Cognition #2: Finding + Qualifying authentic ideas | Actionable techniques.

"Add value."

"Be consistent."

"Build authenticity."

Creators use such phrases multiple times when they talk about content. I do the same.

But here is the thing:

1. Add value. But How do you know what content adds value and what doesn't?

2. Be consistent. How the hell can one deal with creative blocks, busy schedules, problems in personal life yet generate ideas and create content.

3. Be authentic, but how do you shape a community's trust with your content and perspective?

Tell you what, we, creators are not wrong. But we are not specific either.

Social media, sometimes, lacks context + attention due to which creators can't explain what they mean.

Today's edition is about picking one such phrase and explaining the HOW side of things to you. Here we begin:

Building Authenticity with Topic Selection

Welcome to Cognition. Today, we discuss:

1. 'Authentic' idea generation.

2. Self-Qualification theory.

3. Alternatives for disqualified ideas.

4. And, of course, there's the fun segment at the end!

Authentic Idea Generation

Four and only four activities give me ideas. I'll share them all with you.

Activity 1: Find topics from work.

Imagine this.

You are a writer, and you just wrote a thousand-word article. Now, sit down, and go through the process of writing.

How did you research?

How did you form the outline?

How did you structure the article?

How did you add analogies?

How did you overcome writer's block?

The answers to these questions become your content. It's that simple.

But how do you build authenticity with Activity 1?

You create content from your work, which means you know what you're talking about. You did not just read about article-writing and created content around it. You actually wrote an article, understood what it takes, and now you've presented your learnings.

Trust me, your expertise will be evident when you develop and follow such process-based systems.

All I want to say is,

"Work more. Be aware of how you work. Create content around it."

Activity 2: Generate ideas based on experience.

Let's say you're a marketing consultant and you've worked with 10+ startups. Your experience allows you to create content on topics like:

• 5 marketing mistakes most early-stage startups make.

• How can you impact a startup's revenue with performance marketing?

• I consulted 10+ startups as a marketer. Here are 10 things to know about marketing and startups.

When you have vast experience, you understand the business better than most creators. It's your advantage.

All you need to do is mold your journey into engaging content. Your expertise + experience naturally make your content credible.

A little hack to master Activity 2: Document everything you do.

Activity 3: Do nothing.

You get most ideas when you do nothing. Sometimes we push our minds too hard, restricting them from the freedom to think.

It's the very reason you get a lot of ideas while driving, bathing, watching a show, talking with people, etc. 'Coz there's no pressure to think.

It's a natural and subconscious process.

Leverage doing nothing.

Activity 4: Knowledge Consumption.

You'd be surprised how knowledge consumption can trigger your expertise and give you content ideas.

Try to integrate every idea you get with your perspective or profession, and the topic automatically turns relatable to your audience.

This is how I get ideas from reading:

Assume I'm reading this line from a blog:

"A high-converting landing page communicates effectively. Where the consumer not only knows what, why, and how you do what you do—but can visualize it."

Two terms trigger me here: landing page, effective communication.

Now, I think about what I can do by integrating the terms with my profession.

And I come up with ideas like:

• 5 copywriting mistakes to avoid on a landing page.

• How to clearly communicate with your audience on a landing page?

• Landing pages and copywriting: Learnings after writing 10+ landing pages.

The process usually happens instinctively or with very little thought.

What content to consume?

There are multiple sources of knowledge available.

Read books, blogs, articles, social media posts, etc.

Listen to podcasts, watch videos.

Take courses. Attend workshops, webinars, etc.

Pick what suits you the best and consume content consistently.

"Pay attention to triggers. Get ideas. Create content."

And now comes the big question again.

How can these ideas make the creator + content authentic?

The four activities generate ideas that build a certain standard of authenticity and credibility.

But there is one theory I formed + apply in all my content.

It's the only technique I follow to be authentic, and I use it before qualifying any idea. I call it 'Self-Qualification Theory.'

Self-Qualification theory:

Self Qualification is the process of asking yourself a simple question before you choose any topic—“Am I qualified enough to talk about this topic?”

If the answer is no, disqualify the idea, or curate the content.

I'll give you an example.

Let's say I want to create content on "How to gain 50k followers on Linkedin?"

Now, I'll do the self-qualification:

"I have around 4.7k followers on LinkedIn. 50k is ~10x of what I have. Does speaking about gaining 50k followers make me credible? Absolutely not."

I may know the general process of getting to 50k, but I don't know the struggles, mistakes, learnings, strategies, etc., that worked (and didn't) for me.

To keep the theory simple, "Talk the talk only if you've walked the walk."

More examples of self-qualification (SQ) theory:

IDEA: How to make a six-figure income (in USD) as a freelancer?

SQ: Not qualified. I didn't make a six-figure income yet. I didn't live the journey to teach others what to do.

IDEA: Three strategies to master web copy.

SQ: Qualified. I've written web copies under multiple niches. I have an idea of what the path looks like.

Alternatives for disqualified ideas:

No idea is ever wasted. It's a matter of context and timing.

Here are three alternatives you have for disqualified ideas:

1. Save 'em for later: Ideas may not be credible now, but they might be one day. Work on them when the time is right.

2. Rephrase ideas: Instead of working on 'How to get to 50k followers,' you can work on 'Case study on how my favourite creators reached 50k.'

3. Curate content: Find the best content from reliable sources. Give them credit and curate it for your audience.

That's the end of the technical segment of Cognition. Here's a visual summary for you.

I hope you've got a fair idea of authentic idea generation, topic qualification, and alternatives for disqualified ideas.

Now, let's move to the non-technical segment. This is gonna be fun!

Non-Technical aka Fun Segment!

Favourite quote from a book

It's my favourite line from Kalam sir. Makes me think about the situations where we have big dreams, but sadly, we're reluctant to act.

Movie I watched this week

Minnal Murali is unique in many ways and is definitely worth a watch for the newness it brings.

It's available on Netflix. Originally made in Malayalam. Dubbed in multiple languages.

And yes, I tweeted it for the newsletter.

Tweets I loved

YouTube video I loved

Great demonstration of how body language makes an impact!

Of course, it needs practice to master these techniques, but this video is a good place to learn theory.

Make Body Language Your Superpower — www.youtube.com

Song I'm listening to on a loop

If there's any song that comes close to Kun Faya Kun in terms of healing and peace, it's Namo Namo for me.

The fun segment and Cognition #2 ends here. I hope this week's edition is insightful and entertaining.

If you liked this edition, do share about Cognition on your socials. Help more people benefit from the newsletter.

See ya next week! Have fun and smile a little. Looks good on you.

Love,

Vikra Vardhan.

Enjoyed Cognition? You can always gift Vikra chocolates as a token of appreciation. He’s a BIGGG foodie. He loves to eat.