The short answer
A brand is not what you publish, it is what people say about you when the meeting ends. Build the behavior first, then document it. Reputation created faster than character is a debt that always gets called in.
In full
You can buy attention. You cannot buy the sentence someone uses to describe you to a friend.
So begin with the behavior you want described: on time, honest about bad news, generous with what you know.
Then make that behavior visible. Write what you actually do, teach what you have actually solved, and be specific enough that a competitor could not have written it.
Consistency does the rest. Say the same true thing for five years and people will hand you the category.
From experience
I never set out to be known for anything but doing what I said. The teaching, the writing, the speaking — all of it came later, and all of it worked only because the behavior was already there for people to confirm.
Common mistake
Building the image before the substance. The audience arrives, checks, and leaves louder than they came.
Do this next
- Step 1
Name the three words you want used about you when you are not in the room.
- Step 2
Identify one behavior for each and make it non-negotiable.
- Step 3
Publish one piece a month that only you could have written.
Questions
- Do you need social media?
- You need to be findable and consistent. The platform is a detail.
- How long does it take?
- Years. That is the barrier to entry, and it is also the protection.
By Robert T Fletcher