As someone who thinks about the effectiveness of marketing activities for a living, one of my main objectives is always to spend the majority of my time doing the things that are going to produce the greatest results. Some call it a torque zone or sweet spot. When I think about it, I am reminded of the 80–20 rule famously coined by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Crazy right? If that’s the case, I know where I want to spend my time. I recently did a deep dive with my team on two marketing activities that I believe fit into the 20% category: personal branding and influencer marketing. These activities impact everything about how people discover and perceive our value in the world.
It’s never what we say about ourselves that people really believe. It’s what others say about us that has the most impact. Whether that’s information found via search, reviews online, and or a personal recommendation from a friend who’s “influential.” The same holds true for both individuals and brands. It’s in the details that surround our persona, where people make decisions about who we are. The things you can do to create a more impactful personal brand are plentiful and so readily available to you that it’s low-hanging fruit, and the tools of personal branding have never been easier to use. This SlideShare outlines 26 tips and tactics that you can start applying today.
Personal Branding Guidebook From A to Z from Placester
On the flip side of the personal branding coin is influencer marketing. According to the Moz blog, “Influencer marketing is the name we give to the process of developing relationships with influential people that can lead to their assisting you in creating visibility for your product or service.” This form of marketing is something we do naturally. I recently told a story onstage at a conference where my daughter — who really wanted an iPad mini — had already learned from experience that lobbying me after getting a “no” from mom would seldom help her cause. She upped the ante by convincing her teacher that the mini was a great idea as a learning tool for her coding class. Her teacher had a talk with my wife, and voilà: new iPad mini scored. It all boils down to this: who makes up your target audience, how they make decisions and who can influence them during that process. This is the same for career, business, and personal life, where we all have pressing needs — a new job, a sale, or a new iPad. These ideas will help transform the way you market yourself and your business. Special thanks to my friend and fellow marketer, Barry Feldman for helping these ideas become a reality.
22 Influencer Marketing Ideas from Influential Marketers from Placester
Let me know what’s working for you! Leave a comment below or find me on twitter @sethstuff.
