The other day I received an email which makes me think I’m doing all the right things.  What was that email?  Someone sent me a message noting they didn’t like my content, it was too critical and controversial and they were unsubscribing from this blog.  Now you’re thinking I’ve lost it – how can I possibly think that means I’m doing things right?

Simply put, I’m not creating content for everyone.  If I was doing that, I’d have a total of no one reading this.  You can’t create for the masses and expect to succeed, in fact that’s the perfect way to live in perpetual obscurity.

Also, I’m pleased with the fact that not only did they unsubscribe, they took the time to tell me about it.  I got under someone’s skin enough they actively felt a need to email me they were leaving.  That’s an emotional reaction in the negative direction – which is great.  It means that others of you have an emotional reaction in the positive direction.

The middle ground in digital publishing is a myth.  You can do it, sure, but it does not lead to growth at rates you’ll be happy with.  The only way playing to the middle works is if you’re e-how.com and can create heroic amounts of content.  Surprisingly, playing to the middle is the exact route most take.  But unless you have a model that’s fast, cheap and profitable as hell you’ll fail long before you reach increasing returns.

Not only should you not try to please everyone, you should actively try to speak to a certain group even if framing ideas in that way alienates others.  That’s the problem with most corporate blogs and even personal blogs from professionals across industries – they walk on eggshells and are afraid to have any sort of viewpoint.  Yet analyzing, taking sides, causing controversy and being critical are all what makes for compelling conversation.

We’ve long since reached the saturation point, and while the tail gives some life to everyone you need to rise out of the tail in your category.  That is, if you want to experience true benefits from your content marketing.

The very idea of not pleasing everyone scares most businesses and most people.  But it is a requisite to position yourself against others in a way that matters.  Doing this might create enemies.  It will certainly unnerve your competitors (how can they say that!).  Almost none of them will have the daring to put such a move into play.  And 9 times out of 10 it’s not for anything but lack of fear that holds them back.  That’s why it’s such a potent strategy for you to cast fear aside and stop trying to please everyone.

If you are really being yourself, others are going to love you and others are going to hate you.  The point is you’ll evoke some sort of reaction.  If you are self-censoring, stripping your personality from content or otherwise making concessions, the following you do build (if any) will be unconnected and uninterested. They won’t really trust your word.  And what’s the point of that?