Nothing has made me more money and created more opportunities than creating content for my audience.

Many entrepreneurs see this and agree that creating content is a powerful way to attract ideal customers…but then they hit a mental roadblock.

Picture this. You’re getting ready to write or record a piece of content and start having second thoughts. A negative voice inside your head starts intruding with,

“Who do you think you are to be doing this?”

“Why would anyone read, watch, or listen to you?”

“So-and-so is better than you at this and funnier and richer and better looking.”

It’s a sort of imposter syndrome. You feel uncomfortable presenting yourself as an “expert,” especially when there are other people who are more knowledgeable. Also, what will your industry colleagues and peers think?

If you’re comparing yourself to your peers and fearing their judgment, then remember they’re not your target market. You want to impress your prospects and customers, not your industry colleagues.

If you’re truly uncomfortable presenting yourself as an “expert,” you can adopt an alternative content creator “archetype.”

In my new book, Lean Marketing, I outline the 5 content creator archetypes:

The Expert: The Expert is the most common content creator archetype. This person has domain authority through knowledge, expertise, or experience.

The Curator: The Curator sifts the wheat from the chaff. Their value proposition is that they’ll save you time and effort by sorting through everything and only sharing valuable and interesting content with you. Media companies, best-of lists, museums, and the news are all examples of curation.

The Interviewer: The Interviewer is focused on people and conversations with them. If you don’t have a lot of expertise or authority of your own, it’s a great way to borrow them and have some rub off on you. Oprah Winfrey is a great example of The Interviewer archetype.

The Amateur on a Journey: The Amateur on a Journey archetype openly admits that they have limited or no expertise in their field of focus but will take you on their journey to mastery and discovery. They share both their wins and losses along the way, which makes them very relatable and can make for compelling content. Tim Ferris is an example of this. He has openly shared his journey in various fields, such as learning skills, health, and investing. (More recently, he has taken on The Interviewer archetype.)

The Enigma: The Enigma archetype lives an original, interesting, or unusual life and shares some of it with their audience. Entire industries have been built around getting a look inside the lives of the rich and famous. While you don’t necessarily have to be a celebrity, the key to success with The Enigma archetype is doing cool or unusual stuff that people wouldn’t normally get to see. Allow your audience to peek behind the curtain.

Which content creator archetype resonates the most with you?