Friday, April 30, 2021
Today we’re going to talk about what I call Invisibility Removal.
(This is what some people call marketing and content promotion. But don’t run away yet.)
Creative, vibrant, engaging content is a wonderful thing. There isn’t enough of it (even though there’s more than enough of that other kind).
When you put passion and care into your content (blog posts, email newsletters, YouTube videos, podcast scripts, etc.) you stand out.
But.
Even the most glorious content will not find an audience all by itself.
Allow me to introduce you to what I call Sonia’s law:
“Nothing sells itself.” – Sonia’s Law
The good news is, once you’ve crafted something that’s worth your audience’s attention, it doesn’t need a major push.
You just need to get yourself where you can be seen, so you can get the benefits from all the hard work you’ve put in.
That’s Invisibility Removal.
It doesn’t have to be dire
A lot of good writers avoid any kind of promotion because it feels aggressive, pushy, or just plain old cheesy.
Which is too bad, because it means that often the least capable writers are the ones that get all the attention.
And that’s just irritating. So let’s fix it.
In my experience, the key is to be curious about different techniques for marketing and promotion, then choose the ones that feel right for you. Adapt them to suit your voice and values, and leave the rest behind.
Some years back, I wrote a post on Copyblogger about doing exactly that, which blew up and ended up turning into a massive online community. That community has evolved in new directions, but the idea is more important than ever:
Is Your Tribe Holding You Down?
Nearly all of the historic (or current) figures you admire were excellent self promoters. That’s why you know enough about them to admire them.
Whether your role model is Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or Greta Thunberg, they all started by getting comfortable with being seen. And you can, too.
Get great at one platform
If you’re a software startup with a pile of venture capital, go ahead and push forward on all of the big social platforms.
But if your resources are a little more limited, start off by getting really good at one.
It’s smart to pick a platform where you have a decent chance of bumping into potential customers or clients. But beyond that, just pick the one where you feel best.
After struggling with Facebook year after year, I’ve given up and gone back to Twitter. (It helps that the Orange Menace isn’t there any more.)
LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and yes, Facebook are all excellent options.
Smaller niche platforms like Clubhouse might be a great fit, but they need to be side projects until you’ve proven to yourself that they’re worth your time and attention. For every new platform that takes off, there are approximately one skillion that die.
Your first goal isn’t necessarily to find customers and sign them up. Your first goal is to get visible.
That means learning how to be valuable and cool in the context of that community. It also often means getting to know other folks who do the kind of work you do, so you can find your place in a larger ecosystem.
(Are we going to talk about ads? For sure, eventually. But the first step is to choose your primary platform and understand how to be a great community member there.)
The quickest way to get visible
In a conversation inside Creative Fierce the other day, we talked about the power of being militant about what matters.
I’m unapologetic about my political viewpoint on Twitter. People who don’t like it are very welcome to unfollow me. And if that’s too hard, I help out by blocking them.
I don’t even have to tell you what my viewpoint is, because you already know. And you’ve already decided if that works for you or not.
But there are lots of things that I’m not militant about on Twitter. (Color theory, the life-changing magic of carbohydrates, whether or not Adam Sandler is funny, which way the toilet paper goes on the roll. Etc.)
I’ve developed a strong sense of what I can compromise on … and what I don’t. And I suggest you do the same.
Robert Cialdini has written some excellent work on this in his book Pre-suasion, particularly the principle he calls Unity. I wrote about that here:
The Ultra-Powerful 7th Principle of Persuasion
Humble Brag: Cialdini’s organization has contacted me for permission to use that article in his classes. Not gonna lie, I was pretty elated.
Put one thing you care about front and center. And be willing to be loud about it.
You don’t have to get loud about everything that’s important to you. Pick one and fly that flag.
One other thing I’m kind of militant about
OK, I know I said pick one, but this really does bug me.
It makes me incredibly sad when people say they aren’t creative.
Not only do a lot of folks believe they lack the “creativity gene,” some of them get really anxious when you encourage them to try.
Everyone reading this message is creative. But some of us have gone creatively cold. That’s a completely normal state (especially when times are so stressful), and it can be reversed.
I’m going to lead a workshop on how to do that.
This will be focused on content writers, but the truth is, most of the principles are universal. So if you’re wrestling with a massive knitting block right now, you’d probably enjoy the session as well.
Here’s some more information about it, and I hope we see you there!
New Workshop: Unfreeze Your Content Creativity
Have a fabulous weekend, and stay Fierce!
– Sonia
