Hone In On Your Distinct Message
Q: Do you have advice for honing in on specifics in blogging/podcasting without being “another one of those”?
I know the topics I’m passionate about, but there are already thousands of articles and podcasts like that. I don’t know how to stand out...
That is a big question.
First, let’s bust one myth:
Sure, it may be true that one or another person has already said the same things you want to say. (At least in some form.)
BUT:
Someone out there needs to hear it from YOU. You have a unique way of communicating, and there is someone who will be only be helped by you.
3 rules for creating quality content:
Create material:
- On things you are most passionate about,
- In the way you most enjoy doing,
- According to a schedule you will be able to maintain consistently.
Do the above, and you will attract the people you need as fans.
How will I become known for something in particular?
It’s a good goal to become known for something. But that’s not something you should decide until after you have developed at least a medium-sized audience (maybe 10k Facebook fans or 10k Twitter followers or 1000 email subscribers).
For now it is okay if you have a general premise about what you offer. For instance, you could say “I offer Christian commentary.” Then go ahead and talk about the things that interest you, as long as they fit in that general area.
Answer people’s questions.
Make up questions and answer them. Or if you have people asking you questions (genuine ones) that’s a BIG CLUE about what content to create.
- If you ever get three people asking you the same question, then you need to write a book or product about that topic.
- If you have one or two people asking you a question, write an article about it.
- If a thought crosses your mind and you like it, write a social media post about it. Collect these and later you’ll have material for the articles.
Your “positioning” will be one of the last things you figure out how to get right.
Even after you define your positioning, you will likely update it over time. For now, focus on quantity and consistency of content and focus on growing an audience that wants to come back.
How to differentiate your blog/podcast from others:
Your process should be iterative.
Every time you put out something on social media, blog, email, or video, you have the chance to find out what helped people, what moved them, or what caused them to want to interact. Do more of that.
For an example of how this works, this very blog post came as an answer to a question from a friend. It was quick to write because my friend gave me the motivation and the specific context. I knew who I was writing for. And I knew what I wanted him to know.
Thanks for reading!
Become a Christian Defender of Reason, Individualism, and Capitalism:
Get our latest book for free when you subscribe
Join our Philosophy Club when you support us on Patreon
Connect on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube
Get a free 20-minute breakthrough strategy session for how to grow your online readership
