creating content worth publishing
Novel content angles
Counter-intuitive – “Oh, I never realized the world worked that way.”
Counter-narrative – “Wow, that’s not how I was told the world worked!”
Shock and awe – “That’s crazy. I would have never believed it.”
Elegant articulations – “Beautiful. I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Make someone feel seen – “Yes! That’s exactly how I
According to psychologist Bill O’Hanlon, who wrote a book to help other therapists become published authors (so meta), there are four main energies that fuel our work: Blissed, blessed, pissed, and dissed.
- Blissed is fired up about something you can’t stop thinking about.
- Blessed is compelled to share a gift.
- Pissed is just plain angry.
- Dissed is
You feel me?
How do you really feel? You don't need to be the foremost expert. You simply need to be more honest.
Your power starts with your willingness to turn inward, cut past what others expect from you, tear down the walls that inhibit you, and merely speak your mind. Openly. Passionately. Most won't. But that's your opportunity. [Jay Acunzo]
The people with followings, or those gatekeepers at the publications, events, email newsletters, blogs, journals, broadcasts, and accounts have three unique qualities when it comes to sharing your work (or writing about you, inviting you to their event, including your link in their newsletter, etc):
- They’re driven by incentives to earn engagement
Rand Fishkin • Who Will Amplify This? And Why? - SparkToro
What they care about is what will change their business life:
Does it seem like you have a camera in their office?
Are you speaking to issues that they are losing sleep over at night?
Will they have an “aha” moment after they take a break from their day and spend it with you?
When someone reads your stuff, does it contain a fresh insight they want to... See more
Does it seem like you have a camera in their office?
Are you speaking to issues that they are losing sleep over at night?
Will they have an “aha” moment after they take a break from their day and spend it with you?
When someone reads your stuff, does it contain a fresh insight they want to... See more
Just a moment...
Good value propositions are specific, defensible, and rooted in your audience’s reality. Think beyond product specs. What’s the human impact? How does it make someone’s job easier, their results better, or their life more manageable?
More than (key)words: A better approach content strategy for 2025 and beyond
Premise
A premise is the specific, defensible assertion you make about your space, pulled from your personal perspective, which informs your choices and reputation.
It's something you assert is or should be true.
It's the big idea driving a project or an entire platform or brand. There's a problem. It frustrates you, but you have a specific vision
... See more