'Messaging Drift' Keeps You Invisible

'Messaging Drift' Keeps You Invisible

I recorded an audio version of the newsletter with additional comments. If you like having audio (even without guests), let me know! AI has cut Tim Ferriss’ book sales 80% from 2022. He shared the numbers in a blog post this week. But in that post, he has this amazing line: “I’d rather write books for 10,000 people than make short-form video clips for 10,000,000..” Tim Ferriss But he hit on something many coaches, speakers and authors struggle with. Messaging Drift - The tendency of content to drift away from the core topics, the core beliefs and opinions, and ultimately, away from the target audience. Tim knows exactly who his 10,000 are. Do you? That’s where AI can either be helpful or harmful, because you can use AI… Haphazardly - creating unfocused content that keeps you invisibleIntentionally - creating laser-focused content that is easy to categorize, consume, and push Let’s dive into those three concepts - Categorize, Consume, and Push. Algorithms Push Content that is Easy to Categorize. That seems to be one of the consensus takeaways from Google’s landmark 2016 paper: Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations [https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/en//pubs/archive/45530.pdf] (and further research). YouTube’s algorithm works like this: * A viewer spends above-average time watching a video * The algorithm reaches for similar videos to recommend. Same category, similar concept, format, length, topic, etc. * Similar videos that add value get recommended first But the algorithm doesn’t really have a real-world understanding of every video. It doesn’t have: * Deep industry context * Coaching experience * Access to real time conversations in Facebook groups It has to rely on your titles, thumbnails, descriptions and metadata. So content that is very focused is easier to categorize and gets pushed more. Jefferson Fisher [https://www.instagram.com/jefferson_fisher/] is a great example. 6 million Instagram followers. ONE theme, ONE format, ONE location (sitting in his vehicle).Laser-focused content. Easy to categorize, consume and push. But in 10 years of working with coaches, speakers and authors…How many truly choose a niche and create focused content?Easy to categorize, consume and push? Very few. Because… ‘Hard-to-Categorize’ Content is EASIER to Create And I don’t mean that in a lazy way. When smart, curious people follow their muse…Without a 30,000 foot view of their content…The result is messaging drift. Content for 3+ different types of prospects, on a wide variety of topics, in a bunch of formats. The algorithm can’t easily categorize the ideal viewer…Can’t confidently predict how viewers will consume the content…Can’t predict what will happen when it pushes the content… So it doesn’t. And using AI tools in the content production process doesn’t automatically fix this. Recent studies show that AI has its own ‘drift’ problems…drifting toward the same writing style, promoting the same ideas, recommending the same business strategies. And ultimately, serving its own goal of keeping people using the tools. But after the conversation with Matthew Rathbun I realized that… AI Can Make It EASIER To Create Focused Content IF you set it up properly. You set up your initial brand documents, codifying who YOU are, the impact you want to make, the kind of content you want to create. How you deliver transformation for clients or attendees, the key beliefs and opinions you want to infuse in all your content. Then you set up an AI messaging strategist that reviews all your content, hunting for anything that drifts off course. * Hooks and headlines that sound like everyone else * Topics that draw the wrong audience * Guests who don’t fit your target audience * Phrases that aren’t authentic to you * Content that isn’t easy to categorize * Session titles that don’t fit your speaker niche Setting that system up starts with knowing WHO your 10,000 people are. Once that decision is made, you can structure AI to push back, give you the 30,000 foot view, and alert you when your content starts to drift. Algorithms Aren’t Going Away Algorithms create fast-growth stories. Those stories grab attention.Everyone flocks to the platform with the most attention, trying to be the next fast-growth story. So if you’re going to use those platforms, give the algorithm what it wants. Create focused content that’s easy to categorize, consume and push. And use AI to keep you from drifting off course. Ask This: If I could ONLY serve one kind of agent, who is it?If there are 10,000 of them, fantastic! That’s all you need to make 7 figures as a thought leader. Quick Links & Resources Tim Ferriss - Has AI Already Killed ‘How-To’ Non-Fiction? [https://tim.blog/2026/06/12/has-ai-already-killed-nonfiction/] Google paper - Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations [https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/en//pubs/archive/45530.pdf] YouTube official article - On YouTube’s Recommendation System [https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/on-youtubes-recommendation-system/] If you know a coach, speaker or author with interesting opinions and insights to share, reach out. I’m always looking for good guests! Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how my team and I can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Use AI…Ditch the Inauthenticity

Yes, AI breeds inauthenticity. And yes, there are still amazing use cases for AI. This is one of the most impactful I’ve ever seen. Here’s how Matthew put it: “I wanted to create a system to make things in my voice. Not violating anybody else’s IP, but built on concepts that had landed earlier.” - Matthew Rathbun He built an AI operating system to codify his voice, capture everything he says, create first drafts from that library, then have an AI Board of Directors critique the output and feed those learnings back into the system. Here’s how each step feeds into the next to create the flywheel. Codify His Voice & Vision. He worked with AI to document everything that made him HIM - his voice, key concepts, design aesthetic, and language bank. MR: “All of this started with me walking around my backyard…telling AI, ‘I’m a national speaker or international speaker….this is my vibe…now interview me so you can be the best PR agent and content developer possible.’ Took about an hour and a half. She kept asking me questions. I kept answering. I just would blather on for a while. And then she made it a succinct part of her (AI) memory.” That forms the foundation layer, the single source of truth. Critical for AI to take on specialized roles and truly refine your intellectual property. Capture Past & Current Intellectual Property. Matthew started with the stuff we all have - live sessions, YouTube videos, webinars, guest interviews, 300+ pieces of content. He got everything transcribed and added to his AI tool (Claude in this case). He started using the HiDock AI voice recorder [https://a.co/d/0aIjUSLy]to capture live sessions in real time. MR: “I was teaching this webinar two years ago and I said something particularly clever or something that agents really gravitated towards…I want to capture those moments.” He can braindump from just about anywhere. He once turned an idea for a class into a ‘killer outline’ in one car ride, just by talking to his custom-built Claude Skill. Those first steps created a living body of work. Well-documented, continuously updated. Which feeds into the next steps. Want to create a body of work that builds an audience? Check out our https://getmicrofamous.com/Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/]. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. Visit https://getmicrofamous.com/GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/] to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call. Create Different Roles for Different Goals Matthew developed specialized roles within his AI Board of Directors, such as an Instructor Skill to help develop his classes. One of his AI skills ensures that his class content aligns with adult learning principles. You can do the same for your business and how your brain works. Here are some options for specialized AI roles: * AI Search Strategist - Ensures that your content hits specific keywords and suggests ways to optimize your content for AI recommendations * IP Strategist - Looks for opportunities to capitalize on your IP with books, joint ventures, collaborations, licensing deals and certifications. * Messaging Strategist - Ensures that all language in your content is consistent with your brand voice and reinforces your key concepts. Specializing roles is critical to getting good AI output because AI tools have limitations (context windows and memory). The more focused each role can be, the more effective an AI Board of Directors can be as a complete system. Build First Drafts That Are 75% to Done. Using specialized AI roles like his Instructor Skill, Matthew can start with an idea, move into storyboarding and outlining content, then to building full course outlines and branded Canva slide decks. All in a fraction of the time. MR: Now I can go tell her (AI), build out the slides or create it. And using the skill I created [with] my colors, fonts and logos, the final product from AI is 75% of the work.” Refine the Output. He then adds his own taste and judgment, working with specialized AI roles built to push back. His AI Board of Directors adds critical feedback and helps expose biases, blind spots, missing calls-to-action, misaligned language and much more MR: “The [AI} Board of Directors said, ‘There’s two things in all the transcripts you’ve given us that you don’t do well. One is, you don’t have an inspirational closing. A tagline that makes them feel good about the [session content]. And the second thing [missing is] reinforcing with an action.’” As a result, Matthew made key changes to improve the last few minutes of his sessions. Lacy Schuldt [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com/p/speaker-bureaus-how-they-really-work] (who books speakers) pointed out that the last few minutes of a session are often what speakers are most remembered for. For Matthew, his AI Board of Directors has helped him produce content that’s more… * Clear and well-structured * Compelling to his core audience * Consistent and connected across platforms and formats All in a fraction of the time. Next week I’ll share how an AI Board of Directors could be extended to solve another problem lurking in the background…messaging drift. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing! Anyone else have an AI Board of Directors? Or a unique use for AI tools that’s making a big impact for them? Steal This: Matthew also uses ‘negative prompts’ to improve AI outputs: “I’m very careful to say, ‘Make sure the content we’re creating doesn’t conflict or sound close to any other speaker, author…’ I want to make sure my content doesn’t violate anybody else’s IP or come close to it.” Quick Links & Resources Matthew’s Website [https://www.matthewrathbun.com/] Resources page [https://www.matthewrathbun.com/resources/] About Matthew [https://www.matthewrathbun.com/meet_matthew_rathbun/] Thanks to Matthew for coming back AGAIN so shortly after the BEATS conference. He’s a great speaker and an even better human, so if you’re looking to connect, I’m happy to make an introduction. Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

‘AI Breeds Inauthenticity’

What if AI tools are having a negative compound effect? AI makes one email better, one listing description better, one social post better. But when it all compounds…everything sounds the same. So no one stands out anymore. After reviewing speaker submissions for NAR, and watching agents who are AI power-users, that’s the effect she’s seeing. Paula has a broad view of AI’s effect as a… * Speaker at real estate events nationwide * Owner of a real estate school * Former state association president So we had a blast talking about what she’s seeing. Here are the…. Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation: Many New Agents Think AI Makes Real Estate EASY “There’s two camps right now. People are either terrified [AI is] going to replace them completely, or people think that it’s absolutely amazing and it’s going to make their jobs super easy…because no real estate problems happen when you use AI, right? It’s fabulous.” - Paula Monthofer For anyone training new agents, that has to be concerning. The last thing you want are agents coming in thinking the business is easy. Many Speakers Submissions Contain Identical Language & Promises of ROI PM: “So many of them were obviously written by the same AI program….same exact rhetoric, you know, ‘[My sessions is] going to increase your business by 15%’ or whatever the percent was…Everybody had the same percentage because everybody’s AI gave them the same ideas.” This pitfall can sneak up on you, especially in areas where every coach, speaker or author is looking for an edge. A way to stand out. AI might give you a really amazing suggestion. But if your competitors all get the same suggestion, where’s the competitive advantage…where’s the edge? Want to create content that gives you a real edge in the market? Check out our https://getmicrofamous.com/Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/]. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. Visit GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/] to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call. If Words were Ice Cream, AI Makes Everything High Quality Vanilla PM: “It’s better if you really like vanilla…if you like vanilla, this is like the creamiest most French vanilla ever. But if you wanted to try some lobster ice cream sometime, that is not happening.” I love that analogy. AI can make something better …but it makes that thing better in the exact same way…for everyone. In the agent world, she’s seeing listing descriptions, emails, marketing emails, all starting to have the same vanilla voice. She’s seeing it in the thought leadership world, too. “The big thing is, especially as someone who’s been speaking in leadership for so long, about authenticity. It’s just this discord. It’s this disharmony with being authentic. It is synthesized. That doesn’t make it horrible. That doesn’t make it evil. That doesn’t make it awful. But it certainly doesn’t make it authentic.” When you see a lot of AI-influenced output all in one place, you see the negative compounding effect. * LinkedIn posts * Podcast pitch emails * Speaker submissions * Amazon ‘best-seller’ books When you review a steady stream of that content, the overall effect is just…sameness. The flip side of all this sameness is that unique voices can stand out even more. The question is, How do you use AI without drifting into sameness? More to come on that. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing Ask This: When AI gives you a suggestion, a tactic or a strategy, ask yourself, “Is this authentic and unique to ME…or could other experts and leaders do the same thing?” If your competitors can do it, AI may have already suggested it.Nullifying the edge. Quick Links & Resources Paula’s speaking website [https://paulamonthofer.com/] Paula’s Bio [https://paulamonthofer.com/in-the-news] Connect on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pmonthofer/] Massive thanks to Paula for having such a fun and authentic chat! She just showed up 100% herself, I think many thought leaders could take a page from her book. If you’re looking for a guest who can speak to all levels of real estate with passion and energy, I’m happy to make an introduction! -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Speaker Bureaus: How They REALLY Work

I got the chance to chat with Lacy at the BEATS conference and wanted to have a deeper conversation on what she’s seeing from running her speaker bureau, Elevated Events & Education. [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/] Let’s start with a couple bits of insider info. Lacy spends her days working with the Education Directors and committee members putting together events. Here’s what she’s picking up… * Event organizers are being influenced or overruled by volunteer committee members with strong opinions on speakers and topics * A speaker bureau’s most powerful move for its speakers isn’t pushing one speaker at a time…it’s being brought in to help plan the event That’s where Lacy loves to get involved, structuring the flow of an event, plugging in her roster of speakers. She’s able to fill in a piece many speakers miss… ensuring their style, tone and content fits the timeslot. Making their speaking session more effective for both speaker and audience. Now let’s get into the non-obvious insights… Agents SAY They Want More Tactical Content…The Reality is More Complicated “We’re in a big shift [where] the challenges are agents not having clarity of where they’re going with their business, how to move forward. How do they overcome the barrage of industry news that’s out there? So [the challenge is] getting agents to be really clear.” - Lacy Schuldt I take this as a symptom of the uncertainty we all feel. Lacy gave some more context on the topics that Ed Directors ask her for: * The role of the agent * How to better articulate agents’ value to consumers * Business development (sales and marketing) “Some of the hot ticket items we’re hearing about still is AI, but I’ll tell you that there’s a shift away from that…Another big one is like they want tangible takeaways, no more fluff. What do [agents] do? What do they go home and implement? Those are the things that I’m asked for the most.” Lacy pointed out that while agents always say they want tactical content, it often falls flat because… Many Speakers Are Missing the Bigger Picture “When [agents] have a scarcity mindset, they don’t know how to take those tactical things cause they’re going to take them like a fire hose and [think they’re] going to implement everything.” Lacy pointed out that as an industry, we need to take mental health a lot more seriously. Here’s one way she’s addressing it in her work with event organizers: “The first question I always ask is, ‘Tell me about your members and what they’re feeling right now’ ... People are going to remember a small amount of the information they’re told or they’re taught, but what they aren’t going to forget is how they felt.” If your session isn’t ‘in tune’ with the emotional state of that group of agents, your session will fall flat. You might even tick them off. (Just look at the recent commencement speeches where any mention of AI drew rounds of ‘Boos’). The same insight applies at a bigger level, to all the content you create…videos, podcasts, email newsletters, social posts, etc. If you want better results from ALL the content you create, start by understanding how agents are feeling right now. Want support to create your best content…consistently? Check out our https://getmicrofamous.com/Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/]. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. Visit GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/] to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call. The Speaker Slot That Gets the Least Attention Might Be the Most Important “I talk about this with my speakers…that last 10 minutes, you have the opportunity to leave them in a very positive place. Give them a sense of hope because without hope we have nothing….People are going to remember a small amount of the information that they’re told or they’re taught, but what they aren’t going to forget is how they felt.” This is well-established science called the Peak-End Rule. We don’t judge experiences on the average or total sum of every moment. We remember how we felt at two points… * the most intense moment (the Peak) * The End (check out Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Fredrickson’s work for more on this). So the last speaker slot of an event rarely gets the attention it deserves, as does the actual closing minutes of the event. While you can’t control the closing minutes of the event, you can certainly control the closing minutes of your own session. Leaving agents in a positive emotional state at the end of your session will massively impact your speaker ratings and feedback. Considering how many bookings come from word-of-mouth among event organizers, a tweak to your session endings might generate several new opportunities a year. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Lacy also shared more nuts-and-bolts advice for: * building relationships with event organizers * how to better package your sessions to get more bookings * what needs to be built before working with a speaker bureau Ask This: Are you giving agents a firehose of tactical content, trying to stuff as much ‘value’ as possible into your sessions or content? I’ve done it myself, and I see others making the same mistake early in their thought leadership journey. The sooner you focus on emotional impact, the better. You’ll start looking for stories, examples, exercises, games and themes. Elements that create emotional impact beyond the information you share. And that’s what the audience will remember. Quick Links & Resources Lacy’s speaker bureau - Elevated Events & Education [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/] About Lacy [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/about] Lacy’s Speaker Roster [https://elevatedeventsandeducation.com/meet-the-speakers] I had a blast chatting with Lacy at the BEATS event and in this conversation, her first podcast interview ever! She’s a great person to know in this industry, so reach out if you want a personal intro. Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Big Win from a Niche Community w/Geoffrey Long

There are tons of communities for lead gen and prospecting. Geoff has carved out a completely different niche. As both a lawyer and broker, he’s built RPro Academy [https://www.rpro.academy/] around content that is… * Hyper-specific * Hyper-local * Timely And through that, the community has found its One Big Promise: We help you get from contract to close. This is a perfect example of a ‘MicroFamous’ strategy, and I’m going to tie this into some odd examples from aviation and AI. So let’s dive into the… Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation: Specialize in the Mundane “I’m a specialist in the boring stuff. You know, the code of ethics, the fair housing, the compliance, that’s where I made my specialty because I love it. And I feel like we found ways to make it interesting and engaging for people to attend.” - Geoffrey Long Not only has Geoff built a thriving community around the ‘boring stuff,’ he’s also limited the community to one state for now (Oklahoma). Being hyper-local allows Geoff to be hyper-specific. As a result, the community is completely unique, cutting through the noise, and spreading by word of mouth. It’s easy for agents and brokers to know if the community is for them, and it’s easy for members to recommend. Geoff avoided one of the most common traps in thought leadership…Going too BIG and broad early on. When you’re too big and broad, you can’t be hyper-specific.And your content sounds like everyone else’s.And you stay invisible. Real Engagement Comes from Real NEED “Part of the foundation of the community we created was [that] it’s actually fulfilling a need, not just a desire….When it can be framed in that way… it increases the value….It increases the engagement…” - Geoffrey Long I’ve seen many community builders struggle to create engagement. When a community is big and broad, members have a wide range of challenges. It’s hard for anyone to post something that will be interesting to all its members. That shows up as poor engagement. But in Geoff’s community, being hyper-local and hyper-specific creates its own engagement. Challenges drive members to post. Posts get natural engagement because other members face the same challenges. It’s a flywheel of engagement. When you get hyper-specific, it’s a lot easier to find the NEED…the unique challenges that bring a community together and create real engagement. Find the Emotional Need Behind the Practical Need “...most of the time it’s just confirmation, right? Like, I think I know the answer, but I would just like somebody else that I trust to confirm it for me. That’s like 90% of it…That gets so much comfort for people.” - Geoffrey Long Geoff found that his members actually have two needs. * remove obstacles between contract and closing * get trusted confirmation and reassurance In this ‘trust apocalypse’ we live in…where people struggle to trust their own decisions… Confirmation and reassurance are rare. And that makes them valuable. The kind of value you can build a scalable community around. Example: One of our agency clients hosts The Flight Department Show. He might be the only expert in the world on compensation for business aviation departments (fleets of private planes for big companies and wealthy families). One of the reasons pilots and mechanics buy his compensation reports is for confirmation and reassurance. They want a trusted opinion on whether staying in business aviation is a good financial decision. They don’t want to look stupid to their spouse or partner. That’s the real emotional need. Want support to create your best content…consistently? Check out our https://getmicrofamous.com/Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] service.From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. Visit GetMicroFamous.com [https://getmicrofamous.com/] to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call. You Can Create Massive Advantages by Doing What Your Competitors are Unwilling To Do Last week OpenAI claimed their new AI model just solved an unsolvable math problem. Mathematician Thomas Bloom had this to say… “[the AI’s] success here echoes previous achievements: it often produces the most surprising results by persevering down paths a human may have dismissed as not worth their time to explore, combining superhuman levels of patience with familiarity with a vast array of technical machinery.”- Thomas Bloom In other words, AI solves ‘unsolvable’ problems…Partly by doing what humans are unwilling to do. There’s a version of that in the thought leadership space. Last week Craig Grant shared how speakers tried outsourcing the hard work of their speaker proposals to AI. But more than that, there’s also a desire to outsource the hard thinking and hard choices to AI. Which creates big opportunities for those willing to do what others won’t. In Geoff’s case, it was choosing to build around his strengths, even in the ‘boring stuff,’ and choosing to build one state first. Those are hard choices. They take patience and long-term vision. But RPro Academy is living proof that when you do the hard stuff behind the scenes…the results show up in easier sales. Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Ask This: What are you willing to do that your competition isn’t? A few weeks ago I shared some tactics to make your content more rare and valuable. Getting hyper-specific. Weaving in authentic stories. Developing and sharing proprietary data. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are many ways to win by doing what others are unwilling to do. Quick Links & Resources RPRO Academy [https://www.rpro.academy/] About the Academy and Geoff [https://www.rpro.academy/about] I had a blast chatting with Geoff, both at the BEATS conference and recording this conversation. He’s very thoughtful and strategic, which carries over into the community he’s building. If you’re hosting a show and need a fantastic guest, reach out and I’m happy to make a personal intro! Talk soon, -Matt Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous PS Here’s how we can help… Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy [https://getmicrofamous.com/] - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content. Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active. Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls. So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call. [https://getmicrofamous.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethoughtleaders.substack.com [https://rethoughtleaders.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]