Edition 10: Use Your Inside Voice and Know that All That Glitters Isn't Gold
If you format your content incorrectly on LinkedIn you won't grow. Sorry.. buzzkill. I know. You also won't grow if you assume what you see of influencers is reality.
If your content reads like this, you’re doing it wrong:
Marketing to everyone is marketing to no one.
#marketing #business #whatinspiresme #whatmotivatesme #mypersonalhashtag #entrepreneurship #content #contentstrategy #smallbusiness #linkedin
If your list of hashtags is longer than the body of your content you’re doing it wrong.
Each hashtag you use is like reading your content out loud in a crowded room.
Think about this for a minute.
Dropping Multiple Hashtags is Yelling Into Multiple Crowded Rooms
The list of hashtags you use in your content should never be longer than the actual content that you're sharing. Think of each hashtag as yelling your content out loud into a room of people who are there to listen to what you have to say.
If your list of hashtags is longer than your content, you're screaming at far too many people. In marketing to everyone, you're marketing to no one.
I recommend finding no more than four that matter for your targeting and use those. And ONLY those. Stick with them as much as possible. It’s fine to experiment now and then by shifting some in and out. But the goal should be to find your wheelhouse and be consistent.
You’re not spammy. You have value to offer. Stop yelling into multiple rooms and pick the rooms you want to speak to.
In time the hashtags you use won’t matter at all because your followers will seek out your content with intention.
Baby steps.
There Will Always Be Somebody With More…
There will always be someone with more resources.
There will always be someone who got an earlier start than you.
There will always be someone who's more connected.
There will always be someone who seems invincible.
There will always be someone who appears born to succeed.
However, you can control two things that level the playing field:
1. Consistency
2. Resiliency
Find out what consistency means to you and stick with it. It doesn't have to be an hour of engagement every day. You don't have to post on LinkedIn every single day. You know what you can handle. Do that.
Your early content will not be good. Mine sucked. So what?
Keep bouncing back and do it again. You'll get better as you go. A corner will be turned.
Above all else be consistent and be resilient. There's less separation between you and the "untouchables" than you think there is. All that glitters isn't always gold.
Influencers put their pants on one leg at a time. They aren’t what they seem. They have real-world problems like you and me.
Don’t put them on a pedestal. Don’t compare yourselves to them.
Go on your own journey.
Don’t know where to start?
You Don’t Have to Be in Love With What You’re Doing to Be In Love With Your Life
Want to know the biggest BS quote in the history of civilization?/
Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life!
💩
I get the notion. It’s a cutesy thing to say in a highly polished Instagram post, or in a motivational speech to people who are buying what you have to sell.
But it’s patently false. Work is work. Even the most fulfilling work in the world is still work.
It’s fine not to love your work every single day, and don’t let people tell you otherwise. This applies to a corporate setting if you’re looking to escape and start something for yourself. It equally applies if you’ve started something for yourself and you’re slogging through the tougher days.
And make no mistake, starting something is never all sunshine and daffodils.
Find work that energizes you. Take the good with the bad.
And definitely stop beating yourself up if you’re not glowing with fulfillment at the end of each long day.
No one is.
Announcing the July Guests for the Solopreneur Spotlight Series Livestream on LinkedIn!
The new Solopreneur Spotlight Series live stream kicks off on Wednesday, July 7th, and I'm thrilled to have four of my favorite people join me as guests in July:
July 7th (inaugural guest!) - Jason Nelson - Jason has a profound voice in the world of solopreneurship, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to run a business while also pursuing second streams of revenue.
July 14th - Kristi Mitchell - I've been following Kristi's evolution as a business owner for some time and am thrilled to talk with her about what it takes to build a marketing consulting business as a solopreneur.
July 21st - Alex Mimms - Alex is doing admirable work helping ex-service members transition to the workforce, and fully leverage their personal brand through LinkedIn and traditional networking.
July 28th - Michelle DeNio - Michelle's unique brand of no-nonsense content and coaching will have you thinking about your business, and where it can go in the future, and I'm sure our conversation will do the same.
I can't wait to kick off the Solopreneur Spotlight Series and grow our community of powerful, driven solopreneurs in the process.
Watch LinkedIn for more details and let me know if you’d like an invite to Episode 1!
Need Help Taking Your LinkedIn Game to the Next Level? I Can Help.
As a solopreneur or small business owner, time is the most valuable commodity. There's a constant evolution in the priority of the work to be done.
Content creation isn't a priority for one of several reasons.
You're experiencing one of these four mindsets:
1. I try to create content, but it doesn't "sound" like me.
2. Other people make content seem easy. It's not easy for me.
3. My connections find ideas with no problem and create constantly.
4. I don't have time to dedicate to content. It's probably something I should be doing, but where is the time?
You haven't created content - or stayed consistent with it - because it's on the back-burner due to all of the other hats you're wearing.
Or, you're stuck in analysis paralysis.
Or flat-out annoyed other people make it easy.
If this is gnawing away at you, we understand.
The good news is:
There's a solution.
Through Zanate Ventures, I provide custom-tailored coaching, batch content creation, done with you and done for you content strategy & ghostwriting services for solopreneurs, executive coaches, and small business owners.
Curious how I work?
Til next week:
Think of each hashtag you use like speaking your content out loud in a crowded room. Use your inside voice.
Stop comparing yourself to the influencers out there. You don’t even know what you could be comparing yourself against. Go on your own journey.
Ignore the dumb quote, “Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life!” It’s BS. Work is work. Find something you enjoy (most days) and ride the waves that we all have to ride.
Also, I’d LOVE to hear your feedback about Content Notes!
Like the GIFs? Think they’re annoying as hell?
Taking any value out of the content?
Too afraid to unsubscribe even though you hate it?
Hit me up at kris@krishughes.com and let me know.
I want to make this what y’all want it to be so we all have a good time with it!
Happy Weekend!