Matt's Mix Tape, Vol. 113
Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape: essays + links on living a vibrant and creative middle life.
This week’s Mix:
Using Write of Passage to push past our own limits
Find your niche by ignoring it
Marketing buzzwords signal fear
Quick Mix
Florida photo
Using Write of Passage to push past our own limits
Another Write of Passage cohort, my third working as a mentor, is complete.
With each successive cohort, I learn another piece of an important lesson:
The more I open up as a mentor, the more others open up in response. And once they open up, they often access the thing they really want to write.
It is so great to watch that process unfold.
Some people come into the course with a well-defined writing lane. Often very professional, very corporate. Financial regulations, or human resources strategy.
And that’s fine.
Sometimes—often to their dismay—students figure out they don't care about their topic.
The professional topic is a front. A cover for the thing they really want to write about. Once a student realizes this, a deeply pained expression takes over their face.
Because now, they know they have to go write about that thing that is true and scary for them. They may even change their entire career plan.
Those are my favorite moments of transformation.
Write of Passage is a place to learn about sharing your ideas online. But for many people, it’s a place to learn about themselves. To tear through the tension of what they think they are supposed to be and what they want to be.
I’m along for their ride, gently prodding and pushing. And I gather so much inspiration and strength from their transformations.
Find Your Niche by Ignoring It
Coach Willis, who spits fire daily on LinkedIn, on how creators find a niche:
Your niche doesn’t just find you. It is a tidal wave that threatens to consume you. There is no mistaking it. But if you go looking for it directly, it will elude you for a lifetime.
Follow your interests.
There is no better place to start.
In Write of Passage we talk about two methods to help creators find their niche, or “Personal Monopoly:”
The architect constructs their niche from the top down, building on a clear and pre-defined vision.
The archeologist searches for a niche, exploring different areas until the niche reveals itself.
(h/t to Michael Ashcroft for creating the framework.)
Willis is talking about the archeologist path, the path most creators have to take.
It can also be the longer, more frustrating path. It takes time to find and unearth artifacts, uncovering lots of the “wrong” artifacts before finding the right one.
But it’s worth the hunt.
Marketing buzzwords signal fear
Bleeding-edge. Agile. Seamless.
Words like these signal a lack of belief in, or understanding of, a company’s unique position in the marketplace.
Marketing’s goal is to elicit emotion and (usually) an action. Agreement. Trust. Excitement. Aspiration.
Buzzwords construct a wall between your reader and the emotional resonance you seek. You’re asking your reader, in an era of infinite choice and distraction, to slash through the confusion, clutter, and meaninglessness of buzzwords.
By camouflaging your value proposition in buzzwords, you tell the reader to be wary--that something is hidden.
You don't have to use plain language. Just don’t use obfuscative language. Instead, connect emotionally with vibrant, specific, and clear language. Be distinct.
If you're unsure about your messaging, customers will tell you why your offering excites and serves them. Listen, and use their words.
Buzzwords seed your messaging with fear and uncertainty. Instead, message with the confidence and clarity that your offering is unique and valuable.
Quick Mix
A few links to things I found interesting this week:
Karyn Flynn shares practical and politics-free (so rare!) advice on fortifying against COVID-19.
If you hear things about “The Metaverse” or “Web3,” and, like me, wonder what the heck that means, Roxine Kee built us a syllabus.
This River Runner site lets you drop a raindrop anywhere in the US to see where it ends up. (Thx, Kevin Rapp!)
This week’s Florida photo
Sunday morning, downtown Tampa.
Hello to 12 new subscribers
Including Michele, Henry, and Victoria!
And thank you to you for reading. Please say hi, ask a question, or make a suggestion anytime.