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"Everything's been said already."

I hear this ALL the time from clients who are trying to create content in crowded spaces.

And you know what?

They're right.

Pretty much everything has been said.

BUT. Not by you. Not with your experience. Not with your unique perspective. And definitely not with your specific way of solving problems.

Here's my take on original content:

The most engaging content doesn't come from saying something new.

It comes from saying something familiar in a way that makes people see it differently.

Groundbreaking ideas are fab, but they're rare, and totally unecessary in the race to differentiation.

You can entice and resonate with people when your content simply:

• Challenges what you thought you knew
• Shares a surprising result
• Reveals a hidden truth
• Makes you question your approach
• Shows you a better way to do something

This is where your originality lives.

It's not about being first. It's about making something feel new because it comes from you.

(Hey, that rhymes.)

Here are two quick pieces of advice on how to do this:

1. Stop trying to be original

Yep, you read that right.

The more you try to say something completely new, the more you'll drive yourself crazy and share nothing because it's not "worthy of sharing."

Boooooo. That mindset is so limiting.

Instead, focus on what you know to be true from your experience.

Take me as an example. I've never, not once, said anything new about editing. Shocker, I know.

But I don't try to be the world's best editor and I don't try to invent new editing techniques. That is way too much pressure.

Instead, I simply share what I've noticed works for me and others, and importantly, has gotten meaningful results.

And because of that, people feel like I'm saying something new, even if they know I'm not. That novel feeling matters more than pure novelty. You feel me?

2. Mine your experience & share your process

Your experience is your gold mine of original content.

If you're feeling stuck, ask yourself:

• What patterns do I notice in my work?
• What mistakes do I see people make?
• What surprising results have I achieved?
• What conventional wisdom have I proven wrong?
• What problems do I solve differently?

The answers to these questions are your unique angles.

For example, this post I wrote 8 months ago blew people's minds. But I'm not reinventing any wheels here. I just sat down and asked myself how I come up with new ideas, then wrote out my thought process, step by step.

Before I posted this, I'd never thought about how I do it. The second I did, voila, a "revolutionary" idea.

Cool how that works, huh?

The "magic" formula

Want to know the "secret" to original content?

(I can't help but put words like magic and secret in quotes cuz there is no magic or secret to anything but people love to pretend they have the secret key to magic land cuz they want your money #plsoverlookmylackoftalentandgivememoneythxnorefunds)

Here it is:

Common topic + Your experience + Specific details = Original content

It's that simple.

And that hard.

Because it requires you to:

• Draw from your experience
• Get specific about what you know
• Share real examples
• Add nuance
• Take a stand

And that takes critical thinking, time, and energy.

But when you do this consistently?

People start to recognize your unique perspective. They quote your ideas. They remember your frameworks. They come to you for help. You begin to win mindshare.

That's how you stand out in a crowded space.

Cheers,

Erica

PS. Speaking of standing out, if you're struggling to differentiate yourself and your offer, that's exactly what Nick and I help with in Full Stack Solo.

If you're feeling:

• Overwhelmed by all the possible directions you can take your expertise
• Frustrated with unpredictable and inconsistent revenue
• Stuck because you know you can help tons of people, which makes it tough to narrow down who you serve

...then book a call.

We built this program to help you take scattered expertise and turn it into a focused offer, drive traffic to it, and easily close deals.

Let's chat about whether it's right for you :)

Also, a lot of people are asking how much 1:1 time you get with us if you join, so lemme answer publicly: a lot.

You immediately get a 1:1 30 minute call with us when you join. We personally answer all questions in our Skool community. We host biweekly group coaching calls. And the more you participate, the more time you can unlock with us.

Weee ok happy Sunday.

New here? I'm Erica. Your seltzer-loving solopreneur who helps you earn more money with content that moves people to action (but doesn’t feel salesy). ​​

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