Document, Don't Create

Your hunger to make the perfect piece of content is what's crippling you

If you want people to start listening to you, you have to show up.

There are a lot of you out there who aren’t producing enough articles or videos or pieces of content that you should be producing to build your influence. Too many “content creators” think that they only have one at bat. They have to make the one, most beautifully created video or image or rant….or have a social media presence like mine or MrBeast. But what they don’t realize is that their hunger to make the perfect piece of content is what’s crippling them.

It’s true that if you want to be seen or heard on social media, you have to put out valuable content on a regular basis. You should be doing a vlog or podcast or some sort of long-form audio/video series at least once a week. You should be posting six to seven times a day.

Now you’re probably thinking, whoa, that’s a lot. How do I create six or seven meaningful things a day? I asked this same thing back in 2016 with my original blog post: Document, don’t create - content that builds your personal brand.

I’ll give you maybe the biggest tip when it comes to content creation: document, don’t create. I touched it this back in May — Why You Should Make Content About Getting Good At Something, check it out — and want to expand a little more on the document idea as a whole.

@garyveeIn very simple terms, “documenting” versus “creating” is what The Real World and the Kardashians is to Star Wars and Friends. And don’t get confused—just because you’re “documenting” doesn’t mean you’re not creating content. It’s just a version of creating that is predicated more on practicality instead of having to think of stories or fantasy—something that’s very hard for most people (including myself). #document #create #socialmediastrategy #creatorsearchinsights

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"You Should" vs. "My Intuition Says"

In very simple terms, documenting versus creating is what The Real World and the Kardashians is to Star Wars and Friends. And don’t get confused, just because you’re documenting doesn’t mean you’re not creating content. It’s just a version of creating that’s predicated more on practicality instead of having to think of stories or fantasy, something that’s very hard for most people, including myself.

Think about it. You can ponder the strategy behind every post and fabricate yourself into this influential person, or you can just be yourself.

Creating that influential persona might seem especially hard if you’re just starting to climb the ladder. And I get it, there’s a lot of pressure in that. You think some 30 or 40 or 50 year old is going to listen to your rant video with cynicism and think, what does this kid know?

But one of the biggest mistakes people make when creating content for their personal brand is trying to oversell themselves because they think that’s what’s going to get people’s attention. Whether you’re a business coach or a motivational speaker or an artist, I think it’s much more fruitful to talk about your process than about the actual advice you think you should be giving them.

Documenting your journey versus creating an image of yourself is the difference between saying “you should” versus “my intuition says.” It changes everything. I believe the people who are willing to discuss their journeys instead of trying to front themselves as the next big thing are going to win.

Here I am talking about this very subject 10 years ago:

Pick Up Your Phone and Start Talking

So when I say to put out six or seven meaningful pieces of content a day, just pick up your smartphone, open it up, and start talking about the things most important to you. Because in the end, the creative, how “beautiful” someone thinks your content is, is going to be subjective. What’s not subjective is the fact that you need to start putting yourself out there and keep swinging.

Starting is the most important part, and the biggest hurdle most people are facing. They’re pondering and strategizing instead of making. They’re debating what’s going to happen when they haven’t even looked at what’s in front of them.

So do me a favor and start documenting. Okay, I started, Gary, now what? Keep doing it for another five years, and then come back to me before you ask again.

Whatever You Love, Talk About That

I’m very passionate about the idea that one great piece of content has the potential to change your life. The evidence is all around us. For music artists, all it took was one song to help launch them into the spotlight. For investors, it was that one big deal that put them on the map.

Put out content through the medium that best plays to your strengths. Whatever your skill set is, put out good content and share it on the relevant platform that’s winning the attention of the people you want to reach. If you’re great in front of the camera, start a show. If you’re a great writer, start a blog.

It’s actually pretty simple: whatever you love, talk about that. Even if one person is listening and finds it interesting, you’ve got something. Remember, even the most successful people in business started off as nobodies.

Tap Into PAC: Platform Plus Culture

I get asked this a lot: how to get started, what to keep in mind when starting to create content, what’s trending, how do we evolve from here. The answer currently is on how to tap into PAC: platform plus culture. Tapping into PAC will change your social game.

Good content isn’t about selling your product or service. Good content is about understanding culture and inserting yourself, or your brand, into the relevant conversations taking place online. If you understand the culture, the artists, the food that your audience is following, and you reference that culture, you’re using those insights to your advantage.

I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you’re in real estate and every one of you has your listings on a website. If you were to take a screenshot of that listing, put that image behind a green-screen, and record your thoughts talking about the listing behind you, that video will get five to ten times more views than a selfie video with the same listing.

Document, don’t create. Talk about your process. Talk about what’s right in front of you. Then do it again tomorrow.