Less Bragging, More Helping

Weekly Teaching Tip – Oct. 22, 2018
by John Henny

We all love to brag to some degree or another, and social media is one of the greatest megaphones to celebrate our successes and achievements.We complete a training, expand our business, work with a noteworthy or talented client – it is right and good to share these wins.

However, I see a lot of sharing of wins but not as much helping. Helping others by creating problem-solving content is (to me) about the best content you can share on social media.

Helpful content serves a number of purposes.

1. It creates and can grow an enthusiastic audience who will look to you as an expert because you have given them value.
2. It will force you to distill and refine your ideas and methodology.
3. Putting out free content will show you what your audience is most interested in and can guide you towards creating successful products.
4. It will open up new opportunities as others will want to partner with you or have you teach their audience.

Useful content will create a perception of expertise and value around you that is hard to beat.

Take Natalie Weiss; she was a talented yet relatively unknown musical theatre professional who didn’t just post pictures of the latest show she was in or posing with a celebrity backstage.Instead, Weiss created a YouTube series during her touring downtime that broke down how to sing complicated riffs. She very quickly became a go-to expert in vocal melisma and was soon being invited as a top-draw lecturer at voice conferences.

IVTOM teacher Sam Johnson started a YouTube channel where he skillfully analyzes popular vocal performances. He now has an enthusiastic audience of subscribers in the hundreds of thousands. Sam could have taught some of the most famous singers on the planet and not attained this reputation or audience so quickly.

So go ahead and celebrate your wins, successes, clients, even pictures of your lunch – but consider helping educate as well.
John