Going from Unknown to Influential
10 months ago I was COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT online.
At 39 years old, after 17 years in advertising, I was literally A GHOST.
Like most of us, I used LinkedIn as a resume that I’d update every 2–3 years when changing jobs. I used Facebook to post family pictures. I had 4 total pictures on Instagram. And I tried to repost a few articles a year on Twitter.
10 months ago, heading towards my 40th birthday, I decided to stop being irrelevant. And I’m here to tell you that you are not alone, and can take control of your legacy. It’s never too late to start building your personal brand.
We want to hear and be inspired by your story. Lead with curiosity, push through fear, and live in gratitude.
Now it’s your turn
If you can believe it, I posted the note above on LinkedIn and it blew up my feed. Usually I’ll post on LinkedIn and about 100–200 people will see it. This time 9,899 people viewed the post! So what changed?
(*If you haven’t downloaded Your Personal Brand Toolkit, click here)
Step 1: I started finding my voice by blogging on Medium
Before September of 2018, I had never written anything online. Not one article, not one blog post, not one opinion piece. All of my “perspective” was confined to work assignments and emails.
Don’t get me wrong, I created some amazing powerpoint presentations! And I’ve been in the room presenting marketing strategy to CMOs and the marketing teams of Fortune 100 companies. But my reputation was entirely attached to my role within a corporation.
My achievements had never gone beyond the margins of a well scripted resume.
That means that everything that I created belonged to the company’s that employed me. Any of my perspective was attributed to that company. And any relationships I developed with corporate leaders also started and ended within that job’s timeline.
So on September 19th, 2018 I published my very first article online.
I thought it would be difficult, but it was actually pretty easy. After 17+ years in marketing, I had lots to say! I didn’t worry about making it perfect. I just typed exactly what I was thinking in that moment. And it flowed like a raging river!
I’m not saying it was good! I’m saying that I started. And that was the biggest achievement. I got past the fear of starting and by starting without any regard for being perfect or even good.
Step 2: I started building my brand with a weekly podcast (with zero training)
Before September 2018, the only information you could find on me online were my social media profiles. The only business information you could find on me was on LinkedIn and it wasn’t pretty!
It was actually so bad, that I signed up for course on how to update my LinkedIn profile and how to more actively use the platform. I actually paid someone money to show me how to use LinkedIn! Looking back, it was a great investment considering how powerful LinkedIn can be as a tool to build our reputation and expand our business network.
So after I had updated my LinkedIn and started blogging, I decided I wanted to start a podcast. Many of the people I looked up to had a podcast, and I wanted a different way to share my perspective that was faster than writing.
Podcasting actually came very naturally to me. I could sit down and speak into a microphone on a marketing topic for 30–40 minutes straight, just off the top of my head. Not that I would recommend that, but that’s how I got started.
The best part was that it build my confidence in sharing my perspective, and I was getting great practice in. And when I got good enough, I decided to hire a podcasting coach, to really level up the quality of the episodes and grow the brand.
The podcast turned out to be a life-changing tool for me.
I relaunched the podcast to include interviews, which allowed me to explode my network of marketing thought leaders. I now had a platform where I could reach out to anyone I wanted and ask them any questions I had, all while building more content for the show.
Step 3: I started to network online and at live events
Before September 2018, I knew zero entrepreneurs and marketing thought leaders. Considering I was trying to build a business that coached entrepreneurs and interviewed thought leaders, this was a big problem.
I realized that all my connections worked in corporate jobs at advertising agencies. That was fine when I was looking for jobs, but it wasn’t going to help me achieve my new goals.
So I did three things that grew my network in a flash:
- I started engaging within Facebook groups online. I found groups for entrepreneurs and started to be involved in conversations that came up in those groups.
- I attended live events within my fields of interest. I went the largest social marketing event to meet marketing thought leaders, who would eventually be guests on my podcast. I went to entrepreneurship events, which introduced me to people who actually built businesses and have become great resources for me. And I went to the largest podcasting conference which connected me with other podcasters that are all business minded entrepreneurs and creators that I could learn from.
- I built my own community on Facebook. Now I could invite people to join my group as they started to meet me or engage with my content. This was important because so many people we meet still need time to get to know us. And a Facebook group was a great way for them to get to know me, to get to know other like minded entrepreneurs, and to stay connected with me beyond our initial connection.
So after all these steps… what happened:
My LinkedIn post blew up… but why?
The easy answer is a combination of sharing relevant content and tapping into the influence of others.
I shared a heart-first story that anyone reading could feel was real and honest. I told people how I was feeling and it was a feeling that a lot of people could relate to.
I mention this because the main ingredient in influence and great content that often gets overlooked is the relate-ability of the content itself. People relate to people and their real life experiences. We’re looking for common ground and connection and the more you can tap into your honest perspective, the better chance you have of building new relationships.
And I tapped into the influence of others. I’m not saying I used other people or “hacked the algorithm”. I’m saying that after building real relationships with a bunch of amazing influencers and thought leaders, I was able to tap into the power of their networks.
In my post I expressed gratitude for the first 30 guests that came onto my podcast. And if they chose to engage in the content, that post was then shared by LinkedIn with the followers of those influencers. And everytime someone liked or wrote a comment, it would show up in their feed to some of their followers.
But none of this would work, if I didn’t first build those relationships and if I didn’t share a message that was authentic and honest.
So what’s next…
Now I’m focused on creating engaging content that peaks my curiosity and introduces me to more amazing people.
I’m building amazing resources for people that want to follow in my footsteps.
And I’m creating community and find new ways to serve that community.
For my entrepreneurs out there, if you want access to me directly and more advice on how to build brands that matter, check out my Facebook group, Brand Growth Community. Take a look!
Brandon Birkmeyer is the host of the Brands on Brands on Brands Podcast. I’m your personal marketing coach and am here to help you build brands that matter today, so your business can thrive tomorrow. Brands that are true to a purpose. Brands that put people first. Brands that build real connections.
Don’t build a business. Build a brand that matters!
