Why Your Content Doesn’t Need to Be Flawless to Work
We don’t remember people because they’re perfect—in fact, perfect-seeming people kind of get on our nerves. Why should content be any different?
Photo by Caleb Salomons on Unsplash
Trying for Connection Over Perfection
I’ve been noticing lately how much energy I pour into trying to get my content ‘just right.’ I’m always trying for the perfect headline. The appropriate brand voice. The social post that’s somehow both witty and profound, with just a soupcon of profundity. Ha.
And then I come back to the same truth I wrote about in Content With Purpose: really good content isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection.
I’m a recovering perfectionist, and oh, I know what it’s like to obsess over perfect. And I also know that when I do obsess, I often wind up losing that element that resonates with people. I polish and polish until there’s no spark or sparkle left.
And yet what people crave most is honesty. Vulnerability. A feeling of “yeah, I’ve been there too.” It’s the feeling of you — a real person that makes mistakes and gets things wrong sometimes, too — on the other side of the message.
Let’s Ask Different Questions
For me, content with purpose asks different questions than “Is this perfect?”
It asks:
Does this sound like me (or us)?
Does this reflect my values?
Does this genuinely express what I feel, and/or want to say?
Does it meet my audience where they are, with care?
Because when your content feels like you — and when it’s aligned with your purpose and values — people take note. They remember you. And most importantly, they connect.
So I’m handing you a permission slip today: don’t aim for perfect. Aim for real. Aim for useful. Aim for aligned. Feel free to share something messy. Talk about an idea you’re scared to put out into the world.
And just watch to see who leans forward to listen.