Nielsen estimates that “by the end of 2011, [there were] 181 million blogs around the world, up from 36 million only five years earlier in 2006.”
Let that sink in for a moment…
Now, ask yourself, how many of those blogs are producing hits?
I’m talking about the kind of stuff viral dreams are made of – shares, links, comments, buzz, traffic, massive subscription lists, sales, etc.
The answer? Very few.
Now ask yourself this: How many think theirs has hit potential?
The answer? All of them!
And many are trying to create an online brand. But not everyone has what it takes to create a hit industry blog, which is why you only have a few breakout stars in each industry. And if you’re using your company blog or website to build an influential brand, this is what you are up against.
Sound impossible? It’s not.
Let me tell you the story of Kimberly (me) and her adventures in online branding.
Entrepreneurs: Rebels Without A Clue
When I launched my personal branding website, I was clueless.
Like many online newbies, I made a lot of mistakes and had my fair share of setbacks. But within 18 months:
– The Huffington Post recognized me as a one of the nation’s top personal branding experts
– Online influencers regularly share my blog with hundreds of thousands of their followers
– Respected organizations invite me to speak at their events
– I am repeatedly invited to guest blog, contribute, and be quoted in major online publications
– And, best of all, my pipeline has been full of dynamic clients that I love working with …
I’m not bragging. I’m just pointing out that it can be done. And you can even wear a Beastie Boys shirt while doing it.
So what did I do?
I put in a lot of hard work around a simple brand concept I call “The A & R Perspective”.
The A & R Man Said, “I Don’t Hear a Single”
I’ll get to the details in a moment, but first a quick marketing lesson about the music industry.
In a nutshell, here’s what record labels are looking for:
A talented artist and a hit single.
The talented singer part is probably no shock to you, but why a hit single? Because that’s what leads to multi-platinum album sales, sold out concerts, and legions of fans buying merchandise.
In other words, a musician doesn’t have a brand until they have a hit.
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