How did Steve Jobs become one the world’s most-revered business visionaries?
It wasn’t for his engineering. He never did any. Another Steve—Steve Wozniak—built the first Apple computers.
It wasn’t for his designs. The iMac, MacBook, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and nearly all flagship Apple products were designed by a man called Jonathan Ive.
It wasn’t for his programming. Truth be told, he couldn’t code.
So the question is…
How did Steve Jobs come to define Apple, the most valuable company on earth?
You might be able to guess the answer..
Jobs created EPIC experiences.
When we think about Steve Jobs, we don’t picture him soldering a circuit board or writing lines of green-on-black code through an old terminal.
No.
What we instantly imagine is an earnest, passionate guy wearing a black turtleneck and jeans…
Presenting a window into the future
We remember him taking things that weren’t real—couldn’t be real—and making them real.
Case in point…
Remember the 2007 iPhone launch keynote?
It's widely considered one the greatest product presentations EVER, redefining both how we interact with our phones and forever raising the bar for tech demonstration and stagecraft.
Little did observers know, however…
The the early prototype Jobs confidently paraded across the stage was barely functional, and the engineers were petrified of a very public failure.
So, in essence…
The iPhone wasn't real
It was simply a vision of the future.
And that didn't stop Jobs from delivering an EPIC experience that will be remembered for years to come.
And you know what?
That’s the kind of experience YOUR audience and prospective buyers want from you, too.
Sure, they want to get from “point A” (a problem or pain point) to “point B” (a solution).
But…
What people crave are EPIC experiences
Get this right, and people will follow you—even if don't have any technical skills or knowledge (like Steve Jobs).
Get this wrong, and it won’t matter how great your content is—people won’t want to read it.
It's that simple.
Now, I know that the idea of delivering an “epic experience” might seem a bit daunting ─especially when learning how to grow an online business.
So below you'll find a 7-step guide to quickly create epic content for your blog!
10 years ago, anyone posting stream-of-consciousness rants about their life was guaranteed a loyal, if perhaps modest, readership.
But those days are long gone.
What works today is content that addresses a specific pain point, or answers a specific question your prospects might have.
Entertainment isn’t enough—there has to be real, tangible, problem-solving value for your readers.
Keep this in mind, though…
Epic content isn’t epic because it “re-invents the wheel.”
It’s epic simply because it takes an unanswered question, and offers an elegant solution—without stressing over how “unique” or “original” it might be.
So don’t try to outsmart your readership, especially if you'e just learning how to grow an online business. Just thoroughly solve a problem your readers have.
Not sure what I mean? Check out one of our popular posts…
“How To Keep Facebook from Banning Your Ad Account!“
There's nothing “unique” in this post.
However, since most people don’t “get” Facebook's policies, they found the post delightful.
Reading Facebook's official Terms of Service makes for pretty dry reading, after all.
So Matt Baran, our Chief Traffic Officer, uses his personal expertise to break down Facebook’s ad guidelines in plain English for “non-techy” people…
And though his information isn’t advanced, our readers love his insights!
It's that simple.
It bears repeating that your goal is to get readers from “point A” to “point B.”
Nothing fancy, right?
But what makes your content special is your personal “secret sauce”:
The creative combination of ideas unique to your writing.
Fortunately, you don’t have to invent ideas.
Frankly, any idea worth repeating has been around for ages.
Instead, what you want to do is combine ideas, problems, and solutions in creative ways that your readers haven’t seen before.
To do that, you’ve got to first collect ideas.
They don’t pop out of nowhere—you’ve got to go “hunting” for them.
One thing to do is read like a mad person. Or, if you’re not the reading type, you can sit back and watch YouTube videos, read magazines, check out websites and blogs, or go watch a lecture over on TED.com.
Point being: keep your head filled with a steady stream of new (high quality) information.
Always be on the lookout for new insights your readers will enjoy.
Keep an eye out for concepts and stories you find exciting. Chances are strong that others will enjoy them, too!
Once you find your idea-mining groove, make note of concepts you like.
Keep organized.
It’s all well and good to think, “Wow, this is cool!” But if you don’t remember where you found it, you won’t be able to use it while writing your content!
So keep track of ideas for your content—there’s no excuse not to, with apps like Readability, Pinboard, and Evernote, which allow you to save online articles in one simple click.
It's tempting to think your readers want what you want—but that’s a mistake.
Here’s why…
Let’s say you’re writing for people like you. So they'll know roughly what you know, right?
This means they’ve no reason to follow and buy from you.
Thus, writing for them won’t make you any money!
Here's what you should do instead…
Write for people who are trying to be where you are.
That makes you an authority figure, and importantly, someone to buy from!
And don’t worry if you're new to blogging or Internet marketing.
You can (and should) teach what you're learning as you're learning how to grow an online business.
Heck, there's enough information on this blog to make you an expert in many people's eyes.
And keep this in mind too…
Apple doesn't make the most cutting-edge products and their hardware is far from the most advanced.
But what makes Apple different is their commitment to simplicity over sophistication.
Simply put: Apple's products are easy to use.
And that’s exactly what you should be aiming for.
Study your niche's problems; find simple solutions; break them down so others can use them.
Voila—you've created epic content!
When you’re trying to get into a prospect’s head…
You’re competing.
Not just with other offers in your industry—with everything else your reader could spend their time, money, and attention on!
Yes, that includes the SMS they just got, the TV show they could be watching, everything in their Facebook feed, and every other competing blog or newsletter out there too.
So how do you compete?
Well, as much as it pains me, let's talk about the Kardashians for a moment.
They certainly aren't talented in any conventional sense. They can’t play musical instruments, they’re not well-educated, they don’t appear to have valuable technical skills, and they don't appear to be able to achieve “matrimonial stability.”
But, they sure can keep the attention of an audience!
This is because it's human nature to be addicted to stories.
We love narrative. We love drama. We love characters. We tune in to see what's going to happen next. We don't want to be left out of the “gossip loop.”
And at the end of the day, what counts in business is your audience.
Because when people start buying your stories, you can't help but achieve success.
So, as a rule of thumb…
You should be weaving stories into ALL the content you ever write.
That’s the simplest, shortest way to bring that extra “oomph” and relatability to your content.
Use it!
You know what your voice sounds like, right?
It’s what makes you sound distinct from everyone else. It’s one of the things people love (or hate) about you.
Without it, you wouldn’t be yourself.
A writing voice works in the same exact way. It’s how people hear you when they read your blog posts.
It’s what puts personality and “soul” into everything you write.
But how do you find—and cultivate—your writing voice?
How do you stay true to “yourself” while delivering content your readers want and will find useful?
The first thing to do is write continuously.
Even if it’s just 100 words a day, writing daily will help you develop your voice.
The next thing to do is warm it up.
It’s what singers do to get their voice ready—and it’s a solid idea for writers too.
Write a few paragraphs without trying too hard or pushing yourself. Just write what comes naturally, off the top of your mind. After that, you’ll find your writing flows a lot more naturally.
Finally, once you’re done writing, read the whole thing out loud to yourself.
If it sounds natural, hit “publish!”
If something sounds unnatural, tweak it until it “flows” when you speak it.
Follow these simple tips, and you’ll always have a strong, persuasive writing voice.
Every idea we accept as common sense today was, at one time, controversial.
For example, in the past, people thought the earth was the center of the universe…and it took some serious “disagreeing” to convince 'em otherwise!
Does that mean we’d be better off being wrong? Nope!
Does it mean that, sometimes, the best content goes against the grain? Yup!
Now, you’re probably not a scientist. You’re probably not writing textbooks or making speeches on national television…so why does it matter if you ruffle a few feathers?
Oh, that’s right. It doesn’t.
You only stand to win from controversy.
So say what you feel. Get a few things wrong. Be contrary. Challenge yourself and other people!
For every person that disagrees with what you said, two will agree—and admire you for saying what they were thinking.
So don’t be afraid to add a little “spice” to your content.
Embrace controversy from time to time and get people talking about your content!
In fact, you can even listen to a call I gave on “Three Controversial Ways to Enhance Credibility.”
Bottom line is that some will dislike what you have to say, but more will love and share it!
I don’t have to tell you that to get where you’re going, you’ve got to face your fears.
Now, I’m not saying you need to be fearless…far from it, in fact.
But you do need to face what scares you (and then write about it!)
Great content means going where nobody else is…to those scary places, those places where your richest potential hides, the places your mind doesn’t want you to go…
Because there’s nothing new or awesome in your comfort zone.
All the really good s#%! in life is far outside what's currently comfortable—and unless you face your fears, you won’t ever get where you want to go.
You've got to BE someone you're currently not to DO and HAVE the things you currently don't.
That's a fact.
So look back at those events you’re scared to remember. Face something you’re embarrassed or ashamed to admit. Say what you wish someone else would; something you’re scared to.
Here's the thing: no idea’s 100% original, and you won’t be the first to think or say anything…
But you might be the first to write it down and share it with your readership.
That makes you a leader, and guess what leaders do?
That’s right—make epic content!
Bonus Tip…
Imagine a complete stranger comes up and offers you a million bucks.
Kinda weird, right?
If you’re like most people, your knee-jerk reaction is immediate suspicion.
What’s their agenda? Are they perhaps a well-meaning Nigerian prince in a pinch?
Or someone untrustworthy?
You just don't know.
Now, understand that epic content is exactly like that million dollars.
It's money.
Which is an amazing thing to give. But, if you’re not asking for something in return…
People will be suspicious.
Your authority in their eyes will drop, you certainly won't convert your audience into customers, and ultimately, you’ll be losing out on money that’s pretty much yours.
So what do you do?
Stop giving everything away for free and start asking for something in return!
On one level or another, your readers know they need to give something to get something good.
Sadly, most bloggers don’t seem to realize this. They give everything away for free—not realizing it diminishes their authority and erodes their readers' trust.
I mean, think about it…
Steve Jobs wasn’t shy about charging a premium, right?
After all, Apple isn't the most valuable company in the world by competing on price.
No sir.
So take a page out of Jobs' playbook…
And learn how to start being compensated for the value you deliver.
If you'd like to learn more about how best to write posts that attract prospects to build your list…
Then make sure you get access to Attraction Marketing’s FREE 10-Day Online Recruiting Bootcamp.
You’ll learn about the specific tools and techniques you can use to connect with prospects online, so you’ll never have to chase anyone to make a sale, or deal with cold calling and rejection, ever again.
These methods allow you to build your business automatically—where prospects reach out to you (instead of you having to reach out to them).
You can take advantage of these methods starting today—no matter how much (or little) online prospecting and recruiting experience you currently have.
The bottom line is that, in today’s age, you don’t need to be pushy, obnoxious, or overly-aggressive to build a successful business!
So don't wait a second longer to communicate your story and value to the world…
Simply click here and you'll get access to AM's 10-Day Online Recruiting Bootcamp.
Here’s to your success!
Until next time,
Andrew Draughon
Director of Content
Attraction Marketing
FREE INTERNET RECRUITING COURSE
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