How to overcome content comparison-itis

I recently did a poll asking my community if they ever find themselves comparing their content to other entrepreneurs.

The responses I got showed that almost 100% of the talented & unique online business owners I know struggle with content comparison-itis.

Side note: “content comparison-itis” is the affectionate name I gave to that feeling of being trapped in comparison, fearing your content not being good enough amidst a sea of other entrepreneurs.

Even though it’s a silly name, it’s a serious problem.

Comparing your content to other people’s in your niche or industry stops you in your tracks during your content creation process.

Even as a content writer, I’m totally not above this feeling.

I’ve been in that same loop as you thinking, “Ugh their content is so much better than mine, so much funnier than mine, so much more professional than mine….blah blah blah.”

The thing about having content comparison-itis is that obsessively comparing yourself to other people actually doesn’t make your own content any better.

The good news is, that there are a few things you can do that will help you kick content comparison-itis to the curb and gain some confidence when it comes to your content.

#1. Fix your mindset

The first step to getting out of that negative comparison cycle is to fix your mindset. 

If you’ve been looking around at people in your industry thinking about how lame your content is compared to theirs, you are working from a lack mindset.

You’re seeing other business owners in your community as competitors for a limited amount of resources, and that could not be further from the truth.

What I want you to remember is that the online business industry is growing exponentially every single day. Every one of these new members of this growing community is going to need help with their business.

This is why there is an abundance of clients to reach and people to serve through your unique content.

Whether you’re a social media manager, a copywriter, a virtual assistant or even a coach there is a place for you.

If you can go from seeing the online business world as being a competitive, harsh place to be with only a finite number of potential clients, to an ever-changing world of possibility; you’ll have no reason to compare yourself to what everyone else is doing.

There are enough opportunities to go around, so don’t stress about your content vs. someone else’s. Your ideal client will be someone who loves your unique content just the way it is.

You do you, and let the rest follow. 

#2. Know what sets you apart

A strategy that helps me overcome this comparison mindset is to remember what makes me special.

Rather than focusing on how much better someone else’s content is than mine, I remind myself that we are two completely different business owners. 

Different business owners will have different content. Not better or worse, just different!

What I want you to do is determine what your USP is – your Unique Selling Point. 

What do you have that sets you apart from everyone else in your particular industry?

This can come in the form of so many different things. Here are a few ideas: 

• Your past job experience:

What did you do before becoming an online business owner? How did that shape you into the kind of person/coach/creative you are today?

• Your life story:

This one is especially good for coaches! What happened in your own life that made you want to help others have this particular transformation?

• Your unique method:

You might have the same title as other people, but what internal processes do you use that other people don’t?

• Your brand values:

What do you believe in? How does your brand promote social activism or support certain causes that matter?

Regardless of what it is, I want you to start making your USP a core part of your content. It will show potential clients what makes you stand out in the sea of online business owners.

#3 Practice, practice, practice

I had this amazing realization the other day when I was listening to this podcast by one of my fav marketing heroes Seth Godin about writer’s block.

He said that there is no such thing as writer’s block; there is only fear of bad writing.

Hearing this was a game-changer for me. 

Writers, including myself, hide behind this idea of writer’s block because we are afraid of producing bad content.

We’re afraid that whatever we come up with won’t compare to what someone else has created or won’t live up to some sort of standard.

Next time you hear yourself say, “yeah I just couldn’t get anything done today because I was feeling so uninspired. I was having some major writer’s block!”

I want you to take an extra second to examine what is really going on there. What are you worried about? Who are you comparing yourself to? What imaginary standard are you afraid of not meeting?

The truth is, the only way to get past the fear of writing something bad is to just WRITE. 

It might be a hard pill to swallow, but practicing is the only way to get better and feel more confident in the content you put out.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that you push out a bunch of low-quality content that you don’t put any work into.

I just want you to realize that every time you sit down to create a new piece of content you are getting better and better and better. 

You won’t just wake up one day and have completely mastered your craft (although that would be nice). It takes hard work and practice.

It’s almost impossible to recognize these results short term. For example: when I first started doing live streams I talked super slowly, didn’t have any rapport and wasn’t confident with my message. When I look back on those videos I criiinge.

I am finally starting to feel proud of the live streams I do each week, but even then I’ll probably still look back on them in a few months or years and think “yikes”.

You’ve got to remember: that’s all part of the process. We’ve got to STOP being so hard on ourselves while finding our content creation groove.

#4 Limit your content consumption

If you are anything like me, you probably love to keep up with other people in your industry on social media. 

I find this keeps me inspired and in the loop with my community. 

But – if you find yourself in the negative habit of scrolling and comparing yourself to what everyone else is posting, this is the exact opposite of inspiring.

It’s probably sucking all your creative energy and making you doubt your own content.

You might need to set some boundaries about how much time you are going to spend consuming content vs. creating content. 

You can do that by setting a time limit on how many minutes a day you will spend on Instagram or TikTok. 

Another way to do it is to use the trusty mute button.

It might seem harsh, but if some accounts just send you into that negative comparison spiral mute them. Protect your creative energy, because you need it to be the best business owner possible.

And of course, focus on engaging with people and accounts that inspire you and lift you up. You have the power to be more mindful about how you spend your time on social media, so use it wisely.

Shift your focus from consuming to creating, and see how your confidence transforms when it comes to content creation.

I’m all about helping you make your content the absolute best it can be, and one of the first steps is getting over this pesky comparison mindset. No matter where you are in your content creation journey these feelings can come up, but when they do I want you to know how to overcome them with confidence.

By getting a handle on your mindset, knowing your USP, practicing, and limiting your content consumption you can focus on making content that is unique and authentic to who you are as a business owner. 

And that, my friends, is the best kind of content!

Want MORE support with getting into the content creation groove?

Download my FREE guide, The Content Powerhouse Method, where I’ll teach you how to create a streamlined content marketing system, so you can show up for your audience week after week WITHOUT exhaustion or content burnout. 

Download It Here