Unlock The Secrets of Explosive Brand Growth and Marketing

You need to be everywhere. 

Let me qualify this huge statement by saying if you are building your brand as an author, an entrepreneur, a podcaster, or a speaker, your brand must be inked on as many platforms as possible. Your digital footprint is inextricably linked to the almighty power of Google. If Google cannot find you, you do not exist in the digital universe.

Your voice needs to be heard in the rafters of a collective theater that is your audience. Creating content on social media should be just a fraction of your marketing master plan. I implore you to think outside the box and deviate from what everyone else is doing. Think about guesting on podcasts. Consider writing a blog on Medium.com or starting a newsletter on Substack. Apply to be an executive contributor for Entrepreneur Magazine or Forbes. Build a MeetUp Community. Launch a Patreon page. Write for Newsbreak.com. Optimize your SEOs on your website so you become searchable in Google’s eyes. And don’t forget to start a Google Business Page. Whatever you do, start with small steps and keep focused on your message.

If you take away one thing, remember, do not confine yourself to one platform, where algorithms dictate who sees your content.

As a consumer of content, I want to hear your message, and see and feel your brand in the digital universe. Your content should pull me in with urgency and make me want to sing your jingle.

I want to need you.

First and foremost, as a consumer, I need to understand your story. I must connect with the complex struggles that make you unique and position you as an expert. When you can convey your message in a profound and concise way, the trajectory of your brand has the power to explode. 

Sharon's Story

I had a client, Sharon, who focused primarily on Facebook and Instagram as a means to build her brand. In my opinion, social media is the low-hanging fruit, that allows every Tom, Dick, and Sally to promote themselves for free. Sharon spent hours a week formulating posts to represent her brand messaging. Sharon was met with a brick wall. She walked into my office, with a defeated look. “Jules, I can’t do this anymore. I am creating content, and I get 4 or 5 likes, there is no engagement I certainly am not getting any clients.”

Sharon had been a coach for 5 years, and was failing to capture an audience that hung on her every word. Her content was bland, as she gave simple tips on how to uplevel your personal and professional life. Sharon failed to share her struggles, express the “WHY” behind her brand, and not connect with anyone.  Facebook and Instagram are flooded with self-promoting professionals like herself, which left Sharon in the mire of the scroll. She spent hours creating content that no one was seeing.  I proved my point when I Googled her name, and little popped up on the search.

While disheartened, Sharon was eager to hear my solution. I grabbed a piece of paper and started to scribble out a revised plan to promote everything that is Sharon. I first wanted to know about her ideal client.

We started here to understand marketing and brand growth:

• Who is your client avatar?

• How old are they?

• Do they have children? 

• Where do they shop? 

• What is their income? 

• What do they need more than anyone else?

• What keeps them up at night? 

• How can you solve this problem? 

Once you understand the pain points of your ideal client, you must create a methodology to relieve their struggle. For example, if your ideal client or audience struggles with their weight, implement a solid strategy to assist their health journey. If you desire an audience who wants to be entertained by fiction fantasy, give them content that transports them into another dimension. 

Next, I asked Sharon, where would she find these clients. Are you on social media? What magazines do they read? What clubs are they a part of? What do they do for fun?

Once we knew where to find them we needed to take action. Sharon’s ideal clients were women, aged 40-50, who had children leaving the nest. These women lacked purpose and a vision for their lives. We decided as a team, Sharon would join local women’s groups, she would write for Mind Valley Magazine and she would start a Meet Up group, called Second Act. Within a month of implementing a new strategy, Sharon had three new clients and tested the waters on multiple different online platforms. 

When I began this journey of brand building, I felt like a narcissist. I had initial trepidation in pasting my name, and my name, and story all over the internet. The truth is, no one knows you. And frankly, no one cares. No one cares, because they are bombarded with a continual stream of content. So you must stand out. 

If you are decisively reticent to self-promote your brand, everything you strive for is an exercise in futility. But fear not my friend. You are not alone. When I first ventured out into the world of entrepreneurship, I was knee-deep in feeling the grips of imposter syndrome. However, taking small steps every day, and being consistent eases this pain. 

My Top Brand-Building Secrets By Increasing Marketing and Brand Growth.

1. When building out your digital footprint, you need to start with a well-crafted website. This website should be chock full of SEOs (Search Engine Optimizers). Sprinkle backlinks all over your website that will send a curious client from one page to another. Backlinks strengthen your searchability on Google. Your website is the foundation of your brand, so be certain it is properly set up. Furthermore, a blog on your website fattens up your searchability. Consider a blog as an integral part of your brand identity. 

Tip:  I like to use the Chrome extension Keywords Everywhere to analyze keywords and find out what my “competitors” use. 

2. Create a Google Business. Google loves it when you use their platforms. Google Business is super easy to set up and will let you know you are open for business. Do this too if you are an author, a podcaster or a public speaker. 

3. Ask for testimonials. Testimonials are crucial in the digital world. Testimonials, reviews, and ratings are an essential part of building your credibility. This becomes social proof that you are someone not to ignore.

4. Start creating an email list. Offer your audience value in exchange for their email. This can be done on your website while offering them a valuable eBook or worksheet that will begin them on their journey. The email list is the most intimate way to sell or promote yourself and your brand. Your list is a pocket of potential clients who want to know more about you.

Tip: If you feel you are a weak writer, check out PLR.ME. PLR stands for personal licensing rights (so once you download, you own the rights). PLR.ME provides a large library of usable eBooks, articles, worksheets (and more) that you can brand yourself and share with the world. 

5. Pitch Yourself: Start today. Start pitching your story to podcasters, radio show hosts, journalists, and more. When you are on someone’s podcast, show or featured in a blog, you are positioning yourself in front of someone else’s audience. Create a Media Sheet, which is a comprehensive 1-page sheet that showcases your brand, accomplishments, and story. 

Tip: Create profiles on Podmatch.com or Podbooker.com. These websites match you with podcasters looking for a guest like yourself.  If you are looking to be a reference for journalists, create a profile on HARO.com. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is a clearing house of experts and journalists often refer to this site when they are writing a story and need an expert. 

Building your brand and online presence should feel electric. After all, your brand is an extension of who you are at your core. At times, it does feel overwhelming.  Take the process at a sustainable pace. And always ask for help. After all, we are better together. 

About Julie Lokun: 

Julie Lokun is a 6 X best-selling author and podcast host of two shows, Obsessed and The Mediacasters which rank in the top 1.5% globally. She is known for elevating the voices of impact through her company, The Mediacasters. With her exceptional skills in media and public relations, Julie has built an impressive client roster that spans various industries, from Presidential Appointees and TV personalities to Inc 500 corporate clients. Julie helps individuals and organizations share their stories through publishing, presenting, podcasting, and public relations. Her commitment to excellence and dedication to her client's success have made her a sought-after media expert and changemaker in her field.

Ditch Social Media? How To Break Free From The Brainwashing With Real Social Media Help

In today’s business climate, the idea of “media coverage” is inextricably linked to social media marketing. While social media marketing is a fruitful avenue for many brands, I liken it to the lowest-hanging fruit on the brand-building tree. Everyone is doing it because it is what everyone is doing.

I do not hate social media platforms. In fact, I love the democratization of these platforms, as they offer every Tom, Dick, and Sarah an opportunity to share their message with the universe. Yes, invest in your social media, because it is a necessary cog in your online presence. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook draw a high domain authority and help you become searchable in the almighty universe of Google. When clients ask me about social media, I advise them to focus on one platform and do it well. I have witnessed the rabbit hole of wishing on a star that a post will go viral.

It goes something like this:

post, post, post, post, cross your fingers, post and post, then post again.

I suggest doing a quick analysis of your favorite social media platform and decipher if the energy you are putting into these platforms is offering you the ROI you require for maximizing growth.

Are you selling your services?

Are you selling your book?

Are you getting more listens on your podcast?

If so, you have figured out the secret to social media marketing. ⬇️

Consistency, focus, and engagement are key.

To make a sale or acquire a new client is born out of knowing, liking, and trusting you. Think about the last thing you purchased. What were the elements that took you from curious to client?

I suggest that you knew the product or person, or that you were referred to this purchase by someone you knew, liked, and trusted. Cold selling is a tough approach that yields low results. I have a client who would post their services on social media with unabashed bravado. She made beautiful posts telling everyone about her offer.

“I am a coach, and I can change the way you do your business”. She bombarded my feed about what she did, instead of who she was. This approach felt sterile and almost offputting. I knew she could do the job, but she did not connect with me on a human level. If I am not connected with her, I will not give her thousands of dollars to change my life. Period.

Where to start:

Understand your story. Understand that your story is the stuff that binds you with the universe. Your story, whether it is big and bold or simple and understated, has the power to connect with your audience. In the beginning, I had a really hard time articulating my story. I told myself that I was boring, yet I had the tenacity of a bull. I worked hard, and that was that. The truth is, my story goes deeper than I could imagine.

I had to first, understand my WHY. Why am I offering media services? Why am I more valuable than anyone else in the industry?

This was my answer:

I was born a loudmouth. The nurses at the hospital, the day I was born reported to my mom that I was the loudest baby in the nursery. It goes further. I was often told as a young girl I was too much, too complex, too emotional, and too verbal. In fifth grade, I held court in the corner of the room, as I was told I was a chatterbox. My peers retreated and thought of my spirited commentaries as weird. It became a lonely place as a young girl to become isolated. My defense mechanism was to become “normal”. I strived to fit in, to be liked, and to be like everyone else. I did all the things I was supposed to, go to college, and law school, get married, have babies, and buy the house with the white picket fence.

The result? I was miserable.

• I got divorced.

• I grew to hate the idea of being a lawyer.

• I moved out of my house with a white picket fence.

• And I worked in a corporate conglomerate that offered me little autonomy.

Doing everything like everyone else was a vacuum of my creativity.

UNTIL- I became bold enough to tap into my true spirit and use my voice to change the world. I built a business in one year that yielded six figures and a deep satisfaction within my soul. Kind of ironic, that for so long I was told to shut up. And now, I have two podcasts, four books, 2 blogs, write for various magazines, and am ASKED to speak daily.

This is my story. It is unique to me, yet it is not. I am sure that there a hundreds of thousands of people who connect with my story.

By sharing my story I am giving you a piece of who I am. I am connecting with those who wish to get their message out and use their voice to build their brand and business. I do this with the unabashed enthusiasm that was once relegated to the corner of my 5th-grade class.

By sharing your story, you will connect with a potential audience. When you understand the pain that exists for your future clients you can speak to them with deep understanding.

BACK TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR OTHER OPTIONS:Here is Your REAL Social Media Help

I urge you to move past the pastures of social media platforms. Moving the ball forward includes being diverse in your online presence. I recognized this the day I became a writer for Entrepreneur Magazine. Writing for a trusted and established authority, like Entrepreneur Magazine, positions you as a thought leader in your industry. Check out opportunities to write in publications like Brainz Magazine, News Break, Mind Valley, or other outlets like this.

If you do not have the bandwidth to write articles for these types of outlets, make a concerted effort to engage with journalists. Many journalists are dying to have an opinion like yours. They need experts to quote in their articles. Do your research on journalists who write articles in your industry and reach out to them.

Here are my tried and true tips:

Sign up for HARO: Help A Reporter Out - Build an online profile on this website and pitch potential journalists on why you are an expert in your field. Journalists looking for your expertise will find you here on this site.

Research on Muck Rack: Muck Rack is the clearing house for all journalists and the articles they publish. Do a search on your industry and/or expertise and see what journalists are writing on your topic. Then reach out. Throw them out a compliment on their latest article or send them a note on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Research your favorite topics on Facebook: Facebook is a great resource for communities who love what you do. Find these groups and become an active member.

Whatever you do, do not put all your eggs in one basket. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article to stay focused, do not rely on one medium to build your brand. Unbrainwash yourself, do your research, and build a powerful brand that generates a true community of followers. These people will become your ride or die. These people will then transform into ambassadors of your brand.

You have the power to use your voice in a unique way. You, and only you, have the power to change the world.

You Got This--Jules

Let me know what you think below. Share your story below ⬇️

Post-Script: If you are looking to uplevel your story and build an unforgettable brand, whether you are a writer, an entrepreneur, a business, a podcaster, or a creative–join me LIVE at Cre8tvie Con in 2024. This is where your story will be unleashed. Pinky Swear.

The Most Important Thing To Do As An Entrepreneur

(After you dry your tears- check out my LIVE activation event cre8tive Con.)⬇️

I sit here in the deep south in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which is flanked by the slow-moving currents of the Black Warrior River, wondering how did I end up here?

How does a suburbanite from Chicago end up in the suffocating heat of Alabama in August?

The answer is simple: she is dropping her baby boy off at college.

Sam, my second child, said yes to Roll Tide Nation, and the rest is history. With unabashed enthusiasm for the campus life and education that the University of Alabama provides Sam never deviated from his decision. He left Mom, with a tiny tear in her heart, wondering if --"IS THIS IT"?

Why am I writing about my kid going to college when I typically try to provide you with actionable strategies to uplevel your entrepreneurial life as a creative?

I am sharing this punch-to-the-gut because it is the stuff that makes us real. These stories are the ones that capture the attention of readers and also connect us to the bigger picture in life. Gary Vaynerchuk pontificates that our stories are the most important things we have as entrepreneurs.

Storytelling is the thread that weaves communities together. If you are a parent, you know everything halts when moving your child to college. You understand why I am wearing sunglasses right now (to hide the tears). And moms and dads, you understand the sharp pain when you say goodbye to baby child. You connect with me, because of my pain, and you champion me when I triumph.

Without a deep-seated appreciation for your story, you become a 2-dimensional character in life and in your brand. Your audience craves the grittiness of your failures and the ultimate ascension to your success. Your story is all that matters.

No matter what your expertise and industry, you need to tap into your story and weave it into your brand.

This is how you are going to start right now,

Answer these three questions:

What is the hardest challenge you have faced in your life?

What are you most proud of?

Why does this matter to your audience?

Begin by recognizing the substantial stories that have led you to where you are now and strategically align these stories to connect with your audience. Curate content that matters. Don't simply copy and paste the latest and greatest words of others, dig deep into the underbelly of who you are and share YOUR words with those who will connect with your message.

SIDEBAR: This is where Chat GPT profoundly fails. Chat GPT cannot capture the true essence of your experience as a human. I am disheartened by the dehumanizing effect AI is having on the entrepreneurial community.

The importance of creating content that reflects your story creates trust. According to Hubspot, 60% of consumers feel more comfortable when the content on your website and social media posts are customized.

Here are my top ways to share your story in a powerful way:

1. Blogging: Curate your story in blog form on your website. Blogging is a superpower for SEOs and then repurposing portions of your blog on Medium.com (it is like Instagram for bloggers). Medium has a strong domain authority and helps you rank higher in Google Searches.

2. Use your story to support your brand and business on social audio. Using social audio apps like Clubhouse is a great way to create an intimate space with your potential clients and customers.

3. Create visual snippets of your story to share everywhere. Use YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok. This allows access to your audience to gain trust and give them the sense that you are 3-dimensional.

Back to my story.

My little guy is gone.

He has launched.

Momma is sitting here thinking about the day I gave birth, the proudest moments we shared together, and the times I wanted to pull my hair out.

It is hard.

Remember the most important thing in life (personal and professional) are the relationships we build and the stories we share.

Goodbye Sam, I love you.

You got this--MOM

ten years later......

Psssstttt, I want to invite you to something HUGE! It is the inaugural activation event for entrepreneurs, authors, podcasters, and creatives who are looking to SHARE THEIR STORY with a wider audience. CHECK OUT cre8tive Con !

Taking Speaker applications now!