In an effort to rise above the rest, there are those of us who are truly committed to being genuine and somewhat original. We really think about what we are producing, what we are preaching and the standards we are delivering, and we aim to go the extra mile. Raise the standard. Stand out. Live louder then the masses who are screaming a similar message right alongside of us.

And the noise gets louder and the crowds get deeper. And we wonder if it really is worth the effort we are putting in, day and night. Just to get ahead.

Cutting through the Noise

For those of you who are content marketers, bloggers, and writers this may resonate… As I hope it will with all of you.

I decided tonight that it was time for me to post another article written by me on my own blog site. As strange as that sounds to say it, you may have noticed that I have quite a few guest bloggers on my site. I do this because I am passionate about helping elevate others who are starting out or trying to grow their own business, and need the help – just like I did.

But we all know that to stay true to our personal brands, our own voice needs to be heard. At regular intervals. I write my own blogs. I produce my own work. I love to write, and have done since I was a child. But I never realised that one day it would be part of my career, and the beginnings of moving out into my own business. I now often utilise writing in my digital marketing strategies and it assists greatly in so many aspects of my professional life.

So tonight, I decided I needed to write. And then, I realised that it had become a little harder. In my mind there was a hesitation to write. Not writer’s block, as such. There are endless amounts of ideas floating around in my head, or journalled in books and on my laptop.

This made me think back to when I first started my blog. When I began, I would passionately write whatever was on my mind. I would pour the words onto the page that were so real to me. Words that I thought would relate to those I was trying to communicate with – people similar to me who were desperate to live their dreams. People yearning to make ends meet with their own creative aspirations and entrepreneurial ideas. I never thought about the fact that there were millions of other people all around the world trying to do the same thing.

But I know the stats now. I know that my blog is just one among the millions. And I have too much awareness now of how much it takes to get someone to actually read what you have poured so much into. (Thank you for taking the time here with me in this moment).

So the hesitation was not writer’s block, but a fear that what I write would be worthless. That is, it might become just another heap of words floating around in cyber space that, by chance or a miracle, might randomly be picked up by someone trying to avoid their day job, or waiting to pick up the kids from school. I want everything I write to be brilliant. We all imagine New York Bestsellers every time we put pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard). We want all of this to mean something to someone. It seems that with the overload, and the constant churn of information being produced in the form of books, blogs, white papers, podcasts, webinars, seminars, conferences etc etc it just seems crazy to think that our published work will ever be headlining.

So I nearly didn’t write tonight. But then I was reminded of something very important in the whole scheme of things. It’s a word I have been reflecting on a lot. A conversation with a colleague lately brought this word to the forefront of my thinking and it has remained there ever since. It relates to all aspects of our lives. To our work. To our relationships. It is what makes you stand out from the rest….

Authenticity.

Being real, instead of being perfect.

Shouting with the voice that is uniquely yours.

Creating the strategies that have been formulated from your own creativity and point of view.

Bringing all of you.

Turning up day-in, day-out with your own flare and perspective.

And not caring about the classifications and the statistics.

When you stay true to you, success is forged by your own hand, in your own time, and defined by your own goals. Perhaps you don’t have a million followers. Forget the ego. Forget the numbers. Ooze the essence of you.

Authenticity... Turning up day in day out with your own flare and perspective. Click To Tweet

Your Authenticity will Resonate

Your authenticity will resonate. It will be heard much louder and for much longer than any other voice around you. It will resonate in the ears of those who matter. Those whom your unique flare will make a difference to. In business, this is your perfect target market. The ones who need you will hear it like you’re speaking it.

This doesn’t mean that there is not a lot of hard work involved. Standing out from the crowd takes a lot of effort. You have to become who you really are. You have to have the courage to take a slightly different route. Forging new paths takes focus, dedication and a long term commitment. It is often a very slow build.

...success is forged by your own hand, in your own time, and defined by your own goals. Click To Tweet

We often fear competition in our business and in our lives. The fear comes from our own lack of confidence in who we are and what we are producing. Or because we know that what we are serving up has lost its lustre and we haven’t been bothered to get shine back.

When we have lost our confidence, we lose sight of our own skill and ability and start running after theirs. I believe that competition is the best thing for business. It makes you work harder, focus on what really matters and fills you with a determination which drives you forward to bigger and better things.

When the competition is fierce and you feel like you are getting left for dust, come back to finding your unique edge. Come back to offering authentic, meaningful products and services. Stuff that matters to people. Not the stuff you have decided to serve up because it is an easy way to get the cash. Your competition has turned up on the scene because they have taken the time to care a little more.

Engage more. In all the churn that fills the digital pathways, engagement (I mean real, good conversation and interaction) is what is blatantly lacking with most people who are building a brand in today’s online marketplace. How have we forgotten that the timeless key to any successful business is good manners, respect and communication?

But additionally, engagement with your audience is the greatest tool you have for communicating your authenticity. In any business.

So I sat down to write. This blog will be published. And it will become part of the churn. But for those of you who are hearing me… Just stay true to you. Write and create even if you think that there is no one listening.

With each and every piece of work you produce, a better one is being formed within you. With each word you write, your voice is being refined. And the perfecting of your own take on things is the purity of your authenticity beginning to shine through in everything you do. And it cuts through the noise. Every time.

Photo Credit: Patrick Tomasso

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are you doing to stand out from the rest? What do you bring to the table that no one else is offering?