The Backstory
I did a lot of curation in the early days of trying to figure out how to set up my digital platform. Through Twitter, I stumbled upon Shonali Burke, the Queen of Measurement in the public relations field. Her Waxing Unlyrical blog became one of my resources. I noticed Shonali frequently retweeted Mark Schaefer. At the time, a good amount of it was a bit over my head. She convinced me to attend a conference in Washington D.C. at which Mark was a speaker, despite the fact that I was a fish out of water. I was glad that I left my comfort zone and showed up. Mark was an excellent teacher. He went deep without sacrificing pragmatism. I could tell he was an introverted fellow with a passion for sharing thoughts and ideas. I got the sense he dug into subjects and let the data lead him to his conclusions. My kind of guy!
Flash forward to 2018. My platform was finally starting to take shape, but I knew I wasn’t doing it very well. Mark had published Known: The Handbook For Building And Unleashing Your Personal Brand In The Digital Age. I have a general aversion to “how to” books, but I decided maybe this was the time to learn from Mark (see note on “Krios” below). It was a good decision. I will never be an internet superstar, nor do I want to be. But I am much clearer on how I can use the medium in a useful way as I take my professional mission farther and deeper.
The Summary
Known is a “how to” book done right. The lessons are taught through research, personal experience, and by the experience of others who have mastered their digital brand in distinctive ways. All the lessons are founded in the fundamentals of life and business, and that’s why they can work. Mark sticks to The Why and stays grounded. He is a humble myth buster. He is also a master of realism, tackling the challenges of the human condition in a balanced and thoughtful way.
He breaks the task of digital branding into four steps– place, space, fuel and finally, creating an actionable audience. Along the way he dismantles the “follow your dream” Kool Aid and integrates the principles of grit into the process of engaging in any meaningful endeavor. He provides invaluable advice on content development. He also explains how you might fit other media, such as book writing and public speaking, into your platform. In each section, you’ll find real-life practical tips. (Spoiler Alert: Tip #20 for content creation is to “drink a beer.” (114))
I was especially impressed with Chapter Three – “Finding Your Sustainable Interest.” Mark introduces seven exercises that he has used at his seminars. They are more than marketing exercises; they are valuable for anyone looking to find or clarify their career path.
Finally, Mark introduces you to “Stars of Known,” actual case studies that show how all this can come together for distinctively different people and situations.
The Gold
There’s so much gold in here that it’s hard to pick. Here are some of my personal favorites:
Page 12: “Passion without a plan is a hobby.”
Page 23: “The key to success isn’t necessarily a passion, it’s finding a sustainable interest…”
Page 30: “Everybody has the chance to be known and realize their goals and dreams, but not everybody will succeed. Some will listen to the gurus and ‘follow their dream’ into oblivion without the plan they need to give them a chance to succeed. Some will grow impatient and give up too soon. Many will be unwilling to devote the time and consistent hard work needed to make it happen.”
Page 40: “Passion…that’s common. Endurance is rare.”
Page 69: “Becoming known is probably a multi-year journey. But the journey must start. You must begin, even if it’s not perfect.”
Page 107: Practical steps to answer the question, “What kind of content is right for you?”
Page 110: Awesome advice to help answer the question, “How do you find time for this?”
Page 151:The description of the “Alpha Audience” was an Aha! moment for me.
Chapter 9: The five inspiring stories of Known . Yes!
Page 194: Application of 2 Greek words for time, Chronos (chronological time) and Kairos (“the right time”). So insightful.
Page 199: Overcoming fear and the imposter syndrome.
Page 219: “Consistency can heal a multitude of faults – and maybe it eventually turns into talent.” – Anna Blake
Page 223: “It’s your job to make that fire (your content) worth gathering around.” – Chris Brogan
Page 225: “Provide value with the expectation that you’ll never receive anything in return. Serve your audience with your arms wide open, not with a hand extended.” -Shawn Van Dyke
