MktgProbz 17: How to grow your influence

What most people fail to remember when they approach the challenge of growing their influence is the true meaning behind the all too often used word 'influencer' —i.e., a person who have influence in the lives of others.

How influential you are or become is NOT determined by the number of followers you have. Influence is determined by the depth of your relationship with the people whose lives and news feeds your content, voice, brand, and products permeate. Influence is something that is earned. It is not won by battling it out with your competition on adwords or pushing out 500 instagram posts a day. Influence is earned by gaining the respect, understanding, attention, and trust of the audience or community you're trying to reach.

Watch below as we deep dive into your #MarketingProbz questions on gaining influence in a new marketplace.

Creative problem-solving is not a plastic pie sitting in a bakery display case

Growing up I detested the idea of being a teacher. That's not to say I have anything against educators; in fact, I quite prefer them to most marketers I meet. (Just kidding!)You see, it's that every person on my mom's side of the family had been in education. The women, all of them teachers.

I wanted to forge my own path. Make my own choices; new choices, and risky ones at that! I didn't want to be like them. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I had to be my own person; I had to do something new. But, what? I wanted to be someone who was indispensable. Not necessarily to the process, but to the vision for the final product. I wanted to be a linchpin.

Ironically, education is an intricate part of everything I do in my career today. Whether I'm meeting a new marketing client, giving a keynote, leading a team or even serving at a volunteer organization it's my job to demystify the seemingly complex.

education

is an intricate part of everything I do in my career today.

Creative problem-solving is not a plastic pie

A situation can always be worse. Life isn't like one of those plastic pies you see sitting in the display case at Martha's Bakery that will forever have one slice removed. Your problems are defined by the way that you see them. Thus, the extent to which any challenge can go so far as to change your intended course of action is irrelevant. Nothing in life or, politics, or even business is a zero-sum game.

If we hit a roadblock, disagree with a co-worker, or get passed up for a promotion does that mean it's the end? Do you march into your editor's office on Monday and quit working at the local newspaper just because the dice didn't fall where you thought they would? The answer is no. Or, at least, I wouldn't recommend it as your best plan of action for getting what you want.

Failure isn't an end point, it's a jumping off point for building something greater than what you started with and only dreamed possible! The avenue to success is rarely paved. There are always unexplored options, solutions, and paths to be contemplated. Change, risk, and failure are inevitable outcomes.

So, what is it that I do? I illuminate unidentified opportunities.

But, so do teachers.

#MktgProbz (11): How millennials can create content to share their expertise, while also maintaining the privacy of their clients and employers

This #MktgProbz question was submitted by Ernest, after my last Millennial Playbook webcast with the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions team.

Question: How do millennials create content that shares expertise while balancing not releasing potentially sensitive information from their employer? In the early stages, creating content feels high risk low reward.

#MktgProbz (09): HOW TO GAIN SOMEONE'S TRUST

The Key to Gaining Trust

—this one is for Brenda, Joshua, & Katherine

#MarketingProbz? Everyone's got 'em.

 I'm on a mission to be part of the solution. Enjoy these two minute marketing solutions to solve your greatest marketing challenges (#MktgProbz) in this series of short videos.

Brenda, Joshua, and Katherine all have one major marketing challenge they're facing right now and what it boils down to is winning trust. 

In the episode below, I address the challenges facing Brenda, Joshua, and Katherine below in this minute marketing video. Watch below to find out our best strategy for gaining the trust of your target customer or audience, no matter what odds are stacked against you.

On this episode of #MktgProbz we answer your questions revolving around trust and understanding. Here's our best strategy for how to win the trust of your target customer or audience.

What should marketers be afraid of this Halloween?

#SophisticatedMktg on camera ... Check it out!

We asked top marketing influencers including Ann Handley, Tin Washer and Matt Heinz and Katherine Lisciani what they're most afraid of and what marketers should be most afraid of.

Millennial #MarketingProbz—guest host Alex Rynne from LinkedIn

SHOW NOTES—

Here's the 101 on Alex Rynne—basically she's a top millennial marketer, contributor to Social Media Examiner, and all around boss.

Alex Rynne is on the front lines of content marketing at revolution at LinkedIn. She's passionate about social media and the power it has to connect and inspire people around the globe.

Today, Alex manages Global Content & Social Media Strategy at LinkedIn, elevating the brand to marketers looking to grow their business and careers. Specifically, Alex serves as the voice of the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions brand across all channels, guiding content marketing strategy as well as managing paid, owned and earned distribution and amplification.

Alex started the Millennial Minute blog to clear up some misconceptions about our generation in the media, and to provide other marketers a better understanding at to "who" millennials really are.

THIS EPISODE—

In this episode Alex and I share our experiences at Advertising Week 2016 (#AWNewYork), our strategies for consistency in content creation, insights on hiring, and Alex shares how she landed the job of her dreams at LinkedIn!

As much as I love talking with Alex, we really want to hear what you have to say. So follow up with us both on Twitter and LinkedIn with #MktgProbz!

• Kat Twitter: @millennovator
• Alex Twitter: @amrynnie
• Episode on LinkedIn