Becky Robinson's Blog, page 18

Episode 40: The Value of Hybrid Publishing

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. If you’re considering publishing a book, this month we are providing information that will help you sort through the various options available to you. 

About Trena White

Becky: It’s been so fun for me to catch up with some of my friends in the publishing world. And today, I’m so glad to be back with Trena White. I know I’m going to learn a lot from you. Before we dive into the content, can you tell our listeners a little bit about your work in the world and about your company?

Trena: Yeah! I’m the co-founder, with my partner Jesse Finkelstein, of a book publishing company called Page Two. We specialize in publishing nonfiction books by professionals. So books that are about somebody’s area of expertise that reflect the work that they do day in and day out. Some books we’ve published are a book called The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier, which is widely recognized as a classic in its category. A book called Exactly What to Say, by a sales trainer named Phil Jones, that has been translated into about 10 or 12 languages now. So books that really capture that author’s work, intellectual property, and want to spread their message really widely.

Becky: Wonderful. I was hoping that you might mention some of your most successful titles, so thank you. And just so that our listeners can place you in the world, can you tell us where you live?

Trena: You bet. Our office is in Vancouver, Canada, so on the west coast of Canada, not that far from Seattle. I personally live in a really small town of 3,000 people on the west coast. It’s called Roberts Creek.

The difference between Page Two & traditional publishers

Becky: Trena, can you tell me a little bit about the difference between Page Two and a traditional publisher?

Trena: Yeah, so we are what you might call a hybrid publisher, and that’s a catch all phrase that encompasses all different kinds of business models. Fundamentally, what makes us different from a traditional publisher is that we’re really built around serving the author. Our authors hire us to produce their books and they retain ownership of their intellectual property. So we don’t license their rights, which a traditional publisher would do. This means that they own everything we create, and they can repurpose the material we create and turn it into online training, keynotes, and all kinds of things. It’s an entrepreneurial model of publishing, where the author is investing in their work and in the product, which is the book, and then when the book sells, they earn the majority of the proceeds of the sales. 

If it does sell, there’s an opportunity for them to earn more than they would in a traditional publishing deal. So because the authors are hiring us, it’s a service. It’s kind of a customer-driven experience, where we’re thinking about how to create a really positive and meaningful experience for our clients, and how to serve them and their broader business goals with the book, as well as how to serve the needs of the reader and the market. It’s a very different orientation from what traditional publishers have, where their main focus is the book, and how it’s going to sell through retailers. They’re not really thinking about the author’s business and business goals and where the book fits in within the author’s ecosystem.

Hybrid publishing vs. self-publishing

Becky: Why would someone select a hybrid publisher instead of a traditional publisher?

Trena: I would say hybrid publishing is a good fit for people who want to have a lot of creative control over their book. People who really have a clear understanding of their audiences, a really clear vision of what the book might become, and who wants to be highly engaged in the marketing. There’s a certain personality type that would find that quite appealing and doesn’t really want to take a backseat to the publisher’s decisions. So somebody might choose hybrid publishing because they want to be involved in the process and they want to be a real collaborator in creating the book and thinking about how it’s going to be brought to market. 

I would also say that the barrier to entry can be lower in that with hybrid publishing, you don’t need to have a literary agent. You don’t need to necessarily develop the big 50-page book proposal that nonfiction books usually require when you work with a traditional publisher. At least at Page Two, our authors are entrepreneurs and professionals and they don’t necessarily want to go through all of those additional layers of effort to try to get the book deal. They’re ready to get going and so it’s about speed to market as well.

Average time to go to market at Page Two

Becky: Tell me a little bit about an average time to go to market for an author who approaches Page Two.

Trena: Yeah, from the time an author completes their manuscript, to the time the book is in the market for us would be typically 10 to 12 months. This might still sound like a really long time for a lot of the people listening to this, but traditional book publishing can often take up to two years from the time you approach the publisher to the time your book is in the market. There are certain aspects of the publishing process that you can’t really tighten too much without compromising quality.

Qualifications when selecting authors

Becky: So tell me some qualifications you look for in selecting authors to publish, Trena, because you did mention that sometimes the barrier to entry to a hybrid publishing solution is easier than traditional publishing. What are you looking for? How do you vet the authors who come to you to decide whether or not they’re a good fit for Page Two?

Trena: Good question. We do curate our list but not every hybrid publisher does. When we’re evaluating a submission, we’re looking for an author who has that vision, an author who really understands their audience and how they’re going to connect with that audience both through the book and through the marketing of the book later on. Authors who have hit on an idea that is original, and where we can see that there’s a gap in the market that the book can fill. We’re looking for people who are interested in collaboration, and we think can have a happy and productive working relationship with us. And also people who can write well, although we can bring in ghostwriters if we need to. But people who really can produce something that’s high quality.

Questions to ask when selecting a hybrid publisher

Becky: That’s really helpful and I’m wondering, you mentioned that not all hybrid publishers have the same standards for vetting or curating their list. If an author is listening today, or an aspiring author is listening, what are some things that those authors should look for if they’re researching hybrid publishers?

Trena: I would say there are quite a few things to look at. 

One of the first would be budget, because there are hybrid publishing options out there that are anywhere from $8,000 and up. For us, our projects typically start at around $30,000. I know of other companies who charge six figures to work with them. So I would start by thinking about what your budget is, and what does the company charge for their work? I would also look very closely at who is actually doing the work. What I mean is how much experience does the team have working on books specifically? Because there are a lot of companies out there who don’t necessarily specialize in books, their team may have a lot of editorial experience, but more in corporate communications, for instance. So look very carefully at the experience level of the team. Look to see if they’re publishing the kind of books that you’re writing. Is it an area that they seem to have some expertise or knowledge?There are a lot of other details about things you’d want to look for in terms of the contracts. Do you retain ownership of your rights, for instance? I would say you absolutely want to if you’re working with a hybrid publisher, that should be one of the big benefits of it.

Becky: That helps. Thank you so much. 

What sets Page Two apart

Becky: I’m curious, Trena, about what sets Page Two apart? What do you view as the biggest value that you and your team bring to authors?

Trena: It’s the level of experience of our team. Many of the people who work at Page Two have worked for major traditional publishers, like Penguin Random House, for instance. The whole idea of our company is that we bring the best practices from the best of traditional publishing into a model where the author has a lot more creative control and input. I would say it’s not the experience, it’s the fact that we have a very creative team that works in a very cohesive way on a project with our authors. So that the designer is collaborating with the editor and the marketing team. We’re all working together to figure out how to position the book and set it up for success, with the author as kind of the center of this group on the project.

Becky: I have an extra question I’d love to throw in. Trena, you mentioned earlier that one of the things that you’re looking for in authors is them being entrepreneurial, and excited to invest in marketing their titles. I also heard you say that you have a marketing team at Page Two. So what might an author expect if they partner with Page Two? Or what might they expect if they partner with a different hybrid publisher? And what should they look for? As it relates to that aspect of the process?

Trena: Yeah, that’s a good question. For us, our authors tend to have established platforms. So that would mean they might be professional speakers, or they have very active, large email lists. It can mean many different things and so part of the work that our marketing team does is help the author understand how to leverage their existing platform to support the book launch. We also have a publicist who does media outreach for our books. We do run digital advertising, like Amazon ads and Facebook ads, for instance. But there’s just a recognition that the author is going to be utterly critical to the marketing of the book and that’s the case, no matter how an author publishes a book. The author already is recognized as an expert in their topic, who has an audience, that they can reach with the book. That’s a very fundamental part of the work that we do is helping them understand how to build the book into their business.

Vetting a hybrid publisher

Becky: So in terms of vetting a hybrid publisher, what questions should an author ask to be able to get to the heart of what they can expect related to marketing?

Trena: First of all, what marketing will you do? I would be very cautious about any marketing that seems very cookie cutter. For instance, you’ll often see that a company will create a press release and send it out to X number of media outlets, but that’s done in a very templated way that doesn’t necessarily have any impact. So I would really dig into the details of what the campaign will actually look like. Who will I be working with? Do you actually have a person who’s going to be your marketing contact? Or is it that you’ll be getting generic emails, for instance, to guide you along the way? I think those are some of the key questions to help authors evaluate that.

Action Steps

Becky: I have loved this conversation, Trena, and I expect that our listeners have gotten a lot of value as it relates to sorting through the differences between hybrid publishing and traditional publishing. So thank you so much for investing a few minutes with me this afternoon. Every week on The Book Marketing Action Podcast, we like to give some action steps. Trena, I know you have two next steps for listeners today to implement. So could you share those?

Trena: 

Research if hybrid publishing is right for you. I would say the first one is that it’s worthwhile taking the time to research whether hybrid publishing is a fit for you because I would be the first to say it’s really not for everybody. There are many cases in which traditional publishing is the better way to go for an author, or self-publishing. Talk to other authors. I would also say as a follow up to that, and part of the research that a person might do, would be to speak with other authors. If you know anyone who has published a book, just talk to them about how they did it. What was their experience? What were the pros and cons of it? Because you’ll be able to start to see the pitfalls of self, hybrid, and traditional publishing and get a sense of whether one option might be right for you. ResourcesLearn more about Page Two here. Connect with Trena White on LinkedIn. Follow Page Two on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn more and pre-order Bonnie Marcus’s new book, Not Done Yet!: How Women Over 50 Regain Their Confidence & Claim Workplace Power, published through Page Two.What Is a Hybrid Publisher? Blog post by Jane Friedman, Trena’s all-time fave publishing commentator, who is neutral about traditional publishing, self-publishing, hybrid. What’s the Future of Hybrid Publishing? A Q&A with Trena’s co-founder. The Million Dollar Book. A case study on Page Two’s blog about Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones.How to publish a book on Amazon (and sell over 100,000 copies the SMART way) by Michael Bungay Stanier. Another great case study. 

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

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The post Episode 40: The Value of Hybrid Publishing appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 39: The Value of Traditional Publishing

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. This month, we are focusing on the different choices that authors can make when they decide to publish a book.

About Kristen Frantz & Berrett-Koehler

Becky: I’m so happy today to be joined by Kristen Frantz. Kristen is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Berrett-Koehler publishers. For those of you who know me, well, you’ll know that over the past 8, 9, almost 10 years, my team and I have supported a number of Berrett-Koehler authors and marketing their books. Through all that, Kristen and I have become good friends and it’s always great to talk with you. Is there anything else you want to tell our listeners about Berrett-Koehler publishers or about your role before we dive into today’s topic?

Kristen: Hi, Becky. It’s really an honor and pleasure to be here. So Berrett-Koehler publisher is an independent publisher based in Oakland, California. We’ve been in business for 29 years and we’re a for-profit publisher. But we’re a mission-based publisher and our mission is to connect people and ideas to create a world that works for all, and the topic areas we focus on in that mission are business, self-help, and current affairs. We’ve also expanded our publishing into a professional line of books around project management, and other types of need to know professional topics.

Becky: Wonderful. Well, thank you for sharing that with us. I know that some of my favorite books over the years have been BK titles. And in case you’re curious about some of the big-name authors that Berrett-Koehler publishes, some of your bestsellers over the years have come from The Arbinger Institute, if people have read The Anatomy of Peace. You also published Brian Tracy, are there any other notable authors we should give a shout out to?

Kristen: One of our big up and coming authors right now is Sonya Renee Taylor, who has a book called The Body is Not an Apology, which we’re doing a new edition of, coming out in February, and an accompanying workbook. We’ve also published authors like Peter Block around his book, Stewardship. Margaret Wheatley, we published her very influential book, Leadership and the New Science, which was one of our first publications. Those are some of our other top authors.

Why traditional publishing?

Becky: So Kristen, let’s talk about some of the reasons why people choose traditional publishing.

Kristen: Yeah, definitely. 

I think one of the number one reasons is expertise. You want to go with a traditional publisher because traditional publishers have professionals that have been doing this kind of work for decades. We’re really experts in the editing process, experts in design, production, and marketing. So that’s probably one of the big reasons. Another one is cash flow. If you were to self publish your work with a hybrid publisher, you’re the one that has to come up with the cash to get the book produced, edited, and all the different things. Where when you’re working with a traditional publisher, you’ll often, as an author, get an advance, which is basically an advance against royalties you would earn when the book is selling. So that can be something that’s really important for an author. I think another thing is credibility. Being published by a publisher, it‘s kind of a stamp of approval, it gives a lot of authors credibility. We hear that from a lot of authors that they want to be published by us because it gives their thought leadership credibility in the marketplace. Then another thing is community. Being part of a community of authors, and as I said, Berrett-Koehler is really a mission-based publisher, around connecting people and ideas to create a world that works for all. We’ve really built a community around our company, and when Steve Piersanti, the founder of the company, left Jossey-Bass publishers, he really set up Berrett-Koehler to be a company that’s stakeholder focused. He really wants to honor all the stakeholders of the community as part of the process. We see Weaving Influence is one of our key stakeholders in the publishing process. So another thing that is a bit unique about Berrett-Koehler is that we do have a community of our authors, there’s a separate nonprofit benefit corporation called BK Authors and there’s also a foundation called BK Foundation.

Becky: That’s been a huge part of my journey and I’ve so appreciated being a part of the Berrett-Koehler community of authors, and also part of the stakeholders, as you said, so I appreciate that so much. 

Benefits of traditional publishing

Becky: Let’s talk for a moment Kristen, about some other benefits of traditional publishing. I know that when I talk to authors, and they’re trying to weigh their publishing choices, there are a number of benefits that I always point to, so I’ll be curious to see if you have some similar thoughts.

Kristen: Yeah, definitely. I’m going to kind of walk through the publishing process. I think first, starting off, is editorial expertise. I was saying that we bring expertise to the table, but we have editors on our staff that have spent decades editing books, particularly in our area of expertise. What they really do is help the author figure out what is their big idea for the book and how to communicate it. So you have this active thinking partner, who’s going to help you do that. 

Also at Berrett-Koehler and other publishers, we have a review process. So we don’t just take the final manuscript and then publish it, we get the draft manuscript, we send it out to several people that we identify as the target audience for the book, and get their feedback in writing, what we call a review, and then we give that feedback to the author. Then the editor kind of talks the author through what direction to go, and how to use that editorial feedback. I think that’s more important than ever because we’re all kind of grappling with different cultural issues these days. And by being able to have members of the target audience read the book, and make sure the content is really appropriate for that audience, has been a big thing for us. So that’s been kind of a big benefit. 

Another is production expertise, in that we have experts on how to create a cover design that’s compelling and really gonna appeal to your target audience. Doing a book cover design is a really specific design capability, you need to make sure the type is legible, you need to make sure the cover is going to be readable online these days. So those are some of the areas of expertise that the publisher brings to the table, and then also the interior design. It makes a big difference in how the design is done, so it’s easy to read, and we do it in house. 

On the sales and marketing side, I would say a big thing the traditional publisher brings is the distribution of the book. Traditional publishers have major set up systems and processes to promote books and to sell them. They have an entire worldwide sales force, that is going to make it possible for your book to be distributed around the world, in all these different places. Even though Amazon is such a big seller of books these days, there are a lot of opportunities through special markets, through corporate sales, through associations, through international sales. So that’s one big thing. 

Another is that a lot of publishers really take a multi-channel marketing approach and that’s a big part of Berrett-Koehler strategy. In a lot of ways, publishers don’t know exactly how a book is going to sell because every book is so unique. So it’s not like we can plug in and say, oh, we’re gonna sell the book this way and this is what’s going to happen. We take this multi channel marketing approach to really give the book as many opportunities to be successful as it can. One big distinguisher is through right sales, we have a really strong rights team. And what that means is selling different types of subsidiary rights, the biggest part is translation rights to foreign publishers. And we’ve had books that, you know, they do okay in the US market, but then all of a sudden it goes crazy in China, and a book has sold 80,000 copies in China. Those are the kinds of opportunities that can happen through a publisher, just by getting the book out there in many different ways, to see what’s possible.

Becky: Well, and to be honest, Kristen, that is the part that is the most compelling to me as an aspiring author. And when I’m talking to our authors, and if they’re weighing publishing choices, if an author wants to expand their message as far and as wide as possible through that international or in bookstore distribution, at this point in time, the only way to do that is by partnering with a traditional publisher who has expertise and service in that area.

Misconceptions about traditional publishing

Becky: So Kristen, what are some misconceptions that authors might have or aspiring authors might have about traditional publishing?

Kristen: 

They don’t need to be part of the sales and marketing process. I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that if an author gets a contract with a traditional publisher that they don’t need to be part of the sales and marketing process. They think that once they write the book, their job is done, and that’s definitely not true. These days, it’s so competitive to get attention on books, and to sell books, it’s more important than ever that the author really builds a community around the ideas in their book, and is out there actively engaging with that community and selling it. They’re going to instantly become famous. Another misconception is that we’ll have authors think that they’re gonna instantly become famous, and be a bestseller. They see people on the New York Times bestseller list, and think that just because they’re doing a book that suddenly they’ll become famous too. We actually have a saying at Berrett-Koehler that movements create books, books don’t create movements. You really have to create a community around your book and then the book is content that the community wants, and they’ve probably been receiving it in other formats, like blogs, your speaking, other writing you’re doing, and the book format is just one of the other formats. They’re going to make a lot of money on the book. One other one is I think some authors think they’re going to make a lot of money on the book, and that’s really only true if you sell a lot of books. The typical, traditionally published book, you’re going to make $1 or $2 on every book sold. What you’re really going to do is make more money on other types of activities that the book helps bring about, or reinforces, like speaking, consulting, or other types of writing you’re doing. Those are just a few of the misconceptions.

Becky: I hope that you’re listening listeners. These are definitely things that I’ve talked with our authors about, so I appreciate you reinforcing them. I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t the author’s job to do most of the sales and marketing of their books. 

How you can set yourself up for success with a traditional publisher

Becky: Kristen, if an aspiring author has a goal to secure a traditional publisher, how can they prepare and set themselves up for success?

Kristen: I think the number one thing is thinking about what your goals are for writing the book. Because, as I said, the book isn’t necessarily going to make you famous, or create a community for you. It’s going to give you credibility, and some of the other things I talked about, but just being really clear about what your goals are for the book, and then, really focus on building your community first. It doesn’t have to be a huge community, it just has to be a really targeted, engaged community. I’ve had authors that have an email list of just 3,000 contacts, but they’re really close contacts, and they respond when the author emails them. That’s so much better than having a list of 15,000, not permission-based, of just people you’ve met, that you put on your list, and they’re not really engaged with what you’re doing. The number one thing is, you really have to build your community, build your platform, and be engaged with it. A traditional publisher these days will not sign a contract with an author without a very detailed marketing plan of exactly how are you going to market and sell the book, demonstrating that you really do have a community and platform.

Becky: That’s so helpful. 

What successful authors do to market their book

Becky: One last question, Kristen, I’m wondering if you’d be willing to share what you see your most successful authors doing to market their books?

Kristen: 

These days having a strong online presence is very important and one of the reasons we’re always happy when our authors work with Weaving Influence. Having a website that’s really clear on your brand and is effectively helping promote the book, having a significant email list that you regularly communicate with, and social media that really extends that brand, is all extremely important. I find that authors that really communicate their brand consistently through social media, reinforce the messages of what their company’s doing, and integrating the book into that, it’s very effective. Speaking is a huge part of selling nonfiction books, like we publish, and these days being really effective at virtual speaking, is really critical. Speaking is one of the number one ways our authors are really successful. I’ve seen a number of our authors starting their own podcasts, and really having a significant following. I think that’s becoming a more and more effective way to engage your own community, rather than just doing regular blogging. I also think having an attitude of generosity. Those authors that have really gone out of their way, in particular, there’s been a number of authors right at the start of the pandemic, they just started going the extra mile of being generous with their community by doing free webinars about how to do virtual training and creating opportunities for communities to connect. I remember Becky, you were doing your daily webinar connection. That was a great example of engaging with your community. So I would say those are some of the top things that I see our most successful authors doing.

Becky: I hope you’re taking notes and if not, we’re going to have some detailed ideas for you in the show notes along with ways to connect with folks like Kristen at Berrett-Koehler publishers

Action Steps 

Becky: I’d love to wrap up today’s episode, the way I wrap up every episode, which is giving you some actionable steps that you can take to grow your influence and market your books.

The first one is to think about your community and how you can contribute generously to your community. Kristen mentioned that the most important thing an aspiring author can do to set themselves up for success to secure a traditional publisher is to work on growing a community of people who are ready and willing to buy your book. So take some time today to think about who your community is and what you can do to cultivate those relationships.Think about the content that you plan to write in your book and how you can begin to share it now in different ways. Kristen mentioned that quite often, people will buy a book because they’ve already been receiving value from the author, whether that’s through a podcast or blogs or some other means. If you are planning to write a book, I would encourage you to really think about how you can begin to share the value that will be contained in your book before the book even comes out. 

Those are two action steps that you could take today, based on my conversation with Kristen. 

ResourcesLearn more about Berrett-Koehler Publishers here. Click here for Proposal Guidelines for Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Explore Berrett-Koehler’s author resources.Subscribe to Berrett-Koehler’s blog here.

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 39: The Value of Traditional Publishing appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 38: What are you trying to build?

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you the information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. Today’s conversation with Julie Winkle Giulioni, an old friend and client, wraps up the theme that we’ve been doing all month on growing thought leadership and influence online. 

About Julie Winkle Giulioni 

Becky: One of the reasons I invited Julie to be on today’s podcast is that I’ve had the pleasure of having a front-row seat to her building of thought leadership over the past eight years since the launch of her book, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go back in 2012. Julie, as we get started today, would you tell our audience a little bit more about yourself and your work?

Julie: You bet! I guess I come out of an educational background as a high school teacher, college professor, and department chair before migrating into corporate training and learning. And, that’s really kind of the basis for a lot of the work that I do. I’ve worked in a variety of different organizations as learning development managers. My last internal job was with AchieveGlobal, which at the time was the largest training company in the world and I was the director of product development. 

About 20 years ago, I traded the illusion of security for the illusion of freedom and went out on my own and founded a niche consulting firm, developing training programs for corporate clients. I loved the instructional design work and figuring out how to connect ideas with people and help them then turn that into action. Eight years ago, as you mentioned, I had the good fortune to get to write Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go with Beverly Kay. That was when you and I met and when I started my front-row seat to watching you build your amazing practice and when I began learning at your knee, about what thought leadership, social media, and online marketing was all about.

Julie’s journey to building thought leadership

Becky: Julie, let’s talk a little bit about your journey to build thought leadership online. And I’m very curious, what motivates you or what has fueled your consistent investment and growing thought leadership over time?

Julie: So you know, it’s funny, even as I thought about preparing for our conversation, Becky, I have to be honest and tell you the expression “thought leadership” is completely daunting to me. If I had ever thought about intentionally pursuing that, I would never have even stepped in that direction. I don’t think of myself as a thought leader. But to the extent that I might be, it’s only because someone else is getting value out of it. For most of my life, I’ve developed content, and in many cases, it was for others or for the training company. I felt really comfortable developing a point of view and content ideas for others. But when I wrote the book, when I came to you, and we started talking about marketing it online, suddenly it was my name on it. They were my ideas, and so it was a total game-changer. 

I have found my groove and got over my self-consciousness, at least, most days. What motivates me is several things. If I love the topic, I write about it. I love leadership, I love career development, I think it is so, so important for individuals and organizations. And so there really is sort of a deeper purpose behind the writing that I do. There’s really a kind of intellectual satisfaction associated with spinning the ideas, putting them out there, getting feedback, and then being able to continue to work with them and take them to the next level.

Becky: That’s really interesting to think about, Julie, just a fun and intellectual stimulation that comes from putting ideas out and seeing how audiences respond. That’s a really important point. Thank you for sharing it. 

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about growing online influence?

Becky: Julie, I’m curious, what’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned about growing online influence?

Julie: I was struck by this eight years ago, and I think I’m more struck by it now, people are really hungry to connect. Particularly over the last nine months, there is just such an appetite to connect with other people. The online platform is so rich in terms of opportunities for connection. I was kind of skeptical. I’ve got to admit, going in I took your advice, and I went through all the motions, but I never thought that I could create really authentic friendships, have really genuine conversations, and be able to exchange meaty ideas with people literally all over the world. 

The other lesson I’ve learned is that there’s an appetite for high-quality content. We can all spin content, we can all put a blog post out there. I know for myself, when I don’t put as much time, effort, and thought into it, those articles don’t resonate the way the ones that I really think deeply about do. Folks can tell, they know immediately and you get the feedback accordingly. 

Finally, the lesson that I think I’ve learned is that repetition is actually reinforcement. In the beginning, I felt like I had to come up with brand new ideas and topics every time I sat down and put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. I’m also aware that people need to hear things and see things in different ways from different angles with different context. I used to feel self-conscious, even apologetic about revisiting something and now I’m really realizing that we all learn and get things in layers. Then the last thing, I’ll just say is growing online influence is a team sport, it is not something one does by oneself. I have been so grateful for the connections I’ve made, for the followers who have added their ideas and amplified what I’ve said, and for other bloggers and authors, there’s just such a rich, collaborative community out there of folks who are willing to jump in and help magnify the message. That makes all the difference in the world.

Becky: That’s such a great point, Julie. I think that when we can view others who are in our spaces as collaborators instead of competitors, then we all find additional traction and momentum for our work.

What opportunities have you gained that you would not have had without your investment in thought leadership?

Becky: So Julie, I’m curious what opportunities you’ve gained, that you would not have gained without your investment in thought leadership, and showing up online?

Julie: The benefits I’ve realized fall into two buckets. 

One, probably the most profound, is the opportunity to elevate my ideas. The ideas I have for this new book have come as a result of this incremental growth and different people throwing out different perspectives, great feedback, and continuing to think and challenge myself to focus down this path. So, a huge opportunity associated with being online really is the opportunity to just keep taking your ideas to the next level. From a business standpoint, I am busier than ever, and grateful. So now, I do no marketing beyond what I do online, I spend no money on formal advertising or anything like that. I’ve been so fortunate to have people read a blog post, then call me and say, “I love that. Will you speak at our conference?” 

And frankly, this new book that I’m writing, I would not have this opportunity, were it not for a commitment to an online presence. 

Becky: That’s amazing. 

How long did it take you from the time that you first had a website until you started to see the results and the fruits of your labor?

Becky: As I’m listening to you, I want to ask a question that I think many might be wondering about. For someone who’s listening and wondering how they can achieve what you’ve achieved in terms of investing in online presence and seeing those tangible results of client work and speaking work and a book deal. How long does that take? How long did it take you from the time that you first had a website at JulieWinkleGiulioni.com until you started to see the results and the fruits of your labor?

Julie: That’s a really good question, Becky. The answer is not going to be welcomed by a lot of folks. The truth is, it probably was about two or three years before I saw a big uptick. There was a bit of leap of faith and needing to stick to it. I know that’s hard, because, as I’ve talked to so many authors, there’s a sense of let me do this and get the book launched, and then move on to the next thing. I don’t think, for myself, I would have achieved as much as I have if I hadn’t persevered and stuck with it through all these years. My sense is, the longer you stick with it, the more the results are going to come. 

Becky: Well, Julie, that’s my exact experience as well, the longer I’m online, the longer I’m creating value for others, the more results I see. I can’t always point to the exact path of where those opportunities are coming from, but it’s that consistency of showing up where you become memorable to people, and then they know exactly what they can come to you for.

Julie: The other thing is, when I think about the online presence, half of it is providing content, value, and material, but the other half of it is really helping, learning from others, and then helping them shine as well. So it’s not always the heavy lift of creating a blog post or article. Sometimes it’s as light as going in and supporting another author, who’s getting their point of view out there.

Becky: I am so with you on that, Julie, and I’m so glad you said it. I hope that those who are listening, if you haven’t made that investment in showing up online, that you really hear what Julie’s saying. It’s not only about showing up to share your own content, but it’s also about showing up in relationships and supporting others. Those two things combined, are what helped you grow your influence in online spaces.

What are you most hoping to achieve as you participate in building thought leadership online?

Becky: Julie, we have two more questions as we wrap up our conversation. First, I’d really love to hear what you’re most hoping to achieve as you continue to participate in building thought leadership and influence online.

Julie: Two things, one has to do with just continuing to advance, expand, test, and improve content. It’s really just playing with ideas and using the wisdom of the world around us to take those ideas to another level. Then secondarily, the other objective is marketing, but in a value add way. So, continuing to build my business and expand the pool of potential clients for training folks who want me to come speak in their organization or consult with them around leadership and career development. I think it boils down to those two primary objectives.

Becky: Thank you for sharing those, Julie.

Action Steps

Becky: As you might know, from listening to other episodes of this podcast, what we do at the end of every podcast is we have some action steps that those who are listening can immediately implement in order to grow their influence and market their books more effectively. So Julie, what advice would you give to someone who’s just beginning to grow influence online? And what are a couple of action steps that our listeners could implement based on your comments today?

Julie: It goes back to what we were talking about before, it’s a matter of starting and keep going, even those weeks or months when it’s busy, to stick to the commitment, continue to write, continue to put material out there. And continue to listen to the feedback that you’re getting, through active engagement from folks who really are building on what you’re saying and what you’re proposing. Feedback also comes in the form of crickets, and the silence of the things that aren’t generating interest or attention. That’s data as well. I think the key is to start, if you haven’t already. If you’re already doing it, keep going.

Then the second thing is saying yes, and this runs counter to so much counsel we’re getting these days, especially as folks are looking for a better work-life balance. I know there’s so much energy around figuring out how to say no, so I’m going to buck the trend a little bit and say, figure out how to say yes. Because yeses open doors that you can’t even imagine. Yeses offer opportunities and piggyback opportunities down the line that aren’t even on our radar screen today. And so saying, no, will definitely close that door. Saying yes, will open it to any number of possibilities.

Becky: I love that. So for those of you who are listening today, I encourage you to figure out how to say yes to some of the opportunities that are coming your way.

ResourcesCheck out Julie’s website to learn more about the work she does in the world. Connect with Julie on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter. 

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. Next month, our theme is all about authors. We’ll be talking about publishing options, agents, and all the things you might want to consider as you’re on the journey to write and publish your first book. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

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The post Episode 38: What are you trying to build? appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 37: The importance of showing up

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you the information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. On today’s episode, Becky has a conversation with one of her favorite thought leaders, Whitney Johnson. For those of you who don’t know, Whitney was the very first client of Weaving Influence. 

Book Marketing Expectations

Becky: Whitney, I met you in 2012, at a time when you were preparing for the launch of your very first book, Dare, Dream, Do. I believe we met in January and started to work together. Then your book came out in May. So I wonder if you could reflect a little bit about your expectations for online marketing, marketing your book, and what you hoped to achieve back then?

Whitney: You might have a better recollection of what my expectations were than I do. But I will do my best! I do remember having a conversation with a friend of mine, who’s an author, Julie Berry, she’s a fiction author. I remember, we were walking and I was telling her when you have this first book, it’s a little bit like having a child, you have these hopes and dreams, and your child is going to become an astronaut, or a rock star or a professional ice skater kind of thing. I think I had similar aspirations for this very first book, it’s going to be a New York Times bestseller, selling millions of copies. 

She’s like, Whitney, you might want to rethink, and she wasn’t trying to be mean, what your goals are for this book, like, what do you actually want this book to do? That helped me realize, there’s a lot that I need to do here in terms of marketing this book. You’ve written the book but now the hard part starts. Now we have to figure out how to get this book out in the world, because it doesn’t help if you’ve written a book that no one reads. 

One thing that I was super excited about was that you were excited about the book, you wanted to help market it, and you wanted to help bring it out into the world. Starting that process of, how do you build an online presence? At that point, I think I’d been kind of doing Twitter and I’d been doing a blog, but I didn’t really have an online presence and you helped me really think deliberately about what are we going to do to market this book and to get it out in the world.

Becky: That was so much fun, Whitney, trying out all kinds of ideas for the first time with you. The thing that I remember most about those early days was the whole idea of creating a permission-based email list and an email newsletter. We talked a little bit before we started recording about that. I think that one of the things I’ve loved the most about watching your journey over the past eight years is just seeing you find your rhythm. Of all the people that I’ve worked with, your newsletter shows up in my inbox regularly. The best thing about your newsletter is that it sounds like you. 

The Importance Of Your Own Voice 

Becky: I really wanted to talk about the importance of your own voice coming through and showing up. So what do you remember about that, Whitney? Or what has your journey been like as it relates to the email newsletter?

Whitney: That’s such a good question, but I think the real challenge is that when we write and we want to show up in the world, there’s this idea of, I don’t want to be “salesy” and I don’t want to be marketing, like it’s somehow a bad thing. I think what people are really saying when they say that is that they don’t want people to feel like they’re using them. It was a matter of overcoming that and getting to the point where I would say, “I have something that I feel is important that I want to share. This isn’t me selling this is me having something that I believe will be of benefit to people.” 

But to your point, there’s kind of two iterations. I remember when I first started a blog, I struggled mightily to find my voice. I remember having someone read it and the way you know if it’s good is someone you don’t know actually likes it. And so I kept practicing. Then I wanted to do the newsletter. I was like, well, what do I need to do here, I don’t want to do a newsletter where I’m like mee, mee, mee, mee. I want to do something that adds value. So basically what has happened, and I’m sure you’ve seen this evolve, is every week I send out a newsletter and it’s almost always about a lesson that I’ve learned, usually it’s my most uncomfortable moment of the week. I feel like the only way that I can do that in an authentic way is if I’m talking about my own growth, development, and the experiences that I’m having as I’m trying to grow because if I’m saying, “I’m willing to be uncomfortable,” than I’m modeling for those reading the newsletter to be uncomfortable.

Becky: What I love so much about your newsletter, Whitney, is the authenticity that you bring. It really does feel like when you show up in my inbox, the conversation continues week after week, where I get a glimpse into what is going on in your life and in business. On top of that, there’s this tremendous value that you’re bringing, as you share things like your podcast, book giveaways, and all sorts of other fun tidbits. 

Showing up Authentically with Value

Becky: What do you think it takes for people to be able to show up in online spaces with that value and authenticity that you bring?

Whitney: 

Have a point of view. I think everybody’s different, but having a point of view is number one.Be the guide and not the hero. I remember hearing Donald Miller say that years ago. I remember Donald Miller said that in particular, and I’ll give you the background because I think it applies here as well. Four or five years ago, I had given a speech, and it was really bad. Like, I got super bad marks. I was like, why didn’t they like it, what happened? The contents were good. And then I heard Donald Miller say this, that if you’re on stage, it is your job to be the guide. The people who are in the audience are the heroes. And it’s the same with a newsletter, podcast, and all the marketing that you do. It’s your job for the people you’re marketing to, to be the guide, so that everybody else who’s reading, listening, and ingesting it gets to be the hero. I think it’s a combination of having content that is actually valuable. And also being the guide and not the hero. Do not ever show up and not eat your own cooking. When I first started in this business, my mother said to me, “Whitney, there are a lot of people that are doing what you’re doing and a lot of them are fake.” She said, “do not ever show up and not eat your own cooking.” That has really stayed with me.

Becky: Wow, that is really powerful, and I love that advice from your mom.

The Most Important Metric

Becky: I remember when we launched your first book there was a quote in it about showing up is the most important metric. Tell me what that means to you. And especially what it means to you related to online presence.

Whitney: For me, showing up is being present, bringing your heart, bringing your mind, and bringing your capacity to care. I think, from an online perspective, it’s not too much information, you don’t need to share things that make you feel really vulnerable and/or private and personal. But it is a willingness to show more. To show yourself. To say, this is who I am. Again, it’s not too much information, but there’s this element of you’re sharing your actual journey in a way that people can connect to you. I think there are people in the world who can show up and convey an idealized life, and there are people who follow them. That is one path to go down. The challenge with that, and the reason I don’t want to go down that path, is that when we do that, there is an element of making other people feel less than. For me, part of showing up is showing up together. So that never at any moment does anyone that I’m interacting with feel less than. That’s why I’m really careful about what I put on Instagram. I still like to have pictures where I feel I look good. But I think there is this element of just making sure that we’re approaching people in a way we’re not trying to be more than or less than that other person. To me, that’s what showing up is. 

Becky: I love what you said about showing up together, and what I’m taking away from that is showing up together is valuing others, and also viewing ourselves on an even playing field. 

Whitney’s Author Journey & Expectations

Becky: One of the things that we talked about before we started the recording was your journey as an author, and you now have three books and a fourth one coming. We were talking a little bit about what you’ve experienced on your journey. Would you be willing to share a bit of that now?

Whitney: Yeah, absolutely. There’s this initial expectation of it’s gonna be big, big, big and it wasn’t big, big, big, but it was good. I wrote a good book and it was a book that I was happy about. It was a book that people read, and people responded to, and we sold enough copies. Now, most people aren’t going to sell enough books that you can make a living off of your books. But for me, as a thought leader, that wasn’t the point. The point was to put my ideas out in the world, to put this flag in the ground, to plant a flag around which I could galvanize my ideas and so people could galvanize their community. 

One of the things I’ve been really happy about is that every single book has sold more than the previous book. I feel really happy about this sense of gradual, increasing contribution, and building a community. I think that while there is some element of us wanting it to be amazing and big all at once, and for some people that happens, but for most it’s gradual. 

Action Steps

Becky: Whitney, before we wrap up our podcast, one of the things that we do on The Book Marketing Action Guide Podcast is we give people action steps that they can implement.

Find what you’re most passionate about. Really think about the activities that you’re doing to market yourself or your content, and figure out which ones are the ones that feel the most powerful to you, and keep doing those consistently, like how Whitney chooses to keep showing up. When you do that, what you’re talking about in the world, you won’t feel like you’re selling, you’re gonna feel like you’re sharing with people something that is valuable and meaningful. Create additional value for the world. If you’re listening today, and you already have a book, I want you to consider if there’s a way that you can add additional value to the world, whether that be through a podcast or some other way of sharing and extending the learning in your book. What are ways to reinforce that idea that are fun and meaningful for you?ResourcesCheck out Whitney Johnson’s podcast here. Connect with Whitney on LinkedIn and Twitter. Sign up for Whitney’s Newsletter. 

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

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The post Episode 37: The importance of showing up appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 36: Why consistency is so important to your success

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. We are excited to welcome an old friend and one of the most well-known leadership bloggers out there, Dan Rockwell, also known as Leadership Freak.

About Dan Rockwell

Becky: Before we get started, Dan, could you tell our listeners who potentially haven’t read your blog yet about your work in the world, and about why it matters to you?

Dan: So I guess I’m most well known for my blog, which I write five days a week now and have for the last 10 years. And that’s a big part of my work. Another part of my work would be coaching leaders who are speaking in conferences and to companies leading workshops.

Dan’s motivation to blog

Becky: Could you tell our listeners a bit about your journey and how you got started blogging? What motivated you to start? And what has motivated you to continue?

Dan: Thanks for asking that question. You know it has been a long time. And I guess 10 years, maybe when I was younger, was a long time. Now it doesn’t seem like that long at all. Do you know what I’m saying? Anyway, I got my MBA late in life and I got interested in leadership, and I realized I’ve been leading all my life. I was the captain of the basketball team and the president of the senior class, I think because I was taller than most people, especially during my younger days. 

I realized I thought I was a leader, but I really wasn’t. I was terrible at it. So I got interested and made a commitment to write five days a week, just because I was interested in this topic. I made a commitment to write five days a week, for a year. And if it got traction, I thought, well, I’ll keep going, and the rest is history. It did get traction. I’m thankful for that and I’ve been writing ever since. Which, by the way, Becky, I don’t know if you know, this, I never wrote anything before, except for contracts for the college where I worked, and papers for the courses that I took.

Becky: I did not know that, Dan. That’s an interesting fact. 

How to get started with blogging 

Becky: I meet a lot of aspiring authors or authors who have never embarked on the journey of blogging, and they’re quite intimidated by blogging. What would you say to them in terms of how to get started or simplifying some of the overwhelm associated with crafting a blog post?

Dan: First of all, book authors try to write books online and that just doesn’t work. They write wordy sentences that are too long. If other people like long blog posts, then that’s great. I think that the hard thing about authors writing blogs is you have all this material, and you have to start hacking it away. I’ve got 500 or 600 words, and I have to get that down to 300 words. There’s this precious little baby there, this nice little nugget of thought, and boom, he’s off to the orphanage. He’s done, he’s gone. You have to be brutal with that. I think authors tend to soften their message a bit, because you can’t interact with your audience through a book, so you have to cover all the bases. But when you’re writing a blog somebody might say, “hey, you forgot this or what about that, or I disagree with this,” and for me, that’s fantastic. Don’t try to say everything, just say the things that are most relevant for you.

Becky: Talk about what that process is like for you. You’re writing five days a week. So are you writing ahead? Are you writing in the moment? What’s your daily routine, like with producing the blog?

Dan: I wish I could write ahead, that would be great. Occasionally, I do. Occasionally, if I’m going to go on vacation for a couple of weeks, I try to get them out there, or I get some guest posts because I’m terrible at writing ahead. I want to write with a certain sense of urgency. It’s hard for me to write without urgency, or to think that blog post is going to be next Friday, so by then I will have changed a little bit. It used to be every post was written that morning, and now I will start a post and save it. I have a file of hundreds of first paragraphs. If it’s a good day, the night or day before it goes live, I would have composed a rough draft, and then I’ll get up in the morning and probably change it significantly. My wife will then edit it, look for grammar problems and things, and we’ll get it out there at 6:47 AM. 

Tips for being consistent 

Becky: Let’s talk about this value that you obviously have of consistency. Who or what has influenced that in you, Dan?

Dan: Yeah, thanks for asking that question. Because it makes me think about some of the people who have made such a big difference in my life. I hope everybody listening has that cadre of people who have made a difference. My dad was a quiet introvert, the hardest working, and the smartest guy I ever knew, who loved books. And we lived on a dairy farm. Well, that’s the world of consistency there. You’ve got to milk the cows every morning and every night. And my dad was Mr. Consistency. He was just amazing. He’s passed away, but I really still feel his influence in my life. And I’m so thankful for it.

Becky: I love that kind of paradigm of you have to milk the cows every morning and every night. That isn’t something you can work ahead to do. It’s something that you have to do every day.

Dan: It’s true. It’s the worst part of dairy farming. I make fun of audiences, I’ll ask them if there any dairy farmers in the audience. They’ll say, “I was a dairy farmer in Maine,” and I’ll say, “You know, we’re the dumbest farmers? The smart farmers don’t have to be there every day, right?” But yeah, it was a great life for a kid, and it did teach me to do my chores. No matter how you feel that day, you have to go do it. 

Becky: I wonder what type of crossover there could be for those of us who don’t have that unique experience of having been a dairy farmer? So I try to think about what am I consistent with? Do you know what? I brew a cup of coffee every morning, Dan! Yeah, I don’t have to work at it. I get up and I brew myself a cup of coffee, and then I drink it. 

Dan: Absolutely, you make me think about rituals, habits, or those things that are so valuable. I think especially during tough times, such as the pandemic, rituals are a point of stability, and a small ritual makes a huge difference. I started in November, my gratitude journal. It’s a notepad from our insurance company, and I just set it on the side of my desk. Once a day in the morning, the first thing before I’d do anything on my computer, I write one thing. It’s a point of consistency that brings stability and focus to my life.

Becky: That’s an amazing new habit that you’re creating. So do you have any tricks apart from commitment that keep you consistent and showing up with valuable content?

Dan: It makes me think of something that I’m not sure if I should say or not. I remember being asked early on what was motivating me and there is a fear component, the fear component is the fear of not mattering in life. I know this probably doesn’t sound very noble, and maybe what people can do is shift that into how do I view my day as an opportunity to matter to others. It doesn’t have to be a fear thing. At least at that stage, there was a concern of fear about not mattering as much as I could. I honestly believe that was a big part of the motivation. I think the motivation today is a little different in that I definitely enjoy the affirmation I get. Having people send me an email and say, “I really love that post. It hit me right at the right time.” That’s a little splash of gas in the tank. So I’m thankful for that, too. That helps.

Why consistency is so important to your success

Becky: So Dan, anything else you want to share with our listeners today about why consistency is so important to your success and impact in the world?

Dan: Another great question, Becky. I think one of the reasons Leadership Freak has worked is that I am consistent, and people know exactly what to expect. I’m writing something that is the same thing every day, on the same topic, and I’m writing consistently. And I think that helps get your stuff out there. When stuff speaks to you, just get it out there. See what happens! Some people are going to enjoy what you are interested in. Right? Not everybody, but there are gonna be some people who do, and that’s fantastic.

Personal & Professional Highlights

Becky: Well, maybe as we wrap up our conversation, Dan, you could share a couple of highlights for you on your journey, because you did mention that part of what keeps you going and helps you be consistent is seeing the way that you are making a difference for people. What two or three things over the last decade have been the most meaningful to you as a person and a professional as a result of your consistent presence with blogging?

Dan: I think the first thing that comes to mind Becky, is the first invitation I got to go speak. I enjoy speaking—it terrifies me and my stomach hurts before I speak, but once we get going, it feels great. I love the interaction with the audience. I had written for a year and a half, not really with the goal that it was a business or that I would be speaking, when I got my first invitation to go to Arkansas. I said to my wife, “we could actually make money doing this,” and she kind of laughed and was like, “whatever,”—that was a great moment. More recently, I got to speak to the National Institute of Health where they’re all working on the Coronavirus thing and all that. I was actually scheduled to go in person, but ended up being a virtual presentation, and it was an honor to speak to them. You know, that’s, that’s just a great thing. I’m so thankful for it.

Becky: That’s amazing. Dan, thank you so much for investing some of your time with me to talk about the value and importance of consistency. I think one thing that’s gonna stay with me is this idea that the cows have to be milked every morning and every night. And that’s a really powerful takeaway. So thank you for that. 

Action Steps

Becky: One of the things that we always do on the Book Marketing Action Podcast is we leave our listeners with a couple of action steps, items that they can implement today, in growing their thought leadership and marketing their books more effectively. 

Identify something that you can do to be consistent and add value. One action step you might take is to think about what are the things that you are consistently doing. Then consider the impact that you want to have and how you want to matter to people. Consider an experiment, Dan mentioned that he started blogging five days a week for a year, and that was his initial commitment. So what initial commitment to consistent creation of value can you make today?Experiment with blogging. Action step number two is to experiment with writing a blog post if you’ve never done it before. Dan mentioned that one of the things that you have to be ready to do is to kill the copy, which means really narrowing down, sharpening your focus, writing shorter sentences, being clear and direct. So I would encourage anyone who’s listening today to try to write a 300-word blog post the way Dan does. And if you do that, I would love for you to send it to me. If you try this action step and write a 300-word blog post, I’d love to read it. ResourcesCheck out Dan’s blog, Leadership Freak, here. Connect with Dan on Twitter.You can email Dan directly here.Watch the video Becky mentioned, “Finding your Tennis Ball” here. 

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

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The post Episode 36: Why consistency is so important to your success appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 35: What does it mean to be a thought leader?

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Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 of the Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you the information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Peter Winick, Founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage. Peter shares the difference between a traditional thought leader and an online thought leader, and the steps someone can take to become one.

What is a thought leader? 

Becky: This month, we are talking all about thought leadership. So I thought it would be great to do some basic information for beginners. Peter, I’m wondering if you could do some definitions for us and explain what you mean when you say thought leader or thought leadership? 

Peter: Yes, I think it’s a great question because what happens is people say, “let’s have a conversation around thought leadership,” and they start talking. If you and I had a conversation about lunch, we know that is the second meal of the day. But thought leadership to some is this amorphous thing. Some people think it’s really content marketing. Content marketing is great, but it’s not thought leadership. Other people think about it and what they mean is subject matter expertise. 

The way I define thought leadership is I split it into two parts. 

Thought. What is it that you’re saying that is really thoughtful? Thoughtful can come from your opinions as well as data, research, and experience. How are you adding to that? It’s not just repeating tidbits and best practices, there’s gotta be something thoughtful there. Leadership. This is where it really gets fun. You have to have the courage to lead the conversation and direction into uncharted waters and new terrain. It’s not a popularity contest. Not everyone has to agree with you because that’s not the goal. 

Thought leadership is the combination of the thoughtfulness and the courage to lead. 

Why would someone want to be a thought leader?

Becky: So tell me, why would someone want to be a thought leader? 

Peter: I think there are lots of reasons. When we work with clients we talk about their goals in terms of three categories. There’s an intrinsic motivation, for example, it’s gratifying to be on stage and get applause. Other goals might be income, this would be the way you want to make a living with your own work. The other piece that not a lot of people think about is you can develop assets. No one has ever bought anybody’s speaking business, but if you’re really smart about how you configure the business side of your thought leadership, consulting firms might buy it, and there are so many other ways to monetize that content. 

Is there a difference between a traditional thought leader and an online thought leader?

Becky: People might be listening today and they have invested in building traditional thought leadership and I’m curious, do you draw a line between someone being a traditional thought leader and an online thought leader?

Peter: Yes, and no. The no would be online is just another model. If you email your accountant, is he suddenly an online accountant? No, that’s just a mode of communication. However, what I have seen a lot of that ISN’T thought leadership is that internet marketing, direct to consumer, influencer thing. That’s not thought leadership. Kim Kardashian is a lot of things, but she isn’t a thought leader. 

Becky: Do you think it requires someone to share their content and thoughts online to be a thought leader? 

Peter: Yeah, I think you need to be able to clearly articulate what your thoughts are in a variety of modalities. I think that’s a big challenge for many. You have to reach people where they are, and that takes courage and trying new things/modalities. 

Becky: Well, that sounds like it’s the leadership side. The courage to go to places and share your thoughtful ideas with the world. 

Peter: It’s the leadership, and also the marketing side. If you really want to connect with a specific audience, the burden is on you to meet them where they are. 

How does someone know if they are a thought leader?

Becky: How can someone know if they are a thought leader? Can I just declare I am a thought leader? When do you know you’ve achieved that thought leader status? 

Peter: Yeah, so it’s interesting. I’ve been at this for about 15 years, and when I started the business the term that made me cringe was guru, and thought leadership is almost there. So my rule is number 1, don’t ever give yourself that title. It is for others in the field to bestow upon you. 

What are some steps someone can take to become a thought leader?

Becky: What are some steps someone can take if they aspire to become a thought leader?

Peter: Yeah, so everyone wants the three steps for success. I think the way you have to think about it is: What’s the strategy? What are the goals and objectives? And everything else is quite frankly a tactic. Why is it that you want to be a thought leader? What does that mean to you? Get really clear about what it means to you, what the outcomes are, and what you’re willing to invest. Once you’re clear about that, then everything else is a tactic. 

For example, I have a lot of clients come to me and they get obsessed with writing a book. Great, but what are the goals? And if they don’t have any clarity around that, I feel comfortable telling them, maybe now isn’t the time for you to write that book. I think it’s the same with a thought leader. If you want to be one, what does success look like? Oftentimes I think people get too focused on, “I’m going to be a Twitter expert or a LinkedIn influencer,” or whatever. Okay, but to what avail? 

Becky: Yes, what’s the end goal and what are you working towards? I talk to our clients a lot about that, so it’s helpful to have that reinforcement. 

What are the most important consistent actions for someone to take to build thought leadership?

Becky: I’m curious, what are some important consistent actions for someone to take that aspires to build thought leadership? What are some of those tactics you recommend? 

Peter: I think a couple of things. The key issue is consistency. Oftentimes what happens is I can actually take a look at what someone has put out into the world and probably lay that over their calendar and find the gaps. “When I have the time to, I’ll do a lot of stuff.” You’ve got to be methodical and you’ve got to be consistent. In terms of action, the first step is to define what you are. I call this the solve for X. There are a lot of people out there in the leadership space. The world doesn’t need another book about what you are writing, it needs a good book with a different perspective. You have to define what your platform is. Once you do that, the action steps are to get out there and continue to do it consistently. And to listen louder than you speak. The market will tell you what it wants from you. 

Action StepsGain the RIGHT followers. What can you do to consistently grow the right followers? It’s not a numbers game. People get obsessed with the number of followers they have, but it’s not about number of followers, it’s about having the RIGHT followers. Define who the avatars are that you care most about with a high level of specificity.Learn how to articulate the pain points your work solves. Listen loudly and meet people where they are. ResourcesYou can email Peter directly at Peter@thoughtleadershipleverage.com. Connect with Peter on LinkedIn here and Twitter here. Click here to learn more about Thought Leadership Leverage. Check out Peter’s podcast interview with Becky Robinson about helping thought leaders publish their books and using social media to market it. 

We hope you take advantage of the resources above and let us know if you take Peter’s advice and implement one or two of his ideas. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 35: What does it mean to be a thought leader? appeared first on Weaving Influence.

A Decade Later – Christmas Thoughts

It’s just a few days before Christmas. A few weeks ago, Aubrey, my colleague, discovered a Christmas blog post I wrote in 2010. She thought it would be fun for me to compare and contrast my life over the last decade. 

In 2010, I had not yet launched my business; I started Weaving Influence in 2012, so the blog predates the company. The journey of launching and growing my business is radically different from the work I enjoyed before the start of my business. Not sure which growth is more profound, the growth of a business or ten years in the life of kids as they grow up: from 9, 6, and nearly 4, to 19, 16, and nearly 14.

From 2010:

It’s the night before Christmas Eve. Throughout this season, I have been reflecting on how different my life is this year than last: I am living in a new home, a new state; I started a new job with a new team; I am writing this new blog.

Christmas 2010 and I still sit outside my daughters’ bedroom while they fall asleep. Our hallway is carpeted here, and bedtime finds me leaning against the wall, working, with my netbook on my lap.

And from 2009: 

I have a new favorite place to write. It’s an odd place, not the most comfortable spot in the house. I’ve adopted this spot, though, because my youngest daughter is learning how to fall asleep on her own. 

As long as I am sitting nearby, she will lie quietly in her bed and eventually go to sleep. So, here I sit, on the hardwood floor, leaned against the wall outside my daughters’ bedroom, and use the stolen minutes to catch up on my work.

Back in 2020,  I’m sitting in the dark, in my basement. My dog is in the crate nearby and my nineteen-year-old is sleeping. It’s morning. I’m sitting vigil again, for nearly opposite reasons than ten years ago at Christmas. 

I’m sitting so the dog will be quiet while renovations happen upstairs, so my oldest can stay sleeping. Instead of waiting for a child to sleep, I’m waiting for a child to wake up. 

I’m in a different home, in yet a new spot, reflecting on the years between then and now. 

So many things have been different in 2020 than in the intervening years. We’ve adapted to work from home, after years in an office; my kids have adapted to school at home, with Zoom calls and independent work. My oldest lived in a dorm for a few months, only to return home for the rest of the year.

In 2009 and 2010, I marveled at the reach of my blog’s words around the globe. In the intervening years, Weaving Influence has continued to reach around the world and I love the regular interaction with people who attend our webinars and receive our emails. How amazing that the chance to build connections worldwide could begin with a few strokes on a keyboard. 

Words from 2010 but for now, as well: 

It’s an awesome honor to type these words here and to know that they will reach you where you are. Thank you for the privilege of sharing community here together.

I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for each of you. You have been incredibly supportive and encouraging during this journey. I wish you every joy and blessing in your lives this Christmas and in the New Year.

The post A Decade Later – Christmas Thoughts appeared first on OLD Weaving Influence.

A Decade Later – Christmas Thoughts

It’s just a few days before Christmas. A few weeks ago, Aubrey, my colleague, discovered a Christmas blog post I wrote in 2010. She thought it would be fun for me to compare and contrast my life over the last decade. 

In 2010, I had not yet launched my business; I started Weaving Influence in 2012, so the blog predates the company. The journey of launching and growing my business is radically different from the work I enjoyed before the start of my business. Not sure which growth is more profound, the growth of a business or ten years in the life of kids as they grow up: from 9, 6, and nearly 4, to 19, 16, and nearly 14.

From 2010:

It’s the night before Christmas Eve. Throughout this season, I have been reflecting on how different my life is this year than last: I am living in a new home, a new state; I started a new job with a new team; I am writing this new blog.

Christmas 2010 and I still sit outside my daughters’ bedroom while they fall asleep. Our hallway is carpeted here, and bedtime finds me leaning against the wall, working, with my netbook on my lap.

And from 2009: 

I have a new favorite place to write. It’s an odd place, not the most comfortable spot in the house. I’ve adopted this spot, though, because my youngest daughter is learning how to fall asleep on her own. 

As long as I am sitting nearby, she will lie quietly in her bed and eventually go to sleep. So, here I sit, on the hardwood floor, leaned against the wall outside my daughters’ bedroom, and use the stolen minutes to catch up on my work.

Back in 2020,  I’m sitting in the dark, in my basement. My dog is in the crate nearby and my nineteen-year-old is sleeping. It’s morning. I’m sitting vigil again, for nearly opposite reasons than ten years ago at Christmas. 

I’m sitting so the dog will be quiet while renovations happen upstairs, so my oldest can stay sleeping. Instead of waiting for a child to sleep, I’m waiting for a child to wake up. 

I’m in a different home, in yet a new spot, reflecting on the years between then and now. 

So many things have been different in 2020 than in the intervening years. We’ve adapted to work from home, after years in an office; my kids have adapted to school at home, with Zoom calls and independent work. My oldest lived in a dorm for a few months, only to return home for the rest of the year.

In 2009 and 2010, I marveled at the reach of my blog’s words around the globe. In the intervening years, Weaving Influence has continued to reach around the world and I love the regular interaction with people who attend our webinars and receive our emails. How amazing that the chance to build connections worldwide could begin with a few strokes on a keyboard. 

Words from 2010 but for now, as well: 

It’s an awesome honor to type these words here and to know that they will reach you where you are. Thank you for the privilege of sharing community here together.

I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for each of you. You have been incredibly supportive and encouraging during this journey. I wish you every joy and blessing in your lives this Christmas and in the New Year.

The post A Decade Later – Christmas Thoughts appeared first on Weaving Influence.

The Effectiveness of Email Marketing

Open up your inbox and you’ll probably find at least one, if not several, newsletters. They come at us fast and furious. From thought leaders to food bloggers, it seems like everyone has a newsletter. But, why, with so many other content sharing outlets, do we choose to create, sign up for, and engage with newsletters?

It’s because newsletters provide a unique opportunity to connect with your audience authentically while still remaining true to your brand. Social media tends to be focused on the  promotional aspects of a brand, and while you’ll see some promotion in newsletters, there is a more personal element where many brands feel comfortable sharing what they wouldn’t in other online spaces.

“Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches – at scale.” – David Newman

WHY IT WORKS 

There are currently 3.9 billion email subscribers and this number continues to increase, year-after-year. According to marketing experts, email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads, with 88% of the top-performing newsletters prioritizing the audience’s informational needs over the organization’s promotional needs. Authenticity over sales adds value to the relationship you’re establishing with your audience, and that’s important.

An added benefit to email marketing is that people opt-in to receive your brand’s messaging. Your audience wants this information. Mapping out the customer journey and using personalized content are considered the most effective ways to optimize marketing automation. With direct, conversational emails to “Betsy,” you can establish long-term loyalty and nurture leads in a way that cannot be done elsewhere.

GETTING STARTED 

Like almost anything, there is a lot of advice on how to get started with email marketing. Chris Brogan offers some helpful tips, with his number one secret being: “I put my BEST content in my newsletter.” This is powerful advice and ties into the concept of adding the most value that you can to your audience. Don’t send a newsletter just to send a newsletter. And remember, be authentic in what you’re sharing. Don’t force it.

Here are some additional best practices to keep in mind:

Develop a consistent cadence, but do not send more than one newsletter a week.
Personalize your messaging and your subject when possible; “Dear reader” won’t cut it.
Follow CAN-SPAM laws; this means being honest about sender information and email contents, and honoring unsubscribes.
Monitor your deliverability rate; 95% or higher is a healthy rate.
Periodically clean up your list to remove unsubscribed and hard bounces; sunset disengaged users.
Monitor engagement rates; you want messages to resonate with your audience.

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITES 

As a marketing company, we receive a few email newsletters. And, in most cases, we’ve opted into them based on the fact that they provide value to our lives, and even allow us to serve our clients better.

Here are a few of our favorites, and why:

Amy Lynn Andrews writes a weekly “Useletter” that I always open. It’s numbered items with links and all things that she found useful as it relates to working online. And the font is large enough to make it easily readable. – Karin T.

I love Whitney Johnson‘s newsletter and Chris Brogan‘s newsletter. I like both for the same reason. They show up—they share how they are doing personally while sharing valuable content. – Becky R.

I enjoy Seth Godin‘s newsletter. It’s daily. It has no design elements, but it always has content that gets you thinking. – Christy K.

THE BOTTOM LINE 

Email marketing is good for business. The connection you create with your audience is invaluable, helping build your brand in a way that other marketing avenues simply don’t. Helpful, personalized content is the most valuable and it allows you to have FUN with your brand. Who wouldn’t want that?

Do you have a favorite newsletter? Share it with us in the comments below!

The post The Effectiveness of Email Marketing appeared first on OLD Weaving Influence.

The Effectiveness of Email Marketing

Open up your inbox and you’ll probably find at least one, if not several, newsletters. They come at us fast and furious. From thought leaders to food bloggers, it seems like everyone has a newsletter. But, why, with so many other content sharing outlets, do we choose to create, sign up for, and engage with newsletters?

It’s because newsletters provide a unique opportunity to connect with your audience authentically while still remaining true to your brand. Social media tends to be focused on the  promotional aspects of a brand, and while you’ll see some promotion in newsletters, there is a more personal element where many brands feel comfortable sharing what they wouldn’t in other online spaces.

“Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches – at scale.” – David Newman

WHY IT WORKS 

There are currently 3.9 billion email subscribers and this number continues to increase, year-after-year. According to marketing experts, email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads, with 88% of the top-performing newsletters prioritizing the audience’s informational needs over the organization’s promotional needs. Authenticity over sales adds value to the relationship you’re establishing with your audience, and that’s important.

An added benefit to email marketing is that people opt-in to receive your brand’s messaging. Your audience wants this information. Mapping out the customer journey and using personalized content are considered the most effective ways to optimize marketing automation. With direct, conversational emails to “Betsy,” you can establish long-term loyalty and nurture leads in a way that cannot be done elsewhere.

GETTING STARTED 

Like almost anything, there is a lot of advice on how to get started with email marketing. Chris Brogan offers some helpful tips, with his number one secret being: “I put my BEST content in my newsletter.” This is powerful advice and ties into the concept of adding the most value that you can to your audience. Don’t send a newsletter just to send a newsletter. And remember, be authentic in what you’re sharing. Don’t force it.

Here are some additional best practices to keep in mind:

Develop a consistent cadence, but do not send more than one newsletter a week.Personalize your messaging and your subject when possible; “Dear reader” won’t cut it.Follow CAN-SPAM laws; this means being honest about sender information and email contents, and honoring unsubscribes.Monitor your deliverability rate; 95% or higher is a healthy rate.Periodically clean up your list to remove unsubscribed and hard bounces; sunset disengaged users.Monitor engagement rates; you want messages to resonate with your audience.A FEW OF OUR FAVORITES 

As a marketing company, we receive a few email newsletters. And, in most cases, we’ve opted into them based on the fact that they provide value to our lives, and even allow us to serve our clients better.

Here are a few of our favorites, and why:

Amy Lynn Andrews writes a weekly “Useletter” that I always open. It’s numbered items with links and all things that she found useful as it relates to working online. And the font is large enough to make it easily readable. – Karin T.

I love Whitney Johnson‘s newsletter and Chris Brogan‘s newsletter. I like both for the same reason. They show up—they share how they are doing personally while sharing valuable content. – Becky R.

I enjoy Seth Godin‘s newsletter. It’s daily. It has no design elements, but it always has content that gets you thinking. – Christy K.

THE BOTTOM LINE 

Email marketing is good for business. The connection you create with your audience is invaluable, helping build your brand in a way that other marketing avenues simply don’t. Helpful, personalized content is the most valuable and it allows you to have FUN with your brand. Who wouldn’t want that?

Do you have a favorite newsletter? Share it with us in the comments below!

The post The Effectiveness of Email Marketing appeared first on Weaving Influence.