Get traction faster
Alright, Blazers...
Another story time.
Had a client call yesterday that blew my mind. She was posting DAILY on LinkedIn. Great content. Solid value. Professional photos. “Looks” like she had a brand.
Zero traction.
"Doug, what am I doing wrong?"
I asked her one question that changed everything:
"When was the last time you wrote something that made you nervous to hit publish?"
crickets
Here's the lesson...
Most people create safe content.
Content that looks good. Sounds smart. Checks all the boxes.
And that's exactly why it fails.
Think about it.
When was the last time you actually REMEMBERED a "5 tips to be more productive" post?
Right. Never.
But I bet you remember that person who shared their massive failure. Or admitted they were wrong. Or took a stand against conventional wisdom.
👉 Here's why this matters...
Your brain is literally wired to ignore the ordinary. It's called habituation. Same reason you don't notice your watch on your wrist anymore.
And your audience's brain? Works exactly the same way.
Want proof?
Look at your own behavior. What made you stop scrolling today?
The polished corporate post?
Or the raw, honest story that felt almost TOO personal?
Or something out of the ordinary?
👉 Safety is death in content creation.
But here's what most people miss:
Being memorable doesn't mean being controversial. It means being HUMAN.
Some ways to do this:
Share the messy middle of your journey
Take a stance (even a small one)
Tell the story you're scared to tell
Question "common wisdom" in your industry
Show your work-in-progress
Your content isn't competing with other content in your industry.
It's competing with:
Cat videos
Netflix
That argument your reader had this morning
Whatever's for lunch
Life itself
You're not just fighting for attention. You're fighting against the entire human experience.
And you know what beats the human experience?
Human connection.
That's your secret weapon. Use it.
Want help crafting content that actually gets remembered? Hit me back.
Chow chow
Doug
P.S. Your "safe" content isn't just boring your audience... it's boring YOU.
And if you're bored creating it, imagine how your readers feel consuming it.
