Does it have to be another how-to post?

The Internet is a weird place, and I often struggle to figure out exactly how I fit into it as a business owner, and as a human.

My background is a mishmash of business and leadership and wellness stuff, my expertise is coaching and relating and writing, and the ultimate value derived from that is frequently intangible. So, when it comes to engaging on the Internet, things get a little fuzzy. There are unspoken rules for content to follow - tip lists and how-tos and why you shoulds - so when you’re not much for rules, what do you do?

It’s something I think about nearly every time I sit down to write.

I’m a storyteller. It’s how I relate. It’s how I communicate information and concepts and lessons. It’s ultimately how I have an impact. But it’s not always how people want to receive. Sometimes, getting personal, or getting more deeply engaged in a story is too much to ask. Why?

Could be feelings. Could be impatience. Could be the common human response that we love to consume information and content in small, succinct, bits that will instantly and obviously make our lives better or easier, right now. As with so many things in life, everybody wants a magic pill, an answer. We want the work done for us.

Maybe it’s because I’ve tried a lot of tips and how-tos and magic pills and so-called answers, with no real success and a whole lot of eye-rolling, that I and have really only come up with one real response: these rules are for the birds.

First of all, who is writing these rules? SEO gurus? Traffic experts? Marketing mavens? OK, I understand that, but have you stopped for a second to think about what that means? For your business? For your energy? Are the people creating these rules people you trust, or whose expertise aligns at all with your values and vision?

Next, I want to know why and how this rule applies to my business specifically. Maybe it’s nice that a list or a how-to article gets a bunch of traffic, but is it the kind of traffic I want? And is it working for me in the way I want it to? If it’s all just about getting surface-level attention and clicks, maybe the answer is yes. (It’s not.) But if I want to create raving fans and actual clients? This type of content is not the stuff that’s going to get me there.

It’s also worthwhile considering whether you are creating useful content or increasing knowledge or sharing ideas vs. just adding to the noise. People are overconsuming all the time - are you giving them something that stands out? Or are you regurgitating what’s already out there with a ten-percent spin?

Basically, is any of this an important component of how you want to spend your creation time? How do you really want to connect with people? Does it have to be another how-to post?

While I still think about it and sometimes try to figure out how I can fit a long-form story into a how-to article, I pretty much always end up right where I started:

Not all content needs to follow rules.

And I get to create my own. So, settle in for the story.

What rules do you follow in your content? Do you follow them at all? Why?

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