Content for Personal Brands - from Consuming to Curating to Creating
Content builds Relationships.
Relationships build Trust.
Trust converts ...
People turn to the (perceived) best (people, provider, brands, services ...) for solving their biggest pains and problems.
These days, with all the knowledge and information available to the majority of people, at any given time and mostly for free, it's not just about the actual content that makes people engage with one over the other but the way a person represents it.
Each and everyone has preferences and whilst so many think that their topic or area of expertise has been told a million times already (and it may even be true), nobody has got your angle and way to present it.
No matter your goal - from stepping up as leader to getting speaking engagements to entering a(nother)/new industry ... people need to know - like - trust you to be the best solution (as employee, as employer, as client, as innovator ... for them/ their problems.
The quickest and most effective way to build this trust is continuous and consistent engagement.
It can start one way (aka you putting yourself aka your content) out there. What counts is that people see you, you give them the opportunity to get to know you in various ways and to trust you.
As promised in my last week's newsletter, this week is more tactical and I share some tips and tricks for my content consumption to curation and ultimately creation!
If you have more tricks and tips to share and want to be featured, please get in touch! Would love to hear your go-to's!
Content Marketing is a Commitment.
Not a Campaign.
You know the feeling of something new and exciting and you 'commit' to go all in ... until the 'new feeling' goes away and it becomes a chore.
When I started with (proper, not just random posts) content marketing (in fact it was only 2 years ago), I spent pretty much all of Sunday to do my Twitter content for just 1 week
(because I thought I had to be on it and due to its fast pace, I have to tweet at least 8-10x a day and didn't have much of a process).
Whilst I maintained it for quite a few months, I started to resent content marketing as
a) there was not much return for me,
b) it took pretty up much all of my 'day off' (I was still in a corporate job then) and
c) I struggled to keep up the sheer amount of content I 'needed'
Well ... little did I know you can do better and this is why I want to share my learnings, tips and tricks I have picked up since then!
1.) CONSUME CONTENT
I always say you don't need to re-invent the wheel, you just need to have your own spin on it.
Consuming other people's content doesn't just give me an idea of what the audience is interested in hearing and what niches others take but also inspiration for my own content.
For me, it's a mix of how I consume it and a habit, not a chore or something I do everyday.
I think it is important to have systems for everything, especially at the beginning as starting something new is hard enough; having no structure to it makes it harder and with that, mostly not effectively, efficient and sustainable.
CONTENT SOURCE nr 1:
PODCAST
I loooove podcasts and have currently an active subscription to 86 shows ...
Here is a little hack on how I can consume around 4h of content every given day ... it's called 'double speed' ...:)
I talk and think fast, so listening to someone in real speed is painful for me. I don't suggest you have to do the same because simply knowing something doesn't matter at all.
My other hack to actually do something with the content is that I have a note on my iPhone called 'Podcast take outs' and one of my non-negotiables is to write down at least 3 major phrases, quotes, words etc that resonated with me.
I use this to create my own content and spin on it further or take it in a different direction. It is my inspiration and also gets me to think differently.
The most effective way to learn something new is to teach it, which is why I use those take outs to create my own content and include a little story or experience from my own life which makes the content unique to me and nobody can 'compete' with it.
When I listen to podcasts?
> in the car
> in the gym
> on my walks
> in the supermarket
> when I get ready in the bathroom (it takes me 15 min to brush teeth, have a shower, dry hair, make up, dressing - imagine how much you can take in already before the day really starts!)
> when I cook
2.) CURATE CONTENT
Whilst this point is for curation, it is also still for consumption but as it is easier to re-use straight away, I put it into this section.
To be clear, content curation is the ‘re-presentation’ of existing media. In other words, it is re-using (aka posting, sharing, retweeting ...) existing articles, blogs, interviews, videos ... that others have created about a specific topic.
This form of content publication helps you to be seen on social media for topics that are aligned with your (ideal) thought leadership/ goal in a quick way.
It is effective and can give you the opportunity to add a fresh take to an old topic and make it personal to your take on which helps you to grow your own influence over your audience.
My favorite sources for content:
Google Alerts (Every morning at 9am, I get 6 different emails with top articles on my 6 selected content pillars)
Flipboard (an app that also gives you tailored and most recent content for your selected boards)
Twitter (I still use twitter, less for my own Brand but more for my research and to get new content by selected thought leaders and by following certain hashtags).
Traditional Marketing is telling the world you are a rockstar.
Content Marketing is showing them that you are one.
If you want to learn how you can
build a content marketing strategy for your Personal Brand effectively, efficiently and sustainably, get in touch for a
free 30-min Consultation.
