How to stop feeling over-exposed in your marketing content
“Ummm. Miss Grimm? You’re. Like. Bleeding.”
Molly, a sweet 9th grader, timidly raises her hand with this news.
On my first day EVER of teaching in my own classroom, I’m bleeding through my off-white pantyhose
(OFF WHITE PANTYHOSE! Was it, like, the 80s? Nah. We’re talkin’ January 2000.)
In my effort to be all professional & shit, I’d shaved my legs that morning and apparently nicked myself.
(Damn those cheap pink lady razors. Gah!)
So here I am, first day of teaching high school English, watching blood trickle down my shin as twenty-seven 9th graders who’ve never met me before watch in amusement.
In case you’ve forgotten:
14-year-olds smell your unspoken fears & with one casually RUTHLESS offhand comment, gut you for the rest of the year.
So I’m bleeding in front of the judgiest peoples on the planet…
which is why what happened next was a surprise to me: I laughed & said, “Well, this is embarrassing!”
I brought ‘em into the loop, explained what happened, & asked about the closest bathroom.
When I came back, we laughed together, HARD.
Something unexpected had happened to seal the deal on our relationship the rest of the year:
We fell in LIKE with each other.
Turns out the girls respected me for talking openly about this “woman thing”,
while the boys were simply FASCINATED.
Later, they’d say they felt like “regular people” in our classroom because I “acted like a real person”.
Believe me: I was strict. I may have been transparent, but I also had strong boundaries & expectations.
They complained because I gave too much homework (I totally did. I don’t blame them now.)
And they bitched because I rarely never gave deadline extensions…
Transparency & boundaries were my go-to tool every year to earn my students’ respect & get them to connect with me.
Also: DISCLAIMER: Puh-lennnnn-ty of kids thought I was a giant pain in the ass & didn’t like me.
Why am I telling you this?
1.Well, it’s not necessary to bleed all over the internet to connect with your audience!
No need for an epic story, rags to riches saga, or bleeding wounds to bind you to them.
Help them fall in LIKE with you by being transparently YOU.
Have you found your voice yet? Do you know how to do that?
**Most people haven’t. They think they’re supposed to sound like the Internet Famous Gurus, all polished & “professional” on Instagram…
All perky & creative on Pinterest…
What do YOU sound like when you’re talking in your normal register with words that roll right out of your mouth!?
By the way: What does “professional” even mean anymore?
Come on - we’re redefining this every single day.
Define this for yourself & focus on finding & expressing YOUR voice.
2. Boundaries in your content is a HARD YES.
I know it feels like every creator invites you into their bathroom to see them in their deep tub which somehow works in the MIDDLE of the room
(WHO HAS SPACE FOR THIS?!)
Shows off their flawless vacations - in which they all seem to like their children, in-laws, and extended family members as they romp on the beach…
And brings you into their perfect, clean bedroom, always managing to look CUTE as hell.
This shit is scary for us regular humans who WANT TO HAVE A LIFE that doesn’t always include our clients or audience.
Privacy matters!
How do you do this?
I start by creating my brand content pillars - topics, foundations, approaches, & points of view that are brand-friendly.
Have you created content pillars so you never have to wonder, “Is this on brand for me to talk about?”
Creating content is 100% necessary as part of our business landscape, but so much keeps us from doing it in a way that feels aligned with who we are & who we want to be.
This is literally why I created a very small container to teach you all the HOWs, quickly & deeply.
It’s called The Content Creator’s Mastermind - a small group coaching program to help you:
Know WHAT to say…
WHO to talk to - and cultivate your own little community of fans
& HOW to do it - without the swirl, chaos, confusion, or overwhelm.
Curious? Read the program outline in this very non-fussy Google doc.
In 3 months, we cross that one big thing off your list & do it in a way that FEELS GOOD FOR YOU.
I have room for 3 people starting in May. Want in?
Read about the program details here.
I’d love to talk about whether it’s a good fit for YOU.
Xo, Jen
TL;DR: There is one thing in your content marketing life that would feel SO GOOD to cross off the list.
Website
Lead magnet
Welcome series
Course
Content plan
Etc. etc. etc.
What is it for you? Get guidance, training, and feedback (plus accountability & community) in the Content Creator’s Mastermind.
