Go for the Jugular

The noise around us is unbearable.

How can your voice be heard?

Spatchcock

Brands, businesses, entrepreneurs, all kinds of human lemmings are rummaging through the web to find an original way to sell something.

Whether it’s marketing or self-marketing, sell is the name of the game.

If you look carefully, you’ll see the decoy. They strike the solidarity chord. They position their goods. They provide seemingly nonpartisan advice. They humble-brag, rig information, beautify reputation—all with a precise aim in view. Get to you no matter how.

They appeal to our basic emotions such as fear, love, surprise, anger, and their variations, to catch us unguarded. Using visuals, headlines, click baits, and sappy stories to tug our heartstrings.

Only a few manage to attract attention memorably while billions of posts plunge at the bottom of the feed, quickly replaced by new propaganda.

How can you make great content stand out in this shouting match?

Here a few actionable ruminations for you:

1.    Don’t Be Scared of Crowded Spaces

It seems like every topic has already been touched or written about.

So, point 1: If the need you’re addressing is not new, that’s better than good.

It means that the need persists, and has not found a solution. It’s a signal that there is a real need to be met. There are people out there who crave great content to solve deep burning problems.

The need to belong, to be kosher, to run with the pack, to make the grade, to improve self-image, to get the picture— just to name a few.

2.    Should Your Voice be Heard?

That’s a whole other ball game. Do you have something to stand for?

You and only you can answer that. It may be a brand, a concept, an idea, dissent, hacks. If you do, the next question is: do you have something unique to say? A different angle you’re working on? If you don’t, find one. Beat your own drum.

If you are an emulator, you may have fewer chances of being read. Right, but also wrong.

Just because you’ve come across good content worth spreading, it doesn’t mean that everyone else has. You live and breathe the space that you work in. Many of your readers, customers, prospects probably don’t.

Even an emulator can use original ideas, tweak them, and get away with the public. In fact, there are not so many original thinkers, and those who claim they are, on some level, got their inspirations from others before them.

3.    Tell it as it is

If you want to sell, sell. If you want to share, just share.

Avoid duplicity and all sort of chicanery. It doesn’t play out well in the long run. Once trust is broken, it’s difficult to regain it.

4.    Go for the Jugular

Interesting won’t cut it. Your content needs to be spectacular.

Stand out with every detail. Craft each adjective. Paint with your words.

Go full Stendhal syndrome with each visual and, if in all this, you also manage to be spontaneous, you deserve your Emmy.

5.    The Difference between Good and Bad Gelato

Thousands of ways to make ice cream. Ingredients, more or less the same. But the flavor… oh, the flavor! Same imponderable rules apply to your content: Determine your spoonful tone of voice: simple but not vapid, complex but not snob, soft if you like, loud if you wish. Brick in a wall, disruptive, camp. Whatever. You won’t please everyone anyway.

Endgame

Whatever you choose, don’t cut corners. Go all the way.

There’s always room for great content.

Don’t be discouraged if you see hundreds of posts tackling challenges in your space. That’s, in fact, a good thing.

There will always be room for content that is interesting, unique, useful, and actionable. That’s the type of content that actually helps people meet their needs and solve their problems. That’s the type of content that builds trust and creates long-term relationships.

This is how a distinct voice sounds to me. Now think about how to win with yours.