Hello Content Creators!

This has not been a very productive week for me.

I've been totally "off brand".

I'm the one who's driven. Active. Productive. Basically, kicking ass.

Instead...

I was resigned to this

This was my office this week.

It's "off brand."

It's not me.

My family knows me as someone who Crushes It. Who rides, runs and works out. Who lovingly motivates them to stay active.

But, somehow, my Sacroiliac (SI) joint got out of whack. Probably from doing stupid things in a stairwell or on piles of rocks. (follow me on Instagram for more of whatever that is) Regardless, it caused a wonderful cocktail of nerve pain and muscle spasms that prevented me from standing or sitting.

So I transformed a giant stuffed bear that our neighbor left behind the garage for us several years ago and we haven't been able to get rid of into a makeshift medical bed. His name's Teddy.

And it's freaking my wife and kids out.

That's not how they know me. And they're not quite sure what to do with me.

Don't go "off brand"

However you communicate your brand identity, make sure your messaging is consistent. Keep it "on brand".

If you're constantly changing up the communication style or the message, it freaks people out. You wouldn't buy something from someone that freaks you out, right?

People like consistency. It's comforting. It makes you seem reliable. There's enough crazy and random in this world, we want a safe place. We want to know what we're getting from our favorite brands, it's why we have "favorite" brands.

It's OK to experiment or try new things, just don't pull a full 180º on your customers. Unless, of course, that's what they're used to.

A recent content project

A lot of us are getting the travel bug. I'm about crawling up the walls as these past five months have literally been my longest continuous stretch at home in a decade. But traveling anywhere is still a bit of a gamble, and many states and countries have closed their borders to tourists.

So we've been pitching travel stories.

Bad timing?

I'd argue it's perfect timing. There's a reason you start seeing Top 10 Halloween Costumes of (insert year here) in April. It's because these stories build up search value and authority so that when people actually start looking for a cheap costume that's going to immediately end up in a landfill, they're likely to find it on the site that had the most SEO points built up.

The point: Start pushing out content now for whatever you want to be selling in four months. Not sure how to go about this? Hit me up for ideas, whether they're bike or travel related or not.

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Cool Stuff I've Found

Really no rhyme or reason here, just three cool things I've been using...

Smith Pinpoint - I've been a fan of Smith sunglasses for years, not least because they have a massive selection of styles that's sure to have something for any face. Lately, I've been testing the Pinpoint. I like the casual looks, making it easy to fit in at the brewery after a ride, yet they're designed for cycling. So, the performance is there, too. I recommend their polarized ChromaPop lenses regardless of which style you choose.

The Science of Good Cooking - Cooking is, by and large, chemistry. So understanding how those sweet, sweeeeeet, delicious reactions occur is half the battle when it comes to making something that's more than passably edible. The Science of Good Cooking breaks it all down and provides a ton of killer recipes. I've gifted this to several foodies/amateur chefs and they've had nothing but praise for it.

Laptop Pad - We originally got some cheap laptop pads from Ikea for our road trips, and they've been great (still using mine). But I promise I did not pay $29.90 for anything like this from Ikea...it was probably like $10 when I bought it. This one from Honey Can Do is very similar and adds cable storage, too, and it's very affordable. Because you never know when your back's gonna go outta whack and force some marathon couch time...

Stay on target,

Tyler Benedict

PS - Can you forward this to a couple friends that might find it interesting? Thanks!

*Any items, services, or products mentioned in these emails are provided solely because I think you'll like them. I don't sell this space, but some of links might be affiliate links, which earns me a small commission (beer money, really) if you buy something. This helps support all the free content. Thanks!