A colleague recently asked:

How do I figure out what to say on social media when everything that comes to mind has already been said before? I don’t want to be boring.

I’ve been in your shoes before, and it’s a major roadblock in content creation. Even some of the world’s industry leaders feel like their knowledge has already been posted by others before.

But trust me when I say that your approach and knowledge make your perspectives unique. How?

1. Your Approach May Be Someone Else’s “Aha” Moment

For a moment, think about when you were in grade school. You had a lot of great teachers, but was there a time when the concepts the teacher was trying to explain didn’t click? Over 50% of students have experienced this before.

And I bet after you asked a few questions, the concept clicked.

Why?

Your teacher explained the concept differently, leading to your “ah-ha” moment. When you think you don’t have anything to say because others have shared something similar before, you’re wrong. Your unique style allows you to have endless social media ideas that people want to read.

And I have a recent example of this from my own newsletter.

I wanted to share a LinkedIn profile breakdown in my newsletter. Have other people written about LinkedIn profiles before? 

Absolutely. 

But, what did I do? I wrote the newsletter in my own voice and style.

The results?

Seven people replied to my email telling me how helpful it was, and one of them even became a client of mine.

Your approach, experience and teaching style may seem ordinary to you, but it’s extraordinary to others.

2. Your “Ordinary” Expertise is Actually Extraordinary

Here’s the secret: you have a unique set of experience and skills that you undervalue.

What you think is as ordinary as tying your shoes is far from reality.

Let’s use my mom (she’s kind of amazing) as an example. A little background on my mom:

• She’s an amazing host
• She can decorate her house to rival any home decor magazine
• When she cooks, it’s like a private sous chef just put food on your plate

My mom hosts get-togethers, birthdays, holidays – and it’s amazing. People are blown away every time. 

But one person is always left scratching their head in shock. My mom. She finds all of this fun and simple, and she doesn’t realize how unique her skills really are.

You’re like my mom. You tend to assume that what’s easy, obvious and clear to you is for everyone else, too. 

But the universal truth is that your knowledge can help a lot of people; share it with the world.

3. Tailor Your Content to Showcase Your Unique Voice and Stories

I talk a lot about creating unique content, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t talk about things other people are talking about. Otherwise, you’d run out of content ideas.

You should never take someone else’s exact content, but if other people are talking about tax planning, you can, too.

The key is to put your own unique voice and perspective on the idea. Personal storytelling is powerful – take advantage of it. In fact, storytelling can increase conversion rates by 30%, so you have even more of an incentive to get real and start sharing personal experiences.

Now, some of you may say, “But Katie, my life isn’t that exciting.”

Guess what? 

You don’t have to scale Mount Everest or invent a new app to tell a great story.

 It’s all about sharing your unique journey, your victories, your challenges and even your mundane moments. That’s what people find relatable, and that’s where they can find valuable lessons.

Let’s look at an example from a coaching client:

He then shares his pros and cons and whether he’d go back and change it.

Tony got a ton of engagement from this post: 33K impressions, 600 profile views (before this post, he had 800 total views in the previous 90 days), 200 new followers and more than 200 reactions.

And what was the topic of his post? The Big Four. 

Has anyone ever posted about working for the Big Four? Of course. 

The difference is that Tony’s post was different. He shared his unique story.

Your audience wants more than just information. They want connections. They want stories that resonate with their own experiences.

When you weave your personal insights and anecdotes into your content, you make it more engaging and fresh – even if the topic has been covered by other people.

So, don’t shy away from sharing your experiences, journey, thoughts on industry changes, or even a day in your life at the firm.

Because when you tell your stories in your unique voice, you turn your “ordinary” day into extraordinary content that engages and captivates your audience.

4. Remember – Your Audience is Your Audience

This final point is a crucial one.

Your audience is your audience. If your ideal audience isn’t an accountant, they probably aren’t following a bunch of accountants.

You may see a lot of the same topics on social media because you’re following other accountants. But the chances of your audience following other accountants? They’re pretty small.

You may think you’re covering topics everyone else is covering, but the reality is that your audience probably has no idea other people are talking about the same thing.

You know what information they need and the topics that will help them. Share your insights. Add your unique stories and perspectives, and forget the rest. Don’t overthink it!

And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.

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Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question? 

Submit it here

Until next time, cheers to your success!

Katie