THIS is why I'm totally anti-shoulds when it comes to content
If you’ve been around my little cozy corner of the internet for any length of time, you’ll know I’m totally anti-shoulds with regards to content.
This, right here, is why.
I was scrolling through instagram and I came across a post that got me really fired up.
My biz mentor Melissa Cassera would refer to that moment as “feeling the heat”.
Oh boy. Was I feeling it. I originally bashed this blog post out quick smart (whilst still in my PJ’s with a messy curly bun propped on the top of my head + an unwashed morning face) + then went on a mini-rant on Instagram Stories that had people saying things like:
So what exactly was this Instagram post that got me so fired up?
It was yet another post stipulating what kind of content you should be creating.
Let’s have a chat about why this is actually a really BIG DEAL.
If you’ve been around my little cozy corner of the internet for any length of time, you’ll know I’m totally anti-shoulds when it comes to content.
Typically, you’ll hear things like:
— Oh, so you’re a web designer? You NEED to create *this* kind of content or you’ll never get sales.
— Oh, hello business coach. If you’re not creating *this* content and talking about *this thing* your business will burn and die.
— Oh, you’re a makeup artist? Why are you creating that? You should be doing *THIS*.
BLEURGH.
And theeen there was a comment on this Instagram post that really worried me. It said: “you should create content to educate and not to solve”.
I mean… SAY WHAAAT?! Excuse me for a moment while I pick up my jaw from the floor.
“If people aren’t getting results from your free content, why on earth should they hire you? Why should they trust that you can help them?”
Repeat after me: Generosity is always a good idea. Always.
Now, I’m not saying that you should give people ALL THE THINGS, or that you should let people pick your brain forever + always, until the end of time and never pay you a dime. Nope. But I am saying that generosity is always a good idea.
I’m confident that people get results from my free content without paying me. And does that stop them from buying from me? No. Way.
When I used to run my own content strategy business, clients used to say that they learned how to do the things from my free content, but that they needed the accountability, support + strategic direction from my paid programs to make their vision a reality. They went from feeling confused, unclear + all over the place with their content, to gaining clarity + passion for what they create.
If anything, having small wins and getting results from my free content gave them a really solid foundation that we could build on during our work together. Aaand the end result was EVEN BETTER because they’d already built that foundation.
Ok. So that all makes sense, right? But what about those people in your community or on your email list that never buy from you?
“I have a question for you: Do you want to have a lasting impact and leave a legacy?
(Maybe not a legacy per se. Heck, just a blog post that someone stumbles across 5 years from now and thinks, “YAS. This right here is exactly what I needed!”)”
Here’s the thing to remember:
Not everyone in your market can afford or will buy from you. That's ok. And also perfectly normal.
But should that mean that this segment of your audience is doomed to stay stuck forever and never get results because “you should create content to educate and not to solve”?
Nope. Nope. Nope.
“Businesses that matter are in this for the long haul.”
this kind of reasoning - that you have to create a certain type of content or that your content shouldn’t solve people’s problems - gets me fired up because it’s dangerous.
Because the end result is that aaall the web designers, business coaches, visual artists and {insert your area of expertise here}, get channelled down the same path and end up saying the EXACT same thing as everybody else in their industry. (And self-imposed competition is totally unnecessary.)
Not to mention the fact that if you’re making + producing + creating content that doesn’t solve people’s problems… isn’t that just adding extra useless fluff to an already crowded internet?
Bottom line: following that kind of advice is like buying a first class ticket for the blah-content train. First stop? The dark side of sameness.
If you want to stand out, be unique + rock it in a “crowded market”, then the worst thing you can do for yourself is create content like everyone else.
In fact, this kind of reasoning is why I created the Content Her Way manifesto (before it became trendy to ditch the marketing rules + do things your way).
It’s why I don’t believe I should tell you WHAT to write or create… but instead, show you how to make your message clearer. (Will I give you ideas + suggestions? Sure. But that’s all they are… ideas + suggestions. The final decision is yours and yours alone.)
It’s why I’ll never give you a content blueprint… but instead, show you how to experiment with the rules so you know what to bend, tweak or break.
And it’s why you need to ALWAYS challenge assumptions. Because marketing trends are just trends after all. And advice is simply that. Advice.
So take it. Leave it. Change it. Shift it. Make it yours.
This is why I’ll keep preaching, teaching + living the Content Her Way philosophy for as long as I work in marketing. Because your message doesn’t deserve to blend in. YOU have people who need your help.
So here’s to you ditching the shoulds, following the true path and avoiding the dark side of sameness. Here’s to doing content your way.
Want to add more simplicity and fun to your business by doing content your way? Check out my planners and workbooks and say hello to content that’s simple, fun and actually does something for you.