People always talk about “writing what you know” but what does that actually mean?
What if I don’t know what I know. I’m interested in a lot of things, how do I decide which of those things to start writing about?
Whenever I get stuck and can’t think of what to write, I think back through all the conversations I’ve had over the last few days. It could be on the phone, on a zoom call, or on text - it doesn’t really matter where you have a conversation. I look for conversations where I got into it. Where I was just flowing.
Let me give you an example. People reach out to me to talk through their marketing strategy almost on a weekly basis. I find myself explaining concepts and principles, and getting really into how they could carry out a marketing campaign that would reach their target audience. When I’m having these conversations, I’m not really thinking about anything. I’m just asking them questions to understand what their problem is and then exploring ways we can solve those problems.
I found that using this method - using real conversations as a rough outline - makes for much better content than if I were just to sit down and start writing. Here’s why…
1. The content solves a problem
Because you’ve literally had a conversation with a real person that is fits your ideal customer profile (ICP), you know the information you’re giving is valuable. When you’re having the conversation, you can tell if it’s connecting with the person. If it connects when you’re speaking, chances are it’ll connect when you write, or record, or however you create content.
2. Speaking the language of the ICP
When you sit down to write, you may be writing as if you’re speaking to yourself. The problem with this is that you already know a lot about your area of expertise, and chances are your ICP isn’t as informed as you. When you’re having conversations with someone in real life, you can gauge that and adjust the language you’re using to make sure they understand the concepts you’re giving them.
3. Conversational tone
For me personally, the content that has a conversational tone connects with me much better than if it reads like a textbook. The best authors and content creators make me feel like they’re talking to me directly, like they’re teaching me the concepts one-on-one. When you’re actually translating a real one-on-one into a different form of content, a lot of times, you can maintain this conversational tone.