I had a Twitter conversation with colleagues about “where to find the right information.”
Made me realize how rough it can be when you’re just starting out and the content you find doesn’t meet your needs to reach your goals.
The conversation was about social media, which I purposely don’t use for business.
So my audience was how to get ahead when you outgrow your teacher.
Question: “I don’t like regurgitated #socialmedia tips. Give me something new, uncovered, and most importantly, not generic… “How do we define the levels of learning? Most [social media] tips seemed to be geared for beginners.”
Me: Great question.
I like that this person wants to understand the problem holistically because there is no one to blame, only circumstances worth exploring.
Best part… she’s seeking support to find an answer that suits her skill level.
Kudos to you.
Most tips are for beginners.
Everything isn’t for everyone, and some businesses are focused on helping beginners exclusively.
It’s worth asking first to find out though. Most brands don’t know what their followers want because they don’t have a relationship with you.
It’s a shame, but true.
They’re churning out content without a sense of what their audience wants and desperately needs.
Without your feedback they can’t improve the content, so they usually stick to what they know people will consume.
(i.e. the always safe beginner material.)
Want to change that this week?
Reach out. Ask directly.
Your solution is simple…
The way to get the materials you want… speak up for them, or go to the true source.
It’s time to ask where the people you’re following learned their craft.
In an email, let them know that you’re a fan, and ask who do they read, and where do they go to learn their craft.
If they’re wack, they’ll ignore you, or refuse to answer by deflecting.
Good.
Stop following them. Move forward.
If they’re enthusiastic and love what they do, they’ll want to share their process, and best resources by listing the books, sites, events, best practices, and leaders in the field.
Now you have new resources to level up your skills.
Another outcome… if they’re true leaders… they’ll do that last bit, plus take responsibility to make content that fills the education gap.
That’s always awesome.
Be well,
Max!
P.S. I like answering questions like this. I think it’s best for exploring how to troubleshoot a problem and work around them to a clear path for next steps.
It’s what I do every day with my Clarity Session offering. I’m renaming it, and tempted to call it “Cure for Insomnia” or “Indigestion Blocker”…
… because we tackle the marketing struggles that keep you up at night and causes indigestion.
Let you esophagus heal, schedule a Session today and start sleeping well.