The Eyebrow Test

I’ve launched a podcast at each of my marketing gigs, producing more than 150 episodes total and getting 250k+ downloads. I love them because they fuel entire content engines from thought leadership, to pipeline gen, and content repurposing that fuels other channels. But I never produce a show on my own. 

I got help from Share Your Genius for my podcasts at Gong and Clari. They know what drives real engagement and impact, plus they execute at the highest level. 

If you want to launch or grow your podcast, talk to Rachel at Share Your Genius.

The most common question I get — on podcasts, panels, and talkin’ shop over coffee — is:

How do you know if my content is any good?

The question behind the question is really:

How do I know if my reader/viewer/listener is really going to like my content?

If you want your content to pierce through the noise, it needs to be engaging and shareable. 

Master both and you’ll soar to the top 1% of content creators. 

First, let’s define engaging. Put simply, I define it as

1. worth consuming (reading/listening/watching)

2. worth interacting with (reacting/liking/commenting) 

And share-ability? It matters because you want people to spread your content to extend your reach. People will do that if it makes them look cool or smart. If they want to be associated with your work, that’s the ultimate sign they loved it— the holy grail of reactions.

But if people aren’t consuming or interacting with your content, they’ll never share it (duh). 

So you need to know what motivates people to consume, then share. 

Here’s my formula for getting there: Create something insightful, relevant, and actionable. 

This week, let’s set our focus on creating something insightful… as in, interesting and thought-provoking.

I do that by writing content that’s directly related to my audience’s challenges and interests.

Here’s how I decide if something is truly insightful (and worth including): I call it the eyebrow test. 

Because if something is truly insightful, I raise my eyebrows:

Here’s a recent example I posted on LinkedIn:

That last line is surprising because it’s a new perspective on marketing that most people haven’t thought of before (as mentioned multiple times in the comments).

Viola! Insightful. ✅

You can do the same using data or your unique perspective.

OK, time for part two.

If something is thought-provoking, they’ll go furrow and go down. 

Example: Humans are actually terrible at multitasking because they’re not really multitasking, they’re actually task-switching. “You’re not paying attention to one or two things simultaneously, but switching between them very rapidly” (source: my good friend and writer for hire, DJ Waldow).

This is insightful because it challenges what people believe about multi-tasking. 

A reframe is a beautiful way to create something insightful because it forces your reader to rethink their reality. They will naturally lean in and read more to address the curiosity you’ve sparked. 

Before publishing your next piece of content, ask yourself: What insight am I providing? 

Then stress test it. Did my eyebrows move? 

(Hopefully your eyebrows danced a bit reading this insightful content about insightful content).

Holler at you next Saturday,
Devin

PS: If liked today’s post, you can help me grow my newsletter by forwarding it to one person with a quick “You’ll love this newsletter. It’s worth subscribing.”

If you want to create highly-engaging content faster and more confidently…

Content That Converts is a 154-page ebook— packed with tips, techniques, and examples — that reveals exactly how to pierce through the noise, grow your, audience, and get more clients.

Perfect if you want to use content to build a defensible brand and generate endless inbound opportunities.

You can buy your copy here.