How to create content that taps into someone’s identity

When you share an article with your network, why do you do it? If you’re like me, it’s probably because doing so does a couple of things:

  • It shows that you’re informed and on-the-pulse
  • It reinforces your thoughts, feelings, or opinions
  • It offers you some credibility and shows that you know what you’re talking about

When you read between the lines, these all boil down to one simple fact:We’re sharing content because it aligns with our identity.It appeals to our interests. It caters to our identity, whether personally or professionally. It taps into the things that matter to us--and we like showing that to other people.Here’s where it gets interesting...Behind every piece of content you’ve ever shared was a person who knew exactly what they were doing.They already understood your identity. They strategically created that content specifically for you because they knew that, in doing so, they had the highest odds of you sharing it and getting exponential visibility in the process.And here’s the brilliance of it…You can do the exact same thing with your content.You already know your target members down to a tee. You know their identity. You get what matters to them.All you have to do is distill them down into specific questions, challenges, and interests. Then, craft ultra-specific content on each one. Create content with a specific person in mind--even if they’re a hypothetical representation of your target audience. And watch how your content takes off.