Tag: Personal branding

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INVITATION: Boss Branding 🌟🚀

Sudhana Singh - Boss Branding
Boss Branding - Sudhana Singh

Crafting your big-hearted brand story

First week back, and I’m struggling to open the laptop – just not feeling it. I want to be outside, offline, and hang out with Julieta – take her mind off next week’s exam results!

Took the day off yesterday to go to Brighton. I’ve lost track of how many independent shops there are in the Lanes – just start walking and soak it all up.

As Pandora Sykes said, “Nothing beats the physical hunt when you’re in a market – you can smell the vintage and all the tales it has to tell.” 🌈 💅

Date for your diary. I’ve booked Sudhana Singh to talk about how she built a powerful personal brand for her business and self-published three books. 

Boss Branding with Sudhana Singh

Sudhana, an award-winning author, journalist, and Exec coach, will share her Imbue Story Brand model (ISBM) with the NUJ on Monday, 11 September. The ISBM helps you grow sizzling SEO by using the art of storytelling with the psychology of marketing to help you: 

1. Choose a clear, strong plot for your brand story 

2. Formulate a short, snappy tagline for your brand and create a brand personality 

3. Craft a marketing message

4. Build brand loyalty 

5. Cast off cliches with an authentic brand story 

Boss Branding: She’s created a Deck to take you through the process step by step.

Get inspired and learn how to improve your personal brand relationships to reach your business goals and stand out in a noisy world. 

To be followed by a Q&A on entrepreneurial journalism and the creator economy – the highs and lows of flying solo. 

Send me your questions.

Date: Monday, 11 September
Time: 6.30 pm on Zoom – speaker @ 7 pm

Register now (it’s free) by emailing nika@nikatalbot.io

Boss Branding is available on Kindle here.

There’s always something new to learn and a different perspective. As one reader said: “A timely book to help all sectors as we rebrand during the Covid crisis.” And now AI… the future is coming at us fast!

WATCH/READ/LISTEN 🔥

Thomas Strider’s ultimate guide to building a powerful personal brand. Loving his thoughtful podcast that focuses on the personal growth journey of creators and entrepreneurs – can’t wait for the episode on Human Design.

A piece from Emma Gannon on how she makes six figures on Substack. “I’m aware that from reading this long post, it looks like running a Substack is a lot of work. It is. But it’s the best job I’ve had in a long while.” [Substack On]

10 AI tools to help you boost your business operations from Mike Kaput, chief content officer of the Marketing AI Institute [The Tilt]. “The power of these tools is incredible, especially as a solo or small team. You can scale up to a level previously impossible.” 

Finding the time to market and repurpose content is a struggle, so let’s see how AI can help.

Keep shipping! Remember: the tortoise always wins the race.

Nika 🙂 

PS I’ve rewritten my welcome email. It’s a bit more personal – added some context and explained what I’m trying to do. It’s important as the first piece of communication (no welcome sequence here) and needs to set the tone.

Thanks to Dan O for the inspo. I’d love your feedback on the questions.

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I help badass biz owners get their big ideas noticed and make money through strategic storytelling + compelling content so they can shine online, grow their tribe, and get outside and LIVE LIFE 🌟🚀

1. Big-hearted brand stories – got an experience to share? Learn more

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ChatGPT and the new wave of Content Shock 🌊

How to beat ChatGPT

Great article this week by Mark Schaefer on ‘How to beat ChatGPT and the new wave of Content Shock’. Thanks to Mark @YATM for sending it on – it is a motivating rallying call for summer 2023. Read it here.

We’re all becoming 80% replaceable with AI.

“If you’re a creator just starting out today, the amount of content in the ChatGPT Era must seem like a major hurdle to success. It is. And there is only one solution: Focus on the 20% ChatGPT can’t touch.”

It’s an update on his original article (2014) on why covering the world with content isn’t a long-term sustainable strategy for businesses. “The global warming of content marketing is in view.”

Fast forward a few years, and we’ve had panic publishing with Covid-19 – businesses whacking up website content, over-communicating via email, and digital event overload to try and stay connected.

Gerry McGovern talks about the ‘Invisible Crisis’ of managing and storing all this data. It’s mindblowing that 99% of data has been produced in the last ten years. The Cloud is on the ground, and digital is still physical… yet no one is talking about this.

Now, with the introduction of ChatGPT and AI, the cost of creating content has been reduced to almost nothing. A tsunami of new content is rising. And the quality of the output will only get better and better.

Welcome to the new wave of Content Shock.

Is there hope? Or should we give up now and go off-grid? What can creators do to survive and thrive in the AI Era?

Focus on the 20% that matters, he says. The personal brand.  

The only thing that can save us in a world of commoditised content – writing, editing, and consulting.  

It all boils down to your premise, as Jay Acunzo describes it. Your why and mission. Justin Welsh’s is to build an army of one-person businesses, and he’s getting there. Inspiring folks every day on LinkedIn.

What problem are you solving for your clients and customers? Worth thinking about in a world of generalised expertise.

Mark is going to share his thoughts on what we can do in a Content Shock and ChatGPT Special in the YATM Club on Tuesday, 11 July, at 7pm BST. A chance to ask questions and go deeper on “the most important article of 2023.” Sign up here.

Shift Hot 5 🔥

Lots of free stuff on personal branding on Mark’s site and his bestselling book KNOWN – a path to personal business success in the digital age.

Dave Harland knows the power of humour. His Tweets always make me chuckle – a daily reminder to laugh more and not take life too seriously. Latest creation: #ConfuseTheScammers

The Brand Called You. Tom Peters on what it takes to be CEO of Me Inc (Fast Company, published in 1997!)

How to build an effective (and memorable) personal brand and FAQs (The Portfolio Collective) 

Johanna Renoth on bullshit in online content (Bye, Social Media!) 

Next issue: An interview with Johanna Renoth on finding the joy in marketing and growing a thriving business with ease – socials optional.

I like the idea of giving yourself a total blackout on content consumption for a week – emails, podcasts, socials. Not sure I have the discipline – love reading, love podcasts. Strap me to a massage table and maybe.

Summer Retreat! Now there’s an idea. See what I come up with when bored out of my brain.

Stay cool. Enjoy Glasto! 👯‍♀️

Nika

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“Ideas are shit. Execution is the game.”

Gary Vee on document, don't create - content creation.
Gary Vee Show

Stuck overthinking? Try this 👇

“I think you just need to put yourself out there a bit more.” 

Advice from my massage therapist based on conversations we’ve had over the last few months (treatments have turned into therapy sessions, she’s very intuitive).

I was a bit taken aback and jumped in – I am online. I post on LinkedIn regularly, I chat to people. I’ve been working on my niche, positioning, strategy, studying… She just looked at me. Yeah, I know, it sounds ridiculous. 

Good thing about massage – it helps with creativity and gets things moving. Nothing like a good stretch to free the mind/body. There’s also accountability with monthly sessions as she checks in. Active therapy, which I like. 

We have a lot in common – she’s a self-employed mum who works from home (big shed in the garden), but we are in different worlds. Her work is physical, she sees clients for a set time, and she’s tuned in to what’s happening locally.

All her clients come from word-of-mouth referrals. Facebook page, that’s it.

All my work is online, remote clients, solo, knowledge work, which never ends. 

A woman I co-work with said the same thing the other day – “We need to get you out there. Have you introduced yourself on Loomio yet?” I said no, then realised I’ve been there for six months and not pitched my services to other businesses! 

I’ve been stuck in the overthinking trap – strategising – tweaking – planning – website – pricing phase. Thinking about packages I can offer and how to productise my services. What I can offer and want to do versus what the market needs.

Worrying about how things will land and be perceived, when I just need to be making and doing – daily. Which is the fastest way to talk yourself out of anything! 

NOBODY is looking at my work as closely as I am. 

When I feel stuck, I turn to YouTube… Always something to move you along. 

Really glad I stumbled across this video on personal branding by Gary Vee. Think he’s spot on – a brilliant explanation of what most creators struggle with.  

“I’ll give you the biggest tip when it comes to content creation. Document. Don’t create.” 

It is an absolute monster of a concept and a big shift. 

“People aren’t starting. They’re just not making. They’re thinking, they’re pondering, they’re strategising, they’re debating. The difference between people like me and the far majority is that I’m doing at all times.” 

“Don’t go fancy. Build a habit of daily documentation – share your process, observations, and conversations from the place you’re at rather than where you wish you were”. 

“I think it’s much smarter for you to talk to the world about your process of going through this than the advice you think you should be giving them. That’s where people are struggling.” 

Yes. Very easy to get caught up in the ‘expert’ label and feel like you need to have all the answers, be polished online and have achieved a certain level of (financial) success for credibility. Analysis paralysis. 

“If you want to be respected and known, show the fuck up. There’s no excuse for not talking to the world. It just doesn’t have to be your thoughts and words all the time.” 

If you can’t create – curate, distribute, facilitate, interview. There’s value in sharing others’ work and adding your spin. 

Helpful tips on content strategy, too – creating from the top down rather than the bottom up. It is hard to create on demand. Setting constraints and thinking of each day as a ‘mini show’ where you focus on one thing only. So, you don’t have to think too much.

Vida Vegana’s comment 👌

Appreciate you, Gary – thanks for documenting and sharing. 

It is refreshing to feel this way – there’s a lightness in letting go. Be an explorer, not an expert. Social media marketing and personal branding can feel heavy – as Ellen said, like you need to craft the perfect post. 

Couple of things. I’ve signed up for Josh Spector’s Skills Sessions (regular jams, ask what you want) and asked him for feedback on the interview project. Thinking about different ways to format them for the NL. 

I’m also doing Ben Meer’s new course, Creator Method – loving his LinkedIn – systems thinking for smart living. 

Ben says he hates self-promotion – there’s a little video of him in the corner of the lessons, but he’s putting himself out there to share his ideas.

Excellent so far, a holistic approach to the creator economy. I’m sure it will fly – he has an interesting background and expertise. 

Marianne’s Tilt trophy arrived – what a beauty! A daily (visual) reminder of how far you’ve come is motivating. 

Shift Hot 5 🔥

The Necks – Travel

How to get unstuck – with Adam Alter | The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway. What to do about feeling stuck, choosing when to explore vs exploit your career options, and why he thinks Lionel Messi is the greatest soccer player ever. Excellent episode.

The Nuclear Effect | Scott Oldford has helped thousands of entrepreneurs scale their businesses to 6 & 7 figures. Sharing his 6 Pillar approach to success in this ebook. Grab your free copy via The Saturday Solopreneur.

How I earned $10K in April as a Freelance Content Marketing Writer | Jennifer Goforth Gregory. Time versus money – a great way to think about and track your year, and lessons to remember. 

In Conversation – All Things Content with Nika Talbot. I chatted to 1000 Faces Club about my creator journey. Like how they format these interviews and repurpose them on social. 

Classifieds 

Word of mouth not cutting it, and not sure where to turn? Drum up new clients in one afternoon with this rapid course from Lex Roman. Use code THE SHIFT for 5% off.

Missed CEX? Get access to ALL the recordings, on demand, with a Digital Pass. Over 40 hours of keynotes and breakout sessions to help you build and grow your content business. Use code [nikanikatalbotio] and save $100 here.

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Thinking about a rebrand

Test your brand name; Own a piece of Substack; The Shift Hot 5

‘What’s in a Name? Gift Cards, more than just a gift’ – a panel session at a industry conference I worked on recently. New research and a whitepaper exploring whether the name ‘gift card’ is still relevant today.

Gift cards are much more than a physical card and being used innovatively to help with the cost-of-living crisis. Employee rewards and incentives, as a tool for budgeting and saving, and self-gifting is on the rise… ‘You Card’ is one suggestion.

Turns out people still like the ‘gift card’ name though – it has a nice ring to it. Simple and obvious. 

It got me thinking about my name for this project: The Shift – and whether it still fits. The newsletter has evolved since I started it three years ago. It was ‘WorkLife Shift’, which I shortened to The Shift. It had a broader focus, exploring the future of work and living, remote work trends, and freelancing.  

The name was an impulse decision. I looked down at my keyboard and saw the ‘shift’ key. Made me think of freelance shifts and the gig economy. I like the transformation aspect, go solo – #MakeTheShift is my hashtag.

I’ve niched down some more and am now focusing on content entrepreneurship and the booming creator economy. For those interested in creating a lifestyle-first, one-person biz. I’ve set some goals to motivate myself – earning six figures / 10K month / workations – I’m not a nomad, but will travel when I can.

The Shift is too generic – not obvious or specific enough for SEO and discoverability. I mentioned it to a friend and she said, “Well, it doesn’t really tell me what it’s about.” Ugh.

I need a catchier brand name.

I like ‘The Content Entrepreneur’, but that’s registered to The Tilt as Joe has a book coming out on it this year – yay! The Digital Entrepreneur? Or something with Creator in the title. I can’t have ‘The Sunday Solopreneur’ as Justin is rocking that on Saturdays. Six-figure Small is great, but too close to Brian Clark | Unemployables.

Names are important. I realise this is holding me back. Someone asked me to speak at an event the other day, and I hesitated. It’s the name. I can’t imagine being announced as “Nika from The Shift” or writing a book with that in the title. Too many other books using it. I also associate it with the gig economy and grind – not what I want to communicate!

I’ll sit with it for a bit.

Lots to think about – domain names, social handles, trademarks, personal brand Vs brand name. I’ve asked ChatGPT for a few suggestions – pretty good, but nothing I love.

I listened to Jay Clouse talk about his rebrand from Creative Companion to Creator Science. Great name, like the juxtaposition. Excellent episode – well worth a listen.

You can test your brand name here.

Own a piece of Substack

Big news from Substack. They’ve launched a community funding round opportunity asking people to invest (donate) in the platform. Here’s the pitch email. They believe the future of media and the internet’s next chapter is the ‘subscription network.’

I’ve made a reservation. I believe in what Substack is trying to do – change a broken media model. I like the product and community they’ve built over the last five years. It’s an ambitious mission and they want to build with writers.

I like that it’s accessible – the minimum donation is $100. The fundraiser is almost sold out, which is a good sign.

It’s a matter of principle and a loyalty move, really. I don’t expect to get my money back. It’s an interesting opportunity (I’ve never been offered this in the writing biz), and I want to be part of it.

I would like to see the financials (coming in the next couple of weeks they say), and have a few questions. Do we have voting rights? Do they plan to go public or sell at some point? Nothing lasts forever – especially in startup land. I would rather have actual shares in Substack…

It’s easy to be cynical – they didn’t make their funding round last year, and the market is tough. But it’s a simple decision. I like what they’re doing for writers, and I’ve benefited from the platform and community over the last four years. 

I’m happy to give back, and I want them to succeed.

I also want more from them. A Substack conference, a magazine for writers, more help with marketing and distribution (Sparkloop style, Beehiiv), local meetups and events, which all require more $$ – maybe even a Substack gift card? 😉

Comment in The Verge (some data they didn’t include) – Oooof. I’ve seen many posts from backers – Emma Gannon, Polina Pompliano and this one by The Honest Broker.

Good luck to the team – and thank you for an excellent product.

The Shift Hot 5 🔥

How I’ve doubled my following on LinkedIn in the last few months – Jay Clouse shares his strategy for how he’s growing on LinkedIn based on current algo research and best practices. I love these solo episodes – practical, actionable advice. Grab a notebook and pen! 

Teach Me to Pin – free training w/ Jenna Kutcher. Pinterest is her #1 traffic referral source and a huge part of her marketing strategy. Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform, which means people actively search for keywords in your niche. The average post lifespan is 4 mo Vs 18 mins on Twitter!! Worth your time.

Prompt Crafting – become an expert on using generative AI for marketing content creation. A handbook from Writer.com – learn the art of prompt writing, how to personalise your content for audiences, optimise for SEO and more.

A Guide to Writing Well by Julian Shapiro – learn how to write better non-fiction books and blogs. “There’s a science to non-fiction that I believe has been overlooked.”

A ‘Manifesto for Slow Learning’ including a ‘Bill of Rights’ for the slow learner. A project that Idler editor Tom Hodgkinson took part in and shared in his excellent newsletter. A path to a mindful and meaningful future of learning… feels right with the AI insanity.

Listening to this today. Have a great (rest of) Sunday.  

Keep moving –

Nika 

Thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions? Email nika@nikatalbot.io

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Merry Christmas from my sofa to yours ☃️ 🍷

DALL-E a woman writing with an AI assistant in pop art, surrealist style
Featured Art: Nika & DALL-E

How to boost your personal brand; AI writing tools; 2022 top links and word of the year | TS #107

Merry Christmas from my sofa. I’ve been ill and can’t stand the cold, so working from bed most mornings with my hot water bottle and blankie. I may stay here till March!

This is my last newsletter of the year so I wish you some well-deserved downtime. Cheers to health, happiness and prosperity in 2023!

Here’s to us all earning more and “a steady diet of more interesting, more challenging, more provocative projects.” Tom Peters – The Brand Called You.

I wrote a piece on how to raise your online profile for The Portfolio Collective this month. “Thanks, lots to unpack here”, says Pete Domican, and there is. Personal branding is a massive topic and I’ll be focusing more on this and web3 and writing in 2023, starting with post.news, Sudowrite and Mirror.xyz – pushing the boundaries of writing online.

I’ve been playing with OpenAI tools ChatGPT and DALLE-E. Wow! This is a big deal – sooooo many people are talking about this, and it’s interesting how the word-based app has taken off more than the images – they take some practice. Super impressed and it’s very addictive.

So in the spirit of all the 2022 roundup posts I’ve been enjoying, here are my 12 Things of 2023 – my top links and worth a revisit 👀

Your free standout self-assessment workbook (Dorie Clark)

It takes this freelance writer just a few minutes to make her every client pitch 100% personalized (Authory)

So Good They Can’t Ignore You (Cal Newport)

Systems can set you free (Mark McGuinness)

European freelancers & where to find them (Robert Vlach)

Why we love (async) voice memos (Growmotely)

The async toolkit (Twist)

Free ebook: The Practical Magic of the 5-Hour Workday (Trevor G Blake)

Learning how to learn (Ness Labs)

A stunning second act! Meet the people who changed course in midlife – and loved it (The Guardian)

How to think for yourself (Paul Graham)

Why you might want to switch to a four-day work week (Creative Boom)

2022 word of the year

For the first time in history, Oxford Dictionaries allowed the public to vote on its ‘22 word of the year, and the winner was Goblin Mode.

A type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy, typically in a way that rejects societal norms or expectations.

Other contenders were ‘Metaverse’ and ‘IStandWith’, but ‘Goblin Mode’ won by a mile.

Goblin Mode speaks to the times and the zeitgeist – ongoing strikes, four-day workweek trials, the great resignation, quiet quitting, karoshi, involution and tang ping – ‘lie still’.

We don’t want to go back to normal life, the 9-5 and pushback against unrealistic social media lifestyles.

My 2023 word of the year is ‘Portable’ – web3 and writing, NFT tokens, new locations to live/work and a lighter laptop than this relic.

What’s yours?

See you on the other side!

Nika

A shoutout to Nige Cook, my first Founding Member and a long-time supporter of my work. It means a lot and is much appreciated – thank you 🙏

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