Adam Grant is a spectacularly successful man who escaped the boundaries of traditional academic life to become a global celebrity. An author. A highly-paid speaker. A sought-after podcast guest and mainstream media superstar.

As he enjoys the success fueled by his own personal brand, he continues to lambast the idea of a personal brand. In his latest podcast episode, “The case against personal branding,” he concludes that a personal brand is a “performance” that is inauthentic and unsustainable. It is by definition separate from a person’s values and talents. It is based on “self-promotion and pervasive boasting.”

He uses cherry-picked anecdotes and refers to silly online influencers to support the idea that working on a personal brand is self-absorbed and destined to fail.

But as I slogged through this podcast (which featured 10 commercials in 25 minutes), he ironically SUPPORTS the notion of a personal brand, at least the way I have taught it for more than 10 years.

Powerful personal brands

This is what I teach: A personal brand is not about you. It is about uniquely serving others. It means having the reputation, authority, and presence to get your job done. It is fueled by consistent, helpful, generous content and original ideas. It requires patience, generosity, and humility.

Here is the truth, folks: Being “known” in this world is the only countermeasure you have against AI bots targeting your skill set, and possibly your career. If you are known in your industry — which is different than being famous — more doors will open, more funds will flow, more calls will be returned. Working on your personal brand is like investing in an insurance policy for your career.

If you want to sell a book, be invited to give a speech, or have a successful online course, you must be KNOWN. Period.

I could line up a hundred people who will testify that going through my personal branding class changed their life, launched their business, and propelled their careers. This is the most rewarding work I have ever done.

This is not the first time Adam Grant went off on personal brands and I have written about this before (my Adam Grant Rant). Likewise, Sheryl Sandberg has decried any effort to build your brand and yet, there is no person with a more curated online presence.

Ask yourself … could Adam Grant be sponsored by TED, have 10 advertisers for his podcast, and command top dollar as a speaker if he didn’t have a team of people promoting him on social media? Hypocrisy.

You can have a personal brand and still be kind, values-driven, and generous. In fact, that is the strategy. Don’t fall for link-bait headlines about the death of personal brands. The alternative to being known is being ignored.

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

The post Please. Let’s stop the B.S. about personal brands appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

A LinkedIn comment made me wonder about the practical economic value of human authenticity and the “soul” in our work. Does that seem heretical? Let’s dive in and see …

To set the stage, Andrew Safnauer read my post about how AI is taking the soul out of music, marketing, and most creative endeavors. Most people responded with a virtual high-five to the idea that we will always seek out true human connection. This has been my position, too. Then I read Andrew’s comment (edited for style):

“I worked in radio for my first career. Post deregulation in late 1990s, the industry eliminated overnight DJs through automation. (Saved money). Worked so ‘well’ that they moved it to other time slots. Slowly but surely local talent was replaced by someone from out of town or, more often, no one — they just let the music play.

“The technology removed the unique advantage of radio — the local touch, a connection to the community. And frankly, they removed the soul of what a local radio station brought to a town.

“You can buy a decent frozen pizza made by a machine but it is never going to be as good as one made at Sal’s Pizza by a guy who’s worked the oven for 30 years. His work has soul.”

Let’s dissect this observation. There is an unexpected truth here.

The economics of human authenticity

Andrew’s comment has two nuanced, important points:

1. The radio industry, built on the popularity of human DJs, eliminated them—literally cutting the soul out of the product. And it didn’t matter. Radio stations moved on with a new economic model nearly devoid of human authenticity.
2. However, the beloved local pizza baker can only survive in a world of big chain competition due to the local, human connection.

This got me thinking. Despite our human marketing pride, the authentic human element doesn’t always win. Businesses will use AI to cut the heart out of our work to save money, and in some cases, customers won’t care. This might seem unfair, but as much as we decry the soul-less AI bots, they’re coming, and they’re winning.

The other point is that soul does matter … sometimes. Why is human authenticity critical for a local pizza guy and not the popular DJ?

When I was a kid, the local DJs were GODS. They were your only connection to music discovery in those pre-Spotify days. I would argue their role and presence in a community was at least as important as the pizza maker. What’s the difference and what went wrong?

Authenticity isn’t dead. It’s just … complicated.

But I think I know how to unravel this.

The jobs to be done

On this blog and in my podcast, I’ve covered an idea called “jobs to be done,” attributed to Clayton Christensen.

The simple idea is that people don’t necessarily buy a product. They buy a job to be done. People don’t need a drill. They need a hole.

One way to figure out the economics of human authenticity in an AI world is to evaluate this through the lens of jobs to be done.

When I have a problem with an appliance, I call a customer service rep to get it repaired as fast as possible. The job I need is to fix this thing fast. I don’t care if the rep on the other end is a human who writes poetry and cares for her elderly goldfish. I just want to get off the phone, and if an AI bot can do it better, that would be great!

In this case, the economic value of human authenticity based on the “job to be done” is zero.

When I was a kid, the job I hired a radio DJ for was to:

1. Play my favorite songs
2. Answer the telephone request line to play my favorite songs
3. Help me find more favorite songs.

They were the gatekeepers of cool, but really … it was about the songs. They became dispensable because the job to be done is easily automated. I liked these personalities and enjoyed their jokes, so the economic value of human authenticity would not be zero, but it was low enough that I don’t lay awake at night grieving the loss of DJs. I happily accept the convenience of Spotify.

Sometimes, the robot wins.

AI and your economic value

By comparison, let’s examine the jobs we might hire the local pizza chef to do:

• Remind us of the good times we have at this restaurant
• Create a special dinner just the way we like it
• Watch a sporting event in a place that is nostalgic and filled with fellow fans
• To see the friendly face of the owner
• Enjoy something made with unique craftsmanship, maybe an old family recipe with that special sauce!

None of this can be automated. The human connection is everything. Maybe their pizza costs a little more. Maybe the restaurant floor is a little grimy. Maybe we drive an extra mile to get there. But we don’t care because only this human being can deliver these “jobs to be done.”

In this context, we can evaluate the economics of human authenticity for our own careers. What job are people hiring you to do?

Copywriting? Basic illustrations? Editing? Yikes. You’re in DJ territory.

What is uniquely yours? What is your special sauce or unique “family recipe” that you bring to the marketplace?

This is why I’ve been yelling from the rooftops for years  — a strong personal brand is our only defense against the encroachment of AI. You need to deliver something that is uniquely you. What’s the problem you solve in a way that cannot be ignored?

Start now.

I am not a salesy person. This is not a salesy blog. But I do have a solution if you’re feeling vulnerable in this Ai turmoil.

For more than five years, I’ve been teaching a personal branding class that is the best of its kind. It’s taught live. It’s based on experience, research, and best practices. And it has absolutely changed lives.

It’s not too late to start working on your personal brand and focus on your unique value. Please consider my class, which can be found here.

In the end, it’s not about being human everywhere. It’s about being human where it matters most.

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

The post The economic value of human authenticity appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

My friend Amanda Russell and I had a vital discussion about the connection between strategy, AI-generated content, and the personal brand.

Obviously, these factors are interconnected. For many creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses, content drives the brand, and the brand drives the business.

We are in a period of incredible upheaval as AI-generated content swarms our lives like locusts on a grassy plain. When the cloud of uncertainty lifts, where might we see a stable place where human content might thrive?

There are always exceptions, but here is a view of where I think it will settle out:

• The cells in red represent content categories that will be dominated by AI-generated content.
• Yellow cells indicate there will be a mix.
• Green cells represent categories where humans can still have a dominant role.

The over-arching theme is that where consumers need only information, AI-generated content will overtake human roles. If consumers seek inspiration and insight, they will seek out human thought leaders and artists.

Let’s examine this on a more granular level.

AI-generated content and information

Column one is entirely red. We already see jobs displaced where emotional connection to a human insight is not important. When we read news or see a new logo, we usually have no idea the name of the human connected to that work. This type of content is ruled by patterns. Even a news story is formulaic, as Google recently demonstrated. I’m not saying there won’t be a human hand behind the overall strategy in this column, but any commodity content will probably move to AI.

Column two is the area where there will always be a mix of creators, depending on whether a consumer is looking for information or inspiration. Many corporate blogs will be overrun by AI-generated content, and we are already seeing the massive automation of social media posts. The scale could tip toward humans in this column if there is a meaningful connection between a creator or corporate leader and an audience.

The outlier here is podcasts. Generative AI podcasts are here, and some of them are interesting, pitting virtual historical figures against each other in debate. But overall, I can’t imagine a world where AI podcasts would be anything but a niche category. Most people will prefer insight and inspiration from a real person and a real voice.

Column three is almost entirely human. My thinking goes like this … While we might be entertained by a gallery of AI-generated art, we would probably want to buy fine art from a real artist (and the fine art market is booming right now!)

Similarly, AI-generated content has flooded the book industry, but most people will choose to buy a book from a beloved author who is expressing personal experiences and interpreting the world through their stories.

Many movies are already dominated by AI-generated images, and there is no reason scripts, scores, and even the actors cannot come from a bot. As I watch an intense battle scene in a Marvel movie, I wonder if any of it is filmed in a real place with real people. We already accept AI-generated content as a superior experience in many film genres. The recent Academy Award winner Everything Everywhere All at Once could not have been created without it!

I hope there will be more AI-based movies. I’d like to see the Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, and Robin Williams in the same film.

When do you cross the line?

I realize you’re looking at where AI might be able to essentially replace humans at tasks here…

Obviously, there is going to be a layer of AI applied to everything we do, even novels and podcasts. I’m sure when I write my next book, I will be able to use it many imaginative ways to help me ideate, organize, and edit.

My friend Frank Prendergast comments: “What has been on my mind lately is how much we are still thinking of content and AI in a binary way — was this AI or human?

“I think AI will be so baked into tools and processes everything will be somewhat AI … Which raises even more complications for your axis.

“If I read a blog post from someone on the assumption it’s written by them, and I find out it was actually AI, I’ll feel cheated. Like I’ve been a victim of the old bait-and-switch.

“But where’s my line? Is 20% AI OK? 40%? 60? I have no idea. And how would it even be measured?

“Will that question be a thing of the past when AI is ubiquitous?

“And at that point, is it more likely more of your green turns red? Or reddish?”

Frank makes a great point. ChatGPT is to writing like the calculator is to math. We don’t feel compelled to declare that we used a calculator to do math. When does AI simply become … life?

Implications of AI-generated content and careers

I have been writing about the intersection of AI, strategy, and personal brands for some time, and there are three consistent themes that I elevate:

1. If you are in a career providing information, you’re vulnerable. If you provide insights and inspiration, you’ll probably be OK.
2. Going forward, the personal brand is everything. If you mean something to people, then your content will mean something too. I’m not worried about blog readers abandoning me for AI-generated content because I am known and trusted. For many, my posts, podcast, and books are part of the fabric of their lives.
3. Another theme of my practice has been “the most human company wins.” I’ve exhorted for years the importance of attaching real humans and real stories to the corporate content environment. Is there an opportunity for your company to inspire instead of just inform? Your “informing” is about to become overwhelmed by AI competition.

Join the discussion

In the latest Marketing Companion podcast episode, Amanda Russell explains that she probably would read a book generated by AI. There is no cut-and-dried guideline here! But I hope the chart I present today makes sense!

I hope you’ll choose to learn more about this topic by clicking here to listen to the full podcast episode exploring the intersection of strategy, AI-generated content, and the personal brand. Amanda is always full of energizing ideas and insights!

Click here to listen to Episode 278

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Build Your Brand with the Architects!

Introducing a research-first podcast that builds revenue, not condos — The Marketing Architects!  Keep up with the biggest marketing trends and news through discussions based in marketing, psychology, and economics research. Along the way, learn about marketing accountability, category leadership, brand-building, and much more. Featuring a team of experienced marketers whose blueprints for success are marketing strategies that have actually been proven to work.

Today’s image courtesy MidJourney

The post The hierarchy of AI-generated content: Where humans thrive appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

I’ve been working on a new book that examines community through the lens of marketing strategy. One of the things I’ve learned about is the underlying power of status and marketing.

Of course status is the heart of marketing when it comes to luxury goods and rewards programs. But there is also a more subtle connection when it comes to community and culture.

In a normal professional or social setting, it’s taboo, or at least narcissistic, to talk about status. But when it comes to a brand community, status is everything. Status is the fuel for the engine.

Understanding the connection between status and marketing starts with the foundational idea that we all need recognition to thrive as human beings.

Status games

Will Storr, author of The Status Game, said in a podcast interview that community status is an integral part of our personal identity. “We join groups when we align with their rules of behavior,” he said. “We follow the rules, and the better we follow the rules, the higher we climb in status. We begin to dress like the people in the group, talk like people in the group, read the same kind of books, etc. We can be one person pursuing status in one group and another version when pursuing status in another community. You can’t separate the status game from our personal identity.”

“The research shows we’re happier and more stable emotionally, the more groups we belong to,” Will said. “The Whitehall Study, conducted by Dr. Michael Marmot, revealed this remarkable fact that the lower you go down the hierarchy of government, the worse people’s health outcomes became, and the greater their mortality risk. The immediate thought is, well, that’s because rich people are so privileged, they’ve got personal trainers and macrobiotic diets and all this stuff. But it wasn’t that, because even one step down from the very top, a person is still extremely wealthy, extremely privileged and yet there were different health outcomes.

“This status syndrome has been found across genders, across countries, and even in animals,” he said. “A study showed that monkeys at the top of the community hierarchy are less likely to fall ill due to their status. When a monkey’s status in the hierarchy changed, their health status changed, too.

“Status in a community isn’t just about our psychological health. It also affects our physical health.”

Every form of community has a status system either intentionally or unintentionally built in. We join communities where we see an opportunity to improve our status among a group that we care about. A person doesn’t have to be at the top of the hierarchy to feel good about being there. As the leader of my own community, I try to acknowledge and encourage people as soon as they join.

Bestowing status is much more than a practical measure to manage a growing community. Status creates emotional connection to the community (and the brand), enhances loyalty, and nurtures brand advocacy.

Status and marketing

If you think this commentary is interesting, the fun is just beginning!

Keith Jennings and I tear into this subject in a new Marketing Companion episode and discuss how status:

• How status drives nearly all consumer behavior
• Why culture, style, fashion, and art are driven by status
• Why lack of status is
• How status makes social media behavior predictable
• The connection between status and personal branding
• How status impacts nonprofits

This is a discussion that could change your worldview and will certainly make you think about marketing in a new way. All you have to do is click here to listen:

Click on this link to listen to hear Episode 256

Resources mentioned in this show:

Mark Schaefer’s Personal Branding Master Class

Will Storr’s book The Status Game

Book by David Marx Status and Culture

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• Complete Marketing Companion Episode Guide

Original illustration created by AI through MidJourney

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I hate self-promotion. I have left so much money on the table because I’m introverted and culturally, I hate being the center of attention. This may seem counter-intuitive coming from a guy who speaks in front of thousands of people, but I am severely lacking in the art of self-promotion.

This brings me to the topic of the new Marketing Companion podcast, and you are going to love this.

My co-host is Amanda Russell, who went from star athlete (no self-promotion) to YouTube star (tons of self-promotion) to a potential reality TV star (so much self-promotion that she quit) and now an academic where self-promotion is loathed … and yet she’s an influencer and author, expected to do self-promotion.

It’s complicated.

We both bare our souls on this show and talk about the weird realities of self-promotion. I hope this discussion will help you strike the right balance in your life!

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This month marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of KNOWN, a seminal book on the topic of personal branding.

When I consider my long career, I regard this book as my greatest contribution to the business world (so far!). Not many weeks go by that somebody doesn’t tell me how this book changed their life or that KNOWN is their favorite business book ever. KNOWN unravels the complexity of building your personal brand, and it works.

Despite the obvious business case to establish the presence, reputation, and authority to get your job done in this world, many people bristle at the idea of “personal branding” as a regular business activity. Today I’ll make a case why this is not only important as a personal activity, it is essential for nearly any corporate marketing department.

Here are five reasons why an emphasis on personal branding should be a pillar of your marketing efforts.

1. “A brand is simply trust”

This statement is a famous quote from Steve Jobs, and it is a simple and profound truth.

We live in a world that is starved for trust. Research from places like the Edelman Trust Barometer shows that trust in businesses, government, and the news media has fallen every year for more than a decade.

Who do people trust? People.

Founders.

Technical experts.

Business leaders.

Their friends and neighbors who work for your company.

How can you build trust in your company when nobody sees or believes your ads? The answer is simple. Elevate the awesome people in your company.

2. Battling the bots

I recently attended the powerful and inspiring SXSW conference in Austin. This is where the future happens and one of the most sobering talks was from AmyWebb, CEO of Future Today Institute, and her  extraordinary report projecting the future.

One of the most chilling forecasts is an 80 percent probability of catastrophic impacts from AI-generated fake news and deep fakes.

Think about how misinformation spreads rapidly today. Consider that evil forces can create perfect videos of you and your company leaders saying anything they want you to say. How do you operate in a world where nobody knows what to believe? How can a company stand for truth when AI bots can spin out infinite amounts of harmful content?

There is only one strategy. Establish a trusted presence so people know where to go for the truth. In a world where truth is the exception, your company needs to establish a platform of trusted voices now, not after the problems occur.

AI bots are taking jobs in graphic design, script writing, video editing, media buying and more. How do you protect your job in this kind of environment? Personal branding may be the only answer.

3. The beginning of community

Boss Mom founder Dana Malstaff leading a discussion group at The Uprising

Community is the ultimate marketing achievement. If you have a true community of fans who will love you and defend you, you would no longer need SEO, Facebook ads, or trade shows.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic and I see a pattern that true community almost always begins with a personality — somebody who builds an audience because they are known.

• Boss Mom is a Facebook community with more than 70,000 members. But they are there because they believe in founder Dana Malstaff and her genuine and compassionate leadership.
• Glossier is the fastest-growing skincare/cosmetic brand in the world but it launched from a loyal blog community founded by Emily Weiss.
• The Spanx brand has loyal fans in part due to the inspiring hard work of founder Sara Blakely.

Community gathers around a leader.

4. Personal branding in a post-SEO era

Most companies become entrenched in marketing routines. If you’re doing the same marketing you did three years ago, it’s time to take a fresh look at the world.

Number one on my list of outdated activities is SEO. Don’t get me wrong. SEO can be critically important for many businesses, but I also see many small businesses plowing money into SEO because they have been sold some marketing package deal.

The fact is, the ability to benefit from SEO depends on a special set of circumstances, and increasingly SEO isn’t going to create a return. The other option is to create content that establishes authority through thought leadership. In this way, you can earn attention and an audience without depending on search engines and ads.

5. The personal brand IS the brand

On average, Mercedes Benz spends $945 on advertising for every car they sell. Tesla spends no money on advertising. The difference is Elon Musk.

Elon Musk is not a perfect person. But he’s authentic. He’s a real human being that people can connect with and trust as the greatest entrepreneur of our generation.

Millions of people aspire to buy a Tesla some day because they love and admire Elon Musk. Who do you love at Mercedes Benz? At Verizon? At Procter & Gamble?

Great branding means building an emotional connection between what you do and your customers. For years, that emotion was created through advertising. That’s why we when we hear “Coca Cola” we think of polar bears instead of brown sugar water.

The new consumers don’t see ads in a streaming content economy. But they do establish parasocial emotional connections with their favorite leaders.

Personal branding. What’s next?

It’s exciting for me to see so many companies waking up to the fact that effective executive personal brands can carry a company further than any other marketing activity.

Right now, I’m working with one of the biggest companies in the world to create a foundational personal branding plan for their executives. Their marketing activities are being rewired and reorganized to support executives on a path to becoming “known” in their industry and beyond. The personal brand IS their marketing of the future.

What do you believe? An ad? Claims at a tradeshow booth? A direct mail piece?

Or do you believe authentic, passionate humans sharing their unique insights in a way that helps and serves their customers?

That’s what I thought.

To learn more about personal branding and how your company can move in this direction, here are three resources to consider:

• KNOWN is a beloved book that provides a foundational blueprint. Thousands of people have had success through this book.
• I teach a personal branding Master Class several times each year. This includes six classes over three weeks, a strategy guide, and two one-on-one coaching sessions with me. Click here to learn more.
• Finally, I am actively helping companies devise a personal branding strategy for their executive teams. Some of my clients have been so successful they have appeared in Harvard Business Review and have been invited to speak at elite industry events. Contact me if you would like to learn more.

Mark Schaefer is the executive director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. He is the author of some of the world’s bestselling digital marketing books and is an acclaimed keynote speaker, college educator, and business consultant.  The Marketing Companion podcast is among the top business podcasts in the world. Contact Mark to have him speak to your company event or conference soon.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. Discover his $RISE create community.

The post Five reasons why your marketing department needs to focus on personal branding appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

When I do personal coaching, I often get the question — How do your build your personal brand? For many people today, it’s essential. It’s how you get work done in the online world.

I’m seeing a pattern. People struggle with the trade-off between building a personal brand and doing real work. You know — work that makes money. It’s hard to do both. But you have to do both.

Here’s why.

Brand versus work balance

I had a wonderful chat with a talented woman who told me she wants to become “the Mark Schaefer of Latin America.”

I wish she had a loftier goal … but let’s go with it! : )

What does this goal mean? I’m a person who is known in my field. I don’t have to advertise; I don’t have to sell. I have not filled out an RFQ since 2012.

The more people know me, trust me, and like me, the more they will hire me. The more they hire me, the more money I can charge. So for the sake of this case study, let’s define “being the next Mark Schaefer” as being a person who is known and trusted in their field, at a growing rate.

How do you do it? It’s not easy, but the path is clear. I outline this in my book KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age.

The process starts with being clear about what you want to be known for (harder than it sounds) and then consistently creating meaningful content to fuel your brand over time. There are a few other steps, but that’s how it begins.

To this end, my Latin American friend has been working loooong hours. She’s blogging, podcasting, streaming, speaking, and writing books.

On top of this, she is also trying to handle six demanding clients.

And run a marketing conference.

And be a mom.

She needs to bring in money and something has to give, so she’s thinking about ending her content production and suspending the brand-building. By the way, she has 5,000 subscribers to her blog. A very good start!

What’s the answer? How do you balance these demands?

Your personal brand and prioritization

First, I need to emphasize that a choice to work hard on a personal brand is not necessarily the right decision for everybody. I’m not one of those people telling you that you HAVE to do this. If the time in your life isn’t right, you are still a worthy person.

But if the time in your life IS right, here’s why you have to persist.

Let’s say my friend is charging her six customers $100 per hour for her work, and she is clearing $100,000 per year.

If she was well-known in her industry — maybe even beloved and respected in her industry — she could charge much more. Perhaps $200/hour. That means she could make the same amount of money for half the amount of work.

Hmmmm. That is one attractive idea!

She would also have to spend much less time selling herself because if she is well-known, customers will naturally seek the best. That means more free time. She could also sell more books, speak at more conferences, and have more choices over a competitor who is not as well-known.

The same works for me. Seth Godin would have a higher hourly rate than me, can charge more for a speech than me, and can sell more books than me for one reason: He’s more well-known than me!

So we can see a correlation between how well you are known and your economic success.

If you have a business, especially if it involves personal services like consulting, real estate, or wealth management, there is no real decision between either working or building a personal brand. You probably have to do both if you want to progress.

The imperative of consistency

If you’ve followed me for even a short period of time, you probably know how much I preach about the importance of consistency. If you’re building an audience for your brand, you can’t keep stopping and starting. You want to become a habit with your fans.

This is the number one problem I see in building your personal brand — people get busy with work and they let the content drop. The momentum of your personal brand takes a dive. It’s almost impossible to pick up where you left off. Maybe you stop for a year or more.

Consistency is more important than genius.

You have to keep chugging week after week, connecting and engaging with your audience.

A practical solution

Let’s get very practical here because I am a very practical fellow.

My friend can’t walk away from her customers or her son. What should she do? How can she find the time to build her brand?

First, I asked her to consider raising her prices. If she is so crazy-busy, it shows she’s in high demand. And if she’s in high demand, it’s probably time to raise prices. Even if one customer balks and leaves, she could make more money with one less customer and higher prices and also have more time to build her brand.

Second, she’s creating far too many types of content. It’s impossible to be great in five places. And, you have to be great. It’s probable she can be great in one place, like her blog, and cut out the time she is spending trying to be everywhere, all the time.

This is counter to the advice from folks like Gary Vaynerchuk who tell you to be every place. Unless you are some one like Gary Vee with a 12-person camera crew following you around, listen to me instead. If you have limited resources, be great in one place. Only after you master that over time should you think about diversifying.

I blogged for five years before I started The Marketing Companion Podcast, for example.

There’s no shortcut

You have to put in consistent work. Success normally does not happen quickly.

In this blog post I disclose the rate of subscriber growth I’ve had. Slow and steady, year by year. I think “number of subscribers” is a good proxy for “how well you are known.” If people are opting into your content, they will eventually be buying more stuff from you. And that takes time.

But it’s worth it. At some point in your personal branding journey, you’re not just making money; you’re having an impact. Think about that. You are making a change in the world!

This is what keeps me going. I know I am having a positive impact on the world.

In summary …

• Your personal brand is inexorably linked to economic success and impact in many fields.
• There is no shortcut. Consistent effort is the key. You have to put in the work, maybe for years.
• You can’t keep stopping and starting.
• Placing priority on building a personal brand takes effort, but it actually frees up time in the long-run if you can sell less and charge more.

If you need help with your personal brand, I offer a live Personal Branding Master Class. It’s an incredible value for the money!

Mark Schaefer is the executive director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. He is the author of some of the world’s bestselling digital marketing books and is an acclaimed keynote speaker, college educator, and business consultant.  The Marketing Companion podcast is among the top business podcasts in the world. Contact Mark to have him speak to your company event or conference soon.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. Discover his $RISE creator community.

Illustration courtesy Unsplash.com

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