Why Trend-Jacking is A Scam
I've said it before and I'll say it again: trend-jacking is hurting your business. Stop 👏 It 👏 .
If you're not familiar, trend-jacking is what it sounds like: making content to ride someone else's wave. Same music, same format, same concept. On LinkedIn it's basically plagiarism with extra steps (but that's a different newsletter). This is common, accepted, and normal online, so don't feel bad if you've done this. It CAN work on occasion. But here's my beef:
It erases YOU from your own content.
Worse, it's not even built to convert your audience. Which means you end up wasting time and energy on creating content for a business you don't even own.
I get it. When you're buried in making content for your business, coming up with new ideas is exhausting. You get tired, see a post you really like, and decide to borrow the idea. Over time, you can't tell which ideas are actually yours and which ones you absorbed from a creator you started following two years ago. We've all been there. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna hold your hand, give you a loving slap and tell you to cut it out.
It's time to fix it. ⬇️ Let's get honest about what you should actually be posting about.
GOOD CONTENT STRATEGY EXISTS IN THE CENTER OF:
What You Love to Talk About - The things people should be cautious bringing up around you, because you can go on for a while.
What Nobody Else is Talking About - Either they aren't talking about it or they are talking about it, in your humble opinion, very wrong.
What You Have a Unique POV About - Something you aren't just regurgitating, but you have some serious IP on.
The trap I see founders falling into is that they are trying to use inspiration and post ideas built for content creators, not for businesses earning 5-6 figures in monthly recurring revenue.
In other words, put down the trend and slowly walk away.
So instead of spending another hour scrolling TikTok or LinkedIn for post ideas to save, might I suggest digging into that vault of content that is your own brain? Here's how.
SHAKE LOOSE CONTENT IDEAS ONLY YOU COULD COME UP WITH
1. You repeat yourself often, I promise. Find out what you actually say.
If you record your calls (and you should), dump around 5 or more into an AI, redacted to be safe. Ask it to pull out the phrases, analogies, and objections you talk about on repeat.
>> This is your FAQ and topics list.
2. What do you have to actively avoid getting into disagreements about in your industry?
The hot take you keep swallowing because it feels too spicy. The advice you roll your eyes at when you see other people giving it. The tactic you refuse to use even though it's "standard." That's a POV and the spicer it is, the more it'll make you stand out. It's what will make your dream clients say 'THAT is who I want to work with.'
>> These are your POVs
3. How do you actually take clients from point A to point B?
You may not have written it down (yet!), but you have a process for how you work. Even if it's just how you think about it, I really challenge you to get this out on paper. This is your true IP, wrapped up in a way that you can actually share with people. It offers you social posts and can improve your offers page, sales conversations, and more.
>> This is your unique process
When you have all three of these, you don't just have post ideas. You have a content arsenal ready to be built. The challenge now is to actually use it. It can be easy to fall back into the trap of "5 Tips to Write better Content" instead of "Your TikTok Dance Won't Win You Graphic Design Clients" and I think we both know which one people will pay attention to.
Now, Don't Let Your New Arsenal Gather Dust
It's not just about coming up with the ideas. It's about using them right. If you've ever posted, and posted, and posted only to have the entirely wrong audience in your comments and on your free discovery calls — it's time we had a chat.
I have 6 spots available now through the end of May for my Content-to-Conversion Reality Check. This 2-week intensive shows you where your content system is costing you growth. Schedule a 15-minute fit check to see if it's the right solution for you.
