Content Creation for Introverts: Build Authority Without Being the Loudest in the Room
Introverts make great content creators, if we can just get out of our own heads long enough to share our thoughts. Introverted people are often uncomfortable with the idea of content creation because it feels like it will make us the center of attention. So we avoid it and let the extroverts dominate the conversation
continue readingThe Downside to Being a Thought Leader
Not everyone who says they want to be a thought leader really means it. What they really mean is they want the benefits of being a thought leader. They want people to look up to them. They want to be a recognized authority. They want their name to be a deal closer. Maybe they even
continue readingThought leadership is not just a hot take
You can’t be a thought leader without an opinion. That’s not how this works. A thought leader leads thoughts. They shift the way people think. You can’t do that with how-to content. A thought leader takes a stand. BUT. A thought leader also has to be trustworthy. You think everyone should work a 20-hour week
continue readingAuthentic Brands: If You Have to Say You Are, You’re Not
If you have to say you are, you’re not. I was a young marketer working at a membership association when a salesman came in selling swag. He was trying to provide giveaway items for our members – branded coffee mugs, sunglasses, that sort of thing. He also had a business card carrier we could engrave
continue readingContent Consistency Is Not Just Posting the Same Day Each Week
The ice cream truck’s days are numbered. Labor Day is behind us, and we have just a few more weeks of hearing the approaching strains of “La Cucaracha” and “Jingle Bells.” (I don’t know about your local ice cream truck, but mine exclusively plays “La Cucaracha,” a Spanish song about a little cockroach, and royalty-free
continue readingBranding That’s Clear, Consistent, Uncomplicated: The True Story Behind My Orange
People ask on a semi-regular basis about my visual branding. As much as I love my logo, it’s a conversation I usually try to skim over. Because the truth is, it’s complicated. Take the orange. Long ago, when my business was still a side hustle, I was experimenting with the concept of comparing apples to
continue readingBracket Busting: Be open to both sides
I was recently introduced to hilarious party game called Brackets. The group decides on a common item with multiple categories – like shoes, for example. Then you pit the categories against one another, one at a time, while representatives of each team debate which one moves on. You end up with grown people passionately arguing
continue readingSolutions vs. Transformations: Deliver the Content Your Audience Wants
There’s a painful truth all professional content creators must reckon with. It’s not about you. It’s not about any of us. If you want to create content that digs deep into your psyche and bares your soul, write poetry. Paint. Make art films. If you want to create content that markets a business, turn away
continue readingCompounding Interest (In Marketing Content)
A few weeks ago, my son happened to be running errands with me when I had to stop by my financial advisor’s office. As I signed documents and they chatted, my son mentioned he’d just graduated from high school. My advisor’s eyes lit up. He saw a chance to tell a fresh, young audience about
continue readingAn Important Storytelling Lesson
Great marketers are storytellers. It doesn’t matter if their medium is a 2,000-word blog post or a 20-word ad. When they can, they tell a story. Stories resonate. We feel them. We remember them. We relate to them, for good or bad. And so, as marketers, we try to write them. Now, let me save
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