Here’s how to make your content stand out

One of my favorite thought leaders is my friend Elijah Bowie. Not only does he have brilliant insights around sales, but since I started in editorial, I notice when people structure and deliver their content in a particularly notable way.

So, it's not just the sentiment when Elijah says: "If you're the cheapest, no one will expect you to be the best. If you're the best, no one will expect you to be the cheapest." It's the parallelism in the sentences. Read them over again out loud and listen to the structure.

Another thing I noticed was that travel was always prevalent in his storytelling. He led a training where he was coaching people not to focus on the specifics of an offer but the transformation. But he didn't say it like that. He said: "You don't sell a flight to Hawaii by telling people how many gallons of gasoline the airplane holds or showing them the switches in the cockpit; you tell them how soon you'll get them there."

So, I asked him one time: "Is it intentional that you using travel so much in your storytelling examples?" And he said (I'm paraphrasing): "Yes, because I'm also subconsciously telling the listener that I'll take them from point A to point B."

This exchange is the first thing I thought of when I saw Gabby Bernstein do a reel where she answered FAQs for an upcoming course launch. In the reel, she's walking--down a path, through a doorway--where she explains to you how she'll help you break through and achieve more success in your relationships. (Kind of like stepping through a doorway, to the other side...which the audience is watching and internalizing as she speaks).

The quality of your advice and thought leadership matters. But the delivery--the way your sentences are structured; the way your videos are filmed--that's what gives your content that extra spark that makes someone say: This is really resonating with me.

I appreciate that this advice might seem intimidating: "Be a gifted orator" isn't like "download this app," "cut your word count by 200," or "use first person instead of third." 

But if I know one thing about thought leaders, it's that you're not looking for the easiest advice out there. You're looking for the answer as to why your content isn't cutting through the noise. 

Your content is your starting point. It's fundamental. But what comes next helps it break through. So, watch and study people whose messaging stands out to you (or hire people who do).