We all have a reputation.
It can either be our number one ally, unlocking a world of opportunities from friends we’ve never met or our worst enemy, sabotaging us before we’ve even had a chance to speak.
Social media takes reputation one step further.
The selfies we decide to share, the memes we send to our friends and the comments we add to our favourite youtubers create an online persona of us.
As we interact, our reputation is amplified from the people we meet to the accounts we reach, driven by algorithms obsessed with promoting engaging content.
Deciding to create is deciding to be intentional with your reputation.
It’s all about producing information that educates, inspires, or entertains (ideally all three) to establish you as the go-to person in the minds of your audience.
And once you do things start to go a little crazy.
Your digital reputation opens up opportunities like this:
Community members becoming real friends.
Invitations to podcasts, events & presentations.
Sponsorships from brands you love to endorse.
New clients begging to work with your business.
Engaged audience members willing to buy from you.
Plus a million more “thank you” messages from those you’ve helped along the way. With 7.3m views on LinkedIn alone, I can personally attest to all of the above.
Okay great, you’re sold. Content creation here you come.
But, where do you start?
Firstly, choose a platform that plays to your strengths.
Then, establish yourself as a creator.
Easier said than done. Let me explain how.
Here's how to master creating.
#1: Literally, just start
Your journey starts by taking action.
Every creator you follow started from humble beginnings. They all shared content when no-one was listening, before they’d perfected the editing process or mastered the algorithm.
It was only through trial and error that they discovered what worked.
To start your journey, have no expectations that your posts will go viral. Instead, fall in love with topics you research and try to improve the life of just one person.
It’ll get you off the bench of consuming and onto the court of creating.
Here’s how you take your first steps…
1) Be an active community member
Make a commitment to interact with your favourite accounts.
Smash that bell button and be the first to drop a comment on their latest post. Make your response as a post in itself, aiming to educate, inspire or entertain.
You’ll become a recognisable community member in no time.
2) Connect with other creators
Get to know those whose content you enjoy.
Send them a personalised message, get creative with your outreach and show them how their content has helped you. Attach a gift only a dedicated fan like you could create.
Ask for a chat, document what you learn and share it online.
3) Become a curator
Most content you see isn’t original.
It’s repurposed from the depths of a subreddit comment, the heights of a Twitter thread or the portfolio of an Instagram feed onto an entirely different platform. There’s even a free online community who do exactly this.
Remix other creator’s content and you’ll have posts for days.
When starting out, the aim is to build your confidence in consistently showing up online and taking small actions that will move the needle forward.
Everyone gets nervous, even the big creators.
The only way to get over it is to get used to hitting ‘publish’.
#2: Knock up a decent strategy
Once you’re in motion, it’s time to get a plan together.
Getting clarity on what makes you unique, knowing the deepest desires of the person you’re speaking to and polishing up your content skills makes all the difference.
Here’s how you build your brand…
1) Understand your audience
Ask yourself “who is my ideal audience member?”
List out the ambitions they desire the most, the problems they face everyday, and the fears they need to overcome to take action. Slot it all together and you have a persona to use.
If you’re stuck on where to start, use Hubspot’s free tool.
2) Craft your brand
Listen in to the reputation you already have.
Then define the language, tone and voice you want to use to amplify it. Stay close to your authentic self and tune into the words you already use in everyday conversations.
The more relatable to your audience, the more it’ll resonate.
3) Start creating your own content
Move past curation and into the game of creation.
Take the persona you’ve built and the brand you’ve designed to create content that:
Educates - is insightful and interesting (how-tos, lists, infographics)
Inspires - is relatable and resonates (stories, testimonials, case studies)
Entertains - is funny and engaging (memes, challenges, AMAs)
Start each post with a hook that immediately captures attention. The headline, thumbnail or first five seconds are 80% of the game.
Once you have their attention, make sure you deliver on it.
#3: Get everyone to know your name
Now you’re churning out regular content, you can start to truly scale.
Here’s how you amplify to the next level…
1) Create a content system
Beat out the reliance on inspiration. Plan your schedule weeks in advance and combine the topics you write about with content styles you know resonates to keep ideas flowing. For a framework or two, check-out Matt’s content.
Content idea = topic x style.
Get ahead of the game without overcomplicating it.
2) Collaborate with other creators
Find creators who target a similar audience. Host live streams together, collaborate on an industry defining report or simply shout-out each other’s great work.
Basically anything that positions you both together.
The audiences will start to overlap.
3) Repurpose across platforms
Once you’ve nailed one platform, use that same content for other platforms. Turn your newsletters into Linkedin posts and then into Twitter threads.
Always edit for the rules of the platform.
But, don’t be afraid to re-use. No-one notices.
Amplify your audience with long-form content like podcasts, blogs and newsletters that you can then cut up into short-form posts you can share over a lifetime. It’s called a content pillar strategy, check it out.
Then you’ll become unstoppable online.
The Summary
Let’s recap; To master creating you need to start your journey, refine your brand and scale your voice.
There’s your 5 minutes. Now take ACTION.
For inspiration, here are 4 creators in their 20s I’d 100% recommend following and their advice on how to win the game of creating online:
Izzy Prior - “When you stop seeing your content as a tool to promote, and start seeing it as a tool to connect and inspire, that’s where the real magic happens. Provide value and be HUMAN. After all, no one wants to be sold to. If you ONLY promote in your content, you’re ONLY going to fall behind.”
For all things purpose-led communities, connect with Izzy on LinkedIn.
Chloe Fox - "Ask yourself what you want to be known for. What trait? What topic? And weave it into every interaction online. The things you talk about, the way you talk. Sincerely, the happy creator known for her positivity, love of watermelon socks and content/community marketing expertise 💜"
For everything community marketing, connect with Chloe on Linkedin.
Bishir Sulaiman - “Just because I'm holding a Coca-Cola can in front of you, it doesn't mean we see the same thing. One subject, numerous angles - and the same goes for content!”
For the ins & outs TikTok and how to go viral, connect with Bish on LinkedIn.
Roman Pikalenko - “What’s one thing, small or big, you can use your voice for? Fundraising, community building, mentoring, speaking out about important issues and taboos - all of that can be done through your personal brand”
For your daily dose of personal branding, connect with Roman on LinkedIn.
Great read! I especially agree with "literally just start". I write about content creation for newsletter creators and actually made a whole platform around it! https://newslettertosocials.com . I'd leave to hear your thoughts Charlie. I think the platform has a lot of the principles you outline in this article. Thanks!
Hey Charlie, I'd be interested in interviewing you in a recorded zoom call about your Substack and GenZ stuff, if you are open to it? What is your LinkedIn?