Photographers on Brand: Recent Episodes
Lyn Morton
Photography can be a rewarding and fulfilling business, but as you look around, you might notice so many other photographers in the same space as you. How in the world will you stand out? In Photographers on Brand podcast episodes, we discuss how photographers can create a personal brand that helps you tell your unique story, find your ideal clients, and sell with confidence.
A while back, if you listened to any radio station in the DC area, you’d hear a catchy jingle with this slogan, “if you can’t we can!”
Pop quiz. What are they selling? I won’t tell you the name of the business.
Here’s the point. You can’t tell the name of the business, the product they offer, or the benefit they are promoting. It’s just word salad.
The best positioning slogans remind customers who you are and the benefit of using your service. The same works for photographers. Part of differentiating yourself from your competition is in your positioning statement.
Listen to the podcast
Photographers on Brand Live!
Next month starting a monthly free webinar program on personal branding for photographers. I will be teaching mini workshops, interviewing photographers who are doing personal branding well, and bringing on other experts to help you with different parts of your branding and marketing. And it will all be free.
I’ll be announcing that in the next few weeks, but if you want to be on the list to get notified when it goes live, just go to bhotographersonbrand.com/live.
A while back, if you listened to any radio station in the DC area, you’d hear a catchy jingle with this slogan, “if you can’t we can!”
Pop quiz. What are they selling? I won’t tell you the name of the business.
Here’s the point. You can’t tell the name of the business, the product they offer, or the benefit they are promoting. It’s just word salad.
The best positioning slogans remind customers who you are and the benefit of using your service. The same works for photographers. Part of differentiating yourself from your competition is in your positioning statement.
Listen to the podcast
Photographers on Brand Live!
Next month starting a monthly free webinar program on personal branding for photographers. I will be teaching mini workshops, interviewing photographers who are doing personal branding well, and bringing on other experts to help you with different parts of your branding and marketing. And it will all be free.
I’ll be announcing that in the next few weeks, but if you want to be on the list to get notified when it goes live, just go to bhotographersonbrand.com/live.
Sarah never thought she was ready to go pro with her photography, and it seemed so obvious to me that she would be an amazing success.
We worked together in a communications department, and Sarah provided photography and video support for us. She was amazing and people from all over the city would specifically request her for their projects. And despite her success, she never felt confident enough to go out on her own.
I get it. Sometimes it is hard to see these things when you are so close to them.
When I taught photography, many amazingly talented photographers would timidly ask me how they would know when they were ready to go pro.
Of course, the answer is largely subjective, but there are some general guidelines you can keep in mind. Here are three questions that might provide you clues.
Listen to the podcast
Sarah never thought she was ready to go pro with her photography, and it seemed so obvious to me that she would be an amazing success.
We worked together in a communications department, and Sarah provided photography and video support for us. She was amazing and people from all over the city would specifically request her for their projects. And despite her success, she never felt confident enough to go out on her own.
I get it. Sometimes it is hard to see these things when you are so close to them.When I taught photography, many amazingly talented photographers would timidly ask me how they would know when they were ready to go pro.
Of course, the answer is largely subjective, but there are some general guidelines you can keep in mind. Here are three questions that might provide you clues.
Listen to the podcast
I love naming things — business, products, campaigns. I get a thrill out of coming up with a name that is clever and communicates the value proposition.
But when I decided to do a personal branding podcast, finding a name I liked stumped me.
I went back and forth. Should I use my own name or come up with something more descriptive. I couldn’t find a descriptive name I liked, so I went with my own name.
Have you ever wondered if there was any benefit or drawback to using your personal name as your brand?
Listen to the podcast
I love naming things — business, products, campaigns. I get a thrill out of coming up with a name that is clever and communicates the value proposition.
But when I decided to do a personal branding podcast, finding a name I liked stumped me.
I went back and forth. Should I use my own name or come up with something more descriptive. I couldn’t find a descriptive name I liked, so I went with my own name.
Have you ever wondered if there was any benefit or drawback to using your personal name as your brand?
Listen to the podcast
An update on the narrowing focus of this podcast and my other content.
I'm going to now start making content specifically for photographers.
Now, here's why that helps you as a photographer, because I have the opportunity now to be a lot more specific in the problems I address.
The cool thing is that everything I've done so far applies to photography and applies to photographers. And so now, in addition to that, we'll get to be more photographer specific. And when I say photographers, I'm going to be talking to professional photographers because I think you will be helped most by a personal branding approach.
Nothing else changes. I'll continue focusing on personal branding with all my lessons and tips, but I will give examples that are specific to professional photographers.
So that's the update. It's more of a narrowing. Dare I use of photography frame of reference and say a narrowing of the aperture.
Join me here for more personal branding for professional photographers.
An update on the narrowing focus of this podcast and my other content.I'm going to now start making content specifically for photographers.
Now, here's why that helps you as a photographer, because I have the opportunity now to be a lot more specific in the problems I address.
The cool thing is that everything I've done so far applies to photography and applies to photographers. And so now, in addition to that, we'll get to be more photographer specific. And when I say photographers, I'm going to be talking to professional photographers because I think you will be helped most by a personal branding approach.
Nothing else changes. I'll continue focusing on personal branding with all my lessons and tips, but I will give examples that are specific to professional photographers.
So that's the update. It's more of a narrowing. Dare I use of photography frame of reference and say a narrowing of the aperture.
Join me here for more personal branding for professional photographers.
You have completed your website or Instagram complete with your best, award-winning images and sent it out to the world to crickets. Or maybe you got lots of likes and hearts but no leads.
Attaboys and attagirls are cool when people are admiring your images, but you got into this business to serve customers, to help others create memories, and to make a profit.
What’s missing from your website to help visitors make the transition from admirers to buyers? In this episode, I’ll take you through the key steps every website must have to go from a fancy gallery to a sales machine.
Listen to the podcast
Can your website pass the 10-second test? Download the 10-Second Website Checklist and find out!
You have completed your website or Instagram complete with your best, award-winning images and sent it out to the world to crickets. Or maybe you got lots of likes and hearts but no leads.
Attaboys and attagirls are cool when people are admiring your images, but you got into this business to serve customers, to help others create memories, and to make a profit.
What’s missing from your website to help visitors make the transition from admirers to buyers? In this episode, I’ll take you through the key steps every website must have to go from a fancy gallery to a sales machine.
Listen to the podcast
Can your website pass the 10-second test? Download the 10-Second Website Checklist and find out!
“The right tool for the right job!” That’s what my Dad always counseled when he roped me into doing a carpentry project with him. The right tool can make a job so much easier. The wrong tool and you could be struggling.
I’ve found the same thing works for the tools I use to build my personal branding business. The wrong tool usually requires lots of extra steps to do basic tasks, looks unprofessional to your customers, and doesn’t work well with the other apps in your workflow. The right tool simplifies tasks, is easy to set up, and makes it easier to run your personal branding business.
I am in the process of migrating my business over to the Kajabi platform, and I can’t help but think that this is the perfect software to run your personal branding business. I’ll tell you what I mean in this episode.
Listen to the episode
Synopsis
Here’s how Kajabi works for personal branding.
Creating content that helps you define who you are and provide value?
- Kajabi can create your website, Blog & Podcast.
Beginning a relationship with the ones who choose to follow and interact with you?
- Kajabi can create landing pages.
Use email to nurture the relationship and build an interest in your products?
- Kajabi can create your email campaigns.
Creating an offer to provide your product or service that solves a problem for your customer?
- Kajabi allows you to create offers separately from the products.
Need to automate & scale the process?
- Kajabi creates automation pipelines — a series of automated tasks to build complex automations with one click.
Here are the reasons this works so much better than anything else.
- All the products work together seamlessly. In the past, I was always having to duct tape on one piece of the puzzle that didn’t quite integrate properly.
- Simple to set up and use. It uses the drag and drop interface that I prefer. It also has one-click pipelines to automate what should be complex tasks.
- The if/then automation is just that simple.
- It’s easy to tailor the site design to your taste.
- It provides a very professional presentation to your customers.
- They don’t take any of your profits.
When you strip down all the roles you would need any software to play in creating your personal brand, Kajabi is by far the best option to make that happen.
Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself!
Test drive Kajabi for 30 days to launch your personal branding business. Kajabi normally gives 14 days free to try their software. Use the link below to extend that time to 30 days.
Test Drive Kajabi for 30 Days!
Note: This is an affiliate link. If you use it, you won’t pay any more for Kajabi, but I will receive a small compensation for your membership.
If you sign up with my link, send me an email, and I will coach you during the 30 days to create your first product and offer it for sale on Kajabi. I want to try and help you use your business to pay for the Kajabi membership.
“The right tool for the right job!” That’s what my Dad always counseled when he roped me into doing a carpentry project with him. The right tool can make a job so much easier. The wrong tool and you could be struggling.
I’ve found the same thing works for the tools I use to build my personal branding business. The wrong tool usually requires lots of extra steps to do basic tasks, looks unprofessional to your customers, and doesn’t work well with the other apps in your workflow. The right tool simplifies tasks, is easy to set up, and makes it easier to run your personal branding business.
I am in the process of migrating my business over to the Kajabi platform, and I can’t help but think that this is the perfect software to run your personal branding business. I’ll tell you what I mean in this episode.
**Listen to the episode
Synopsis**Here’s how Kajabi works for personal branding.
Creating content that helps you define who you are and provide value?
- Kajabi can create your website, Blog & Podcast.
Beginning a relationship with the ones who choose to follow and interact with you?
- Kajabi can create landing pages.
Use email to nurture the relationship and build an interest in your products?
- Kajabi can create your email campaigns.
Creating an offer to provide your product or service that solves a problem for your customer?
- Kajabi allows you to create offers separately from the products.
Need to automate & scale the process?
- Kajabi creates automation pipelines — a series of automated tasks to build complex automations with one click.
Here are the reasons this works so much better than anything else.
- All the products work together seamlessly. In the past, I was always having to duct tape on one piece of the puzzle that didn’t quite integrate properly.
- Simple to set up and use. It uses the drag and drop interface that I prefer. It also has one-click pipelines to automate what should be complex tasks.
- The if/then automation is just that simple.
- It’s easy to tailor the site design to your taste.
- It provides a very professional presentation to your customers.
- They don’t take any of your profits.
When you strip down all the roles you would need any software to play in creating your personal brand, Kajabi is by far the best option to make that happen.
Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself!
Test drive Kajabi for 30 days to launch your personal branding business. Kajabi normally gives 14 days free to try their software. Use the link below to extend that time to 30 days.
Test Drive Kajabi for 30 Days!
Note: This is an affiliate link. If you use it, you won’t pay any more for Kajabi, but I will receive a small compensation for your membership.
If you sign up with my link, send me an email, and I will coach you during the 30 days to create your first product and offer it for sale on Kajabi. I want to try and help you use your business to pay for the Kajabi membership.
I had seen one too many — a beautiful photograph, so well executed, marred by a watermark that distracted from it. So back when I was teaching photography, I went on the record.
I told my tribe that I thought a beautiful photograph with a watermark on it was like buying a mansion and putting a pink flamingo on the front lawn. We could admire the beauty of the house, but we would always be distracted by the pink flamingo. Not everyone agreed with me. It didn’t matter. I was sharing my point of view.
Your point of view can be an effective way of differentiating yourself in a crowded marketplace.
This is the third installment in a three-part series that shares three things that you can use to differentiate yourself from everyone else.
- First, we talked about your values.
- Next we talked about your stories.
- And finally, today we will talk about your point of view.
With these three approaches, you will be on your way to differentiating yourself and your personal brand in a way that no one can effectively copy.
POV - the way your brand views the world and looks at specific situations. A well developed point of view gives your business personality, authenticity, and individuality. When customers relate to your point of view, they are more likely to be loyal to your brand.
Listen to the podcast
Are you making these 5 mistakes with your personal brand? Take the challenge and find out!
I had seen one too many — a beautiful photograph, so well executed, marred by a watermark that distracted from it. So back when I was teaching photography, I went on the record.
I told my tribe that I thought a beautiful photograph with a watermark on it was like buying a mansion and putting a pink flamingo on the front lawn. We could admire the beauty of the house, but we would always be distracted by the pink flamingo. Not everyone agreed with me. It didn’t matter. I was sharing my point of view.
Your point of view can be an effective way of differentiating yourself in a crowded marketplace.
This is the third installment in a three-part series that shares three things that you can use to differentiate yourself from everyone else.
- First, we talked about your values.
- Next we talked about your stories.
- And finally, today we will talk about your point of view.
With these three approaches, you will be on your way to differentiating yourself and your personal brand in a way that no one can effectively copy.
POV - the way your brand views the world and looks at specific situations. A well developed point of view gives your business personality, authenticity, and individuality. When customers relate to your point of view, they are more likely to be loyal to your brand.
Listen to the podcast
Are you making these 5 mistakes with your personal brand? Take the challenge and find out!
It started at a dinner party where I didn’t know anyone and my camera opened the door to my future calling. Remember I said that everyone needs a Why story? I’ll tell you three of mine today.
I am like a lot of people in that I pay attention to when I get confirmation on a big decision in several ways. Three different confirmations are enough for me to sit up and pay attention. This is what happened to me back in 2010 when I finally decided to start a business.
Listen to the podcast
It started at a dinner party where I didn’t know anyone and my camera opened the door to my future calling. Remember I said that everyone needs a Why story? I’ll tell you three of mine today.
I am like a lot of people in that I pay attention to when I get confirmation on a big decision in several ways. Three different confirmations are enough for me to sit up and pay attention. This is what happened to me back in 2010 when I finally decided to start a business.
Listen to the podcast
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Back in 1976, two college dropouts — both named Steve, set out to make computers that were small enough for people to use in their offices and homes.
They thought computers should be more user-friendly, so the two set out to create a computer from their garage. The computer was instantly popular and the company now sells in the billions. If you guessed Apple Inc, you are right. And that story of theirs has been swirling around for decades.
If you want to be remembered. If you want to be the go-to service for your tribe. If you want people to spread your name, you have to tell your story. With all other things being equal, a compelling story can tip the scales between you and a similar option.
Listen to the podcast
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Back in 1976, two college dropouts — both named Steve, set out to make computers that were small enough for people to use in their offices and homes.
They thought computers should be more user-friendly, so the two set out to create a computer from their garage. The computer was instantly popular and the company now sells in the billions. If you guessed Apple Inc, you are right. And that story of theirs has been swirling around for decades.
If you want to be remembered. If you want to be the go-to service for your tribe. If you want people to spread your name, you have to tell your story. With all other things being equal, a compelling story can tip the scales between you and a similar option.
Listen to the podcast
This week, I was all set to buy some gear from Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team, and I’m not a fan of Cleveland. To be honest, I barely even watch baseball. But I thought about plucking out my credit card and ordering a Cleveland jersey.
Why? Cleveland had just made a statement by changing the name of their mascot from the Indians to the Guardians. I wanted to make a statement by supporting that decision. In fact, I went on to make a statement on my Facebook page praising their decision.
“Congrats to Cleveland for changing the name and mascot of their MLB team. It's long overdue and good on them for doing it. Cleveland rocks!
It's shameful that some teams still carry mascots of Native American human beings.”
When you have many different creatives offering the same product, how do you differentiate yourself? One way would be to lead with your values.
Sharing your opinions and values on issues you believe in and care deeply about can help you cut through the clutter and speak to buyers whose values align with yours.
Here are three ways that you can lead with your values for your personal brand.
This week, I was all set to buy some gear from Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team, and I’m not a fan of Cleveland. To be honest, I barely even watch baseball. But I thought about plucking out my credit card and ordering a Cleveland jersey.
Why? Cleveland had just made a statement by changing the name of their mascot from the Indians to the Guardians. I wanted to make a statement by supporting that decision. In fact, I went on to make a statement on my Facebook page praising their decision.
“Congrats to Cleveland for changing the name and mascot of their MLB team. It's long overdue and good on them for doing it. Cleveland rocks!
It's shameful that some teams still carry mascots of Native American human beings.”
When you have many different creatives offering the same product, how do you differentiate yourself? One way would be to lead with your values.
Sharing your opinions and values on issues you believe in and care deeply about can help you cut through the clutter and speak to buyers whose values align with yours.
Here are three ways that you can lead with your values for your personal brand.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out that something was terribly wrong. I was in my office talking with a team member about one of our projects, when my boss’ boss stuck his head in the door.
“Hey Lyn, can I talk with you for a minute?”
“Sure!” I pop up and follow him out into the hallway.
“We need to go downstairs.” He said as he headed briskly toward the elevators.
None of this was out of the ordinary, but today something seemed off about him.
“Are you okay? You don’t look like you are feeling well,” I said.
He looked at me, shook his head and said, “this is not going to be a good day.”
And then he said nothing else.
Right then, I knew he was walking me into the gallows.
Listen to the podcast
Don't forget to download the Tech Whisperer for Creatives guide
It didn’t take long for me to figure out that something was terribly wrong. I was in my office talking with a team member about one of our projects, when my boss’ boss stuck his head in the door.
“Hey Lyn, can I talk with you for a minute?”
“Sure!” I pop up and follow him out into the hallway.
“We need to go downstairs.” He said as he headed briskly toward the elevators.
None of this was out of the ordinary, but today something seemed off about him.
“Are you okay? You don’t look like you are feeling well,” I said.
He looked at me, shook his head and said, “this is not going to be a good day.”
And then he said nothing else.
Right then, I knew he was walking me into the gallows.
Listen to the podcastDon't forget to download the Tech Whisperer for Creatives guide
By the time she was done with me, I was frustrated, defeated, and angry. I was offering my first weekend workshop in New Orleans, which was a considerably larger investment than my typical afternoon workshops.
One potential customer, we’ll call her Cathy, called to learn more about it. And for the next hour or so, she gave me every reason why she would not want to buy from me.
She told me I was not worth the price. She told me I was risky. She told me that she could do better. And of course, after all that, she hung up. I never heard from her again.
As I think back to that time frame and incident, it makes me think of one of the big mistakes we make as entrepreneurs — we work on building a business but not a brand. A business says you are technically and legally ready to sell a product. The brand gives customers a reason to choose you.
Now as we emerge the pandemic, there is even greater reason to build a business with a personal brand.
By the time she was done with me, I was frustrated, defeated, and angry. I was offering my first weekend workshop in New Orleans, which was a considerably larger investment than my typical afternoon workshops.
One potential customer, we’ll call her Cathy, called to learn more about it. And for the next hour or so, she gave me every reason why she would not want to buy from me.
She told me I was not worth the price. She told me I was risky. She told me that she could do better. And of course, after all that, she hung up. I never heard from her again.
As I think back to that time frame and incident, it makes me think of one of the big mistakes we make as entrepreneurs — we work on building a business but not a brand. A business says you are technically and legally ready to sell a product. The brand gives customers a reason to choose you.
Now as we emerge the pandemic, there is even greater reason to build a business with a personal brand.
I was reading in a local newspaper a couple months about one of the interesting trends to come out of the pandemic. A Harris Poll Survey conducted by USA Today found that 63% of workers who lost jobs because of the pandemic have changed their industry and 4% have changed their overall career path.
The article quoted Lauren Eyster, a senior fellow in the Income and Benefits Policy Center at the Urban Institute saying “people are shifting from full time employment to more entrepreneurial adventures because they have a passion and they have the skills. And now the pandemic gave the time to put that together. I’m sure that’s not an uncommon story.
It got me thinking of all the reasons someone might re-invent themselves. And how you would go about it. You might know that I have gone through the process a couple of times, so when I saw that article, I got it.
You might have always known you were meant for more. You might have always dreamed of running your own business and using one of your creative passions to serve clients you care about.
Now the big question is how do I make that happen? How do I create the life I want around the thing I was meant to do? And how do I find the clients that light me up inside? And ones who will appreciate me — and what I have to offer?
You can do that by launching a business built around a personal brand, and that’s what we will talk about in Season 3 of the Personal Branding with Lyn podcast.
I was reading in a local newspaper a couple months about one of the interesting trends to come out of the pandemic. A Harris Poll Survey conducted by USA Today found that 63% of workers who lost jobs because of the pandemic have changed their industry and 4% have changed their overall career path.
The article quoted Lauren Eyster, a senior fellow in the Income and Benefits Policy Center at the Urban Institute saying “people are shifting from full time employment to more entrepreneurial adventures because they have a passion and they have the skills. And now the pandemic gave the time to put that together. I’m sure that’s not an uncommon story.
It got me thinking of all the reasons someone might re-invent themselves. And how you would go about it. You might know that I have gone through the process a couple of times, so when I saw that article, I got it.
You might have always known you were meant for more. You might have always dreamed of running your own business and using one of your creative passions to serve clients you care about.
Now the big question is how do I make that happen? How do I create the life I want around the thing I was meant to do? And how do I find the clients that light me up inside? And ones who will appreciate me — and what I have to offer?
You can do that by launching a business built around a personal brand, and that’s what we will talk about in Season 3 of the Personal Branding with Lyn podcast.
I have an idea brewing in my head that I think can be great for you!
Here’s the backstory…
For several months, I’ve been getting private messages from people who have reached out with questions like “how do I get started with personal branding” or “how do I keep my branding consistent” or “how can you help me with my personal branding?”
And the more questions I got like this, the more my wheels began turning.
At first, I was going to build courses, but now I’m wondering if there might be a better way to help more people more efficiently.
I’d like to build a community where…
I can teach established principles of personal branding and marketing, and you can implement them in your business and see results!
A place where I can provide trusted feedback and advice on projects you are working on, so you know you are going down the right path.
I have an idea brewing in my head that I think can be great for you!
Here’s the backstory…
For several months, I’ve been getting private messages from people who have reached out with questions like “how do I get started with personal branding” or “how do I keep my branding consistent” or “how can you help me with my personal branding?”
And the more questions I got like this, the more my wheels began turning.
At first, I was going to build courses, but now I’m wondering if there might be a better way to help more people more efficiently.
I’d like to build a community where…
I can teach established principles of personal branding and marketing, and you can implement them in your business and see results!
A place where I can provide trusted feedback and advice on projects you are working on, so you know you are going down the right path.
You’re not for everyone…and that’s okay. That's the essence of personal branding.
I have a confession and a challenge. I haven’t always shown up for you the way I could. Here’s why.
You’re not for everyone…and that’s okay. That's the essence of personal branding.
I have a confession and a challenge. I haven’t always shown up for you the way I could. Here’s why.
He called me a copycat. And you know what? He was right! Check out my latest Personal Branding tip!
In Simon Sinek’s groundbreaking book, Start with Why, he introduced the idea that you should tap into your real reasons and motivations for your business. I realized that I started without why, so here I am going back.
Here’s why a PR guy turned photo coach turned Canon Live Learning team member now turns to personal branding. And more importantly, how does that in turn help you!
He called me a copycat. And you know what? He was right! Check out my latest Personal Branding tip!
In Simon Sinek’s groundbreaking book, Start with Why, he introduced the idea that you should tap into your real reasons and motivations for your business. I realized that I started without why, so here I am going back.
Here’s why a PR guy turned photo coach turned Canon Live Learning team member now turns to personal branding. And more importantly, how does that in turn help you!
A while back I was at a public relations conference where the keynote speaker was a White House press secretary. He was regaling us with tales of working the press corps, when he dropped a doozy that made everyone in the room double over with laughter. He said that it was easy to get press coverage. Just send out a news release, and the media will write about it.
In a room of professionals who try to get media coverage, we knew better. Maybe when you work in the White House, where everything is news, it’s easy to get coverage. For the rest of us, it will take a little work and persistence.
Listen to the podcast
A while back I was at a public relations conference where the keynote speaker was a White House press secretary. He was regaling us with tales of working the press corps, when he dropped a doozy that made everyone in the room double over with laughter. He said that it was easy to get press coverage. Just send out a news release, and the media will write about it.
In a room of professionals who try to get media coverage, we knew better. Maybe when you work in the White House, where everything is news, it’s easy to get coverage. For the rest of us, it will take a little work and persistence.
Listen to the podcast
When the phone started ringing, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Sure, I told them to call but already? Honestly, I was in a bit of disbelief.
Back in my photo coach days, I offered one-on-one coaching to help people work through specific problems. And I know a lot of people needed it because they’d pull me aside after a workshop and pepper me with questions. I created a product that would help them get just that, but nobody was buying it. I had a few bookings here or there, but nothing consistent with the need I thought I saw.
So on a whim, I created this video — why they called. I told the story of three different people who had booked me, why they called (the problem), and how we resolved it. I sent it out as a promo, and by the end of the day, four people called and booked. I continued that campaign and increased to a steady stream of one-on-one clients.
How do you create content that motivates your ideal customer to pick up the phone and call you? To take action on your promotion. To refer you to their friends and families? You create a content strategy — based on three elements:
- Be helpful.
- Wrap your helpfulness in stories.
- Keep your stories focused on the outcome you want.
Listen to the podcast.
When the phone started ringing, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Sure, I told them to call but already? Honestly, I was in a bit of disbelief.
Back in my photo coach days, I offered one-on-one coaching to help people work through specific problems. And I know a lot of people needed it because they’d pull me aside after a workshop and pepper me with questions. I created a product that would help them get just that, but nobody was buying it. I had a few bookings here or there, but nothing consistent with the need I thought I saw.
So on a whim, I created this video — why they called. I told the story of three different people who had booked me, why they called (the problem), and how we resolved it. I sent it out as a promo, and by the end of the day, four people called and booked. I continued that campaign and increased to a steady stream of one-on-one clients.
How do you create content that motivates your ideal customer to pick up the phone and call you? To take action on your promotion. To refer you to their friends and families? You create a content strategy — based on three elements:
- Be helpful.
- Wrap your helpfulness in stories.
- Keep your stories focused on the outcome you want.
Listen to the podcast.
If you have been listening to Season 2 of Personal Branding with Lyn, you no doubt noticed I missed the last two weeks. You might be wondering, Where’s Lyn been?
Well, I had some personal health issues that I had to focus my attention on. I had an emergency the weekend before last and was admitted to the hospital. That became fortunate because they found some other issues with my heart that needed to be addressed.
As a result, I’ve had a couple of procedures within the last week. I feel much better now, so If all goes as planned, I’ll be back to the podcast next week.
I ask for your patience as I get myself back to new-ish.
In the meantime, we covered a lot of ground in the first season of the podcast. Go to lynmorton.com/podcast and listen to any of the previous episodes.
If you have been listening to Season 2 of Personal Branding with Lyn, you no doubt noticed I missed the last two weeks. You might be wondering, Where’s Lyn been?
Well, I had some personal health issues that I had to focus my attention on. I had an emergency the weekend before last and was admitted to the hospital. That became fortunate because they found some other issues with my heart that needed to be addressed.
As a result, I’ve had a couple of procedures within the last week. I feel much better now, so If all goes as planned, I’ll be back to the podcast next week.
I ask for your patience as I get myself back to new-ish.
In the meantime, we covered a lot of ground in the first season of the podcast. Go to lynmorton.com/podcast and listen to any of the previous episodes.
I met a guy at a networking event who did marketing and sales for a boutique hotel in the city. He pitched me what I thought was a great idea. We would partner to offer photo tours to his guests when they came to town.
We spent a boatload of time and energy trying to promote it, but it never really worked. Years later, it occurred to me why. Most of his guests weren’t my customers. I was talking to the wrong people.
If you start to make any traction building your personal brand or online business, you will get lots of salespeople, consultants, and strategists pitching you their “great ideas” for advertising and marketing your business. If you aren’t clear of your ideal customer, they will waste lots of your time or worse your money.
In episode 004, Finding your ideal customer, we started discussing how you would identify your ideal customer. If you haven’t listened to it yet, that’s your homework.
If you are now planning how to acquire them, create value for them, or retain them, the best way to get the insights that will help you find your ideal customer and determine what they want, it’s best to go right to the source.
Listen to the podcast
I met a guy at a networking event who did marketing and sales for a boutique hotel in the city. He pitched me what I thought was a great idea. We would partner to offer photo tours to his guests when they came to town.
We spent a boatload of time and energy trying to promote it, but it never really worked. Years later, it occurred to me why. Most of his guests weren’t my customers. I was talking to the wrong people.
If you start to make any traction building your personal brand or online business, you will get lots of salespeople, consultants, and strategists pitching you their “great ideas” for advertising and marketing your business. If you aren’t clear of your ideal customer, they will waste lots of your time or worse your money.
In episode 004, Finding your ideal customer, we started discussing how you would identify your ideal customer. If you haven’t listened to it yet, that’s your homework.
If you are now planning how to acquire them, create value for them, or retain them, the best way to get the insights that will help you find your ideal customer and determine what they want, it’s best to go right to the source.
Listen to the podcast
By the time I got the call, the decision was made.
“Hey Lyn,” the caller began. “I am nearby in Virginia for a photo workshop, but I thought it would be good to come up and photograph DC while I am this close.
“I was just on your website, and I gotta tell you, it looks like you are the perfect person to show me around. I love the way you teach. I love your videos about the city, and I also love all the great reviews you have. Are you available this weekend?”
I hear business owners tell me from time to time that they don’t need a website. I’m here to tell you that you do.
You can’t have an effective personal brand or business without a website. Here are 10 reasons why.
Listen to the podcast
By the time I got the call, the decision was made.
“Hey Lyn,” the caller began. “I am nearby in Virginia for a photo workshop, but I thought it would be good to come up and photograph DC while I am this close.
“I was just on your website, and I gotta tell you, it looks like you are the perfect person to show me around. I love the way you teach. I love your videos about the city, and I also love all the great reviews you have. Are you available this weekend?”
I hear business owners tell me from time to time that they don’t need a website. I’m here to tell you that you do.
You can’t have an effective personal brand or business without a website. Here are 10 reasons why.
Listen to the podcast
Long before personal branding photography was a thing, I created a business to offer a similar kind of service, but I did not know how to talk about it.
“So... what do you do?” Someone would ask me at a networking function. I’d bumble and stumble through a long line of cliches and buzzwords. And in almost all cases, the person’s expression would glaze over, and then I’d get a puzzled frown. And then came the dismissive, “well, nice to meet you anyway.”
In any personal brand, few things are more important than the way you talk about your offer. It means the difference between "no thank you" or “tell me more!”
Your messaging can mean the difference between whether they click on your download or buy button or move on.
Long before personal branding photography was a thing, I created a business to offer a similar kind of service, but I did not know how to talk about it.
“So... what do you do?” Someone would ask me at a networking function. I’d bumble and stumble through a long line of cliches and buzzwords. And in almost all cases, the person’s expression would glaze over, and then I’d get a puzzled frown. And then came the dismissive, “well, nice to meet you anyway.”
In any personal brand, few things are more important than the way you talk about your offer. It means the difference between "no thank you" or “tell me more!”
Your messaging can mean the difference between whether they click on your download or buy button or move on.
In the 1984 classic, The Karate Kid (yes, I just said that), Mr. Miyagi begins his karate lessons by making Daniel wash all his cars with the wax on, wax off method.
Danny is annoyed that he thinks Mr. Miyagi is using him for cheap labor until he realizes that Wax on (large clockwise circles with his right hand) and wax off (large counter-clockwise circles with his left hand) are actually defense drills that he bakes into his muscle memory.
The point? Sometimes the foundational exercises are boring. Sometimes even tedious. But they are necessary for you to master your craft or even to create your personal brand.
Finding the authentic you
Personal branding is about authenticity. It’s about you. So to discover your ideal personal brand, there are questions you must first answer about yourself.
The more honest and authentic the better the foundation you create for your personal brand.
I’d suggest you start with some inventory questions then make the four key decisions.
Listen to the podcast
In the 1984 classic, The Karate Kid (yes, I just said that), Mr. Miyagi begins his karate lessons by making Daniel wash all his cars with the wax on, wax off method.
Danny is annoyed that he thinks Mr. Miyagi is using him for cheap labor until he realizes that Wax on (large clockwise circles with his right hand) and wax off (large counter-clockwise circles with his left hand) are actually defense drills that he bakes into his muscle memory.
The point? Sometimes the foundational exercises are boring. Sometimes even tedious. But they are necessary for you to master your craft or even to create your personal brand.
Finding the authentic you
Personal branding is about authenticity. It’s about you. So to discover your ideal personal brand, there are questions you must first answer about yourself.
The more honest and authentic the better the foundation you create for your personal brand.
I’d suggest you start with some inventory questions then make the four key decisions.
Listen to the podcast
It’s nine o clock on a Saturday. So begins one of the more famous mini-bios and personal branding examples.
If you are a fan of music from the 70s, you recognize that as the intro to Billy Joel’s iconic song, Piano Man. I was listening to the song recently and realized several personal branding lessons tucked into the verses.
The song is somewhat autobiographical. Billy Joel, who grew up on Long Island, signed a horrible record deal, so he moved out to LA to “hide for a while.”
Billy Joel says that he worked in a piano bar there for six months under the name Bill Martin because he needed to make some money. There he worked for union scale and tips.
Joel is a guy who went on to close down Shea Stadium and sell out a standing gig at Madison Square Garden.
But we meet him in a piano bar.
And in that piano bar, as the regular crowd shuffles in, we can learn how to use personal branding to make a good living.
Listen to the podcast
It’s nine o clock on a Saturday. So begins one of the more famous mini-bios and personal branding examples.
If you are a fan of music from the 70s, you recognize that as the intro to Billy Joel’s iconic song, Piano Man. I was listening to the song recently and realized several personal branding lessons tucked into the verses.
The song is somewhat autobiographical. Billy Joel, who grew up on Long Island, signed a horrible record deal, so he moved out to LA to “hide for a while.”
Billy Joel says that he worked in a piano bar there for six months under the name Bill Martin because he needed to make some money. There he worked for union scale and tips.
Joel is a guy who went on to close down Shea Stadium and sell out a standing gig at Madison Square Garden.
But we meet him in a piano bar.
And in that piano bar, as the regular crowd shuffles in, we can learn how to use personal branding to make a good living.
Listen to the podcast
What is personal branding? And other burning questions you had about personal brandsI met Fred for coffee and networking, and he asked a question that I hear a lot.
“Lyn, can you tell me why some photographers who seem to have average talent are always so busy, and others who have amazing talent just get crickets?”
Who hasn’t wondered that before? Heck, I have even asked myself.
For many, it’s personal branding
I’ve been swirling around creatives for almost 30 years, and I can tell you that the most successful ones — however they define their success — have great personal brands.
In some cases, they work on their brands deliberatively. Some do it intuitively. They don’t know that what they are doing has a name; it just makes sense to them.
But make no mistake, a compelling personal brand is usually at work.
Your personal branding questions answered
To help us unpack this phenomenon, in this episode, we will answer some of the more common and burning questions around this topic:
- What is personal branding?
- Who should build a personal brand?
- Why Is Creating A Personal Brand Important?
- What steps should I take to start building my personal brand?
I’d also love to answer any questions you might still have about personal branding. Please send them to me at lyn@lynmorton.com or @personalbrandingwithlyn on IG or FB.
Are you struggling wondering what to do next with your personal branding?
The Personal Branding Blueprint is an ebook checklist that's an action plan. You have 19 essential tasks you need to accomplish to build your personal brand. Use this checklist to complete them at your own pace and attract more of your ideal customers.
Download it free at http://personalbrandingchecklist.co/.
What is personal branding? And other burning questions you had about personal brandsI met Fred for coffee and networking, and he asked a question that I hear a lot.
“Lyn, can you tell me why some photographers who seem to have average talent are always so busy, and others who have amazing talent just get crickets?”
Who hasn’t wondered that before? Heck, I have even asked myself.
For many, it’s personal branding
I’ve been swirling around creatives for almost 30 years, and I can tell you that the most successful ones — however they define their success — have great personal brands.
In some cases, they work on their brands deliberatively. Some do it intuitively. They don’t know that what they are doing has a name; it just makes sense to them.
But make no mistake, a compelling personal brand is usually at work.
Your personal branding questions answered
To help us unpack this phenomenon, in this episode, we will answer some of the more common and burning questions around this topic:
- What is personal branding?
- Who should build a personal brand?
- Why Is Creating A Personal Brand Important?
- What steps should I take to start building my personal brand?
I’d also love to answer any questions you might still have about personal branding. Please send them to me at lyn@lynmorton.com or @personalbrandingwithlyn on IG or FB.
Are you struggling wondering what to do next with your personal branding?
The Personal Branding Blueprint is an ebook checklist that's an action plan. You have 19 essential tasks you need to accomplish to build your personal brand. Use this checklist to complete them at your own pace and attract more of your ideal customers.
Download it free at http://personalbrandingchecklist.co/.
In Personal Branding with Lyn Season 2, I will share some of the advice I wished I had when I first started my creative business ten years ago. We will talk about creating my personal brand and the role it played in my business.
I remember that after being in corporate communications, where I was primarily a department level leader, I decided to go solo.
As a new business owner, I was going into a role where I was responsible for everything. I was concerned that I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so I hired a business coach. He was a real smart guy, but it became obvious his experience was in brick and mortar retail business. We were missing the unique nature of creative businesses.
Over the next ten years, I made every mistake possible but learned the real key performance indicators of creative businesses along the way. It was a good complement to my in-house days.
During my 20 years in Corporate Communications, I’ve hired tons of creatives — photographers, writers, graphic designers, videographers, and more. On my side hustle, I was hired as a creative — as a writer, photographer, designer, and more. These days, I know creative business life from 360 degrees.
One of the things I learned is the most important thing you can do for your creative business is to build your personal brand.
And that’s the mission of this podcast and season 2. We will learn how to use a personal brand to help us launch and propel our creative business.
I have designed Season 2 to be like a full course. Each week, I will share a lesson that takes you along the pathway of creating a personal brand for your creative business.
I’m planning to release a new episode every Monday beginning Jan. 11. You can make sure you don’t miss an episode by subscribing to lynmorton.com/podcast. You can also subscribe to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and every other place you find podcasts.
In Personal Branding with Lyn Season 2, I will share some of the advice I wished I had when I first started my creative business ten years ago. We will talk about creating my personal brand and the role it played in my business.
I remember that after being in corporate communications, where I was primarily a department level leader, I decided to go solo.
As a new business owner, I was going into a role where I was responsible for everything. I was concerned that I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so I hired a business coach. He was a real smart guy, but it became obvious his experience was in brick and mortar retail business. We were missing the unique nature of creative businesses.
Over the next ten years, I made every mistake possible but learned the real key performance indicators of creative businesses along the way. It was a good complement to my in-house days.
During my 20 years in Corporate Communications, I’ve hired tons of creatives — photographers, writers, graphic designers, videographers, and more. On my side hustle, I was hired as a creative — as a writer, photographer, designer, and more. These days, I know creative business life from 360 degrees.
One of the things I learned is the most important thing you can do for your creative business is to build your personal brand.
And that’s the mission of this podcast and season 2. We will learn how to use a personal brand to help us launch and propel our creative business.
I have designed Season 2 to be like a full course. Each week, I will share a lesson that takes you along the pathway of creating a personal brand for your creative business.
I’m planning to release a new episode every Monday beginning Jan. 11. You can make sure you don’t miss an episode by subscribing to lynmorton.com/podcast. You can also subscribe to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and every other place you find podcasts.
Imagine it is 2021 or sometime in the future when we have emerged from the whole COVID-19 crisis. Businesses have re-opened and life has resumed as normal.
How will your personal brand be different, or improved, from the experience? That’s a great question to address now, and one great way to prepare for your transformation is by doing an audit of your brand.
If you’ve come into some downtime as a result of the pandemic, use some of that time to plan, prune and plant for the harvest after Coronavirus.
Listen to the podcast
Imagine it is 2021 or sometime in the future when we have emerged from the whole COVID-19 crisis. Businesses have re-opened and life has resumed as normal.
How will your personal brand be different, or improved, from the experience? That’s a great question to address now, and one great way to prepare for your transformation is by doing an audit of your brand.
If you’ve come into some downtime as a result of the pandemic, use some of that time to plan, prune and plant for the harvest after Coronavirus.
Listen to the podcast
Everything we do contributes to or detracts from our personal brand.
That’s even more important as we all try to navigate the new normals of this global pandemic. All around us, people are telling tales of selflessness and heroism. They are also sharing experiences of pettiness and greed. Which column are people putting you? At the end of this crisis, how will most people describe your brand?
Listen to the podcast
Everything we do contributes to or detracts from our personal brand.
That’s even more important as we all try to navigate the new normals of this global pandemic. All around us, people are telling tales of selflessness and heroism. They are also sharing experiences of pettiness and greed. Which column are people putting you? At the end of this crisis, how will most people describe your brand?
Listen to the podcast
This episode is the audio version of a video I released. you can find the original here: https://www.lynmorton.com/blog/marketing-during-coronavirus
My wife asked me the other day about an idea to talk about Coronvirus with her business.
Wanting to be a supportive husband, I said “sure. Go for it!”
But then the communicator in me started thinking about it more closely. What are the good ways to do marketing and communications in this age of Coronavirus? Let’s talk about that.
This episode is the audio version of a video I released. you can find the original here: https://www.lynmorton.com/blog/marketing-during-coronavirus
My wife asked me the other day about an idea to talk about Coronvirus with her business.
Wanting to be a supportive husband, I said “sure. Go for it!”
But then the communicator in me started thinking about it more closely. What are the good ways to do marketing and communications in this age of Coronavirus? Let’s talk about that.
In today’s episode, we confront the internal and external voices that rob us of the opportunity to do our best work. We identify them and provide strategies to deal with them.
If you’ve ever dreamed of doing something significant, this podcast is for you. You want to start a business, have a show, or lead a movement? The voices of fear and doubt will try to derail you. Silence the inner critic and create.
Listen to the podcast.
This episode is a rebroadcast of a webinar I did several years ago for my photography group. It was one of my Free Photo Webinars series. View the slides I used on the show notes page here: www.lynmorton.com/blog/017-silencing-your-inner-critic.
In today’s episode, we confront the internal and external voices that rob us of the opportunity to do our best work. We identify them and provide strategies to deal with them.
If you’ve ever dreamed of doing something significant, this podcast is for you. You want to start a business, have a show, or lead a movement? The voices of fear and doubt will try to derail you. Silence the inner critic and create.
Listen to the podcast.
This episode is a rebroadcast of a webinar I did several years ago for my photography group. It was one of my Free Photo Webinars series. View the slides I used on the show notes page here: www.lynmorton.com/blog/017-silencing-your-inner-critic.
Back in 199something — during the early days of the web — I asked a friend who owned an ad agency how I could create my website. He flashed a salesman’s smile and said, “It’s so easy, Lynford.” “All you have to do is get a designer to create your design for you. Then you need to find a developer to turn that design into a web template. Then you add all of your content. Then you need to find someone who will maintain it for you.” But what if I want to do it myself? “If you can do all of that yourself, then good luck,” he shrugged. That was then. These days it’s so much simpler to create a website. And when you use a platform like Squarespace, creating a website can be so simple. Here’s why I use Squarespace and think it is one of the best options for creating and maintaining a website.
These days it’s so much simpler to create a website. And when you use a platform like Squarespace, creating a website can be so simple. Here’s why I use Squarespace and think it is one of the best options for creating and maintaining a website.
Why Squarespace? * Remember, I said you need a website? * A website is one of the four pillars of personal branding we discussed in episode 02. * You might be wondering how you get started with a website. * I use a platform called Squarespace. In fact, I’ve been using them for the last 10 years. * Squarespace is an online tool for building and publishing websites. Squarespace uses pre-built website templates and drag-and-drop elements to create webpages. * But it wasn’t always that easy. * In the old days, I created websites from scratch using Adobe Dreamweaver. Back then, you did a lot of designing and coding — page by page, unless you knew a language called CSS or cascading style sheet. * Since then, I’ve tried Wix, Weebly, Wordpress.com & Wordpress.org. I used the blogging platform, Blogger from Google. I tried Apple’s then website maker product. There was one that was native to Apple computers. * It wasn’t until I stumbled onto Squarespace about 10 years ago that I knew I was home. I found it to be the simplest, most intuitive, and complete solution. * I had just spent my entire weekend and then some trying to get my site up in Wordpress because that’s where all the cool kids said you need to host it. * I downloaded plugins and bought themes and clunked around them with no discernible process. * In sheer frustration, I Googled to see if there were any simpler options, and Squarespace popped up. I logged on and had a decent site up in a couple of hours. It was too easy and looked the way I wanted it to look, with drag and drop simplicity. * We’ve grown together over the years. Squarespace has added lots of features and upgraded its platform a few more times. Now I wouldn’t use anything else. * Here are some reasons it’s worth a look.
What I like * Beautiful, professionally designed templates. It is easy to have a website that looks like a professional designer did it, even if you don’t know a lick of code. * A modular system makes it not only easy to make them look good but hard to mess up. * Everything you need is built in. You know it’s there, and you know it works. * Unsplash Images + thousands of web fonts * Mobile-ready, fully responsive - out the box. No resizing all your images yourself or making any adjustments to load AMP. Squarespace takes care of all of that behind the scenes. Just upload your image, and you’re done.
+ Blogging options are superb. This is where it shines. You can create so many different options for your blogging/podcasting platform (CMS). You can even add more than one blog to your site if you choose. Multiple blogs give you lots of layout & design options, even if you don’t use them as a traditional blog.
- SEO - Squarespace makes it very easy to create more searchable pages. The platform tells you exactly what to do to make your content more searchable by Google.
- Built-in marketing features — Announcement bar, pop up email, newsletter blocks
- Support — Chat and email very responsive. Tons of help videos to do everything imaginable.
-
They also offer complementary services
- Logo design
- Email marketing
- Creating social stories
- Scheduling
- Website analytics
- Memberships
- Commerce - You can sell any product or service. Even offer free downloads.
-
Mobile apps
-
Squarespace - manage your website
- Analytics
- Commerce
- 14-day trial, no credit card required
-
Built for
-
Small to mid-sized businesses
- Photographers
- Bloggers
- Artists
- Restaurants
- Musicians
- Weddings
- Students
What I don’t like * Not easy to export a blog to another Squarespace site * No staging site. Everything publishes as you create.
+ (Update 4/22/21) - The new Squarespace 7.1 now lets you save and publish separately. This is no longer an issue after you upgrade.
- Can’t create pretty link URLs
Back in 199something — during the early days of the web — I asked a friend who owned an ad agency how I could create my website.
He flashed a salesman’s smile and said, “It’s so easy, Lynford.”
“All you have to do is get a designer to create your design for you. Then you need to find a developer to turn that design into a web template. Then you add all of your content. Then you need to find someone who will maintain it for you.”
But what if I want to do it myself?
“If you can do all of that yourself, then good luck,” he shrugged.
That was then.
These days it’s so much simpler to create a website. And when you use a platform like Squarespace, creating a website can be so simple. Here’s why I use Squarespace and think it is one of the best options for creating and maintaining a website.
We know that consistency fuels the engine of a brand’s success, but how do you ensure that consistency when you have to work with new employees, vendors, or freelancers?
Creating a brand style guide can help us ensure consistency.
As a marketing professional, when you join a new organization, one of the things they first give you is their brand style guidelines. This style guide is the bible for everything you publish and create for them.
In one company, on my first day at work it arrived on my desk in a three-ring binder, about three inches thick.
Fortunately for us entrepreneurs and creatives, we can create a document that is just as helpful but not quite as voluminous.
We know that consistency fuels the engine of a brand’s success, but how do you ensure that consistency when you have to work with new employees, vendors, or freelancers?
Creating a brand style guide can help us ensure consistency.
As a marketing professional, when you join a new organization, one of the things they first give you is their brand style guidelines. This style guide is the bible for everything you publish and create for them.
In one company, on my first day at work it arrived on my desk in a three-ring binder, about three inches thick.
Fortunately for us entrepreneurs and creatives, we can create a document that is just as helpful but not quite as voluminous.
There is a sermon I find myself preaching to any new business owner or creative I meet. Like any evangelist, I offer the sermon whether you asked for it or not because I believe so deeply in its truth. I also believe this small action can have one of the biggest impacts on your business or creative endeavor.
It’s the sermon that says you need an email list for you business, and if you don’t have one, you should start it today.
Buckle up. Here it comes again.
How can you keep in touch with hundreds or thousands of your closest friends and customers efficiently, while nurturing the relationship in the process? You have to create an email list.
Listen to the podcast.
Take the 5-Day Challenge
Take the video series & 5-day Challenge designed to not only help you discover where you might be going wrong, but arm you with the tools & information to get back on track.
Enroll for free
Hi there, I am glad to be back again. This is a short promo to let you know I’m still here and give you an update on a few things I have coming down the pike.
Last week I finished up another free resource. I tell you all about it in this episode.
Take the video series & 5-day Challenge designed to not only help you discover where you might be going wrong, but arm you with the tools & information to get back on track.
Enroll for free here:
5 Mistakes that could be killing your brand
There is a sermon I find myself preaching to any new business owner or creative I meet. Like any evangelist, I offer the sermon whether you asked for it or not because I believe so deeply in its truth. I also believe this small action can have one of the biggest impacts on your business or creative endeavor.
It’s the sermon that says you need an email list for you business, and if you don’t have one, you should start it today.
Buckle up. Here it comes again.
How can you keep in touch with hundreds or thousands of your closest friends and customers efficiently, while nurturing the relationship in the process? You have to create an email list.
Listen to the podcast.
Take the 5-Day Challenge
Take the video series & 5-day Challenge designed to not only help you discover where you might be going wrong, but arm you with the tools & information to get back on track.
Enroll for free
Hi there, I am glad to be back again. This is a short promo to let you know I’m still here and give you an update on a few things I have coming down the pike.
Last week I finished up another free resource. I tell you all about it in this episode.
Take the video series & 5-day Challenge designed to not only help you discover where you might be going wrong, but arm you with the tools & information to get back on track.
Enroll for free here:
5 Mistakes that could be killing your brand
By the time I hung up the phone with her, I was fed up, frustrated, and exhausted. I'd spent 30 minutes trying to convince her to business with me, and it went nowhere. Worse, it descended into what was almost adversarial. Quickly.
How did I end up there? Once I had time to regroup and think about the experience, I came to the premise of today's show. When you encounter someone who needs your product and has the ability to buy it, but they choose not to....they are telling you one of three things.
But what do they have to do with personal branding? Let me tell you a story.
By the time I hung up the phone with her, I was fed up, frustrated, and exhausted. I'd spent 30 minutes trying to convince her to business with me, and it went nowhere. Worse, it descended into what was almost adversarial. Quickly.
How did I end up there? Once I had time to regroup and think about the experience, I came to the premise of today's show. When you encounter someone who needs your product and has the ability to buy it, but they choose not to....they are telling you one of three things.
But what do they have to do with personal branding? Let me tell you a story.
Have you ever arrived at a website, and after a few minutes of looking around, couldn't figure out the point of the site and just clicked away? We know that happens far too frequently. We only hope it doesn't happen to our sites.
When most people find your website, they have at least three questions in their minds. If you can answer those questions upfront, you have a better chance of having them spend some productive time with you. This audio is the first part of a two-part video where I discuss the three questions, and then we look at three websites that execute on this concept well.
You can see the videos here: https://www.lynmorton.com/blog/yourwebsite
Have you ever arrived at a website, and after a few minutes of looking around, couldn't figure out the point of the site and just clicked away? We know that happens far too frequently. We only hope it doesn't happen to our sites.
When most people find your website, they have at least three questions in their minds. If you can answer those questions upfront, you have a better chance of having them spend some productive time with you. This audio is the first part of a two-part video where I discuss the three questions, and then we look at three websites that execute on this concept well.
You can see the videos here: https://www.lynmorton.com/blog/yourwebsite
If you ever stared at an empty screen and wondered what content you would create or post to social, the tool that is missing from your life is an editorial calendar.
What is an editorial calendar?
- An editorial calendar allows you to plan and schedule your content ahead of time so you can keep in sync with your products and promotions, reference important holidays, or keep consistent themes.
- In a word, it helps you to be more strategic. There is no greater sin that to promote randomly, and this tool helps you always ensure that all your efforts are aligned and working.
Why would you need an editorial calendar and how is it helpful?
Listen to the podcast
If you ever stared at an empty screen and wondered what content you would create or post to social, the tool that is missing from your life is an editorial calendar.
What is an editorial calendar?
- An editorial calendar allows you to plan and schedule your content ahead of time so you can keep in sync with your products and promotions, reference important holidays, or keep consistent themes.
- In a word, it helps you to be more strategic. There is no greater sin that to promote randomly, and this tool helps you always ensure that all your efforts are aligned and working.
Why would you need an editorial calendar and how is it helpful?
Listen to the podcast
“That sounds great,” will you send me a proposal?
I paused and let sink in what should have been a cause for celebration.
“Sure thing. I’ll send it right over.
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this gig. I had been approached by the friend of a colleague to do some marketing consulting. It was flattering to be asked, and I thought it could be a decent revenue stream. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it.
There were some red flags about the industry, with which I wasn’t very familiar. It also sounded like I would have to do some educating on my approach, which included regular content creation. I wasn’t sure how that would go over.
I pitched it anyway and got the contract. Great.
I contrasted that with another client where I knew I was in sync. I understood his business - the challenges and opportunities. We were also in sync on how we would work together. It got me excited to support this client and work with him on his business.
It made me wonder -- how do I get more of the clients that I connect with and avoid the ones where there is a gap?
Believe it or not, that’s where having a niche can be helpful.
If you feel misaligned with your business, the work you are doing, or the people you serve, you might need to narrow or adjust your niche.
“That sounds great,” will you send me a proposal?
I paused and let sink in what should have been a cause for celebration.
“Sure thing. I’ll send it right over.
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this gig. I had been approached by the friend of a colleague to do some marketing consulting. It was flattering to be asked, and I thought it could be a decent revenue stream. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it.
There were some red flags about the industry, with which I wasn’t very familiar. It also sounded like I would have to do some educating on my approach, which included regular content creation. I wasn’t sure how that would go over.
I pitched it anyway and got the contract. Great.
I contrasted that with another client where I knew I was in sync. I understood his business - the challenges and opportunities. We were also in sync on how we would work together. It got me excited to support this client and work with him on his business.
It made me wonder -- how do I get more of the clients that I connect with and avoid the ones where there is a gap?
Believe it or not, that’s where having a niche can be helpful.
If you feel misaligned with your business, the work you are doing, or the people you serve, you might need to narrow or adjust your niche.
She said I was only making more work for her, and that was not the feedback I was expecting.
Several years ago, after reviewing the results of a listener survey, I was surprised to see that eight of 10 listeners did not have a photoblog to share their images. I decided that this needed to be addressed and recorded a series of episodes designed to convince them that they needed blogs. They needed to be creating and sharing content that attracted their ideal followers.
A fair number took me up on my challenge and launched their photo blogs, as I suggested. I ran across one and asked how it was going?
“I created the blog just like you said, and I realized that you just created more work for me. Now I don’t know what to put on it!”
Creating content can seem like a daunting challenge, but when you do it correctly, it’s just as if you are talking or sharing with the people who follow you. The conversations should flow that naturally.
Here are some ideas.
She said I was only making more work for her, and that was not the feedback I was expecting.
Several years ago, after reviewing the results of a listener survey, I was surprised to see that eight of 10 listeners did not have a photoblog to share their images. I decided that this needed to be addressed and recorded a series of episodes designed to convince them that they needed blogs. They needed to be creating and sharing content that attracted their ideal followers.
A fair number took me up on my challenge and launched their photo blogs, as I suggested. I ran across one and asked how it was going?
“I created the blog just like you said, and I realized that you just created more work for me. Now I don’t know what to put on it!”
Creating content can seem like a daunting challenge, but when you do it correctly, it’s just as if you are talking or sharing with the people who follow you. The conversations should flow that naturally.
Here are some ideas.
Let’s imagine it is December 2020, you are closing in on a good year. Your calendar is full with your ideal clients, with a waiting list of others who want an audience with you. Your products launched and sold in record amounts, and you are being requested to speak as an industry expert. You have exceeded your goals, and now you must decide what to pursue next.
What if that could happen for you? Why wouldn’t it?
If it did, the first step would be to set the right goals for your personal brand.
As you set your plans for 2020, consider these four personal branding goals.
Listen to the podcast
Let’s imagine it is December 2020, you are closing in on a good year. Your calendar is full with your ideal clients, with a waiting list of others who want an audience with you. Your products launched and sold in record amounts, and you are being requested to speak as an industry expert. You have exceeded your goals, and now you must decide what to pursue next.
What if that could happen for you? Why wouldn’t it?
If it did, the first step would be to set the right goals for your personal brand.
As you set your plans for 2020, consider these four personal branding goals.
Listen to the podcast
On one of my European trips, I saw the name of a business, called Azure, and I thought it was so cool. I was smitten. Now, the word means blue in English, but I came home and named my non-blue photography business based on that clever word — Studio Azure.
Then came the point when I took it to market. Nobody, not even me, knew how to pronounce it. Nobody could remember it. Folks would frown and say, Studio what?! It turned out being a horrible decision.
At that point, I remember some advice my little sister gave me. Name your business something that tells people what you do, unless you have millions of dollars to run ads that educate your customers.
That’s a message that should serve us well as we name our businesses and products. When it comes to names, clear is much better than clever.
Be simple in these five areas.
Listen to the podcast
On one of my European trips, I saw the name of a business, called Azure, and I thought it was so cool. I was smitten. Now, the word means blue in English, but I came home and named my non-blue photography business based on that clever word — Studio Azure.
Then came the point when I took it to market. Nobody, not even me, knew how to pronounce it. Nobody could remember it. Folks would frown and say, Studio what?! It turned out being a horrible decision.
At that point, I remember some advice my little sister gave me. Name your business something that tells people what you do, unless you have millions of dollars to run ads that educate your customers.
That’s a message that should serve us well as we name our businesses and products. When it comes to names, clear is much better than clever.
Be simple in these five areas.
Listen to the podcast
Whether you are a photography beginner or you've been shooting long enough to have developed your consistent style, here's something that might not know. You are just a few steps away from being a brand.
I don't mean a brand like Oprah. Let's not go crazy. I do mean a brand as in people recognize your photography, eagerly await the release of your next images, and support your projects and businesses.
That kind of brand is realistic and much more attainable than you might realize. I'm going to give you the blueprint. It's the same one used by photographers you know and follow.
In this replay, I'll show you how it works for them and how it can work for you. Here is a simple blueprint you follow for your journey.
Whether you are a photography beginner or you've been shooting long enough to have developed your consistent style, here's something that might not know. You are just a few steps away from being a brand.
I don't mean a brand like Oprah. Let's not go crazy. I do mean a brand as in people recognize your photography, eagerly await the release of your next images, and support your projects and businesses.
That kind of brand is realistic and much more attainable than you might realize. I'm going to give you the blueprint. It's the same one used by photographers you know and follow.
In this replay, I'll show you how it works for them and how it can work for you. Here is a simple blueprint you follow for your journey.
“If you’re a real estate agent or broker, you can significantly grow your leads, sales, and overall business by implementing one key marketing strategy:
Building a personal brand.”
Those are the words of marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk to the Agent2021 Conference. As Gary Vee knows, having a strong personal brand can often be the difference between chasing clients and having them come to you.
“Focus on building your personal and distributing your content across social platforms. That way, when people think about buying a home in a particular area, they think of you.
That’s how you differentiate,” he says.
Here are nine reasons real estate agents should invest in personal branding.
Listen to the podcast
“If you’re a real estate agent or broker, you can significantly grow your leads, sales, and overall business by implementing one key marketing strategy:
Building a personal brand.”
Those are the words of marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk to the Agent2021 Conference. As Gary Vee knows, having a strong personal brand can often be the difference between chasing clients and having them come to you.
“Focus on building your personal and distributing your content across social platforms. That way, when people think about buying a home in a particular area, they think of you.
That’s how you differentiate,” he says.
Here are nine reasons real estate agents should invest in personal branding.
Listen to the podcast
My cousins and I have a running text chain that we’ve kept open for about four years now. There are five of us, and we talk about everything, from sports to life.
One morning, one of my cousins shared this quote that has stuck with me. I thought we’d use it for today.
"This has been in my mind the past couple of days...
Show me somebody who is truly GREAT at what they do, and I'll show you someone who really cares about THE WORK. Notice I didn't say he or she really cares about the rewards, the fame, the money, the treasure, etc. - no, they really care about THE WORK.
If you really care about what you do, go and be great. If you don't, think about whether it's time to find something you really do care about."
Listen to the podcast
My cousins and I have a running text chain that we’ve kept open for about four years now. There are five of us, and we talk about everything, from sports to life.
One morning, one of my cousins shared this quote that has stuck with me. I thought we’d use it for today.
"This has been in my mind the past couple of days...
Show me somebody who is truly GREAT at what they do, and I'll show you someone who really cares about THE WORK. Notice I didn't say he or she really cares about the rewards, the fame, the money, the treasure, etc. - no, they really care about THE WORK.
If you really care about what you do, go and be great. If you don't, think about whether it's time to find something you really do care about."
Listen to the podcast
Let’s assume you are relationship eligible, and you meet someone who piques your interest. You have great conversation, feel a connection, and think this might be promising.
You don’t hear from this person for a couple of weeks, and then they text you a casual one-liner.
Maybe a month later, you see them again, and they begin professing their love and asking you to commit. What do you tell them?
I’d say they made the one big mistake many of us make with our brands and businesses — randomness.
As irritating as a random romantic interest might be, it can have a worse effect on business prospects — they simply tune us out or worse, forget us.
Listen to the podcast
Let’s assume you are relationship eligible, and you meet someone who piques your interest. You have great conversation, feel a connection, and think this might be promising.
You don’t hear from this person for a couple of weeks, and then they text you a casual one-liner.
Maybe a month later, you see them again, and they begin professing their love and asking you to commit. What do you tell them?
I’d say they made the one big mistake many of us make with our brands and businesses — randomness.
As irritating as a random romantic interest might be, it can have a worse effect on business prospects — they simply tune us out or worse, forget us.
Listen to the podcast
In 1997, shortly after Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he realized the company was in much worse shape than he had thought.
He needed to do something to speak to his Apple faithful and invite new users into the fold. At that point, Apple had been a mainstay in creative circles, a small portion of the overall market.
With his advertising team, they created this manifesto to the Apple tribe - Here’s to the crazy ones, speaking to what was unique and quirky among their users.
When you understand who your customers are, you can speak in a way the resonates with just them. You can create your own manifesto, and it will be as if you are reaching through the clutter, tapping them on the shoulder, and inviting them to come along on your journey.
In our last episode, we discussed what do you want to be know for?
Today’s question takes your branding a step further. Who do you want to be known to?
Listen to the podcast
In 1997, shortly after Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he realized the company was in much worse shape than he had thought.
He needed to do something to speak to his Apple faithful and invite new users into the fold. At that point, Apple had been a mainstay in creative circles, a small portion of the overall market.
With his advertising team, they created this manifesto to the Apple tribe - Here’s to the crazy ones, speaking to what was unique and quirky among their users.
When you understand who your customers are, you can speak in a way the resonates with just them. You can create your own manifesto, and it will be as if you are reaching through the clutter, tapping them on the shoulder, and inviting them to come along on your journey.
In our last episode, we discussed what do you want to be know for?
Today’s question takes your branding a step further. Who do you want to be known to?
Listen to the podcast
Five years ago, as the new guy in town, I had to go about replacing all the vendors I had known and loved in the DC area. One person I thought would be particularly challenging — my barber. It’s always tough to find a good barber when you are new in town. You don’t want to do too much experimenting.
Standing outside my house fretting, I noticed the mailman headed my way.
“Hey man, I have a strange question for you,” I said as I approached him. “I’m new here, and I need to find a barber who can cut my hair. Do you know any?’
He chuckled. “That is a strange question.
“I go see Troy at Community Barbershop. It’s on Belmont - in Paterson.”
I was thinking about Troy this week as I pondered the topic, “What do you want to be known for?”
Troy was known for towns away for his trade and skill as a barber.
What do you want to be known for is often a tough question for many entrepreneurs or creatives to answer, but the answer often reveals itself when someone asks for a referral.
Listen to the podcast
Five years ago, as the new guy in town, I had to go about replacing all the vendors I had known and loved in the DC area. One person I thought would be particularly challenging — my barber. It’s always tough to find a good barber when you are new in town. You don’t want to do too much experimenting.
Standing outside my house fretting, I noticed the mailman headed my way.
“Hey man, I have a strange question for you,” I said as I approached him. “I’m new here, and I need to find a barber who can cut my hair. Do you know any?’
He chuckled. “That is a strange question.
“I go see Troy at Community Barbershop. It’s on Belmont - in Paterson.”
I was thinking about Troy this week as I pondered the topic, “What do you want to be known for?”
Troy was known for towns away for his trade and skill as a barber.
What do you want to be known for is often a tough question for many entrepreneurs or creatives to answer, but the answer often reveals itself when someone asks for a referral.
Listen to the podcast
If you are trying to establish yourself as a personal brand, there are four elements that you should use. These pillars will help you best cultivate your public persona, create authority, and start the engagement that leads to growth.
Not having one or two of these pillars won’t be a death sentence, but think of it as you would your food groups. You don’t have to eat your vegetables, or you might get away with overloading on carbs, but that rarely leads to healthy living. Or growth.
Here are the four elements for your personal branding identity:
Listen to the podcast
If you are trying to establish yourself as a personal brand, there are four elements that you should use. These pillars will help you best cultivate your public persona, create authority, and start the engagement that leads to growth.
Not having one or two of these pillars won’t be a death sentence, but think of it as you would your food groups. You don’t have to eat your vegetables, or you might get away with overloading on carbs, but that rarely leads to healthy living. Or growth.
Here are the four elements for your personal branding identity:
Listen to the podcast
Hi there, and welcome to the first episode of Personal Branding with Lyn.
I’m happy you could join me for this first episode.
I’m looking forward to meeting with you regularly to talk about growing our businesses
If you are an entrepreneur of any kind. If you are a creative. If you are the face of your business then you know that the success of your business relies on you — to get out and talk about it, to promote it in person and online.
That can sometimes be difficult. So much noise. So many messages. So many people and businesses vying for attention. How do you stand out?These are the kinds of issues, we will be dealing with on this podcast. How to stand out in a noisy world
We’ll do it using personal branding.
You might be wondering what in the world is this personal branding thing, and do I need it? How would I even go about it?
In this first episode, we’ll deal with the basics. We’ll unpack it together in this episode....and this podcast.
So let’s talk about personal branding.
Listen to the episode
Hi there, and welcome to the first episode of Personal Branding with Lyn.
I’m happy you could join me for this first episode.
I’m looking forward to meeting with you regularly to talk about growing our businesses
If you are an entrepreneur of any kind. If you are a creative. If you are the face of your business then you know that the success of your business relies on you — to get out and talk about it, to promote it in person and online.
That can sometimes be difficult. So much noise. So many messages. So many people and businesses vying for attention. How do you stand out?These are the kinds of issues, we will be dealing with on this podcast. How to stand out in a noisy world
We’ll do it using personal branding.
You might be wondering what in the world is this personal branding thing, and do I need it? How would I even go about it?
In this first episode, we’ll deal with the basics. We’ll unpack it together in this episode....and this podcast.
So let’s talk about personal branding.
Listen to the episode