We often get stuck trying to figure out what to say when we build our brand. It is critical to remember that most of the time your personal brand should not be about you.
Here are 4 key ways to add value and build your thought leadership without talking about yourself and wearing out your welcome. As you build your content strategy for the week, month, and year, this framework can help ensure you deliver on your brand without talking about yourself too much.
90% of the time, or more, you should post content that falls into one of these four buckets.
1. Inform
Providing information to your audience is a great way to add value. Identify the knowledge you have gained over the years through success or failure. Create little “bundles of knowledge” that you can share.
Examples:
- If you are an entrepreneur, maybe it is about the key information you need to know before you leave your paying job to start your company.
- If you are a lawyer, write about the impacts of new regulation and how it might affect your constituents.
2. Inspire
Who doesn’t want to be inspired? We all need some motivation and inspiration. Do not over post quotes, be thoughtful and intentional about why you are sharing them. Maybe they are related to a time of year or a person – let’s say Martin Luther King Jr. – and you want to post it around MLK day.
Recommendations:
- Pictures are more likely to be shared – so turn your quote into a photo and attach it in your Tweet or Facebook post.
- Use tools like Canva to create your image for free.
Things to Consider:
- Research what others are saying about the topic and be sure your perspective is not just repeating the same old content.
- Keep it short, sweet, and actionable if possible – make it easy for people to care and share your influential ideas.
Things to Consider:
- Be careful of your topic – recommend not talking about religion and politics – unless that is your space (it can be too polarizing)
- Don’t be mean. You can ignite a conversation diplomatically, there is no need to ignite a conversation with mean or negative comments.
Remember that the purpose of sharing content is to help create value for others. It is not just to hear yourself speak. If you genuinely are sharing information that is insightful – the odds of it being shared are much greater.
Remember your audience and be your best self,
Jen Dalton