This put words to what I’ve been trying to do: “narrators — people who interpret the world for their audience, not just produce content for them.” Thanks for this excellent read.
I’ve read some of the naysaying comments downthread, and I take them into consideration, as there are always pitfalls.
But I see two things emerging here: For some time, so many have tended to treat online technology as an end in itself, and this is why we have the social media addictions and AI schlock that we do. But what needs to be said, and which I believe you strongly imply here, is that we have to get back to seeing it as a tool, which is what it was meant to be seen as in the first place. These platforms come and go; but the identity, and the character of it that you imbue in what you create, is the key thing.
The other thing I pick up is that those of us in a mid-to-late life output of creativity are best positioned to take advantage of the shift you describe because we aren’t bound up by the latest trends; we indeed have been around; we have the knowing sight of things on our side - not because we know everything, because we don’t, but because we know enough of what is meaningful to find those ways to leverage them in terms of our creativity, our content.
Really liked this as it definitely made me think about the point that platforms are more like highways than homes.
And while I agree that identity is a strong value for some creators but I don’t think it is the only path for everyone. In my experience I know some solid creators do well just by being genuinely useful like tool builders or technical writers without a big personal brand or identity.
As a creator just getting into the game in my forties, it is a scary place. Despite "marketing" being one of the many hats I've worn in my career, I have consciously stayed away from the online social sludge, opting for genuine relationships and analogue experiences.
I'm trying to figure out how to translate this (and what is shared here) into practical tools for connecting with others who want to awaken or reconnect with their creative selves.
That's why I've chosen to be here on Substack. I've got no idea how this is going to go.
Here's my issue with this article. It's saying the same things that were being taught in marketing for the last 50 years. While all those things are true, the fact of the matter is, you have to find the IT factor. It doesn't matter if your a content creator or a brick & mortar store. Without the IT factor you're going to not have the conversion happen. Then you have to keep the IT factor.
Online has always been the same, back in 2000 to today. It's a vehicle for name recognition the issue is, keeping that recognition, a issue that's existed since the first market popped up. Thing is you could be getting the recognition & have the IT factor & not know it, so you keep changing things up, because it wasn't converting into sales. subscriptions, extra.
As a entrepreneur for 22 years, thing I've came to find out:
1st don't compete, doing this is, is just the race to the bottom.
2nd you're always in the feast or famine stage until you make it.
3rd it's lonely. No one cares about your business, not your friends or family, nor your customers. It's your baby, you nurture it, you worry about it.
4th 99% of what you do today is, so you can get paid, days, weeks or months, down the road.
5th there's no secret bullet. I'll admit it I've failed more than I've succeeded, this is true for all true entrepreneurs, form Elon to Bill Gates.
Now I know I've painted a ugly picture, but true entrepreneurs thrive in this. They relish their failures just as much as their successes. You want to learn, don't ask about or try to emulate what someone else did right, because its 5% skill & 95% luck. Instead ask them about what they did wrong, ask them about their failures.
How will you find the IT factor if without knowing who you are or what value you want to consistently embody?…it’s a process and no one just lands on it overnight
No, you naturally have the IT factor or you don't. It's getting others to recognize it, that is the trick. Think about bands, actors, singers, artists & even writers. Many of them just pop up, not because their first album, movie, or book/articles are any good, but because someone thought they had the IT factor. While much better bands, actors, singers & writers spend a lifetime, trying to just make it on to the 1st run, on the ladder of success.
This is why they say find a niche market, for whatever you're selling & hopefully a niche market that is not over saturated. Because then it's easier to get people to notice your IT factor.
I know the term IT factor doesn't sound like a proper terminology, but it is within the marketing industry & that is what I think we are really talking about here. Which is to so many a dirty 8 letter word.
I don’t see it that way at all. You seem to be talking about the old world which was gate kept by agents and managers…the IT factor today is more about timing and understanding the cultural zeitgeist and human psychology….wo no you don’t either have or have not. You develop it over time. It’s a process
For some you can develop The IT factor over time. I think your falling for the public narrative that online has changed everything. But it really hasn't changed anything.The gatekeepers have just changed.
Instead of a agent or manager that you can meet & build a relationship with. Here you're trying to build that relationship, with a programmer you never meet, someone or some people that is always changing the rules of the game on you, without notice.
Think about content creators, which is anyone on Substack, Youtube, Facebook, extra. There's a few of us, that from our 1st few videos, articles, post that just take off. Then there's millions of us that do the grind, have to fight the online gatekeepers to break through & millions of us will fail.
Even 25, 30, 50, 60 years ago they were teaching that it's about understanding the cultural zeitgeist & human psychology.
There's a very old saying, the more things seem to change, they more they stay the same
"... identity is the new moat — not niches or formats, why building “trust assets” is a must and how to thrive in this post-hype correction" caught my eye and is a very thoughtful statement to mull over.
The shift from attention to trust is a wake-up call for all creators, especially those feeling lost in the hustle. - Better to focus on your identity and the trust you cultivate; that will be your true asset moving forward.
What really clicked for me while reading your post – especially with that linked meta-analysis in mind – is how micro-influencers seem to shape things together with their audience. It’s less parasocial projection, more shared meaning-making. People feel part of the process, and that creates a different kind of intimacy and follow-through.
I’m still a little sceptical of some of the bigger claims you made—and wonder what inspired them, but the research does point in this direction. Your piece made the whole shift feel much clearer. Thanks for laying it out so well, Benjamin!
This put words to what I’ve been trying to do: “narrators — people who interpret the world for their audience, not just produce content for them.” Thanks for this excellent read.
I love that line too.
Thanks Kelly. So many reasons to be excited about this next era
Great post as always, Benjamin.
I’ve read some of the naysaying comments downthread, and I take them into consideration, as there are always pitfalls.
But I see two things emerging here: For some time, so many have tended to treat online technology as an end in itself, and this is why we have the social media addictions and AI schlock that we do. But what needs to be said, and which I believe you strongly imply here, is that we have to get back to seeing it as a tool, which is what it was meant to be seen as in the first place. These platforms come and go; but the identity, and the character of it that you imbue in what you create, is the key thing.
The other thing I pick up is that those of us in a mid-to-late life output of creativity are best positioned to take advantage of the shift you describe because we aren’t bound up by the latest trends; we indeed have been around; we have the knowing sight of things on our side - not because we know everything, because we don’t, but because we know enough of what is meaningful to find those ways to leverage them in terms of our creativity, our content.
This gives me a burst of encouragement and hope.
Yes you got it! 100% there are just as many reasons for optimism as there are for pessimism. It’s up to us to decide what to focus on
You voiced exactly what I am taking away from this, too.
Excellent analysis!
Really liked this as it definitely made me think about the point that platforms are more like highways than homes.
And while I agree that identity is a strong value for some creators but I don’t think it is the only path for everyone. In my experience I know some solid creators do well just by being genuinely useful like tool builders or technical writers without a big personal brand or identity.
Again, thanks for posting this.
Read like the words of a benevolent prophecy to come
Curiosity, voice and identity. “
These are three great pillars to think about
As a creator just getting into the game in my forties, it is a scary place. Despite "marketing" being one of the many hats I've worn in my career, I have consciously stayed away from the online social sludge, opting for genuine relationships and analogue experiences.
I'm trying to figure out how to translate this (and what is shared here) into practical tools for connecting with others who want to awaken or reconnect with their creative selves.
That's why I've chosen to be here on Substack. I've got no idea how this is going to go.
Here's my issue with this article. It's saying the same things that were being taught in marketing for the last 50 years. While all those things are true, the fact of the matter is, you have to find the IT factor. It doesn't matter if your a content creator or a brick & mortar store. Without the IT factor you're going to not have the conversion happen. Then you have to keep the IT factor.
Online has always been the same, back in 2000 to today. It's a vehicle for name recognition the issue is, keeping that recognition, a issue that's existed since the first market popped up. Thing is you could be getting the recognition & have the IT factor & not know it, so you keep changing things up, because it wasn't converting into sales. subscriptions, extra.
As a entrepreneur for 22 years, thing I've came to find out:
1st don't compete, doing this is, is just the race to the bottom.
2nd you're always in the feast or famine stage until you make it.
3rd it's lonely. No one cares about your business, not your friends or family, nor your customers. It's your baby, you nurture it, you worry about it.
4th 99% of what you do today is, so you can get paid, days, weeks or months, down the road.
5th there's no secret bullet. I'll admit it I've failed more than I've succeeded, this is true for all true entrepreneurs, form Elon to Bill Gates.
Now I know I've painted a ugly picture, but true entrepreneurs thrive in this. They relish their failures just as much as their successes. You want to learn, don't ask about or try to emulate what someone else did right, because its 5% skill & 95% luck. Instead ask them about what they did wrong, ask them about their failures.
How will you find the IT factor if without knowing who you are or what value you want to consistently embody?…it’s a process and no one just lands on it overnight
No, you naturally have the IT factor or you don't. It's getting others to recognize it, that is the trick. Think about bands, actors, singers, artists & even writers. Many of them just pop up, not because their first album, movie, or book/articles are any good, but because someone thought they had the IT factor. While much better bands, actors, singers & writers spend a lifetime, trying to just make it on to the 1st run, on the ladder of success.
This is why they say find a niche market, for whatever you're selling & hopefully a niche market that is not over saturated. Because then it's easier to get people to notice your IT factor.
I know the term IT factor doesn't sound like a proper terminology, but it is within the marketing industry & that is what I think we are really talking about here. Which is to so many a dirty 8 letter word.
I don’t see it that way at all. You seem to be talking about the old world which was gate kept by agents and managers…the IT factor today is more about timing and understanding the cultural zeitgeist and human psychology….wo no you don’t either have or have not. You develop it over time. It’s a process
For some you can develop The IT factor over time. I think your falling for the public narrative that online has changed everything. But it really hasn't changed anything.The gatekeepers have just changed.
Instead of a agent or manager that you can meet & build a relationship with. Here you're trying to build that relationship, with a programmer you never meet, someone or some people that is always changing the rules of the game on you, without notice.
Think about content creators, which is anyone on Substack, Youtube, Facebook, extra. There's a few of us, that from our 1st few videos, articles, post that just take off. Then there's millions of us that do the grind, have to fight the online gatekeepers to break through & millions of us will fail.
Even 25, 30, 50, 60 years ago they were teaching that it's about understanding the cultural zeitgeist & human psychology.
There's a very old saying, the more things seem to change, they more they stay the same
There are several concepts you brought up that I would love to hear more about. Even in a new article, if you decide. They are:
- A narrative world people want to live inside
- A methodology or mental framework
- A product ecosystem rooted in lived insight
- Real architecture constructed beneath ideas
Thanks. Yes I will go into that in more in depth in the next few weeks
"... identity is the new moat — not niches or formats, why building “trust assets” is a must and how to thrive in this post-hype correction" caught my eye and is a very thoughtful statement to mull over.
Hi Benjamin, it’s been a while since I’ve read your work - sorry 😳
This piece is music to my ears… as I’m not part of the hustle culture and working in alignment with my values is so rewarding.
Thank you for always sharing your insights and thoughts for free - I appreciate it and all the effort you put in 🫶🏻
Hey Shelly. No need for apologies good to see you as always
The shift from attention to trust is a wake-up call for all creators, especially those feeling lost in the hustle. - Better to focus on your identity and the trust you cultivate; that will be your true asset moving forward.
Yes exactly…it takes long and is harder to keep than attention which actually gives me quite a bit of hope
What really clicked for me while reading your post – especially with that linked meta-analysis in mind – is how micro-influencers seem to shape things together with their audience. It’s less parasocial projection, more shared meaning-making. People feel part of the process, and that creates a different kind of intimacy and follow-through.
I’m still a little sceptical of some of the bigger claims you made—and wonder what inspired them, but the research does point in this direction. Your piece made the whole shift feel much clearer. Thanks for laying it out so well, Benjamin!
Lived experience, values, trust. These words are music to my ears in an online world of viral, attention, hustle. Thanks for the great post, Ben.
This is a great post, very well written. Trust assets are truly the way to go. Thank you for sharing.
Yes good point regarding employee to solo-preneur swich…that has a lot to do with identity and self perception