Welcome to episode 61 of the Nerd Journey Podcast [@NerdJourney]! We’re John White (@vJourneyman) and Nick Korte (@NetworkNerd_), two Pre-Sales Technical Engineers who are hoping to bring you the IT career advice that we wish we’d been given earlier in our careers. In today’s episode we discuss blogging and self-marketing in the second part of our interview with Amy Hervey, a marketing professional. Original Recording Date: 10-23-2019

Topics – Amy Hervey On Blogging and Self-Marketing

03:03 – Thoughts on Blogging

• People want to want to blog. It is hard to write something and put it out on the web for all to see. The fears are real.
  • What if no one notices or reads it?
  • What if I am misunderstood?
• Amy has supported numerous people that have written for the corporate blog by offering editing, proofreading, and help with search engine optimization. Sometimes that is the push they need.
• For those who do not have a blog, LinkedIn is a free platform for publishing articles tied to your profile.
  • This creates a body of work you can point others to later.
• Don’t overcommit to blogging too frequently.
  • Try finding someone / multiple people to hold you accountable for publishing something once per month as a starting point.
  • Tag those accountability partners when you publish and ask for feedback.
• You can comment on someone else’s post at any time.
• Sharing an article on LinkedIn is good, but write a few sentences to frame your perspective for sharing.
  • John mentions blog posts he has read that are an aggregation of helpful posts and why they were helpful. This gives insight into how a person thinks, which is really a reflection of their brand.
• You’re not doing this for the kudos.

11:31 – Recommended Reading on Marketing

• Evaluate your own presence on social media. Where do you want to be, and why did you choose that platform? Each one is different, so choose wisely.
• Seth Godin
  • What to Do When It’s Your Turn
  • Purple Cow
  • Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck?
  • Seth Godin’s Blog – publishes daily!
• Bernadette Jiwa
  • Marketing: A Love Story
  • The Fortune Cookie Principle
  • Her blog – The Story of Telling

14:08 – Self Promotion Gone Overboard

• If you’re not having the interactions you want and are not growing your following, something is off.
• Don’t shout a message without engaging with your audience.
  • Some people just repost what their company has posted without ever commenting. That gives no insight into what the person thinks and why it matters to them.
    • Listen to Amy’s analogy on reposting exactly what someone else or a company posted.
    • Use your own expertise and comments to add value when posting something. Make it an opportunity to start a conversation.
    • Repeating does not imply amplification.
  • Listen to John’s reasoning on things that become noise.
• Misuse of the platform can cause a loss in credibility.
• Even people with polarizing opinions to whom we can relate keep our attention.
  • Remember you cannot be all things to all people.
• Can a company or co-workers perceive promotion of personal brand as threatening?
  • They shouldn’t.
  • Make it clear that your statements on social media are your own and not on behalf of the company unless otherwise authorized.
  • Publishing an article on your personal blog doesn’t mean it represents the opinions of your employer.
  • If there are concerns, talk with leadership about your personal branding.

24:31 – Closing Thoughts

• Know yourself. Evaluate your skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Capitalize on strengths.
• Take the plunge and write an article. Repeat. Repeat.
  • Repeat until removal of the byline or logo still allows the audience to identify the work as yours.
• Contacting Amy
  • Find her on LinkedIn
  • She’s open to reading blogs or articles if you need help getting started.

Contact us if you need help on the journey.