Hello there!
Got some good business-building stuff below, and we’re poised to bring back the podcast this month. Meanwhile, I hope all is well with you and yours.
First up, let’s talk about influencers. An article from AND.co makes the case that freelancers should become influencers to scale and succeed. And the same would be true for solo entrepreneurs.
While the intentions are good, I question the terminology. “Influencer” has become associated with the train wreck entertainment offered by YouTube stars, or the vapid “best lives” of Instagram poseurs who only show you the positive side of things.
Brands have already discovered that these people aren’t really all that influential when it comes to sales. Just because people follow for the spectacle doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to buy.
While “influencers” create content, they’re not necessarily doing marketing. At least not in the sense that they help people solve real problems like freelancers and entrepreneurs do.
A better term would be thought leader. Now, I’ve pushed back on that label for being a bit pretentious, but at least it’s accurate.
Content marketing is about leading your prospects on the path toward their version of success … by helping them think differently about the problem and the best solution. It’s not about being a mindless diversion.
But whether you like the term “thought leader” or not, you definitely need to lead. And when you lead your prospects in the right direction, you also tend to become a leader in your space while growing your business.
That’s when things get sweet.
Why Freelancers Should Become Influencers to Increase Their Earnings
More resources down below, but first don’t forget that email marketing is at the heart of a successful small business. You can now get started for free with ConvertKit, both our sponsor and our choice for intuitive and powerful email marketing software.
Learn to Earn
“You can train your brain to retain knowledge and insight better by understanding how you learn. Once you understand the keys to learning, everything changes — from the way you ask questions to the way you consume information. People will think you have a superpower.”
Accelerated Learning: Learn Faster and Remember More
You + AI = Win
This article in the Harvard Business Journal echoes a recurring theme around here — we need to think about artificial intelligence in terms of how it enhances our unique human qualities. And if it replaces us, well, that’s up to us (not some boss).
Steal Like an Entrepreneur
My interview with author Austin Kleon a while back sported that title, and it’s true — innovation does not need to be new or original. It just needs to be valuable.
Stop Worrying About the Novelty of Your Ideas
Curate Greatness
If you’ve taken my free Next Level 7 course, you’re already hip to the power of curation in a world of information overload. And the chorus of other voices saying the same is growing.
Keep going –
unemployable: sharing
If you found this issue of the Unemployable newsletter useful, please forward this email to a friend or colleague who’d also enjoy it. And if you have a minute, please Rate/Review 7-Figure Small on Apple Podcasts … thank you!