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[tsm_startablog @tsm_startablog]

There are many Twitter marketing strategies. Some new, some old. Some are a little shady. Here are 2 Twitter marketing strategies you should know: https://t.co/jx4am6Vhn1

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

The more you push your brain to do awesome work, the more you can do.

A lazy brain creates lazy content.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Creating more personal content feels more vulnerable.

Generic tip-based content feels safer - but is boring and forgettable.

If you want to make an impact, you have to leave your comfort zone.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

When people start being interested in you as a person, you really succeeded with your community building.

Start being interested in other people to start building your community!

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Does your content feel forced because you are telling someone else's story?

I tried to write blog posts someone else suggested. They never flowed. They felt fake because they weren't mine.

The same thing happens when you use those "plug-and-play" templates everyone is selling.

The problem with copying your way to success:

Copies lack personality
Stolen ideas lack authenticity
Stories without feeling don't trigger emotions

I see it everywhere:
Those staged Instagram videos that make you cringe.
Those recycled tweets you have read 1000 times before.
Those blog posts that scream "AI wrote this in 30 seconds."

None of them connect. None of them feel real.

When you try to tell stories that aren't yours, your audience feels it immediately. The disconnect is obvious.

But when you tell YOUR stories - even the messy, vulnerable ones - they come alive.

Your audience isn't looking for perfect content. They are looking for real content.

And your real stories, imperfect as they feel to you, are exactly what will make people stop scrolling and start connecting.

The shortcut everyone's selling isn't a shortcut at all.

Authenticity is.

What is one story only YOU can tell?

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

One of the worst parts of being at the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey:

Feeling the need to take on clients that give you bad vibes.

Because being able to follow your gut feeling is a luxury you cannot value enough.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

A conversation on Twitter turned into a "Let’s have a chat." My inner introvert immediately panicked.

“Oh no, what did I get myself into?”

But then I reminded myself: connecting with interesting, inspiring people is one of the reasons I am on social media in the first place. So why did I react like that?

At first, I blamed it on being an introvert. But that wasn’t the whole truth.

I have been outgoing in many situations:

Making friends in the oddest places, like while walking my dog in the forest.
Meeting strangers to train for a marathon.
Responding to a Facebook post to join a casual beach volleyball group.

So I thought, “Maybe it’s because I have to speak English, which isn’t my first language.” But that wasn’t it either.

The real reason? Leaving my comfort zone.

I have felt this same knot in my stomach before:

When I spoke on my first webinar.
When I hit “publish” on my first blog post.
Even when I shared my first tweet.
Every time I pushed past that discomfort, my comfort zone grew.

Staying in your comfort zone holds you back

In content creation, staying in your comfort zone often means playing it safe:

Sharing purely fact-based, helpful content.
Avoiding personal stories, strong opinions, or emotions.
Yes, safe content can work. It might provide value and attract an audience. But it is also forgettable.

High-impact content lives outside your comfort zone. It is the kind of content that:

Shares bold opinions.
Tells personal stories.
Evokes strong emotions.
Sure, it is risky: some people might not like it. But the people who do love it? They’ll remember you. and they’ll connect with you.

The reward of leaving your comfort zone, here is what I have learned from stepping out of mine:

I am more comfortable sharing personal stories now than I was a year ago.
Conversations on Twitter feel natural, compared to how awkward I felt 10 years ago.
Speaking on video isn’t nearly as intimidating as it was two years ago.

Every step outside my comfort zone made it bigger. Once you take the leap, the thing you feared is almost never as bad as it seemed from your safe spot.

Your challenge: Take a risk in your content

In your next piece of content, try something that stretches your comfort zone:

Share a personal story or opinion.
Experiment with a new content format.
Write about something you care deeply about, even if it is polarizing.

It might feel uncomfortable at first, but trust me: you will see the impact later.

Step outside the cozy comfort zone and create something unforgettable!

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

The people buying from you are (most of the time) not the ones that engage with you.

Often they watch, read, and appreciate you in the quiet background.

One day they will come out in the open - and turn into customers.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Great stories live in your everyday life!
You just have to recognize them.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

We should celebrate our mistakes.

They teach.
They make us stand out.
They build credibility and trust.
They make great stories. These stories make our content authentic.

And sometimes they make us laugh.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Have you ever got into a conversation with a person but after a couple of sentences you still have no clue what they are talking about?
You lost interest and are already thinking about your escape plan: ‘oh sorry, I think I spotted someone I have to say hello to,’ or ‘Oops, I think my babysitter is calling, I have to take that.’

That’s what happens to your audience if they visit your content but your introduction does not do its job.
Attention span in the online content space is low. People skim content and make quick decisions: Read or not read?

The introduction is the first place where people look to decide wether they have come to the right place.

Your introduction has to spark curiosity, emotion, or relevance with what today is summarized as the ‘hook.’

You can spark interest for the same piece of content from various angles.

Storytelling intro: I botched my mom's birthday cake. My aunt presented it as a moroccan specialty - it was ‘sold’ out in minutes. Because how you frame it decides how people perceive it.
Statistic-driven intro: Here is a sobering fact: 60% of readers spend fewer than 15 seconds on a web page.
Empathy-based intro. The story about your sick old grandma who cannot pay for her dog. Or the story how you found these orphan puppies who urgently need vet care - all these stories play with emotions. In business context, failure stories make great empathy based intros.
Question intro. How long do you think you have to capture a reader’s attention — a minute? Thirty seconds? Try less than 15.
SEO/keyword-led intro. - Boring, sorry.

Do you want to find out more about different structures that will help make your introduction work, a step-by-step process to create perfect introductions, or some warnings about what you should avoid in your introdution?

I will ad the link to the full guide in the first comment.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

No matter how much "do this" and "not do that" you read, stay true to yourself.
- It is YOU people want to connect to - and who you want people to work with.
- Not being you is far too exhausting and will keep you from being consistent.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Storytelling isn't about crafting thrilling fiction or epic narratives.
It is about the small human moments that make your audience say 'I've been there too.'

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Whether you are richt or not depends on the perspective and the currency.

Measured in sunsets, I am incredibly rich.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Treat people like you want them to treat you.

If you want people to be interested in you, show interest in them!

If you are not interested in your customers you will fail.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Quick content tip:

People remember beginnings and endings better than the middle.

This even has a name: The Serial Postition effect.

For your content it means:

If you put your most important statements into your first or last sentences or paragraphs, they have a better chance to be remembered.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

The worst social media marketing tip I ever got:

Don't post your own content and your own stories all the time. Share other people's content instead.

People want to know YOUR story and why YOU are the person to help them.

You are a content creator - not a content curator.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

You are posting consistently. Your content is good. But nothing is converting.

The problem isn’t your writing. It is your topic choices.

Most content falls into one of two traps: it either serves your audience but doesn’t move your business forward, or it serves your business but your audience doesn’t care about it.

The sweet spot? Topic Audience Fit.
It is the precise intersection where what you can credibly write about, what your audience actually needs, and what drives your business forward all align.

I have created content for decades.

At first, it worked incredibly well. I grew a tech startup with zero marketing budget simply by writing about content marketing.

But when I later turned to broader business blogging, nothing was easy. I created endless, highly valuable content - but it didn't pay me back.

Why? Because I knew too much. My content lacked focus. An audience reading my thoughts on content strategy wasn't looking to me for advice on technical email marketing, sales funnels, or Instagram hacks.

Don’t just consider what you know and can teach when choosing your topics.

Consider exactly what your ideal buyers are actively interested in. Those are the only people your content needs to speak to.

Want to figure out if your current content is actually contributing to your business?
Head to the pinned post on my profile and grab my Content Audit Worksheet to find your leaks.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

I was asked which would be the best point of view for content.

The answer is simple: Yours.

The Internet is crowded and competitive.

The only angle that only you can cover is yours.

Tell the story from your point of view!

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

People follow you for experience, stories, failures and personal views - information can be found elsewhere.

[Susanna Gebauer @dreckbaerfrau]

Why we remember the disaster more than the sunset.

A couple of years back, I went on holiday to Crete with a friend.
We rented bikes, looked at the map and decided to go to the next bigger town.
The problem? We totally miscalculated how long it takes by bike when the terrain is not flat.
Result? We stranded in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, no lights on the bikes, bad breaks and hilly terrain.
We stopped the next car, the man had a rifle - but he turned out to be the nicest man who organized our trip back to the hotel.

That almost fatal bike trip is the first thing I remember from ALL the holidays I went with this friend.

The same happens with stories in your content.

If you explain something with a (unique) failure story and present the content as the solution: Congratulations, you audience is likely going to remember:
The failure story
You - as the origin of the unique story
The WHY behind the solution

Failures have power.
They speak to our emotions, build up tension and (done right) climax into the value and expertise we present.
They stand out from all the tips and value packed content.
They show the person or brand behind the value.

Don’t hide your failure stories - they are your superpower.