Brand Builder Lab
Brand Builder Lab is the podcast for marketers, entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders who want to build brands that matter. Produced by Columbia University lecturer and brand strategist Kai D. Wright, this show offers a weekly dose of creativity applied strategically with inspiration, insights, and resources. Each episode breaks down proven strategies from the Brand Builder Lab newsletter on LinkedIn, exploring topics like cult branding, creative effectiveness, storytelling, and personal branding. Explore more at BrandBuilderLab.com
Brand Builder Lab
Daily Dose | 3 Personal Branding Approaches | Getting Future-Ready for the Multiverse
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In this episode, we unlock powerful personal branding strategies from industry experts to help you make your brand shine.
With more than 1,000 new people surpassing the one-million-follower mark on social media each month, and over a million people now having over a million social media followers, growing an audience is no longer the measure of a strong personal brand.
Listen to hear how to stand out in the noise in a way that resonates:
- Kasey Brown's "Stop-Stay-Share" framework for creating emotional content that gets noticed and shared (Get the details)
- Jon Evans' strategy for tapping into your unique voice to go from 0 to 50K (See his PDF guide)
- Ruth Gotian's factors that drive success (Subscribe to her new newsletter)
- How major companies like Nike and The North Face are using LinkedIn and social platforms to find creative partners (Ad Age)
- The transformation of LinkedIn from resume platform to "digital storefront" in the creator economy
Whether you’re building a startup or refreshing your brand, this is your blueprint for turning an audience into a tribe.
Subscribe to the weekly Brand Builder Lab newsletter.
Produced by Kai D. Wright. Follow Kai on LinkedIn.
Buy the companion book, "Follow the Feeling: Brand Building in a Noisy World" on Amazon.
Welcome to Brand Builder Lab
Speaker 1Welcome back to Brand Builder Lab. You know we're all about serving up that daily dose of creative fuel to help you really level up your brand.
Speaker 2Yeah, and today we're going to be focusing on some super smart strategies to make your personal brand shine. We're going to be looking at insights from a few awesome sources.
Speaker 1Yep, we're going to be checking out stuff from Kasey Brown's newsletter Jon Evans. He had a really interesting LinkedIn post and we'll even touch on what someone like Ruth Gotian is doing.
Speaker 2I like it. It's like a little power squad of branding wisdom.
Kasey Brown's Stop-Stay-Share Framework
Speaker 1Exactly so. Let's kick things off with Kasey Brown and her stop stay share framework. She's all about creating content that actually makes waves, you know, stuff that doesn't just get glanced at but actually gets people thinking and sharing. Right, cuts through all that noise, yeah and her whole approach is broken down into these three key parts. So, first up, you've got to stop the scroll. You need to grab people's attention instantly.
Speaker 2It's all about that hook.
Speaker 1It is, and Kasey had this killer example Instead of saying you know, I'm excited to share some thoughts about leadership.
Speaker 2Which, let's be honest, no one's clicking on that.
Speaker 1Right, you, you got to space it up. She suggests something like the CEO fired her entire executive team. Here's why it was the right call.
Speaker 2Okay, I'm listening.
Speaker 1Right, you immediately want to know more.
Speaker 2For sure it piques your curiosity.
Speaker 1It's like that element of surprise, right.
Speaker 2Oh boy.
Speaker 1So then once you've stopped them in their tracks, you got to make them stay. This is where you really bring the value. You need to give them a fresh perspective or some kind of insight they haven't heard a million times before.
Speaker 2You got to keep them engaged.
Speaker 1Yeah, exactly, and Kasey points out that this is where a lot of content falls flat. It's just regurgitating the same old advice.
Speaker 2They've got to be original.
Speaker 1It does. It's about adding something new to the conversation, making people think, hmm, I never thought about it that way before.
Speaker 2Right. Give them that aha moment.
Speaker 1Yes. And then the final piece of the puzzle is share. You want people to feel so compelled by your content that they can't help but share it with their network.
Speaker 2It's like a chain reaction.
Speaker 1It is, and Kasey really emphasizes, that it often comes down to evoking some kind of emotion in your audience. Do they feel seen or understood by your message? Does it challenge a belief they've held?
Speaker 2If it resonates with them on a deeper level.
Speaker 1Exactly, and when your content makes them feel something, they're way more likely to share it because it reflects well on them or they just feel passionate about spreading the message it becomes a part of their own personal brand. Right and that's super powerful. And you know what Kasey's big takeaway is you don't need fancy production or perfect timing, you just need to make sure your content is actually worth someone's attention. It's all about the substance, not the fluff.
Speaker 2Quality over quantity 100 percent Okay.
Jon Evans' LinkedIn Growth Strategies
Speaker 1So let's switch gears a bit and look at some awesome advice for LinkedIn growth from Jon Evans. He's the CCO of System One, so he knows what he's talking about.
Speaker 2Yeah, he's built a really impressive following on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1He has and he recently shared like 10 key lessons he's learned along the way.
Speaker 2Oh, I love these list style posts. They're so digestible.
Speaker 1They are. So one of the first things he stressed was the importance of create, basically figuring out your personal brand and your voice, what sets you apart from everyone else.
Speaker 2What's your unique angle?
Speaker 1Yes, and this totally ties back into what Kasey was saying about having a fresh perspective, right?
Speaker 2Definitely you got to have that distinct voice. You do yeah.
Speaker 1Then Jon goes on to talk about value and how you need to be constantly sharing valuable insights, like becoming a go-to resource for people in your field.
Speaker 2Give them the good stuff.
Speaker 1The good stuff. What are the things you get asked about all the time? That's probably a good indication of what kind of content you should be creating.
Speaker 2Makes sense. Share your knowledge. Exactly, and the more you share, the more you build trust and establish yourself as that go-to expert.
Speaker 1It's all about consistency. Oh, that's actually his next point, consistency. He actually recommends posting daily.
Speaker 2Wow Every day.
Speaker 1Every day, even weekends. His philosophy is just get that content out there, don't overthink it. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Just be consistent and let your audience know they can count on you for regular insights.
Speaker 2I guess it helps stay top of mind.
Speaker 1It does, and the more you put yourself out there, the more opportunities you have to experiment and see what works.
Speaker 2Like testing, testing, testing.
Speaker 1Totally. Oh, and another tip from Jon that I thought was interesting was his emphasis on video, especially portrait-style videos, and what he calls UGC or user-generated content. He says those formats are like gold for engagement.
Speaker 2I can see that it's more personal.
Speaker 1It is right. It's like you're connecting with people on a deeper level, you know. Think about those quick, insightful takes, or even sharing testimonials from people who've benefited from your work.
Speaker 2It feels more authentic.
Speaker 1It does. You know. It's really interesting to see how all these strategies connect right.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Well, Kasey's stop is all about that initial attention grab, and Jon's focus on create and value makes sure that when people stop they actually find something worth sticking around for.
Speaker 2So I stay right.
Speaker 1Yes, and if it truly resonates, like Kasey was saying, they'll share it, which ties directly into Jon's tips for growing on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2It all works together.
Speaker 1It does. You can't have people sharing bland content and grabbing attention as pointless if you have nothing of value to offer once you have it.
Speaker 2You got to have substance behind the flash.
Ruth Gotian and The Success Factor
Speaker 1Exactly Now. We also wanted to mention Ruth Gotian. She's the chief learning officer at Weill Cornell Medicine and she has this great newsletter called the Success Factor.
Speaker 2I've heard of that.
Speaker 1Yeah. So even though we don't have specific tips from her latest newsletter on hand right now, the fact that she's so consistent with it that she's constantly putting out this valuable content it's like a masterclass in personal branding.
Speaker 2Makes sense. It's building that connection.
Speaker 1It is, and she's really positioned herself as an expert in her field, someone who's dedicated to helping people grow.
Speaker 2Especially given her background in learning and coaching. I bet her newsletter is packed with great advice.
Companies Finding Partners on LinkedIn
Speaker 1Oh for sure, and you know, it reminds me of something really interesting that happened this past week.
Speaker 2What's that?
Speaker 1Ad Age, the marketing publication, reported that a lot of big companies, even like Nike and the North Face, are using LinkedIn to find potential agencies and creative partners.
Speaker 2Seriously, they're looking for agencies on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1Yep, and apparently it's becoming more and more common.
Speaker 2Wow, I guess that really shows how important a strong personal brand is these days. It does?
Speaker 1Your LinkedIn profile isn't just a resume anymore. It's how people are finding and evaluating you.
Speaker 2It's like your digital storefront.
Final Thoughts
Speaker 1Exactly so, whether you're focusing on creating those scroll-stopping hooks, like Kasey suggests, consistently sharing your expertise, like Jon advises, or building that direct line to your audience with valuable content, like Ruth's newsletter, remember, building a strong personal brand is a marathon, not a sprint.
Speaker 2It's a long game.
Speaker 1It is. You've got to be in it for the long haul.
Speaker 2Absolutely so. Think about what resonated with you today. What's one thing from Kasey's framework or Jon's advice that you can start implementing right now? How can you begin providing consistent value in a way that's uniquely you?
Speaker 1Love that and for more inspiration and those bite-sized insights to help you level up your brand. Keep coming back to Brand Builder Lab, your daily dose of creative fuel.
Speaker 2Here's a final thought for you With LinkedIn becoming such a huge platform for connections and opportunities, what's one small but impactful thing you can do today to make your presence even stronger and start building those valuable relationships?
Speaker 1That's a great question to leave everyone with. Until next time, keep building, keep shining.
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