The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age…
This is one that popped up a while back on my Kindle. There was a deal with Kindle Unlimited which allowed free or reduced prices on certain titles. This was one of them that looked interesting so I jumped in…
It's all about being known. That is as a marketer, content creator, or just someone wanting to get their name out there, build a brand and make something of themselves and business. Of course you need people to see you, hear your message and recognise you when you appear, leading to relationships, fans and customers.
Becoming well known (at least on a small scale) has always been important, otherwise people simply don't know you (or your product/service) exist. And whilst methods change, principles remain the same. In this book we delve into the more modern landscape and the ever expanding digital age.
A subject which has been talked about a lot with numerous books, blogs and banter, here we have another one that may just hit the sweet spot, reinforce what you know or offer some fresh insights…
Some highlights from the book along with my thoughts…
The key to success isn’t necessarily a passion, it’s finding a sustainable interest
It's not just about passion per se, although that may well develop over time. It's actually being interested enough about something that it will keep your attention and sustained effort over the long haul. If we find that then we'll be able to keep going, enjoy the process and be ok when it doesn't always run smoothly.
See the book So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport which has a great discussion on this point.
Joe Wicks struggled for years on the brink of financial ruin before he was able to combine a sustainable interest, meaningful content, and a distribution channel that connected with an audience who loves him. Nothing worked until he became known.
Joe Wicks is an example of what can happen when things take off. He came from 'nowhere', started posting recipes and fitness videos on social media and things grew from there, into somewhat of an empire.
It's a struggle to become known at first, but once you are things can snowball.
Becoming known requires finding a sustainable interest (your place) and the right audience that accepts you (your space).
The ol' place and space! First off that sustainable interest is paramount and that would be your 'place', where you do your thing. Your 'space' is where everyone else comes in, readers, viewers and people who believe in your message and want to get involved.
Your network is your net worth
A bit of a cheesy and often used quote but the point is clear. Those you know, and who know you are what it going to cause you to rise. And if no-one knows anyone (or knows them for the wrong reasons) then not much progress will be made. Actually, even being known for the wrong reasons may well be better than not being known at all but that's another story.
Passion … that’s common. Endurance is rare.
Not sure about common, but passion is out there and can come and go. Keeping going is a far different animal and you need something more that keeps you in the game. Any good relationship has the same scenario… passion can be great (and the flip side not so much) but for long-term there needs to be something deeper.
Angela Duckworth had plenty to say on that in her book Grit, but more about that later.
Place: A sustainable interest and what you want to be known for Space: An uncontested or under-occupied niche with enough people to matter
Getting a bit more specific with space and place dynamic. It's the same as going after keywords, you want there to be enough interest in what you're about to do, otherwise it will be a waste of time. Then again, not over-saturated with every man and his dog getting in there.
Finding the sweet spot of those 2 things, along with what you enjoy and can sustain is where it's at. In addition to that, adding your unique twist will mean there's no competition as such, you'll have those who like and follow you… and those who don't.
Your sustainable interest must also be a concept that connects to the well-being of others.
It can't just be all about you and your desires. It does have to benefit others and plenty of them. Although there are selfish aspects (this is for you after all), there needs to be the selfless element and influencing the greater good.
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung
Carl Jung getting in there… nothing wrong with dreaming as such, just don't keep looking outside for too long. There is a place for that but always return inwards. That's where the real gems lie and you find out who you really are and how that integrates with the world.
“Only I …”
There are certain things that only you can do. Or at least to a certain level, and combined with other things. The point is finding that uniqueness where it is pretty much only you in the world that can do it. That's a bit tricky with around 8 billion people kicking about but still remains true. Meshing it all together means you can offer something all those others cannot (or very few).
Sally Hogshead writes in her book Fascinate, “To become more fascinating, you don’t have to change who you are. You have to become more of who you are, at your best.”
It's about finding who you are and making the most of it. Embracing it and displaying it brightly to the world. The world needs more people who have come alive and are positively creating for good.
Failing to find a meaningful, uncontested space is the primary reason people fail in their effort to become known.
Yeah, it's not easy or immediately obvious, so there may be some journey of discovery to get there (which will be ongoing and may require tweaking). It takes a bit of time, soul searching, and good old trial and error to find your place and space. But it's probably the only work worth doing…
Is your niche big enough to matter? Is it oversaturated already? Are there people who will be attracted to your sustainable interest?
As mentioned before, we want that sweet spot. There does need to be enough interest in the subject, and if there's no-one else doing it (or the niche is too small) then that might not be the way to go. But if there are too many people and all competing for the same pie, then it will be more difficult and less enjoyable. Will people want to be involved?
To be known, you must have the courage to begin and the constancy to endure.
You have to start first and foremost which can be the most difficult part, then you can take it from there. Continuously doing it is the other differentiater. It sounds so simple but few can do either of these things let alone both.
view your daily life through the lens of possible new content
Everything is content. If you were a stand-up comedian, or a writer then this is all part of the job. Observe what's around you, your feelings towards it and all that connects. Everything can be used, expanded upon, posed as questions or as the basis for discussions etc. Just take note - mental or otherwise - and integrate it in to your offerings.
Never publish content that can be created by someone else.
If someone else can do it (or many others) then what real value do you have particularly? I know many people can do many things but if it's a ten a penny commodity then you're just like the next guy. If you're a little different then no-one can replicate that even if they try.
What are some characteristics of human content? Vulnerable Personal Bold Unguarded Generous Confident
This is a good point in the age of AI. That will become more of a factor, so it's not just about separating from your human competition but also not having a machine being able to do better. You won't lose your job to these technologies if you follow some of these strategies, but you might if you can't show something that they can't, as well as use the tech to your advantage making you even more superior to those who can't or won't.
RITE is my acronym that stands for Relevant, Interesting, Timely, and Entertaining.
I won't expand on this as it speaks for itself but good to have the RITE acronym in mind.
Join Twitter Chats
Get in amongst it through whatever medium/s works for you. That could be X/Twitter (and that's a great place to be for most things as it's where people go to shoot the shit), also emerging technologies and platforms like InLeo (built on Hive blockchain), and any of the other classics out there.
The point is getting into conversations and generally being everywhere is going to lead to name recognition.
There’s no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.
It's mostly about the editing process. First off it's about getting something down on 'paper'… anything goes just get it out of your head and a framework of what you want to say. Then the 'fun' starts and it's a process of refinement.
A great quote is write drunk, edit sober. Not literally (although a small amount of alcohol may make you freer), but meaning write without inhibition and let it flow, followed by methodical revisions. That's where it all gets sorted and leads to a finished (as close as can be) product.
Author Shannon Hale once said, “I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shovelling sand into a box so I can build castles later.”
Shovel that sand as much as you can, then it will be there to build upon, move around, sculpt and tweak as desired. But get it out there.
So instead of hustle, let’s focus on what’s truly paramount: commitment and endurance.
It's not all about (or just about) the 'hustle'. That may play its part but it's that ongoing commitment which moves the needle. Sure, you can step on it in phases but overall it's about that consistency.
In her seminal book Grit, Angela Duckworth describes the four core personality traits of people with the exceptional persistence needed to become known
A book well worth reading, but have a look at my BookBabble on Grit to get a bit of an idea of what that's all about and how it ties in here.
“Just keep swimming.” – Dory the fish
Just keep swimming like Dory! I think this was from Finding Nemo but whatever, just keep on keeping on is sound advice.
Consistency
A lot of all this stuff comes down to consistency. No matter what it is, just showing up day in day out and doing a bit more, nothing fancy or crazy, just constantly doing things over and over continuously.
Find your own way to the success you want. Make your own game and then win at it.
It's all a game, but you have to figure out the rules and how best to play it. There's no roadmap as such, you can look at others routes and take advice but you'll be forging your own path in your own way. A lot of the game is your creation so it's about treading that path and coming out on top.
Tips for Finding Your Place & Space
Develop a unique tone or point of view
Schaefer uses the example of Isadora Becker who paints herself yellow and leverages her love of movies and media to become known as a cooking star in her native Brazil.
"The thing that makes me different is that I make recipes from famous food scenes in movies and TV shows and I dress up like the characters in the shows when I do the cooking."
As well as painting herself yellow, she wears a tall wig to look like Marge Simpson, whipping up Homer’s favourite donuts! In another one, she prepares the $5 milkshake from Pulp Fiction, and also transforms into Walter White to make sky-blue candy that looks like something cooked up in Breaking Bad.
Obviously that's just a wacky example and isn't required, but getting creative and standing out is a way to get seen and remembered.
Move to a new social platform within your niche
Here you're exploring something different, perhaps an up and coming platform where you can have more impact, be noticed more and be one of the bigger fish when things take off. There's less competition but there's also higher risk, so mix and matching with existing channels that work for you is a good idea. Managing that balance is a skill but if we get it right then it can pay dividends.
Dominate a content type
This is about picking one content type to go in on and be a big player. Yes, you can have a mixture of content (and perhaps should) but it's a good way to niche and set yourself apart of itself.
Try a new content form
Maybe there's something a bit newer out there you can have a go at. If not many have really done much or there are huge gaps then you're just the person to fill them! Less saturation and an early mover's advantage. It will give you key skills going forward as things progress.
Focus on frequency
The main point is get a regular frequency as well as a high quantity. Quality is always important but no-one is going to see it if it's once in a while. If there's loads of it, people are more likely to see it, and as long as it's good enough then it's of benefit.
Find a unique demographic or geographic niche
It could be concentrating on a particular area of the world, or group of people… that will help keep it focused. Or a combo. All stuff to consider.
Connect with industry influencers
There are multiple reasons for this and it's obvious why this is important. You can reach more people if they share with their audience, pick up wisdom and just generally be in that circle as someone who is known in that area.
20 Action Tips for Getting Known
I won't add anything to this list as most speak for themselves and this article will get a bit long. Take a look at the book to expand or just have a think how they can be applied…
- Make time to create
- Add an insight
- Find a routine
- Let it sit
- Take a break
- Imperfect is perfect
- Use the apps
- Mix the media
- Get a little help from your friends
- Learn to say no
- Outsource the admin
- Don’t multitask
- Prepare a content calendar
- Create round-up posts
- Set a deadline
- Don’t overthink it
- Tally your time
- Repurpose your content
- Narrate
- Drink a beer
Thanks Mark! Anything Else?
As it was a while back I read this, I thought I might have another read for a refresher but it's not longer available on my Kindle. I may well get it again for another look but I think we all get the gist.
Seth Godin is another character who has plenty of content out there on personal branding, marketing and the like (as have many others). In this series we've had Contagious, On Writing Well, Influence, Grit, Crushing It, Start With Why, So Good They Can't Ignore You… differing in approach but all complementing these concepts.
It's good to be well known (in the sense we're discussing here, sometimes you may just want to be anonymous ;)), and these ideas all help with that. Some might be better than others, but you can have a play and see what works for you.
Without doubt obscurity is the biggest issue with most people trying to make an impact on the world, and a lot of what is contained in this book will help get your name out there.
First image my own, other images and video linked to source
- 1-50: First 50 BookBabbles
- 51: THE DAILY STOIC - Ryan Holiday
- 52: MAKE TIME - Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky
- 53: GRIT - Angela Duckworth
- 54: WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING - Haruki Murakami
- 55: THE PURSUIT OF PERFECT - Tal Ben-Shahar
- 56: THE SLIGHT EDGE - Jeff Olson
- 57: CONTAGIOUS - Jonah Berger
- 58: THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON - George S. Clason
- 59: THE 5 AM CLUB - Robin Sharma
- 60: THINK LIKE DA VINCI - Michael Gelb
- 61: INFLUENCE - Robert Cialdini
- 62: THE ONE THING - Gary Keller
- 63: THE 12 WEEK YEAR - Brian Moran & Michael Lennington
- 64: THE POWER OF YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND - Joseph Murphy
- 65: THE UNTETHERED SOUL - Michael A. Singer
- 66: ON WRITING WELL - William Zinsser
- 67: PRINCIPLES - Ray Dalio
- 68: HYPERFOCUS - Chris Bailey
- 69: THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY - Ryan Holiday
- 70: EXTREME OWNERSHIP - Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
- 71: KNOWN - Mark Schaefer
- 72: THE LAST LECTURE - Randy Pausch
- 73: THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN - Mitch Albom
- 74: FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS - Oliver Burkeman
- 75: THE ART OF TAKING ACTION - Gregg Krech