If you take a look out on social media you see mega-stars, influencers, and celebrities with millions of fans watching their every move. Everyone thinks that you need to be “famous” in order to be recognized in the media or even within your industry.
The reality is that with the power of social media and how one person can over time create a brand for themselves, each person on social media has the potential to become big one day. To dive deeper into this I got the opportunity to sit down with digital marketing leader John White.
John is someone that has completely taken the online world by storm over the past 5 years. The best part was that he was a salesman before he started his entrepreneurial journey. He was a regular 9-5 worker that wanted something different for himself and his family.
6 years ago White had zero social media presence and had never been published anywhere. Think about that for a second. He had zero online following along with no writing experience.
Today he boasts a social following on Twitter that has over 400,000 followers and has published 100’s of articles on top tier publications like Inc. Magazine, Huffington Post, and MSN Money. He’s built his online network close to half a million people from scratch in six years along with millions of article views. This is nothing short of exceptional and it just shows that you don’t need to be a household name to become big in your industry.
You can start small, and work your way into becoming an industry celebrity. This will arguably set you apart from everyone else. Especially if you are currently in an industry that isn’t fully online yet.
Be different and stand out. This is what I learned from White and his story. He wasn’t someone who was a celebrity or was he born with influence. He built his brand from scratch and this just shows that you can do the same.
When people think of feature articles…they think you have to be famous.
6 years ago he had zero social media presence. He got fired from his corporate job and pivoted into being an entrepreneur and he was finishing his MBA program.
White told me two of his tips for the success he wanted to share to inspire others in similar shoes as his. These are his two tips for someone who wants to be a well-known thought leader or influencer in their space.
Put Out Content Consistently
This might sound pretty straight forward but for a lot of people, they overcomplicate things. Creating content can be long and tedious because you choose to perfect everything before you hit publish.
Yes having professional content is important, but you’ll find that the more you post, the more you will pick up on the little nuisances that work. Content that perhaps you thought wasn’t ready for the publish button will actually do well because it’s a little raw and unedited.
For White, the content he created on a consistent basis was writing articles in publications as well as on his own blog. He’s become a top writer among several publications and his work has been seen by millions of people around the world.
He started writing and hasn’t looked back since. His company Social Marketing Solutions is a top-rated content marketing & PR agency that continues to grow and work with top-notch clients.
Getting 3rd party attribution through PR & Clients
The second tip that White told us that has really allowed him to grow so quickly in a short period of time and become a top public figure in business is his press coverage on several outlets.
White has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and several other top notch media publications which has been amazing for him to gain a reputation online and win clients.
Getting third party recognition can be rocketfuel for your business because its someone else singing your praises and showcasing your work or telling your story.
Another way of getting third party recognition is by doing amazing work and allowing your clients to speak for you. White hasn’t spent a tonne of money on ads for his business because he hasnt had to.
He instead has allowed his podcast interviews and articles written about him or his clients do the talking which has allowed him to be well known in the business space.
You might be asking, so how can I get PR or third-party recognition?
One of the best ways we recommend you do this is to take White’s tips and start creating content but also be networking online. One of the ways to network online is through social media because it’s basically like being at a business networking event all day every day.
Social media doesn’t sleep and neither does the opportunity for you to connect with new people, partners, or potential clients. Use your time wisely and invest in your personal brand and network through the tools available at your fingertips.
If you take action today, perhaps you’ll end up like John White. You just have to put the work in first.
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