How do you know when you’re creating content from a place of authentic expression?

If you’re just getting started with content creation or you’ve been following mainstream marketing guidance for a while and feel misaligned, then you may be asking yourself that question.

I appreciated this question that came in through my DMs recently because it’s something that many authentic business owners (conscious, ethical people) who want to deliver content that aligns with who they deeply care about, too.

As someone who can relate to that desire, I thought I’d share my thoughts and how I know when I’m showing up in my fullest authentic expression.

But before I do, it’s important to know when you’re not.

Something that happens to a lot of business owners who are starting out, or are new to content marketing (it happened to me, too) is they don’t know how to put themselves out there. You could be wondering, how am I supposed to talk? What should I say? How do I do this? 

So, you look to your peers or other people in your niche or industry to see if you’re doing it right.

And since most of us need to learn how to market our services online, we take a course or follow the big name gurus who are using manipulative, mainstream marketing practices, and well, we follow them, too. Why? Because we don’t know any better.

Then over time, you’re persuaded by what you’ve learned and assumed that’s how it’s supposed to be done—even though it doesn’t feel right on a gut level. 

For example, you talk in a way that isn’t your voice. You share perspectives that don’t fully align with your beliefs. You feel lost and doubt what you’re doing because it doesn’t feel good. 

So how will you know when you’re aligned?

Keep reading (or watch the video below) for 3 ways to create content from a place of authentic expression. 

1. It feels good 

You’ll know when you’re showing up and creating content from a place of authentic expression because it feels good. You can feel it in your heart and you know that it’s in alignment. There’s a distinction, however, if you’re feeling nervous about posting something because it’s a vulnerable share or you’re still flexing your visibility muscles, it may not feel good to post from that standpoint.

It may take time before you get used to sharing content online so it can feel scary for a while. Especially if you’re worried about online criticism or someone challenging something you’ve written or said. That’s growth and it’s important to know the difference.

2. It’s fulfilling for you

Creating content from a place of authentic expression is fulfilling. If your heart isn’t in it, you’ll know it’s not coming from your highest self and you can only get by on that creative juice for so long before you feel resentful or uninspired by what you create. It simply won’t be sustainable. And remember, it doesn’t benefit anyone (not you or your audience) to create and share content that doesn’t light you up on the inside.

So, if you’re passionate about the content you create or feel deep satisfaction when you share it with your audience, that’s a good indication that you’re creating something in full alignment with your authentic self.

3. It’s true for you

One of the essential ways of knowing if you’re creating content from a place of authentic expression is that it’s true for you. That means you’re not sharing about someone else’s experience unless you’re relating it back to your own. In other words, you’re creating content that’s based on your lived experiences.

For example, I can’t talk to you about $50k launches or creating a six-figure business if I haven’t done that myself. I can tell you about the journey, the struggles I’m facing, the lessons I’m learning along the way, tips and advice I learn in my industry to support you. But I won’t talk about something I haven’t experienced for myself.

If you’re creating content that doesn’t check the boxes above, it won’t be sustainable for you and your audience will sense the inauthenticity over time. It may not be obvious in the beginning, but it’ll become apparent eventually when the message doesn’t connect because they’ll feel it, too.

Thankfully, you don’t have to create content that you don’t feel good about or market yourself in a way that feels misaligned because your audience will sense it. By sharing content that’s anchored in authenticity, you will attract and engage an audience that deeply resonates with you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, how do you know when the content you create is coming from a place of authentic expression?