Musicians

Have you ever been to a concert where the opening act was just awful?

Maybe their music was okay, but there was something about the performance that undermined your ability to enjoy it. The group just lacked that special something that would make them stand out, that would draw you in.

That quality they’re lacking is called showmanship — and it’s not just for musicians.

You can spot a blogger who lacks showmanship a mile away.

Even after they’ve built a small and loyal following of readers, they still never seem to reach the level of success that the “A-List” bloggers in their niche have achieved. They sometimes spend years trying to overcome that plateau. They can’t figure out why they never get past being the “opening act” for the real rockstars in their niche.

They get frustrated and discouraged. Many of them give up. They hang up their metaphorical guitars and get regular 9-to-5 jobs and tell stories about how rough the industry is.

Don’t become one of those. I’m going to show you how to get the showmanship and stage presence you need to become the main act in anyone’s feed reader.

What is showmanship, and how does it apply to blogging?

Showmanship, according to the infallible Wikipedia, is “the skill of performing in such a manner that will appeal to an audience or aid in conveying the performance’s essential theme or message.”

That should sound familiar. Conveying a theme or message to an audience is exactly what we’re doing with blogging and content marketing. Yet so many people struggle to develop a style that will set them apart from everyone else in their niche.

But even the most mundane niches can be made new and interesting if you’re willing to find something special you can bring to the table.

For example, one of my favorite performers is pianist Victor Borge, who could easily have achieved a fine career as a traditional classical pianist in front of a hushed concert audience.

Instead, he found a way to make the music interesting and entertaining by adding comedy to his performance.

His shows elicit roars of laughter from his audience — and when was the last time you saw the formally-dressed concert hall crowd rolling in the aisles? It was completely unconventional, but his audiences loved him for it.

And his mastery of the piano was undiminished.

What showmanship isn’t

Showmanship isn’t a gimmick. It isn’t tricking the audience.

If Borge had been a less-than-stellar pianist, he wouldn’t have been able to transcend the concert hall standards to create his own way of approaching the music. Putting on a show isn’t putting on a mask.

Find something that works for you and pursue it. No trickery or attempting to be someone else required.

Good showmanship, the kind that engages your audience, needs to have authenticity at its core in order to work. If you become a sleazy Internet marketer, resort to spamming, or engage in bait-and-switch schemes, your audience won’t care if you have the best show on earth.

No amount of showmanship can hide a scumbag. Instead, take your authentic self and add some style to create a “wow” factor that grabs the attention of your audience and won’t let go.

Showmanship and stage presence

Your showmanship is what you bring that’s unique.

But “unique” doesn’t necessarily mean “good.” You could be the only blogger out there dressing in bacon and playing a ukulele, but that doesn’t mean you have valuable information to impart.

If you’re going to help your audience feel confident about your authority, you’re going to need something more than showmanship.

You need stage presence.

Stage presence is your ability to connect with an audience.

At this year’s BlogWorld, Brian Clark gave an excellent example of how to use stage presence.

Especially when it comes to marketing, people are like ‘Oh, well I’m supposed to do this, or I’m supposed to do that.’ No you’re not, because then you’re going to do exactly what everyone else does and you’re not unique.

So don’t feel like you need to be Naomi Dunford. I’m probably more like her in real life, but I choose to keep that on the down-low.

(…) I try to help people out. I try to help them learn something and make a business related to that.

And it’s as [much] the “real” me as any other part of me, but we all play different roles.

So that’s just my two cents on authenticity. Be who you want to be to your people. Be the best “you” you can be for them — not for you, for them.

That’s stage presence. Knowing what part of your authentic self connects with your audience — and then choosing to emphasize that aspect — is the first step to becoming the main act instead of just the ho-hum opener.

7 ways to use showmanship to command the attention of your audience

Choose a style that belongs to you. In order to be unique in your niche, you need to create a style that conveys who you are and what you do, in a way that your audience can get excited about. Find that “sweet spot” that will set you apart.
Immerse yourself in the style you’ve chosen. Once you’ve decided on your style, immerse everything you do in that style. That’s what showmanship is all about — taking what you do and wrapping it in a unique angle that gets your audience’s attention. If you don’t infuse everything you do with a single style, your audience will be confused by the conflicting brands you’re presenting.
Know what part of your personality connects with your audience. Being authentic doesn’t mean baring everything about yourself to the world. As Brian says, it’s about being the best “you” that you can be for your audience. Figure out what part of your personality “clicks” with your audience, and show more of that.
Focus on your audience, not yourself. I love what Sonia said at BlogWorld right after Brian finished his definition of authenticity. She said: “It’s not about you. It’s never about you. In business, it’s always about your customer.” If you want an engaged audience, you need to focus on what they want, what they need, and what they like.
Know the difference between authenticity and “too much information.” There’s a fine line between being authentic and telling your audience something they really didn’t want to know. Don’t cross the line into TMI. As Sonia says, “No one wants that much authenticity.”
Act like an authority if you want to be seen as one. If you want to be seen as an authority in your niche, you need to present yourself in a way that’s consistent with that level of respect. If you’re a financial advisor and you constantly complain about being broke, no one’s going to be very interested in your advice. Be mindful of how you present yourself.
Be consistent. At its core, branding is all about consistency — giving your audience the same positive experience every time they interact with you. If you want to command the attention of your audience, you need to be consistent in everything you do. Make sure everything you publish is in line with your overall brand, and stick to a consistent publishing schedule.

Being interesting isn’t enough

Being interesting isn’t enough if you want to establish yourself as an authority. Being talented isn’t enough, either.

Let’s face it, talented bands that are one-hit wonders are interesting for a time — then they fade into obscurity. No one wants that for their blog.

If you want to build a sustainable business model, you need to create a unique style that commands the attention of your audience, builds a solid connection with that audience, and establishes you as an expert.

Develop your showmanship and stage presence and you’ll be headliner for years to come. Even after you’ve turned old and gray, you’ll still be a rockstar.

About the Author: Logan Zanelli specializes in helping people get found, stand out, and sell more stuff. He is also the author of How to Go from Boring to Rockstar in 30 Days, a course that teaches you how to build a unique style and become the rockstar of your niche. It goes on sale this coming Monday.

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As writers, inspiration is one of the most important of the criteria for success. Without it, well, our writing ends up pretty lame.

A huge percentage of blogs see their demise before the six month milestone. Why?

Because people don’t know what to write about – writing becomes a chore and when that happens, you might as well seal it in. Here are 10 ways to become a more motivated, effective, and inspired online writer.

1. More books, fewer blogs

We all like blogs because they’re easy to digest, and we can come and go as we please and read from start to finish in a few minutes. We are also inherently reactive people, and blogs allow us to communicate and discuss with others immediately.

Books, however, contain scores of ideas not being dealt with in the blogosphere, and I guarantee if you take a weekend to read a book from start to finish, you’ll be chock full of writing material for weeks following. Take notes, “react” with yourself as you read, and pick up a book instead of only depending on Google Reader.

2. Listen to albums from beginning to end

Music is one of THE biggest sources of inspiration for yours truly – there’s something about the “right” song that can have you from feeling brain-dead with writers block to painting masterpieces like Michelangelo. What a lot of us, especially with modern technology, no longer do is listen to an album from start to finish.

Not only buy the entire album from an artist, but also listen to each song in order. Musicians are artists who usually order the track listings intentionally. Albums tell a story, they paint a picture; and isn’t that what we want to do as writers with our blogs?

3. Surround yourself with mentors

I use the word “mentor” loosely. I’ve never been a fan of choosing a single person as a mentor. Instead, I tend to surround myself with multiple “indirect” mentors – people I admire and respect; individuals who motivate and inspire me to be at my best; friends who challenge, question, and push me to think in new ways.

There’s truth in the old adage of you are the company you keep. So surround yourself with good company and you’re almost guaranteed to be a more inspired individual.

4. Cut out the negativity

While you surround yourself with amazing and inspiring mentors, go ahead and cut out the negativity – the dream zappers and naysayers who are intent on bringing you down to their level. You don’t need people like that in your life. Embellish the positive and diminish the negative in everything you do. You’ll be a much happier and fulfilled person if you have the right attitude.

5. Experiment with new mediums

Experimentation is probably the most important takeaway. In blogging, social networking, and everything else you do, if you’re not experimenting and pushing the envelope, you’re not maximizing your potential. As a writer, you have a gift for telling a story, so focus on telling that story in new ways. Use video, write an ebook, start a Guest Blog Grand Tour and let others challenge you to write about new topics. Keep hustling and growing.

6. Read blogs outside of your niche

If you write about social media, are you only reading inside the echo chamber? Why? Doing this exclusively becomes mind numbing. While I agree that you need to keep up with other writers in your field, take time to partake of completely unrelated sources. I read blogs about cooking, sports, PR, and music, to name a few.

They may not have anything to do with my “lifestyle design” genre of writing, but I can almost always walk away with a post idea inspired by something I’ve read. The best writers are those who can spot the intersection between different topics to reach a wider audience

7. Put yourself (literally) in new environments

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty terrible at getting things done when I’m sitting at home in my PJs. I’m most productive, and usually put together my best writing, when I find a comfy seat at the local coffee shop or settle into a nook with my headphones on in the back of a library. There’s something about surrounding yourself with caffeine and good books that works wonders. Opt for the local coffee joint over the living room when you have the chance.

8. Don’t be a slave to trends

Getting back to the fact that “we are inherently reactive people,” we like to follow trends, don’t we? How many “resolution” posts did you see the last couple weeks last December? Keep an eye on what people are doing, but push yourself to break away and set the trends. Simply become more proactive in everything you do.

9. Never underestimate the power of “unplugging”

OK, I lied. The experimentation I list as pathway 5 is an important takeaway, but the following is the most important for me. With Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Reader, Email, Itunes, Instant Messaging, and so on – there is a virtually limitless number of distractions out there. When I need to really focus and I want to put out my very best writing, I force myself to unplug.

Even now, as I write this, I’m sitting in a lake house with no internet. It is AMAZING what you can accomplish when you take time to unplug and “become one” with your writing. Set a specific day every week that you can disconnect and take time for yourself.

10. Have patience

Writing a masterpiece isn’t going to happen overnight. Bloggers get burned out because they start strong and then fizzle when the world doesn’t beat an immediate path to them. Above all, a strong community grounded in quality content takes time to develop, but as long as you are passionate about writing, the rest falls into place. Focus intently on creating exceptional content and reach out to others to share, and great things do indeed happen.

As a writer, what would you encourage the rest of us to do to maximize our writing potential and find inspiration?

About the Author: Matt Cheuvront is an Internet Marketing Developer by day the master of ceremonies over at Life Without Pants. Follow him on Twitter to keep in touch!