Is Creating and Distributing Authentic Content a Spiritual Practice?
Since I joined George Kao’s Soul Gym community (see link at end of this essay) this question has always been at the back of my mind when I’m writing and posting content about my services.
Is my content “authentic” and “spiritual”? And are the ways I distribute it “authentic” and “spiritual”?
To begin to answer these questions, I have to ask myself what I mean by “authentic” and “spiritual”. What is “authentic content”? And how does my creation and distribution of it constitute a “spiritual” practice?
The word “authentic” in content creation and marketing has been around for about ten years. In a 2016 article, entitled “A Beginners Guide to Authentic Marketing in 2016”, Lizzie Davey describes “authenticity” as “one of the latest buzzwords that are circulating in the online marketing world” (https://www.tintup.com/blog/authentic-marketing/). She begins to unpack the idea with an Oxford Dictionary, which defines “authentic” as “of undisputed origin, not a copy; genuine”. The word itself has roots in medieval Latin (authenticus) and Greek (authentikos), suggesting someone who is “acting on one’s own authority” (https://www.etymonline.com/word/authentic) and whose words are factual and honest.
According to Davey and others, consumers, especially the younger generation, have been turning away from “traditional content and marketing, “ which relies heavily on slick advertising that persuades, cajoles, and entertains consumers into buying. Traditional advertisers, critics suggest, are more interested in meeting quotas, goals, and targets and exaggerating the virtues of their products and services even if it means stretching, or inventing, the facts.
In contrast, “[authenticity] carries the notion of creating a dialogue between your brand and your audience that’s natural and genuine. . . . it’s a kind of strategy you can employ to create deeper communities based on trust and like-mindedness” (https://www.tintup.com/blog/authentic-marketing/). Creating authentic content is about writing from the heart and soul. It’s less linear and more lateral. Traditional content and marketing tend to be very structured, following a linear pattern and path toward predicted results. Authentic content and marketing focus on generating…
