Stop trying to be perfect

Have you ever let 'perfection' stand in the way of sharing? I know I have…

I was asked to speak at this month's LinkedIn Local Sunshine Coast on Creating Engaging (LinkedIn) Content. I'll admit it was a difficult topic to unpack—content is complex!

After many many failed attempts at trying to get everything I knew in a 30-minute presentation, I decided to come at it from through the lens of one thing I think (think!) might be holding some of us back from being more present on social media, and especially on LinkedIn.

I think we're scared of not being 'perfect.'

When I was preparing for the presentation I came across an excellent book called "The Transparency Sale” by Todd Caponi. It starts by sharing some research that found that people trust 5-star reviewed brands LESS than they trust the 4.2 star reviewed brands.

Hang on, what?!

Yep, research shows that people actually trust brands that come across as perfect LESS. I won't go into the science for this, but you can understand why when you think about your own experiences. When you see something that's too good to be true, you start to question it.

We can apply this to our own professional brands. When we strive for post perfection, we are actually undermining our potential to earn our followers trust. 

So, instead of striving for perfection, a far better goal to strive for is connection. When we look at it this way, we start to worry less about ourselves, and more about others. We want to add value, and we seek response and interaction.

What an awesome opportunity and challenge this is for us. What a huge relief!

We can share a few war stories, we can reveal the things that are challenges in business. We can talk about the personal things that are setting us back from achieving our goals. And let's be real, we've all had more than a few challenges this year!

SUMMARY

So, share that post. Go with the inspiration you found in that moment, don't be afraid if it's less than perfect! Approach it with your fullest understanding of where your audience is at, and your best intentions to help them in their journeys.

You won't be disappointed with what follows...

Chat to us today if you need an extra hand to help get started on creating engaging content!