Transcript:

Brad Powell: 0:06

This is me, nine years old, riding to hockey practice where I grew up in Massachusetts, got my skates on, I got my hockey stick Totally fired up to get out there on the ice. But this, this is how every practice looked A total puck scramble. Every kid out there is chasing the puck at the same time. It’s really just a messy blur of skates and hockey sticks and no real strategy. No one’s passing, no one’s breaking away and definitely no one is scoring. And then there’s this guy who basically has just given up. He’s just had enough. Oh no, and honestly, that’s what content marketing feels like right now. Everyone’s chasing the same trends, they’re saying the same kind of stuff, they’re sharing the same tips and hooks and formats a lot of it. They probably just learned from somebody else that they saw. And the result? Well, it just feels like that scene on the ice rink no one’s breaking away and no one is scoring. So if you’re an expert entrepreneur and you’re trying to build your visibility with content, but it feels like you’re stuck in that puck scramble and you’re not building traction and you’re not getting the response that you’re hoping for, well, stick around, because by the end of this episode, you’re going to know exactly how to break out of the scramble. I’m going to share four key ways expert brands create standout moments that build trust, and how expert entrepreneurs like you can break away from the noise and get seen without feeding the content machine. So let’s talk about how to create the kind of content that doesn’t just blend in but actually builds your reputation as someone worth listening to.

Brad Powell: 2:00

Welcome to the Standout Business Show. I’m Brad Powell and I’ve been helping expert entrepreneurs stand out on video for the past 15 years. This is episode number three in my series about ditching the content machine, and today we’re talking about why your content isn’t building trust and what to do instead. Now, if you missed episodes number one and two in this series, I talked about why posting more won’t make you visible and why chasing trends is killing your credibility. You can find the link to those episodes in the show notes, so definitely go back and check those out.

Brad Powell: 2:38

Now here is a big problem that we’re confronting today. Expert entrepreneurs often default to trying to be helpful, but they end up being forgettable because their content sounds like everybody else it’s generic, it’s polite, it’s overly educational, and the result is that, even if you have great insights, you’re getting ignored in the sea of sameness. So here’s the mic drop truth. Simply being helpful is table stakes, and if the helpful stuff you’re sharing online can be found with a search on Google, well then it’s just blending in with all the other content.

Brad Powell: 3:18

What makes someone follow or remember or even buy from you is what makes them feel or think differently when it comes to your content. If people aren’t responding, it’s not because your ideas aren’t good. It’s because they don’t stand out. If your audience isn’t reacting, they won’t be referring, they won’t be replying and they won’t be reaching out to work with you. But when you say something that hits, it gets screenshotted, it gets forwarded, it gets quoted, save for later. So, with all the focus on getting attention, remember that attention getting is very short-lived, but resonance is long. It lasts a long time. When you say something memorable, people will bring you up in the room, even when you’re not there.

Brad Powell: 4:05

Here’s the shift that we all need to make. You need to move from being helpful to having high impact, and the best way to do that is to say what others won’t. This is pillar number one of the standout moments framework, so let’s talk about what standing out and showing up differently actually looks like in practice. Because if we’re not just going to post and pray, we need to start saying and showing what others are afraid to touch, and I’m going to talk about four ways to do this. First up is my favorite bust, a myth that others in your industry are afraid to challenge. There are so many tired tropes in your industry that nobody’s questioning, so you can be the one who does Say the things your peers are thinking but are too cautious to say out loud. That’s how you break through the noise, not with volume, but with veracity.

Brad Powell: 5:03

For example, let’s start with one of the biggest myths in content marketing today. The myth is if you want to be seen and get clients, you need to post more. You need to post more often on more platforms with more volume. Show up daily. Consistency is everything. Consistency is everything. But here is the reality More content does not equal more clients. And if you believe that, it’s not your fault Because everywhere you look, every coach, every course, every algorithm update they’ve all been pitching you the same prescription Be everywhere, post every day. But here’s what they don’t tell you Posting daily doesn’t necessarily build trust, especially when what you’re posting doesn’t say anything new or bold, or even real.

Brad Powell: 5:57

It doesn’t make you more visible. It actually makes you forgettable, because you end up saying the same stuff that everyone else can say. So what’s the new way? The new way isn’t about content volume, it’s about content value. It’s not about being viral. It’s about being vital to the right people. You don’t need more content, you need more connection, and that comes from showing your audience exactly who you are and why you’re different, and you can do it in a single mic drop moment. When I work with clients, we don’t script 30 posts. We capture a few key moments that spark trust, that shift perspective and get people to lean in Like oh wow, I’ve never heard it said that way before. That’s what real visibility looks like. So if you’ve been told that you just need to post a lot more, maybe it’s time to stop feeding the content machine and start creating standout moments instead. Okay, now the second way. Expert brands create standout moments that build trust, share a strong belief or share a point of view that is contrary.

Andrea Merrill: 7:15

I literally want you to get into the hearts and minds of your ideal audience. And who has a better story than you? So when you help them and they become the hero in your story and they can see themselves really getting to that end goal that you have already done and experienced and you’ve already done the grit, the hard work they are going to be 100% a hell. Yeah, I am in. So I like for you to intertwine your offer into your story, where it is naturally selling, and we are selling without the sleeves.

Brad Powell: 7:53

That was Andrea Merrill, who is a brand strategist and storytelling coach, and she’s cutting through the noise here with something that most marketing advice ignores completely. She’s not talking about optimizing your funnel or repurposing more content. She’s saying that you already have what your audience needs, and your story, your lived experience, is that bridge that builds real trust. Here’s the kicker when you share your perspective with clarity and your conviction, it actually makes the right people say hell yeah, I’m in.

Brad Powell: 8:31

And that’s not about the algorithm, it’s not about going viral. It’s about resonance. It’s about owning your authority without begging for attention, because, as Andreas Framing reminds us, people don’t follow experts because they’re flashy. They follow them because they feel seen by your story. And here’s what I think Standing out isn’t about louder content. It’s about being super clear and open about what you believe in. That’s what makes you memorable, that’s what makes people trust you and that’s what gives you the kind of authority that doesn’t expire with the social media platform’s next mood swing. All right. So the third way that expert brands create standout moments is to take a stand for your clients by standing against all the BS that’s confusing them.

Scott Wozniak: 9:24

We think the question your customers start asking now is do you care about me, do you see me, do I matter to you, or is this just another transaction for you? It’s like one of those deep human desires is people want to be seen and liked. Once or twice a year, do one or two things and you’ll blow their mind. It’s not that complicated. Once or twice a year you just do something that says, hey, I know you, you particular, and that little personal touch unlocks this next kind of relationship and it feels like this is a relationship, not just a transaction. So, yeah, build trust, can we count on them? And then now I want to know do you care about me? We just little things Say I remember you in particular and I like you, and that unlocks another category of customer relationship.

Brad Powell: 10:10

That’s Scott Wozniak, and he’s an author and a B2B consultant who’s worked for big brands like Chick-fil-A, and he’s talking about something we rarely hear in conversations about visibility, which is the cost of treating your audience like a number. We’ve already talked about how algorithms don’t build trust. Well, transactional tactics don’t either, but a single moment of specific recognition that changes everything. When you remember a client’s birthday, when you reference something they said in a comment six months ago, when your content makes them feel like you were thinking of them, that’s when trust deepens. That’s when they stop thinking of you as just another voice online.

Brad Powell: 10:54

And here’s where I take a stand. If you’re just chasing reach, you’re missing the real metric that matters Relationship equity. So take a stand for your clients by showing them, in the way you communicate, that they matter to you, because that’s how you build a brand that isn’t just followed, it’s felt. Imagine getting a comment back that isn’t just followed, it’s felt. Imagine getting a comment back that doesn’t just say I hear what you’re saying, but I feel you Okay. So my last point on how to build trust with your content Don’t just answer the question. Reframe it entirely.

Rich Brooks: 11:33

We interviewed a few different painting companies and one guy told me he’d get the whole job done in two days. And the way that he did it. He showed up with about 20 guys in five white vans. They poured out of the vans like they were clowns in the circus, threw up ladders, painted the whole house. They were done by sunset with all their equipment removed. I think they were singing sea shanties the whole time, but maybe I’m just embellishing, I’m not really sure at this point. They came back two days later, after the paint had dried, did the whole thing again and then they were gone and, as you can imagine, 20 guys painting your house with five vans out front.

Rich Brooks: 12:08

The neighbors took notice and they were asking questions about it. To your point of you know, having remarkability means people can tell that story again and again. So in my mind that was a really remarkable thing that was already going on within this company and if they were my client I would have said this is really your unique selling point. This is what makes you remarkable. It already exists and you just need to give it a name and then kind of run with it.

Brad Powell: 12:38

That was Rich Brooks, who owns a marketing agency and puts together a great event that’s called Agents of Change. His story is so good because what made that painting company stand out wasn’t just their speed. It was the spectacle that they created. It wasn’t just a marketing gimmick. It was their way of showing up that looked and felt different from every other option in the market. And here’s the kicker they weren’t doing it for attention. They were doing it to deliver on their promise. But the side effect People talked, people shared.

Brad Powell: 13:06

And that’s the moment when visibility becomes effortless, when people want to tell your story for you. My takeaway from that is don’t just try to say the right thing. Give people the story that they’re going to tell at dinner. Find the part of your process that already stands out, give it a name and frame your narrative around that. Reframing isn’t about clever marketing. It’s about giving your work the story it deserves. Here’s the mic drop truth. People don’t remember the safe answer. They remember the moment you said something that cracked open their thinking. So, as we wrap this up, here’s my final takeaways.

Brad Powell: 13:49

Number one posting more isn’t the answer. Posting with purpose is. Your audience doesn’t need more of you. They need more meaning from you. If your content isn’t rooted in what you believe and what you stand for and how you serve, then posting more just contributes to all the noise.

Brad Powell: 14:08

Your lived experience is your most valuable asset and, as Andrea Merrill reminded us, the story that sells without the sleaze is your story. When your audience sees themselves in your journey and how you overcame the same obstacles that they face. That’s when trust is built. Number two if you want loyalty, then take a stand. Scott Wozniak nailed it your clients don’t just want results, they want to feel seen. Trust isn’t built through clever content. It’s built when people feel you’re on their side. When you name the confusion, the chaos, the BS that they’re tired of, they trust you to lead them somewhere better, to the promised land. Takeaway.

Brad Powell: 14:56

Number three as Rich Brooks showed us, it’s often the way you show up, that thing that already makes your business different. That becomes your best story. When you give that moment a name and share it with intention, that becomes unforgettable. And finally, number four your best content. It’s not content at all, it’s a moment. It’s a moment of clarity, of residence, of conviction. That’s what people remember, that’s what gets shared and that’s exactly what we help you create with Mic Drop Moments.

Brad Powell: 15:31

So if today’s episode has you rethinking about how you show up and if you’re curious about how you could be capturing and sharing your own standout moments, then I invite you to schedule a call with me. Just go to standoutcallcom and pick a time for us to talk. And in the next episode we’re gonna to talk about how to stop blending in, even when your message feels too boring to break through. Because here’s the thing it’s not your message, it’s the way you’re telling it, and I’m going to show you how to use unexpected angles to make your expert insights feel fresh and impossible to ignore, and I’ll share a few strategies for helping your audience see themselves in your story so your content doesn’t just stand out, it sticks. That’s coming up in episode number four in this series about ditching the content machine it’s called. Your Message Isn’t Boring, it’s Just Not Sticky Yet. So hit, follow or subscribe so you don’t miss it. Trust me, you’re going to want to tune in, and until next time, so long.