The content secret that will change your life.

Hi!

For so long on my social media page, I kept parts of myself hidden because I was scared of sharing my truth and my audience knowing – I was a student who lived in Nigeria.

Why? Because in my head, these all felt like ‘limiting factors’, especially since I was targeting international clients while living in a country that was ‘internationally known for scamming people’. And a session with a white coach who said I should - capitalize on the fact that I grew up in the US and avoid mentioning my Nigerian background, further reaffirmed my belief.

However, hiding my truth got me nowhere and as I consumed content I realized that those truths I refused to share were what made me connect & fall in love with other brands I saw online.

Interestingly when I eventually started being open it didn’t stop my clients from working with me or make my audience see me in a weird light. Instead, those things I considered 'limiting factors’ were catalysts for my growth since;

→ Being a full-time student: taught me time management and pushed me to deliver excellence both in school and work (& break the myth that you can only do well in one)

→ & My location: pushed me to find creative ways to reach my ideal clients, and test lots of marketing strategies.

Most importantly they became stories that helped me connect and build better relationships with my clients and audience.

And I know you’re probably wondering ‘Okay Nk that's cute but where are you getting with this’, but stick with me for a few more minutes because I want to share one powerful element that will take your content game to the next level…

Now, if you’re like former me you probably disregard the importance of stories in your content

However, pause and think about those people and brands you TRULY connect with - the ones you love who inspire you and stand out. Chances are it isn’t JUST because they’re the best at what they do

OR because they put on the facade of a perfect image

OR because their success story had a smooth sailing

But because they were REAL and shared stories that made you feel connected- like you knew them personally and could relate with their experience.

And this is why STORYTELLING is so powerful. Stories sell and people love to buy from brands they trust aka feel like they know and can relate with.

So if you want your content to do the job of turning your followers → fans → clients/ customers then you need to start using your content to tell YOUR stories and watch your audience fall in love with your brand.

Random nugget/ musing of the week ??

A few months ago while working and listening to a TED talk; Why comfort will ruin your life, I stumbled upon an interesting revelation.

You see growing up I had been taught about Rosa Parks– an African-American Civil Rights Activist who is known as the first black woman that refused to give up her bus seat to a white man; a single act that sparked the Civil Rights movement.

HOWEVER, what I didn’t know was that nine months earlier Claudette Colvin a 15-year-old girl had done it first.

Hearing this information shocked me and as I researched to confirm this new truth I found that ‘Colvin did not receive the same attention as Parks because she did not have "good hair", she was not fair-skinned, she was a teenager and she was pregnant, which was important since the leaders felt that keeping up appearances and make the "most appealing" protesters seen was key’.

Reading this made me realize that history doesn’t acknowledge the person who does it first but the one who does it the loudest & most visibly. It made me ponder all the people in history who were the first yet their names are not in the history books.

In that single moment, all the shame & awkwardness I had about promoting myself online melted because I realized that

Doing the work isn’t enough

Being the best isn’t enough

Being the first person isn’t enough

YOU have to make yourself VISIBLE – either by networking or social media. YOU have to be INTENTIONAL about making noise and speaking with shameless audacity about the work you do. YOU have to be intentional about putting yourself out there because if you never do you will never be acknowledged.

So this week, ignore any feeling of shame that your mind or society tries to put on you and be determined to show up & write YOUR story- rooting for you as you do!

Till next week ??

-Esther Nkechi from SMC (Social Media Connossieur)