People aren’t interested in your words. They want your ideas.
Anyone can produce words. Even artificial intelligence can kick out fairly convincing-sounding words. But those aren’t ideas. At least not yours.
Ideas are the synthesis of available information, filtered through the prism of your unique perspectives and lived experiences, and delivered with proscriptive advice and personalized guidance. And the best ideas belong to the thought leaders among us. Are your best ideas worthy of broader recognition?
I understand the temptation to outsource the rigors of content development to AI; but just know that what you’re packaging is a culmination and compilation of other people’s published thoughts, data and information. Sure, robots can retrieve and package words for you; but they can deliver the same goods to pretty much anybody. And will.
Think about it: If your target audience can cut out the middle man and take on the task of retrieving words and data for themselves, where does that leave you as the expert counselor and trusted advisor?
DATA DATA EVERYWHERE, AND NOT A DROP OF IT THAT THINKS.
Data is everywhere. Information is boundless. Wisdom remains scarce.
Your ideas and your analysis are unique to you. Prove it. Generously and consistently offer up to the world how you think, where you fit, and how you solve problems to deliver value. Your ideas. Your expertise. Your unique perspectives.
Be different, because more of the same is certainly out there. And is it ever. More than ever.
People Go Looking for Answers, Not Options
A correlative example: I can go to WebMD and compare my symptoms to a plethora of possible ailments and maladies. They all sound convincing to the untrained ear. I can come away reasonably informed that an unknowable number of inflictions can be the root cause of my pain. And I can get that for free…and almost instantly.
But it’s not the answer I’m seeking. It’s just more inputs.
So I don’t turn to a website to treat me. For that, I rely on someone I trust. A human. Someone who can cut through the clutter and tell me — personally and directly — what’s going on and what I should do about it.
That trust is earned. But once earned, it’s difficult to erode.
Good news: It’s you they’re after. Not your words.
Show up. Be visible. Be human. Be different. The rewards are most definitely worth the effort.