The need for bold action
Don't dilly dally! Do it big! Do it now!
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 204
It’s time to get naked!
It’s time to whip it all off and flash that booty!
Well, maybe not completely nude, but still.
Here’s the harsh truth: digital content creators who play it safe get ignored.
Meanwhile, content creators who go viral stand out.
Don’t believe me?
Google “Hawk tuah!”—a phrase that got a lot of attention in mid-2024.
Why did that particular phrase blow up?
Because it presented a vivid, powerful, and somewhat shocking image that was impossible to ignore!
OK, so maybe you don’t quite need to go to those lengths to stand out, but let’s not kid ourselves here. Let’s be honest: the digital landscape is drowning in dull, cloying mediocrity.
Everywhere you turn, creators are recycling the same tired old ideas—chasing predictable algorithms, or playing it safe by not publishing anything at all—when what they really ought to be doing is getting stuff out there (good, bad, indifferent, weird, and outright shocking and all) aiming for some sort of in-your-face originality that attracts eyeballs and that generates attention.
Consider this your first quarter of 2025 wake-up call: if you want to stand out, you must take bold action.
Safe content doesn’t just bore audiences—it wastes potential.
The internet rewards those who push boundaries—people who challenge norms and who prefer to do nothing, or who refuse to roll over, or who simply blend in.
Too many creators who might otherwise break new ground remain stuck because they are paralyzed by fear: fear of backlash, fear of failure, fear of ridicule … or worse, fear of irrelevance if they don’t conform to trends.
You know what? Go ahead and fail! Fall on your face! No one cares!
Playing it safe or doing nothing won’t get you remembered!
1. Bold content gets remembered
Think of the creators who’ve left a lasting impact—whether it’s controversial takes, unfiltered storytelling, or high-stakes experiments.
They didn’t get there by regurgitating what everyone else was doing. They took swings. Some missed, but the ones that hit changed the game.
2. Algorithms favor courage (eventually)
Yes, platforms reward predictability—at first. But virality often strikes when you surprise people.
Content that strikes an emotional chord, or that gets people fired up in some way stands out and gets shared and commented on. Even if the algorithm punishes you initially, true audience connection wins in the long run.
3. The world needs you to be yourself … warts and all!
We’re in an era of mass-produced content where personality is often scrubbed clean for mass appeal. But people crave real voices. If you have a strong opinion, say it. If you believe in an unconventional idea, defend it. The creators who thrive are the ones who refuse to dilute themselves.
What bold action looks like:
Publish the piece you’re scared to write, film, or record.
Experiment wildly—even if it fails spectacularly and publicly.
Ignore all of that the “best practices” because it often stifle creativity.
Double down on whatever makes you different, not what makes you palatable.
The bottom line?
The internet doesn’t need more content.
It needs stuff that can’t be ignored!
Forget about waiting for everything to be perfectly perfect! Get stuff done and get it out there. And stop fearing the naysayers and the critics—most of them are clueless, talentless assholes (sorry, not sorry)!
Go forth and create stuff that matters to you—because as sure as eggs is eggs, your stuff will matter to someone else as well.
Now, go make something that shakes the room.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … The truth about content recycling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.