How to make your content turn heads by turning common ideas upside down...

A lesson from a chat with Sun Yi

Mastery Den, Bonus Thursday Edition, 2-min read.

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So many people share tired ideas that gather little interest.

It’s just copy and paste. A sheep calling out to a crowd of other sheep.

I know you guys want to build a unique brand that brings in genuine fans.

So to do this, you need to think in ways that few others do.

You must go against the grain. This is a pattern interrupt.

And the best brands and brand names are continually unexpected.

I had the pleasure of interviewing someone on a live Twitter space who encapsulates this skill: Sun Yi.

Sun, an award-winning branding expert for big names, has built a massive Instagram following in the last couple of years through his attention-grabbing carousels, videos and slides.

Yesterday he talked about how none of his ideas are new, but he does use a clever secret…

He’ll take the other version of a commonly-held belief.

He said that most, if not all, ideas that many hold as truths have different variations that are also true.

This gives you, the content creator, a huge opportunity.

You take a commonly held ‘truth‘ and find its alternative version - one that is also true.

By doing this, you take an old idea, make it fresh, and interrupt the pattern.

You bring this counterintuitive thinking, which makes your work far more compelling.

You’ll notice Sun Yi doing this in most of his content. When people’s expectations are smashed, they notice.

That’s why his content does so well.

For example, he shared a recent video entitled: ‘Follow the money, not your passion.’

This flies in the face of so much of the typical advice you see online.

But this is a perfect example of how both versions are true. It’s just that his version is a little more polarising and unconventional.

And that’s interesting.

That will turn heads.

He explains how you need to focus 80% of your time on making money so that you are sustained as you develop your passion for 20% of the time.

This makes sense, and it might be exhilarating for many because it gives them permission to make money while also keeping their dreams fueled.

So think about how you can use this idea in your own content.

What’s a common belief in the niche you are writing and communicating about?

What’s an alternative way of seeing things that is also true?

I’ve got one:

In my area of helping people write effectively, the belief is that you need to write hundreds of pieces to build an audience.

The flip side to this?

You do not need to write a lot to build a big audience.

Well, how might that be true? It absolutely can be.

How?

By taking already proven material and adapting it to your voice, you can gain traction quickly from others who have already succeeded.

You can take proven ideas and formulas by searching for viral content.

Then you make it yours.

And the idea will much more likely run and attract readers.

That’s how to build your audience intentionally and quickly.

Though I still think it’s important to write as much as possible and to develop a strong voice, which takes time, you can still grow an audience fast with this extra awareness.

Make sense?

What counterintuitive ideas can you bring to your content?

Stand out by thinking differently than most.

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