Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of taking risks in content creation to avoid producing boring, emotionally flat, forgettable, and impersonal content that fails to engage the audience or foster personal growth.

Abstract

The author argues that playing it safe in content creation is paradoxically risky, as it leads to unengaging and forgettable material. Safe content is equated with being boring and emotionally vacant, which fails to captivate the audience. Such content also hinders the creator's growth by not challenging them to expand their horizons. Furthermore, safe content lacks a personal touch, which is crucial for building a unique and loyal audience. The article suggests that by taking calculated risks and pushing boundaries, content creators can produce more compelling, emotionally resonant, and memorable work that stands out in a crowded market.

Opinions

Safe content creation is ultimately detrimental to success because it is predictable and lacks the ability to evoke strong emotional responses from the audience.
Content creators should embrace risk-taking as a means of personal and professional growth, as it forces them to step out of their comfort zones and challenge their own capabilities.
Emotionally engaging content that resonates with the fears, hopes, and dreams of the audience is more likely to be successful and memorable.
Safe content is often skimmed over and quickly forgotten, indicating a lack of depth and genuine connection with the audience.
A personal touch in content creation is essential, as it differentiates the creator from others and fosters a deeper connection with the audience.
While advocating for risky content, the author clarifies that it should not be rude, racist, or sensationalist for shock value, but rather a balanced approach that includes unique perspectives and ideas.
The author encourages content creators to experiment with new ideas and to not be afraid of potential criticism or failure, as the growth and engagement from risky content outweigh the consequences of playing it safe.

Why Playing It Safe Is Risky for Content Creators

Five good reasons to avoid safe content

By its very existence, the world of content creation is a risky place.

If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to take and tolerate risks. No one knows the future, so playing it safe is, ironically, very risky. You can’t predict what will work and what won’t — but if you play it too safe, then one thing’s for sure: your success will remain stunted by fear.

Here are five reasons why playing it safe makes bad business sense for any content creator.

“Everything is a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It’s up to you.” — Nicola Yoon

1) Safe Is Code for Boring

When people say “safe” what they really mean is “boring.”

If you only ever publish the stuff that’s predictable, tame, and comfortable, then your audience will soon get bored. You can’t succeed in content creation if nobody wants what you’re making.

To create compelling content, you have to take risks and step outside your comfort zone — and by doing so, you’re also challenging your audience’s expectations.

Case in point: My most popular articles and videos are often those that eventually trigger a tidal wave of both positive and negative feedback, a storm of comments, and mild (or not so mild) threats.

You don’t want to offend or disrespect.

But if your content tries to toe the line forever, the end result is mind-numbing, boring conformity.

So, dare to be different. Dare to take risks and color outside the lines of conventional wisdom or established “best practices.”

2) Safe Content Is Emotionally Vacuous

Safe content is not only boring, it is emotionally vacant. There is no edge or bite capable of evoking an emotional response.

It walks with a limp. It speaks in a monotone.

Familiarity breeds contempt, and boredom is the ultimate enemy of engagement. Without provoking an emotional response from your audience, you won’t be able to engage them for very long.

Authentic content is raw.

It hits you in the gut. It cuts deep. It makes you laugh or cry.

Your content will be most successful when it is emotionally engaging. When it ripples along with an audience’s fears or hopes or dreams. In short, when they feel something.

3) Safe Content Doesn’t Force You To Grow

One of the underestimated reasons to avoid safe content is what it does to you. Bland content makes you bland.

You don’t become what you eat. You become what you create.

“In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” — Mark Zuckerberg

Safe content doesn’t push you to the edge of what you think is possible. It doesn’t challenge you.

In order to truly grow as a creator, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. You’ve got to take risks and make content that pushes the envelope, even if it’s only by a little bit.

4) Safe Content Is Forgettable

Many content creators, especially writers, say to make your content skimmable. That means breaking up your writing into smaller, more easily digestible portions.

Think of an article on a website with lots of white space and good subheadings.

Safe content is also skimmable, but not for good reasons.

Readers skim safe content because they don’t want to read any deeper. They may glace over the subheadings (or the first few minutes of a video), but no more.

If your writing is forgettable, it’s not doing its job properly.

You want your readers to feel compelled by your content. They may want to skim but they find themselves consuming your content anyway.

5) Safe Content Isn’t Personal

Lastly, safe content is impersonal.

Safe content simultaneously distances the content from the reader and from you as the creator. Essentially, it is outsourced content ghost-developed by some lesser version of you.

Safe content is the opposite of personal.

“If you don’t take risks, you’ll have a wasted soul.”―Drew Barrymore

It doesn’t matter if it’s an article, video, or podcast — safe content will lose an audience quickly because there’s nothing unique in the delivery.

People aren’t drawn to familiar mediocrity. They want something that only you can share with them.

How To Write Risky Without Getting Canceled

When I encourage you to write “risky,” I’m not saying go overboard with every article or video.

Risky doesn’t mean rude or racist.

You don’t have to make a headline that says, “If You Want To See a Loser, Look In The Mirror.” That would be ridiculous, rude, and sensationalist.

Instead, give your audience a healthy and balanced mix of content. But favor the risker side.

Here are a few tips for writing balanced but risky content:

Write about what scares you a little.
Write something different, even if it’s a tiny difference.
Take a slight chance with your headline or subheadings. Push the envelope.
If you’ve made safe content before, expand your comfort zone this week by making something riskier. Your audience will thank you for it.

For a long time, I made safe content on my website and YouTube channel. One day I decided to change that pattern. Starting with that day, I experimented with new ideas and different ways of sharing information with my audience.

Will you join me? Let’s get risky.

Final Thoughts

No matter what platform you use for your content creation, there are risks involved that can’t be mitigated. You will need courage and the willingness to accept criticism.

Instead of playing it safe, think about what would happen if you took a risk and failed. Would that be worse than never trying at all?

By not taking risks and continually creating safe content, you will become stagnant and lose an audience who craves your distinct voice.

In a way, writing risky content is the safest content of all.

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