Page 103 - The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business - PDFDrive.com

creators I think generosity is the key to standing apart,” she said. “My aim has
been to give without expecting in return.

“I don’t accept sponsorship or paid links. I think people like the non-salesy
approach; they trust that I am here to give first, last, and always. That’s enabled
me to build a lot of trust. When you give from a place of not taking, people
really do want to give back.

“I write about understanding your customer’s worldview, about that being the
secret to changing how people feel and the foundation of a great brand story,”
Jiwa said. “You either believe this or you don’t. There is no middle ground. I
think standing for something in this way means that people like you, those who
share the same values, want to join you.”

The one-way hero

Much of the time, this intimate, content-earned connection isn’t two-way. One
man wrote me, “I saw you give a speech three years ago and have followed your
blog ever since. I have never reached out to you before, but I just wanted to let
you know that I am a fan and I am sharing your content in my workplace almost
every day. We even use your ideas in our customer meetings. I wanted to let you
how much I have learned from you, how much I appreciate your integrity and
what you stand for in this crazy business world.”

Through the magic of my content alone I was able to form a meaningful,
personal connection with a person I’ve never heard of, a man who lived on the
other side of the world, in fact. How could this have happened in another age?

This opportunity exists for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you have a college
degree, an important job title, a fancy house, or political connections. Those
trappings of power no longer matter. You can be a hero to your audience through
your sincere hard work, passion, and dedication to your content.

Through your content you not only show what you sell, but who you are.
This is the difference between being a content producer and taking the first step
toward becoming a Heroic Brand. For example, sports fans or people working on
political campaigns don’t see themselves as buying into a product. They belong
to a larger movement. Such an ideal aligns with an individual’s sense of self and
drives him or her to evangelize the team, product, or person with almost blind
dedication.

“The inspired leaders and the inspired organizations, regardless of size and
industry, all think and act from the inside out,” said author Simon Sinek.4
“However, most people sell, market, and communicate from the outside in.