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Is Being Authentic Overrated?
According to one famous author, there is a better way to build a loyal audience.
For years, writers have been told to be authentic.
The idea is that your audience will love your transparency and vulnerability and keep coming back for more. Authenticity produces honesty and credibility, making the audience more likely to engage with the content and support the writer. Be genuine, share real stories, and admit failures. Be real!
But what if we’ve been doing it all wrong?
Being overtly authentic could actually hinder your progress in building a loyal audience.
For one, if we make a piece of content all about us, we look egotistical. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but your readers care about themselves, not you. When they read any content, they’re asking, “What’s in this piece for me?”
Likewise, being hyper-focused on authenticity can lead to losing touch with the mission behind your writing. The purpose of what we write is to help others find solutions to their problems.
We do this in three ways:
- By teaching others what we know.
- By distilling information from experts.
- By presenting a different perspective, so that…