Quick question: what ground-breaking theory that will entirely disrupt your field have you come up with today? None? Oh, what a slacker!

I’m joking, of course. Well, half-joking, because I know way too many people who think their content should be mind-blowing, with brand-new ideas, and novel concepts that revolutionize entire fields.

If you’ve been there too (I know I have), keep reading. You’re going to love this issue.

But first, a quick word from our partner, the solution that helped me take my user-generated content to the next level:

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​Senja​

“How the heck do you get SO many testimonials?” is a question I get asked at least once a week. The answer is simple: I ask for them — often!

You know what’s not so simple? Managing them!

I collected over 300 testimonials, and finding the right one used to be a nightmare. Senja fixed that problem for me.

Right now:

  • My process is streamlined and the testimonials are automatically categorized by product or service
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Want a similar experience for you and your clients? Give Senja a shot — it’s free (not a free trial, an actual free tier).

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Want your name up here? ​Reserve your slot!​

The tyranny of originality

Most marketers and creators obsess over originality like it’s the holy grail. New ideas, fresh angles, groundbreaking concepts — sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

Until you’re staring down the blinking cursor of doom on a blank page at 10pm on a Tuesday, desperately trying to invent a revolutionary concept for your LinkedIn post that needs to go out tomorrow morning.

Originality is exhausting. Worse, it’s often unnecessary.

Your audience doesn’t want you reinventing yourself weekly. They don’t crave constant novelty. They want consistency. Reliability. Predictability.

And no, predictability isn’t boring. It’s your secret weapon.

Copywriting legend Eugene Schwartz said it best: “Copy is not written. Copy is assembled.“

Assembled from what, you ask?

From your:

Personal example: when I wrote ​The Resonance Principle manifesto​, I spent an inordinate amount of time obsessing over two things:

  • The name (I’m still not 100% happy with it)
  • Whether it was “original” enough or not

It’s not 100% original (far from it), and that’s OK. I realized it was OK when I had to seriously trim down the “roots” section where I referenced some of the thinkers who influenced me.

The initial version had far more references because, like yours, my beliefs are heavily influenced by thinkers whose work I read throughout my life.

What is 100% original, though, is how I assembled this idea puzzle. And that’s why The Resonance Principle resonated (couldn’t help it!) with so many of you.

[Side note: thank you to everyone who shared it and who wrote to tell me what they liked most about this piece. It matters more than you know!]

Since I realized this and since I saw so many of my clients unhappy with their otherwise great content, I started thinking about the roots of the issue. And I think I have discovered the biggest one:

The curse of knowledge and the disservice it does to your audience

I constantly notice a strange phenomenon: the more advanced you get at something, the less connected you become to your audience’s basic needs.

As experts, we forget something crucial: our audience isn’t as far along the path as we are.

While you’re off exploring nuanced, cutting-edge tactics that make your nerd heart flutter, your audience is still grappling with the basics.

They’re not looking for revolutionary leaps. They just want clear, practical solutions to familiar problems.

And if you can reliably deliver solutions to those familiar problems?

That’s when you become indispensable.

Your audience won’t obsessively check your profile, hoping you’ll stun them with genius. They’ll show up because they know you’ll always deliver the goods, predictably and consistently.

Because audiences prefer brands that consistently deliver on their promises rather than those that sporadically impress with flashy innovations.

Predictability builds trust. Trust builds relationships. Relationships make sales.

It’s simple math, really.

So, how can you avoid the curse of knowledge?

First off, you need to be aware of it. Experts (like you) underestimate how valuable basic concepts are, precisely because they seem obvious to you. You mistakenly assume your audience is bored by fundamentals or repetition.

They’re not, though. If they had the same level of mastery you do, they wouldn’t consume your content at all.

Stop assuming everyone knows what you know. They don’t.

Repeat yourself strategically, clearly, and often. Repurposing is one way to go about it (you can read more about ​how to repurpose like a pro here​).

Next, understand that being predictable doesn’t mean being boring

Your favorite Netflix show? Never 100% original.

In fact, most Netflix shows follow one of approximately 10 storytelling techniques. Sure, ​narrative trends change​ (and that’s when you see a subtle change in TV shows).

The same goes for novels, fairytales, press releases, opinion pieces — everything. Heck, even original scientific discoveries follow a pre-determined set of rules.

And this is, in part, why people binge-watch and binge-read formulaic content. Because of the comfortable predictability.

They expect a Hallmark Christmas movie to have a heart-warming love story – and Hallmark delivers every time. They expect a thriller to have some unexpected plot twists (yes, even the unexpected can be predictable) — and the director delivers.

Taylor Swift’s songs follow​ the same chord progression​: “What Taylor’s great at is establishing a pattern, and then twisting it, and tweaking it, and surprising you with some variation.” [emphasis mine]

I could go on but you get the point: every type of content we consume follows a formula or a pattern.

And yes, you can apply them to your content as well. After all, ​everyone runs a media company these days​.

How to apply this and create predictably great content

Things get much easier when you don’t start from scratch, when you have a pattern or a mold to fit your words into.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Define your core themes/topic pillars

Pick 2–3 main topics your content consistently covers. These should tie directly to your audience’s recurring struggles.

(You can read more about​ identifying your content pillars here​.)

Example (career coach):

  • Career transitions
  • Overcoming imposter syndrome
  • Salary negotiation

2. Use predictable structures

Choose a few repeatable formats your audience will recognize and love. The recognition part is crucial: we are hard-wired to respond to certain formulas, like the ones in fairytales.

For example:

  • Myth vs truth: “You think career switching hurts your resume? Think again.”
  • Problem → insight → desirable outcome: “Scared to negotiate your salary? Here’s exactly what to say tomorrow.”
  • Story → lesson → application: “How Anna doubled her salary (and how you can, too).”

3. Schedule everything

You can cycle through these frameworks endlessly:

  • Week 1: myth vs truth
  • Week 2: problem → insight → desirable outcome
  • Week 3: story → lesson → application

This builds reliability. Your audience knows exactly what to expect, and you avoid blank-page anxiety.

Pro tip: you don’t have to tie yourself to these formats. If inspiration suddenly strikes, you can use a new format or freestyle it. Test more options to see what your audience responds to best.

4. Set clear expectations

Explicitly promise consistency: “Every Monday, get clear, actionable advice to upgrade your career with zero fluff.”

✋ Nuance and limitations

Escaping the tyranny of originality does NOT mean spinning your favorite creator’s content. It means relying on YOUR Big Idea and coming up with new ways to make it shine.

You need an original angle, an original point of view, just not a new one every week.