Are you too 'boring' to be successful online?
Heloise Laight
Helping female consultants, coaches and trainers create online courses to profitably reach a wider audience. +AI Consultant & Trainer +Investor
Can I tell you a not so big secret?
I’m probably a bit boring to some people.
I know that sounds an odd thing to say,
But it’s true.
I go on social media every day and see all these women (and men!) building up huge social media followings…
They’re outspoken, and quirky, with fascinating backstories and strong opinions.
Thanks to their interesting personalities, they seem to build their brands at breakneck speed.
People and drama seem to flock to them in droves!
But then there’s me…
I’m not particularly angry about anything.
I’ve had some difficult health issues to deal with (a story for another time) but not a life changing trauma.
There’s not a big drama in my life.
For years, I’ve wondered if I could or should be more opinionated and outspoken, like all those online heroes I see selling courses and books.
And for good reason…
You see, years ago when I was working at Agora Inc (the online publisher that became a billion dollar brand) we learned that strong opinions work very well in the world of information publishing…
Whether those opinions were right or wrong didn’t matter so much.
For example, we had one expert newsletter writer who thought the world would grind to a halt in the year 2000 – he even moved to a caravan in the desert with some guns and tinned food.
Totally deluded.
But wow, he believed it and his stuff was gripping!
You can just imagine how many people were fascinated by his views and eagerly awaited his next bizarre missive!
The lesson I was taught was this…
As long as someone had a strong cause to stand for, or a common enemy to fight against, you could quickly build an audience.
But was it actually TRUE?
Well, no, not always, as it turns out.
It doesn’t have to be that way at all.
And this might come as something of a relief to you…
Because I know it can feel intimidating, looking at all these successful course creators and gurus with their big ideas and outspoken views.
But when you create your course, you don’t have to be like those people?if you aren’t comfortable with it.
And here’s why…
How to be ordinary and still be special
In these blogs I’ve talked a lot about how I used to remain firmly in the background of my business.
I never stepped out in front of the camera… or got on stage…
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Instead, I helped my clients and business partners achieve their goals and launch their courses, newsletters and membership sites.
I didn’t want to be ‘front of house’ for many reasons.
Lack of confidence was one of them.
But having been trained to believe that extreme opinions and an eccentric personality were crucial for success, I also presumed I wasn’t the right kind of person.
I didn’t have any weird ideas or controversial opinions to shout about.
Nothing that would get me attention in an already noisy world.
And I didn’t want to make something up either or pretend to be someone I wasn’t.
So when I first stepped onto a stage to coach an audience– I decided to be myself.
Yes, the boring, everyday me.
And you know what…?
It didn’t matter.
Because the people there knew I was being sincere… that I wasn’t doing this just to show off… and that all I wanted to do was help them learn something.
In fact, I think they were more drawn to what I was saying because I kept it simple, and focussed on getting them a result.
That was what made me ‘special’.
So here’s the thing…
Just be yourself!
If you have a strong opinion on something in your field of interest, then that’s brilliant.
You should shout it from the rooftops!
If you love the drama that your ideas create and you thrive off the attention, then go for it.
Being ‘like Marmite’ is good…
If people have strong opinions about you, then you are doing something right.
But…
It’s also okay NOT to be like that, too.
If you are someone that looks at the Gary Vaynerchucks, Dan Kennedys and Grant Cardones of the online world and thinks?“I’m so not like that”, then don’t worry!
For every shouty online warrior, there can be a different, quieter kind of authority – and that’s fine, too.
Is Oprah Winfrey known for getting caught up in the drama of things?
No…
Yet she’s built an empire by being reasonable, inquisitive and balanced.
There are only a few rules…
If you can do this, you’ll build a loyal audience that likes and respects you for who you are.
And if you’d like to work with me then I’d love to welcome you to my Course Creation Academy – just?email?me for details.