How To Build Your Platform and Get...Known

A conversation with Mark Schaefer, marketing thought leader and author of the most recent book, Known: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age. 

Messages take many forms: written content, verbal presentation, your persona and how you present yourself. Whether your message is via carefully constructed content, a sales presentation, a group presentation providing status on your project, or trying to convince others of your innovation or idea, we all strive to make ourselves and our ideas known. 

Our digital landscape is now rich with ways to get our messages out, 

But, how do we do that? How can we craft our own message correctly to build our brand, and get - ourself, our products, our team, our company, our idea - known?

To gain insight into such questions, we spoke to Mark W. Schaefer - whose resume reads like someone who is truly known in marketing - to understand what it takes to get known. 

Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant who blogs at {grow} — one of the top five marketing blogs of the world. He teaches graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University and has written six best-selling books including The Tao of Twitter (the best-selling book on Twitter in the world) and The Content Code, named by INC magazine as one of the Top five marketing books of the year, and his new book KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age. Mark also wrote the classic first book on influence marketing, Return On Influence. His many global clients include Pfizer, Cisco, Dell, Adidas, and the US Air Force. He has been a keynote speaker at prestigious events all over the world including SXSW, Marketing Summit Tokyo, and the Institute for International and European Affairs. He has appeared as a guest on media channels such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CBS News.

Tell us - what does it really take to be known?

I need to make a distinction that being "known" is different from being famous. My book isn't about becoming a YouTube star, it's about having the authority, presence and reputation to get your job done -- to give you the best chance at achieving your goals, whatever they might be.

I conducted research for over a year, including interviews with nearly 100 people who have become known in fields like banking, real estate, construction, publishing, education, art, and many more. And what I found is that all of them, in every part of the world, did the same four things to become known today. 

First, you need to carefully define what you want to be known for, which is often different than a "passion." 

Second, you need to determine where to tell that story. Is there a niche you can own? 

Third, you need to choose a type of content that will tell your story. It doesn't have to be overwhelming and today, it is probably easier to do than you think. 

Finally, you need to methodically build an actionable audience that will help you make your dreams come true!

What are some of the biggest mistakes or misconceptions many have about becoming known?

I have been doing a lot of executive coaching in this area and the biggest problem I see is that people are over-thinking it. I have many exercises in the book to help people get pointed in the right direction but at some point you have to actually start. You're probably not going to get it right at first but that's OK. Nobody is born an expert at anything. Becoming known is about the journey. 

Another issue is not being able to commit to the consistency needed to break through. In my research, I found that consistency, tenacity, and resilience are more important than having a big idea or some special innate talent. Sometimes, just becoming a habit to people is more than enough! 

What strategies, based on your research and experience, should thought leaders and experts in their field pursue to become known?   In your opinion, which methods provide the best return on their invested time?

My book articulates a clear path, those four steps. I have not found an exception yet of somebody who has become known on the web who has not followed those steps. So the path is clear and it does take some work. However, within those paths there are many, many options for individuality. The right path cannot be necessarily measured in terms of ROI or dollars but maybe in joy. If the path isn't fun, you'll quit, and if you quit you wont' be known. So whatever the path is, it has to be fun!

In becoming "known," what factors should be used to build a message - and make that message resonate with their intended audience? 

That question made me chuckle as I reflect on my own early failures. 

When I started my journey to be known I did indeed have a "message" that I wanted to deliver to a "target audience." I was a complete bomb. Nobody cared and I got bored. Then I started to relax and just become much more human in my content and social media engagement. I showed my personality and when I started to do that, everything changed. Instead of finding my target audience, my ideal audience found me -- and it was global!

Jim Romeo (www.JimRomeo.net) is a freelance copywriter, speaker and workshop leader, helping companies, publications and individuals build messages and communicate. Contact him at [email protected] - to talk about anything!