It’s not about you. It’s about them.

That line of thinking is the foundation of Honest Ghost and our values. It’s why we don’t sign our name on stories we tell for your clients, and it’s why you work your fingers to the bone for your clientele.

Most small businesses, especially those in industries of expert service — from personal trainers to nutritionists, stylists, landscapers, wedding photographers, pet groomers, and realtors — desperately need to refresh their philosophies on content.

We need to look beyond which platforms you’re using, and get into your actual subject matter.

A lot of business folks think their content is all about how they can help their patrons, when in reality it falls in the category of self-service. Here’s the issue: Positive ink about your business means next to nothing coming from you. You’re the seller! You’re supposed to think what you’re doing is the lord’s work, and when you make posts saying so, that’s just PR. Your audiences pick up on that.

If your way of reaching people is to post content that’s all about you and how much butt you think you kick, people will tune you out – because what they’re really looking for when considering your services is user social proof.

The most head-clutching of all content I see is stuff to the tune of, “Our customer service is what sets us apart!”

If you really are crushing customer service, stop wasting resources trying to create the appearance of doing it. Instead, focus on propping up your clientele — the people who actually will provide legitimate, word-of-mouth praise.

In college journalism, here’s the very first rule you learn if you want your reader to understand what you’re describing: Show, don’t tell.

In the content context, that boils down to one thing – storytelling. And guess what?

It’s not about you. It’s about them.

So, stop thinking that you need to be your own cheerleader. Share the stories your clients and customers have about their experiences working with you instead, and really focus on them, not your operation. They’ll be delighted to know you care about them enough to share a slice of their life, and your audience will get a real taste of what it’s like to be your client.