Written by Andrew Holliday | April 8, 2016
Everyone with a blog, podcast or YouTube channel wants to build an audience. Make your content worthy of being followed, liked and shared and you’ll get an audience. The variable that changes for everyone is the tone and approach used to make their content engaging.
Some people use expertise, research and facts while others rely on wit, comedy and loads of personality to make their content remarkable. There isn’t one right answer for everyone.
You need to find what fits your business and personality. Below are four common perspectives I recommend considering:
- Been There & Done That – This is an expert of the highest degree. This person has years of experience on their topic and extensive credentials to back everything they say. If you don’t have these aspects, I wouldn’t recommend this approach. Don’t try to fake this approach if it doesn’t fit you. Nothing is more off-putting than fake experts.
- Ride Along – The entrepreneur or business in the thick of it as they share their journey with you. This person has expertise, but they don’t know it all. The writing is much more casual than the been there and done that expert. The ride along marketer is often sharing as they build their expertise and/or providing fresh insights along the way. This is the approach we utilize. We have built a wide range of expertise, but we don’t pretend to know everything. We’re sharing with you as we cruise along on our journey and continue to learn.
- I’m New Here – You can expect a very casual and often light-hearted tone from this person. This is usually someone who is just starting on a new challenge, business or journey with no expertise at all. They share the successes and failures which makes it intriguing. Keep in mind that you must not be afraid of sharing everything if you’re going to take this approach. The open book is what makes this person intriguing. People can identify with the struggles and mistakes.
- Curator – The final perspective is that of the curator. Many successful strategies have been built by people who prefer to aggregate other people’s content and turn it into their own successful marketing. This sounds easy and simple, but it is much more difficult than you may think. Consistently sourcing enough content to keep your channels (blog, Instagram and/or whatever avenues you choose) filled isn’t easy. Additionally, it’s difficult to make your voice come through when you’re curating other people’s work. Successful curation can lead to large followings and the positioning as the expert in a field. Unsuccessful curation can leave you looking like a business lacking any voice of your own.
The key to making any of these approaches successful is to find what fits you and stick with it. Allow people to get to know you through your writing, podcast and/or videos. People revisit the places they know they’ll consistently get what they want. As long as you stick with one strategic approach your followers will know what to expect and come back for more.
Action steps:
- Evaluate your expertise and personality and define which perspective best fits you.
- Start writing, creating videos or publishing content wherever you are the best fit.
