How to know you're being authenticIn my last video, I talked about the importance of authenticity. Today, I’d like to talk about how you know when something is authentic. Watch below or keep reading to find out more... So, how do you know when something is authentic? It’s a really difficult question to answer, but there’s really only one way to know. Would you say it? You are the only person that can answer that question. You are the only one who really knows if it feels right. The funny thing is, it's contextual. We don’t walk around saying “why did I just say that? Does that sound right? Does that fit in line my life views?”
So when it comes to authenticity, it not only comes down to whether or not it feels right to us, but how its perceived by other people. And today, I’d like to talk about a tip to help you be perceived as authentic in the eyes of others. As leaders, and I suspect that you are a leader if you’re watching this, it can be difficult to allow yourself to be imperfect. So to appear authentic to others, we need to be okay with imperfection and embrace that. Now it might seem difficult to embrace imperfection in a professional context, but in the right context, it can really lend itself to authenticity. You know what it makes me think of, is the question that is often asked in job interviews: “what’s your greatest weakness?” And when you take that weakness and turn it into a strength, you say things like “you know, sometimes I’m pretty hard on myself, so it means I end up working pretty hard or sometimes I’m tireless and don’t know when to quit”. But if you’re an accountant for example, and you’re asked about your greatest weakness and you answer, “sometimes I get the 6 and the 9 confused”, uhh…that’s not going to bode so well for you. So when you’re sharing your imperfections, look for the silver lining. Today I’m filming this video from beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I’ve struggled a bit with people and noises behind me, so hopefully this turns out. But, there’s a gorgeous rainbow behind me (see, always find that silver lining!) and you can still see the remnants of it. That’s all I want to share for today. If you’re interested in learning about me as a copywriter, I do free connection calls. I’d love to hear more about you and what you’re working on. Until then, keep smiling. What does authenticity mean to you? Leave a comment below and let's talk about it. I like to keep it real and look forward to hearing from you!
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2 reasons it super mattersSo today, I'm going to start with a statement of fact. The word “authentic” is an adjective, it means something that is authentic to one's own personality, spirit, or character.
And here's the second fact. There's no one else in the entire world exactly like you. Combine those two facts, put them together; it means that when you are really and truly yourself, when you behave in an authentic way, it is what differentiates you from the masses. Why does that matter? In today's world, people have more coaches, more copywriters, more financial advisors, whatever it is, you do, they have so many of those kinds of service providers to pick from that they hardly know where to start. So when you differentiate yourself, It means that you stand better chance of being picked. So I'm going to launch into a quick little story time here. I'd like you to imagine that it's two in the morning, your phone buzzes and it says it's your mom. And your mom's message says, “sup, dawg, you need to Venmo me like 200 bucks, plzzz”. I don't know about you, but for me, I would read that and be like, okay, a Nigerian prince has abducted my mother because that's just not how she talks. That's not authentic for her. The reason I know that is because she has a personal brand that's consistent. And what consistency means is, it starts to build trust. When you have trust, love can come from that and from love, come sales…and we all know where sales are important. So that's kind of a first delve into why authenticity is important. I know I've been away for a little bit. I haven't posted a video in a while, sorry about that. But I'm filming this today from steamy, steamy hot San Antonio, Texas. I'm in the historic marketplace right now. And it's a million degrees, I think it's about 37 degrees Celsius, maybe 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm going to do some more videos on this and how to actually work authenticity into your copywriting. So if you're interested in hearing about that, please leave a comment below. Quick freebie offer as well, I do free connection calls if you are interested in talking to me and seeing if we might be a good fit. Tell you what my processes is and tell me about what you're looking for. I would love to do that with you! Apart from that, that's it for today. On this channel, I talk about travel and nomadic lifestyle, copywriting and editing tips, of course, and some motivation and inspiration stuff. So that sort of thing interests you, please consider subscribing or leaving a comment below. Ready to write your own copy but tortured by that damn blinking cursor? In this video I'd like to talk about getting past writer's block. Listen or read on below... A quick three tips for you.
Start by writing as though you plan to throw it out. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Just imagine that whatever you're writing is actually going straight in the trash bin. That way the pressure comes off. Next, if you've been doing nothing for too long, get out there for a change of scenery. Whether that means having a shower, going for a walk, calling a friend, just do something different. I'm not advocating for procrastination, but sometimes you just need to change speed to see things flow. I’m working with the assumption here that you watched some of my other videos and you really have a sense of the person that you’re writing for and speaking to that person. Once you've done that, just start writing. Get something on the page. The first thing you write down doesn’t have to be part of it. Editing is an entirely separate beast. Just get some words on the page and you can fix it later. That's it for today. Today I'm filming from beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As you can see downtown behind me there. If you're interested in talking to me about working with you as a copywriter, I would love to have that conversation. I do free connection calls so please do reach out. That's it for this week and we will talk to you later. Writer's block can be so hard...but commenting below isn't! :) Maybe it's the change of speed that you need to get going on your work... I'd love to hear from you! |
Megan Haney
Megan is the owner of Megan Words, a boutique copywriting and editing consulting business devoted to helping female entrepreneurs with worthy causes develop high-quality web copy and content. She sometimes wears pants. Learn more about her here. Archives
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