G’day … Trevor here …

Welcome to Reputation OnRamp - thanks for being a valued subscriber!

Social hot-takes!

My good friend Andrés López-Varela has just launched The Alchemists, a limited-series podcast that delves deeper into the big conversations that started on-stage at the recent State of Social marketing conference, here in Australia.

I love the concept! The format sees Andrés, or ALV as he’s known, host lively chats with the event's speakers, exploring a range of topics such as the place of culture in creativity, the emerging power of fandom, the changing role of video, the influence of the big tech platforms and much more.

I particularly enjoyed episode 9, a group discussion (full of ‘hot-takes’) around all things organic content. If social media is important for your business, this podcast is worth a listen!

As I write this, I am listening to Greetings From LA by Tim Buckley, an amazing American singer-songwriter known for his extraordinary vocal range and eclectic musical style, blending elements of folk, jazz, psychedelia and soul. I’ve been listening to this album since my early 20s! Check out ‘Sweet Surrender’ and let me know what you think of it 😃 

What have you been listening to this week? HIT REPLY AND LET ME KNOW - I’m always interested in other people’s musical tastes. Thank you to Paweł who shared with me last week a techno marching band he’d been listening to. In case you don’t know what a ‘techno marching band’ does (I didn’t!) - it’s a brass band that covers electronic dance music hits.

Common attributes of visible and influential solopreneurs and founders

For years I have worked closely with credible business owners, thought leaders and professional experts, helping them to cut through the noise, grow their profile and their influence, and build their business (and personal) brand.

I’ve also interviewed hundreds more for my podcast, and delved into their stories, experiences, and lessons learned along the way.

These individuals I speak of are committed to putting themselves 'out there', intentionally building their profile and reputation and thus, positioning themselves for the myriad benefits that come with being an active participant in today’s dynamic reputation economy.

Importantly, they're in it for the long haul.

They are doing things in a sustainable manner, and as a result, are building personal brand momentum using a canny mix of owned media, social media and earned media, underpinned by purpose and strategic intent (along with a splash of experimentation).

I can say with a high degree of certainty that these individuals - mostly founders and solopreneurs running expertise-based businesses - share a number of common attributes.

Here are the main three that stand out to me:

1. MINDSET

More specifically, I call this having a ‘digital media mindset’.

Embracing not just the opportunities that today’s technology provides us by way of content creation and amplifying our voice, but also the need to let go of perfection and not be afraid to experiment a bit.

My clients by and large are willing to push themselves in order to create the impact they’re after.

For some, it’s not a wholly comfortable experience, especially at the start. They need a ‘gentle nudge’ in the right direction 😄 

But with encouragement, plus their own growing desire to share their message beyond their own personal networks, they just dig in and make it happen.

And guess what?

It gets easier.

You become more proficient ‘on the tools’ - whether that be fronting a video, producing a podcast, speaking to an audience, being interviewed by the media, or simply posting to - and being active on - social media channels such as LinkedIn.

Not only that: After a while, people begin to take notice; feedback is received, conversations are started, relationships are formed, and opportunities open up.

(Want to dig deeper into letting go of perfection and experimenting on social media? Check out this conversation)

Mindset also has a lot to do with a willingness to freely share your knowledge, ideas and expertise with others, without the expectation of getting anything in return. Don’t hold back: Generosity is the ‘new black’ after all!

2. FOCUS

Having a personal brand communications roadmap to guide you can be a game-changer.

It certainly doesn’t need to be over-cooked i.e. an inch-thick printed document that makes a thud when dropped on a boardroom table! But it does need to contain enough ‘meat’ to provide you with a sense of purpose and direction.

I’ve seen it time and time again that once people have a solid understanding of what they’re wanting to achieve, who their core audience is, and how they want to be positioned in the marketplace - then all of a sudden the shackles are off and the pathway forward becomes a lot clearer.

A sense of clarity, in turn, generates a a stronger degree of belief and confidence in oneself. This is needed in order to burst forth with enthusiasm and conviction 💪

The goal, of course, is to lay out how you want to approach your PR, content and digital communications in a thoughtful and purposeful manner.

A plan.

Don’t over-think it.

Don’t make it too detailed or complex, otherwise you’ll find yourself going around in circles and maybe not even get off the runway!

But, you do need one.

It’s worth putting in the effort to ensure you get off on the right footing.

(Set up a no-obligation Zoom call with me if you’d like to discuss how I might be able to help guide you to develop your own personal brand communications strategy).

3. ACTION

The third common success attribute across my clients and star students, plus the high-profile professionals I interview, is that they take ACTION!

They prioritise the time required to make a difference, to put distance between themselves and their competitors on the social web, the stage, and in the media, whichever route/s they decide to take.

Make no mistake, it takes time and effort to build your profile and grow your sphere of influence in a way that’s strategic, sustainable and respectful.

Despite what many so-called ‘gurus’ will tell you, there is no quick-hit formula.

AI tools might help in some aspects of personal productivity and the content creation process, but to rely on it to do your heavy lifting is folly. Don’t fall for it.

If you don’t make the time to think things through, to do your research, to put in the effort required to create content ongoing, in whatever format you choose (words, video, audio) - and let’s not forget connecting with people on social media (and offline as well), going to events etc - then clearly, building a credible personal brand is not a priority for you.

And that’s fine, if that’s the case. At least you know where you stand.

But hoping you’re going to grow your profile and reputation without putting in the hard yards - consistently, and with humility and purpose - then I’m pretty sure you’re going to be disappointed with the outcome.

Two examples from my files …

CLIENT #1 - Owner of a commercial legal firm

This business owner (and a genuine expert in his own right) took great strides, going from doing virtually nothing from a PR perspective, to considerably raising his profile more broadly in the business community.

Over an 18-month period, my client:

• adhered to a strategic content plan that we co-produced,

• regularly published videos on LinkedIn and YouTube,

• co-hosted 23 podcast episodes (over 50 episodes produced all up),

• appeared on national and state-based TV news and current affairs programs,

• wrote articles for several reputable business publications, and

• was interviewed 20+ times on radio about topical issues that showcased his expertise.

All of this, pretty much from a standing start … and he still managed to run a thriving professional practice! How? Because he took … ACTION!

CLIENT #2 - Owner of an allied health company

This ambitious entrepreneur was looking to expand his portfolio of allied health clinics (still is, actually).

He was already active across a number of digital fronts, but wanted to firm up what he was doing from a content and social media perspective, to ensure the company’s output was strategic (and that he was held accountable).

Over a 12-month period, this client took action in a number of key areas:

• worked with me throughout the strategic planning process,

• did the research required to better understand his desired target audience groups, including speaking with a selection of ‘ideal clients’,

• developed a 12-month content schedule for his blog and (new) podcast for clients - and stuck with it (meaning, he and his team produced a regular flow of useful and helpful articles plus he conducted and published interviews for his client-focused podcasts),

• Got active on his personal LinkedIn account, which has helped him continue to build his profile within his professional industry.

Firming up a direction that would work for his business was key for this client. Then came the planning and preparation off the back of that, and then relentless execution.

My client has since engaged a freelance writer to take the burden off internal resources and to ensure the company’s output of articles, podcast interviews and social media posts continues at a high level.

Plus a couple of others …

These are people I’ve interviewed on my podcast and have observed from afar; from what I can tell, they embody the key traits as per above.

ELLEN DONNELLY - Entrepreneur coach and founder of The Ask

I love how Ellen goes about her business. She is a regular contributor on LinkedIn, publishing thoughtful posts relevant to her target audience; she has produced a 10,000-word five-step online guide called Design Your One Person Service Based Business; her must-read newsletter is packed with open and honest stories, as well as thought-provoking ideas and insights.

Ellen takes action - and, from what I see, she does it in a way that’s purposeful, reflective, and, dare I say it, ‘on-brand’.

[ Check out my podcast interview with Ellen here ]

OSCAR TRIMBOLI - Author, host of the Apple award-winning podcast Deep Listening (over 500K downloads), and sought-after keynote speaker

Oscar is a global authority on the art and science of listening; he helps leaders and professionals discover the hidden key to better communication, and is passionate about using the gift of listening to bring positive change in homes, workplaces and cultures around the world.

Oscar been at this content caper for a long time, having started his regular podcast back in 2017, while his monthly LinkedIn newsletter has attracted 5400 subscribers. Another thing Oscar has done well over the journey is proactively seek out regular guest spots on other people’s podcasts. Being an interview guest requires time and effort; it’s worth it - this earned media strategy has been instrumental in helping Oscar to build his profile and reputation on a global basis.

[ Check out my podcast interview with Oscar here ]

Oh, and one more #bonus …

John Espirian has gone from being virtually ‘invisible’ professionally to creating a strong and respected presence in the marketplace - check out his story » CASE STUDY: How B2B technical writer John Espirian built a personal brand that’s known, liked, trusted, and talked about in a positive way in the marketplace)

Rounding up …

So there you have it:

• Mindset

• Focus

• Action

Three common attributes of founders and solopreneurs who are nailing their personal brand communications.

Not rocket science. No magic dust. And certainly no hacks!

But plenty of opportunities await those who take their PR, content and digital communications seriously. Which of course you are, because you’re reading this newsletter 😁 

I’ll leave you with this quote from Amelia Sordell:

In case we haven’t met yet …

Hi, I’m Trevor. I help purpose-led business owners become clear and confident in how they leverage PR, content and digital communications for profit, impact and legacy.

Let’s connect on LinkedIn!

Discover more at trevor.world