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Current Software – Klaviyo, Zapier, FB Leads Hey all, low level marketer here. I am prepping a few drip campaigns using FB Lead Forms to collect user info. My question is in regards to SMS optin. The plan is to send FB Leads to Klaviyo via Zapier. However, I am wondering what procedure I need to follow for optin consent. The form includes name, email, and number. Will those FB leads zap over to Klaviyo without prior SMS optin consent? If not, what would be the best method for achieving optin consent? Here is the overview from Klaviyo regarding SMS Optins. https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035056972-Guide-to-Collecting-SMS-Consent
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Picture this: You’re a product owner and your team has a backlog of features to implement.
The problem is: Your team is overwhelmed and no one is sure where to start and how to prioritize the tasks. Well, this is where user story mapping can come in handy.

Keep reading to learn how user story mapping is helping product teams get a better understanding of consumer needs and prioritize tasks with a user-first approach.

Before we get into user story mapping, let’s go over the basics. A user story is a short and simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the user. For example, “As a user, I can add items that I’m not ready to purchase yet to my wishlist.”
It forces product teams to build with a user-first approach. A user story map takes this a step further by visualizing the steps a user takes to complete an action.
When product managers, designers, and developers work on a product, sometimes they focus too much on feature specifications. User story mapping gets them out of this framework and redirects them to focus on consumer needs and desired outcomes.
In addition, a user story map will help break down the customer journey into bite-size pieces that teams can tackle and ensure nothing gets lost in the process.
But to be clear, the mapping process isn’t solely for product teams. It can be a valuable cross-functional exercise that helps align marketing, engineering, UX/Design teams along with other departments.
In addition to getting everyone on the same page, creating a user story map also helps:

Determine how to prioritize work if there’s a large backlog of feature implementations, separating must-haves from nice-to-haves.
Break down requirements and visualize how each piece interacts with the other.
Expose roadblocks and dependencies that can impact product delivery.

Is agile story mapping different?
The short answer is no because user story mapping is used within an agile framework.
User stories are used in an agile framework as a way to provide context using simple and natural language. They also represent the smallest unit of work, just as sprints and epics are other measurements.
So, it’s agile story mapping is another way to describe the process of mapping a user story.

User story mapping typically happens at the beginning of a project, as it helps offer structure and get everyone on the same page. However, it can be used at any phase of the project to help identify roadblocks and reprioritize.

Set the frame.

Before you start mapping the story, you’ll want to narrow the scope. Otherwise, you may quickly start feeling overwhelmed and unable to start.
Here are some questions you should be asking:

What problem are we trying to solve?
How does this feature add value?
Who is the audience subset we are building for? (If any)

Once you answer these questions, put it in user story format: “As a [user], I want to be able to [filter my search] results so that I can [quickly find what I’m looking for.”
Following this approach will help you approach the problem tactically.
2. Map out the activities and the steps in the story.
In this step, you want to create a general roadmap for how the user would access and use this feature. Those are your main activities.
The goal here is to outline the big steps necessary to get from start to finish. From there, you lay out the steps.
Following the same example from the previous section, here’s how it could look:
Activities:

Search for products.
Review product details.
Check out. 

Steps:

Type into the search bar and head to the results page.
Scroll through search results in search of specific information.
Select the filtering option to narrow down options by cost.
Review the search results page again with updated options.
Select item and place in cart.
Complete purchase.

As you’ll notice, story mapping requires going from macro to micro.
You’ll likely use input from your participants to map out these details. You want your map to paint an accurate and full picture of what does (and can) happen in this story.
So, you’ll want to lean on your team for input in this step.
3. Group and define the tasks.
Once you’ve mapped out the big details, this is where the collaboration takes off.
Under each step, you should highlight the key actions involved in each activity.
For instance, when a user is in step 5, which is selecting an item and placing it in their cart, there are several substeps they will follow, including viewing the image, reading reviews, scanning related items.
All of these should be mentioned under the big activity groups, also known as the steps. The goal is to identify any gaps in the features of your product currently.
By adding a must-have, could-have, and should-have options in your map, you can rank features by priority. Here’s what you want to consider:

Is there anything else your user could do during one of these activities?
What could disrupt their process at this point? Where could they get stuck?
How else could the user navigate through this page?

This will require a collective effort from your various teams to figure out what’s realistic and what’s doable. For instance, an engineer might point out that a particular task is too big to count as one iteration. Your user researcher could highlight an important step in the process that you guys hadn’t considered.
4. Slice your tasks and get your minimum viable product.
Once everything is laid out, you and your team can start to move through the map to prioritize a list of tasks and cut them into slices.
Each “slice” will include tasks from each activity to create a viable end-to-end experience. It should have a clear outcome as well as a way to measure success. This will be important later when testing and tracking user behavior.
You will continue to separate your slices until you include all the tasks and have a clear plan to move forward.
User Story Mapping Example
In this example, the user story is as follows: “As a user, I want to buy a product easily on this website.”
Once you have all those details, then you can create your map.

Once you’ve added the activities, steps, and tasks, now you can figure out your slices. 

For instance, in this example, the first slice would skip two tasks in the “Search” activity, skip three in the “Get product details” one, and three in the “Check out” section.
The second slice would include features like “Search by category” and “See product in AR.” Once you have all your slices, your team is ready to get to work. 
User Story Mapping Tools
When it comes to user story mapping, there are a lot of ways you could do this.
The most straightforward way is with a conference room, a whiteboard, and a whole lot of sticky notes. That way, you can easily move pieces around as you work and make it a collaborative effort.
Now, if your team is remote, you’ll have to rely on online tools to assist you in this process. Many agile project management software have story mapping features, such as Atlassian’s Jira.
Additional online tools for user story mapping include Featmap, Miro, and Avion.
If your product team can’t agree on where to start for an upcoming or ongoing project, consider creating a user story map. It may take some time away from building but it will definitely pay off down the line.

You’ve submitted your resume, talked to a recruiter, and set up a date for the first interview with a great company. But in the days leading up to the big interview, you’re feeling anxious, jittery, and downright scared.
What if you blank on how to answer a question? What should you say about your weaknesses? How soon do you follow up afterward?

If you’re feeling nervous about an upcoming interview, take a deep breath, grab a notepad, and work your way through this interview preparation checklist. You’ll be feeling a little less worried and a lot more confident in no time.
Pre-Interview Preparation Checklist
The steps you take leading up to the interview can really transform a normally stressful experience into something more pleasant. Sure, you could “wing it,” and answer questions on the fly as they come. But nothing will impress an interviewer more than showing that you did your homework. In your interview question prep, it’s smart to analyze your own working habits and study the company.
1. Print multiple copies of your resume.
Some interviews may require you to meet with multiple members of management, plus you may want to have one handy to reference as you talk about prior experiences. Print at least five copies of your resume on nice, high-quality paper, if possible.
2. Prepare a portfolio of your past work.
If the position requires you to show past work, like photographs, successful marketing campaigns, graphic designs, or written articles, gather your best work into one portfolio to share with the hiring team.
3. Review common interview questions.
Create a list of common questions, so you can begin preparing strong answers. Having some general talking points to the most-asked interview questions can help you feel less anxious for the interview process.
Even if the interviewer doesn’t ask one of the exact questions you’ve prepared for, they will likely ask something similar. For example, the interviewer might not ask “Why should we hire you?” but instead may say, “Tell us what makes you stand out from our other candidates.”
Here are some of the most common questions that come up in interview settings:

Why do you want to work for us?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Why should we hire you?
Tell me about a time that you solved a problem at work.
Why are you leaving your current position?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What’s your biggest accomplishment?
What’s something your current supervisor would say you could improve on?
What is your leadership style?
What would you plan to accomplish in your first 3 months here?

4. Practice answering interview questions out loud.
Now that you’ve come up with a list of commonly asked interview questions, you can start outlining responses. Jot down some notes for every question you come up with, and once you have it all down on paper, start practicing your answers out loud. Sit in front of a mirror and recite responses. Your goal is to make them clear, concise and to the point, so you aren’t rambling in the actual interview.
5. Try having a mock interview for extra practice.
Practicing an interview with a housemate or friend is another effective way to practice your interviewing skills. The mock interviewer can help give you notes on improving your answers or digging more in-depth for certain questions.
6. Spend time researching the company.
It can be embarrassing to enter an interview, only to not know the basics like what the company does or who the CEO is. You should, at bare minimum, be prepared with the company’s products or services, ownership, customer demographics, and main competitors.
It’s also smart to look up any recent press releases about the company to be in the know on its latest developments, and check in on their social media to get an idea of the tone, voice, and key initiatives of the company.
7. Create a list of your accomplishments.
The main point of the interview is to show off your skills and talents in order to score a new job. But when you’re nervous, it’s easy to forget some of the impressive projects you’ve completed or problems you’ve solved during your career. Take notes on some of your biggest career highlights to share with the interviewer.
8. Prepare questions to ask your interviewer.
Asking thoughtful questions to the interviewer shows that you’ve done your homework and you’re interested in the company. Plus, the interview is a two-way street. Just as the company wants to make sure you are the right fit for the job, you should do your due diligence to make sure the company and position are a good fit for you.
Here are some questions to ask about the position, the interviewer, the culture, and the company as a whole:

What does a typical day in this position look like?
What are the biggest challenges in this role?
What do the training and evaluation processes look like for this role?
Why is the person previously in this position leaving?
What do you hope to see the person who takes this position accomplish in the first three months, six months, and first year?
Why did you come to this company, and what is your favorite part of working here?
What are some of the company’s short- and long-term goals, and how would the person in this role help in reaching those targets?
Can you tell me more about the team I’d be working with? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the team or department?
How would you describe the work environment here?
What are the next steps in the hiring process?

Interview Preparation Checklist

It’s the day of the interview. You have your portfolio and resume copies next to your car keys or bus pass, you’ve recited questions and answers in your head for days, and you’re just hours from walking through the front door of the company building. Here’s what to do before and during the interview.
1. Dress the part.
In general, you should wear clothing that fits well and makes you feel good. Mend holes, treat stains, and lint-roll any pet hair on your favorite interview outfit.
What you wear to the interview may vary based on the job and company, but here are some guidelines for what to wear depending on the company’s dress code.

Casual: Dark jeans, slacks, long skirts, or long dresses; button-down shirts, blouses, cardigans, or sweaters; tops without graphics; neat, closed-toe shoes.

Business Casual: Dark slacks or long skirts; button-down tops, blazers; neat, closed-toe shoes.

Formal: Dark suits with slacks or long skirts; dark, tailored dresses; a tie with suits; neat, closed-toe shoes.

2. Arrive on time (or early).
Showing up to an interview can leave a bad first impression. Plan to arrive 10 to 20 minutes early, and give yourself time to find the building, park, and check-in with the front desk. Account for traffic, too — that 9 a.m. interview means that you’ll be driving along during morning rush hour. Have a backup transportation option, such as biking, walking, or getting a ride from a friend, if you typically take public transit, in case the train or bus is running late that day.
If the building is in a location you’ve never been to, make sure you map it out to avoid getting lost. If you’re not great with directions, you may want to practice the drive once or twice in the days leading up to the interview.
3. Bring paper and something to write with.
Taking notes shows that you are invested in what the interviewer is saying to you. But it also means you can review your notes for pros and cons if you are offered the job. Plus, you can revert back to any points the interviewer made early on in your appointment and ask for more information or clarification when it’s your turn to ask questions.
4. Have cash on hand for parking.
Some companies have paid parking garages or valet services for guests. While they might validate the parking ticket for you, don’t assume they will. Bring about $20 in cash just in case you need it for parking. If you don’t need the cash, take yourself out to lunch as a post-interview treat!
5. Be personable and courteous.
Everyone you meet from the parking garage to the interviewer could be your future co-workers. They may also be asked for input on how you interacted with them during the hiring process. Smile, wave hello, and greet anyone you pass. It never hurts to be kind to others!
6. Remain honest and take breaks as needed.
If you fabricate your resume or interview responses, the truth will become clear while you’re on the job. Answer questions honestly, and if you aren’t sure how to respond to a question off the bat, don’t be afraid to take a moment. Simply say, “Great question! Let me think for just one second on this.” We’re all human, and it’s a completely normal response to need to pause before thoughtfully answering a question.
7. Use the STAR method.
The STAR method is a popular technique for responding to even the toughest interview questions. Interviews ask situational questions to gauge how you respond to certain issues. The STAR method addresses multiple components of a problem while allowing you to clearly, thoroughly explain your logic and response.

Situational: Describe the situation or issue.

Task: Explain what your tasks or responsibilities were relating to the situation.

Action: Share what actions you took to complete your tasks and address the situation.

Results: Outline how your actions resolved the issue or what results came from your actions.

8. Stay focused and positive.
Interviewing is stressful and nerve-wracking, but remaining positive and upbeat can make all the difference in your performance. You might be asked why you are leaving your position or how you performed under previous managers and their varied leadership styles. Talking poorly about the company and previous leaders can leave a bad impression on your interviewer.
Keep your answers positive, and stay focused on answering each question with your experience rather than rambling as you respond. This is where practicing answers in the pre-interview preparation can come in handy.
Post-Interview Preparation Checklist
Just because you’ve shaken the hands of your interviewer(s) and taken a big sigh of relief, it doesn’t mean the interview is behind you. Of course, you could be brought in for second, third, or fourth interviews, but no matter what stage you’re at, it’s important to leave a good, lasting impression.
1. Ask about the next steps.
Either at the end of your interview or immediately after, you’ll want to ask about the timeline for the next steps of the hiring process. This way, you can anticipate when you’ll hear back from the company. You may need to take an edit test, share more samples of your work, or return for another interview.
2. Follow up with a thank you.
Always follow up an interview with a thank-you note. It’s best to send along a handwritten note to show your care and attention to detail. But if you don’t have the time to do so, an email is also a thoughtful way to show your appreciation for the interviewer’s time and consideration. If you don’t know the interviewer’s email, you can also email the recruiter or other point of contact and ask them to send along your gratitude.
Get Your Dream Job with Some Interview Prep
The interview question prep process can make or break your interview experience. While sending along your resume and portfolio in advance can give recruiters a good idea of whether or not you’d be great at the job, the interview helps the team learn more about you and how you work.
Don’t forget, interviewing is a two-way street, and the more you prepare, the better questions you can ask. By following this interview preparation checklist, you’ll feel more confident and prepared as you navigate your next interview.

Are you one of the 7.8 million Americans who commute to work every day? If so, I’m guessing you’ve listened to a podcast or two. You’re not alone. According to Infinite Dial, U.S. podcast audiences listen to an average of four to five podcasts per week.
The podcasting industry continues to grow YoY. In fact, Infinite Dial reports that, in 2021, 7 million more people were listening to podcasts than in 2020 alone.
That’s why it’s important to consider podcast advertising for your brand. Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about podcast advertising — from top podcast advertising strategies to advertising rates and networks.

Podcast Expert Advertising Strategies
Before you get started with podcast advertising, consider this advice from the experts.
Use podcasting for brand awareness, not lead generation.
Rebekah Bek: As a UX writer for Ahrefs, Bek was put in charge of podcast sponsorships. She writes her advice for podcast advertising strategies in this Medium post. Here are the key takeaways:

Rather than being a tool for lead generation, podcast advertising is a tool for gaining exposure and brand awareness.
It’s not always about measurable ROI.
Organic, not scripted, mentions perform best.

Understand your audience may have eclectic tastes.
Midroll: Midroll, a company that matches advertisers with shows , gives their advice to advertisers. Here is the key takeaway:

It’s wise not to adhere too strictly to a category. Don’t assume that comedy audiences aren’t also entrepreneurs or that listeners to a sports podcast aren’t interested in a comedy special. You may be surprised at how broad and eclectic your audience tastes and needs are.

Ads read by the host perform better than third-party ads.
Jason Hoch: Former Chief Content Officer at HowStuffWorks, Hoch revealed what type of ads work best for their brand in an interview with DigiDay. Here are the key takeaways:

Ads read by the host perform better than scripted, third-party ads placed in the podcast.
Listeners feel like they are being shouted at with third-party ads.
Consider producing organic mentions for better results.

Test and measure the success of your campaigns.
Kurt Kaufer: Partner and CMO at Ad Results Media, a podcast advertising agency, Kaufer wrote a survival guide for podcast advertising in this Forbes post. Here are the key takeaways:

Measurement is the key to determining success in a podcast advertising campaign. Use promo codes, custom links, and post-checkout surveys to track success.
Be comfortable knowing not every ad will work at first and that a breadth of shows will need to be tested to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Measuring the success of your podcast campaigns is best done with a tool, like Casted, that gives you an overarching view of critical metrics. With the tool, you can access behavior metrics, demographic data, and traffic information that helps you understand your content’s true value. 
You don’t need to sponsor the biggest podcasts, you can reach the same people on smaller shows.
Sam Balter: Former podcast marketer at HubSpot, Balter wrote about his podcast advertising learnings in this post. Plus, I spoke with him about his top podcast advertising strategies. Here are the key takeaways:

Pre- and post-roll ad spots are generally cheaper than mid-roll and take less time. In addition, most ads have some sort of call-to-action that prompts listeners to go to a specific URL or use a discount code to get a discount.
Podcast popularity and listenership will only continue to rise and so will the opportunity to connect with people in a new and novel way.
When sponsoring podcasts, trust the host to deliver a message in their own voice.
It’s better to go for frequency than reach. Pick a podcasts where you can purchase three to five ads versus one on a large podcast.

Podcast Advertising Rates 2022
The amount you pay for podcast advertising will vary depending on the length and type of the ad.
It’s essential to know that podcasts offer different pricing structures. Ads are sold on a cost per mille (CPM) or cost per acquisition (CPA) rate. CPM is the cost you’ll pay per 1,000 impressions or downloads. CPA is the cost you’ll pay to acquire a customer. Most ads are priced on a CPM model.
The current average cost of podcast advertising is a CPM of about $25.
AdvertiseCast notes that the average CPM for 30-second ads is $18, and the average CPM for 60-second ads is $25.

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Podcast Advertising Networks
A podcast advertising network is an agency that connects companies or brands with respected podcasts on which to advertise. The goal is to take away the friction in podcast advertising by helping brands promote their products on podcasts and helping podcasters monetize their projects. A few examples include:
1. Midroll

Midroll, now part of SXM Media, is used by over 800 brands to buy ad spots on 300+ podcasts. With such a wide variety of shows, advertisers have the opportunity to use audience-based buying to ensure ads align with podcast topics most relevant to your brand, helping you accurately target relevant users and maximize reach.
Your ads can be pre-recorded or host read, the ladder being a valuable tool for generating brand trust as audiences trust hosts and see them as a valuable source of social proof. 
Midroll prices ads on a CPM model, so you pay based on the number of certified downloads each episode receives. Its website notes that prices can range from $18 to $50 CPM, with higher performing shows being more expensive. 
The advertiser portal also gives you an overview of campaign metrics, helping you see important data like forecasted downloads and ad placement cost per show. 

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2. Podcast One

Podcast One sees more than 2.1 billion annual downloads and 350 different episodes produced weekly, making it a high-impact platform for podcast advertisers. 
It offers pre-recorded and live host endorsements, and you can use its geo-targeting and copy-split capabilities to ensure you target the right audiences and pick placements for your ads that are most relevant to your business. 
With PodcastOne, you also have the unique ability to use visual integrations for your ads in the form of a sponsorship splash, an ad banner, or a forced video ad.
3. Megaphone

Megaphone offers powerful podcast advertising tools with the Spotify Audience Network, helping you target the most relevant listeners that are likely to drive the most impact across a wide variety of podcasts. 
With the service, you can:

Reach listeners according to their interests, purchase behavior, and things like apps, devices, and platforms that they use.
Get actionable campaign insights that help you understand performance to ensure you have the right strategy.
Use dynamic ad insertion to populate ads when downloaded so messaging is fresh and relevant.

Contact Megaphone to obtain pricing information.
4. AdvertiseCast

AdvertiseCast boasts 2,300+ podcasts, a 150,000,000+ monthly listener reach, and 4,200+ available ad spots to choose from, making it a valuable tool for podcast advertisers as you can select target audiences that are the best fit for your business. 
You also have three different podcast ad opportunities to choose from: 

Baked-in host-read ads (its most popular option), where podcast hosts read your ads within the episode. Pricing is based on length (60 seconds or 30 seconds) and whether you select mid-roll or pre-roll placement. 
Dynamically inserted ads, which are pre-produced, pre-recorded and scheduled to be inserted into podcast content. Pricing is based on the average number of downloads in the first 30 days. 
Custom podcast ad units where you can be as creative as you’d like, like a social media plug for your profiles, a 10-second shout out, or a 90-second baked-in mid-roll ad. 

AdvertiseCast also offers an end-to-end ad campaign platform that you can use to manage your ads and view detailed metrics that help you understand campaign performance. You can also make use of the full service solution, where AdvertiseCast manages the process for you.
Podcast Advertising Statistics 2022
1. There are around 2,000,000 podcast shows and over 48 million podcast episodes as of April 2021. (PodcastInsights, 2021)
2. 75% of the US population is familiar with the term “podcasting,” which is up 5% since 2019. (Infinite Dial, 2020)
3. Half of Podcast ads lasted longer in 30 seconds in length. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
4. A survey of 300,000 listeners found that 63% of people bought something a host had prompted on their show. (AdvertiseCast)
5. Cost per mille (CPM) or cost per 1,000 listeners is the most common pricing method for podcasts. (AdvertiseCast, 2021)
6. Dynamically-inserted ads increased the share of revenues from 48% to 67%. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
7. Streaming audio and podcasting is projected to be one of the channels with the largest growth in 2022, with a 17.8% increase. (Inside Radio, 2021)
8. Host-read and pre-product ads increased share of revenues from 27% to 35%. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
9. Local advertising for streaming audio and podcasting will outperform targeted banner advertising and broadcast TV. (Inside Radio, 2021)
10. U.S. Podcast Ad Revenue is set to exceed 2 Billion by 2023. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2021)
Podcast advertising is a marketing tactic that is continuing to grow. As a majority of people have listened to a podcast, and engagement rates are increasing, brands can no longer ignore podcast advertising.

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“Thought leadership” is one of those buzzwords that we’ve all heard roughly a million times. And while it may feel like one of those terribly overused cliches, based on my experience as a business owner and coach to corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, I understand why we hear it so often.
Because, done well, it works.
I tell you this from personal experience. I’ve also seen the payoffs of thought leadership among the clients I’ve served over the past 10+ years.
Building or affirming your thought leadership—in the right places and with the right audiences—can help you foster trust and credibility with customers, become a go-to voice in your industry, and open up amazing opportunities.
Here’s my story:
In 2010, I got this wild idea to build JobJenny.com, a platform that would offer professionals answers to their most pressing career questions, assist them in navigating business or job transitions, and inspire them to live their best lives.
My initial intention was to create a side hustle business that complimented my then-day job as head of a recruiting agency. I’d low-key answer the most common questions I heard about job search and career development, help people with their resumes, and support them in growing their small businesses.
What I didn’t see coming was this: By sharing my firsthand perspective on how recruiters think and work and lessons learned as I built my own business through my blog, LinkedIn, and subscriber newsletter, I was becoming a thought leader.
But that’s exactly what happened and, as it did, I was able to expand my services, raise prices (a lot), sunset my recruiting business, and attract lucrative partnerships, including one with LinkedIn Learning.
My thought leadership successes were, admittedly, rather accidental, but yours don’t have to be. In fact, if you apply some strategy and planning to this, you (and your business) may benefit from your thought leadership much more quickly than I did.
Here are five quick tips that’ll help you build thought leadership via LinkedIn—one of the best platforms out there for many small business owners (though they’ll work just as well is Instagram or TikTok is your platform of choice):
1. Think About Your Most Important Audience and What They Want to Hear
Certainly, you’ll want the freedom to share perspective and information that’s meaningful to you and aligns with the goals of your business. But, when you get down to it, what matters most is that you’re talking about things that your ideal audience wants to hear.
And, if you’re not sure what that is, try my very non-scientific technique:
Review the questions that come in via your contact page, email, and LinkedIn InMails weekly. What, specifically, are people requesting help with the most?
In my experience, posts inspired by real-life questions and pain points get the most comments, engagement, and shares. I’m guessing you’ll find a similar trend. So, dive into your inbox and start there.
The answers to “What should we talk about?” are, literally, right there in your inbox. Start there.
2. Consider Your Unique Perspective
Do you know what sets you and your business apart? You should. If you don’t, ask your best customers what they appreciate the most about you to help you get clear on your “secret sauce.”
My unique perspective, as a point of reference, is that I insist on showing up as an approachable and relatable human.
Certainly, I want to ensure it’s clear that I know what I’m talking about and I’m hyper-current on my industry. I also understand that the process of changing jobs or careers is stressful for nearly everyone. And so, I work hard to show up in a way that’s non-intimidating, non-boring, and incredibly actionable.
And, it’s working. It’s a key reason I was invited (out of a sea of roughly 3,273,204 job search experts on LinkedIn) to create video courses with LinkedIn Learning. My conversational, roll-up-your-sleeves style also helped me land me a long-term gig as a columnist for The Muse (one of the biggest players in the career space) and an upcoming, still-top-secret writing project, which you’ll see later in 2022.
Figure out what sets you apart, then make sure that the content you share honors your overall brand and your unique perspective.
3. Brainstorm What You’ll Share
Once you’ve got clarity on your audience and unique perspective, spend some time brainstorming topics that align with your goals and affirm your expertise. A few types of content that tend to resonate well on Linkedin in particular include opinion pieces, analysis of industry data, case studies, AMAs (Ask Me Anything), and interviews.
I’ve recently begun using AMAs on LinkedIn (via LinkedIn Live) as a tool for helping potential customers as they contemplate their job search and to point them toward my paid offerings. (Here’s my first one.) So far, the results are incredibly promising. In just a short amount of time weaving video content into my messaging on LinkedIn, I can already see why 87% of those using LinkedIn video for marketing say it’s an effective channel for them.
As you brainstorm, create a list of your best ideas and draw from it over a period of weeks or months. We’re all so busy. Knowing what you’ll share on LinkedIn (and when) will help you stay the course.
4. Play to Your Strengths
Something that seems to create the most stress among entrepreneurs as they chart a course for building thought leadership is that dreaded imposter syndrome.
I can’t tell you how many times clients have told me, “But, I’m not a writer,” or “I’m terrified to speak on camera.”
Here’s the good news: You don’t have to write original content if that’s not your jam. Maybe you’re better off vlogging or doing Q&As on LinkedIn Live.
And, if you’re not a strong writer or comfortable on camera, guess what? You can still build thought leadership, as a curator.
Curators are those magical people we all have in our news feeds who seem to always find the most interesting articles, trends, and information. They pose questions based on what they read. They invite us to weigh in. They create thoughtful debate.
And, in doing so, we come to know them as people who are passionate, intelligent, and engaged in their particular areas of expertise.
We come to know them as thought leaders.
5. Show up Authentically, Always
You’ll probably agree with me when I say that there are plenty of “what not to do” examples of “attempts to build thought leadership” on LinkedIn.They’re everywhere.
When you look close at the stinkers, I’ll bet you’ll notice something. Most of those in your “worst of the worst” category are lacking an extremely important ingredient: authenticity.
You see, people align with—and buy from—those that they know, like, and trust. (In fact, 86 percent of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support.) And, if you get too hung up on showing up as all buttoned-up on LinkedIn (or any other social media platform), you run the risk that people won’t see who you really are, as an entrepreneur and a person.
Be strategic, for sure. But if you’re serious about leveraging LinkedIn to establish or affirm your thought leadership, you’ve got to show up as the real deal.
Trust me: You’ll be so glad you did.

Last week, after I posted my post, many people came to visit my website in order to give me some feedback and help. I really appreciate it. I received a lot of comments telling me how much they feel confused about my website. For a long time, I think the function and defination of my website is very clear, but your messages made me realize that my website is not that easy to understand. By the way, my website is basically a directory helps manage access to all ecommerce tools in one place. Since I have never built a website like this before, I don’t know how to design it in a normal way. Even though I am aware of the existence of some competitor websites, I didn’t imitate their website design to build mine. However, after receiving a lot of feedback recently, I began to reflect on whether the first screen of my site did not express the purpose of my site very clearly, and maybe it’s time to make a section on the first screen to write the brife introduction of my site on, rather than to put it in the ‘About Us’ page. Here are the first screens of several competitors’ websites. A.https://postimg.cc/dkYDPCH1 B.https://postimg.cc/q67J4x8k C.https://postimg.cc/2VbYG6GX D.https://postimg.cc/gww3k3HH E. https://postimg.cc/K45fWrq1 F.https://postimg.cc/PPwxxKgx Whose design above do you think is suitable for my website’s first screen? Can you help me choose one out of them? Thank you sincerely~~~
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