It’s a scroll.

You’re not competing with other brands - you’re competing with memes, creators, cat videos, and chaos.

In that environment, the only thing that wins is content people actually want to watch.
Which means: entertainment comes first.

So What Does “Entertainment First” Actually Mean?

It doesn’t mean clowning around for clicks.
It doesn’t mean making jokes with no strategy.

It means your content is built to:

• Stop the scroll
• Earn attention
• Create a feeling
• Deliver value (even if that value is just a laugh)

When you do that, you earn the right to sell.

Your Audience Will Buy - After You’ve Built Trust

Sales happen when you’re top of mind, credible, and consistent.
That doesn’t come from one post.
It comes from showing up often with content that builds trust over time.

Entertain first - so when you pitch, they’re actually listening.

Examples of Entertainment-First, Sales-Second Content

• A brand making a skit about the awkward pain point their product solves
• A founder telling the “dumbest mistake” they made in their journey (that leads to a call to action)
• A parody ad that makes people laugh - and then realize “wait, this brand actually gets me”

It’s not fluff. It’s strategy.
And it works because people share what makes them feel something - not what asks them to buy something.

What Happens When You Flip the Formula?

When you sell first and try to entertain second, your content starts to feel like:

• Ads trying to disguise themselves
• Videos that lead with the product and then struggle to find a hook
• Posts that sound like ChatGPT + a marketing degree + zero personality

And that content doesn’t convert - it just adds to the noise.

TL;DR?

People buy from brands they enjoy.
They engage with content that makes them feel something.
And they tune out anything that leads with “Hey, buy this!”

If your content strategy doesn’t start with entertainment - it’s already behind.

So here’s the new formula:

Entertain first.
Then educate.
Then invite the sale.

That’s how modern content works.

Want Help Creating Content That Sells Without Sounding Like a Sales Pitch?

At Guide, we help brands create funny, human-first, high-performing content that makes people want to stick around.