Do You Want to Be Known? - GURULOCITY Brand Management Institute

Mark Schaefer released a new book on personal branding earlier in 2017, and it’s one of the best books of the year.

Sometimes it feels impossible to stand out.

Digital and social media marketing have exploded the amount of information we are bombarded with, and data proliferation has made online tactics very attractive to both advanced and wannabe marketers.

The end result is that it’s getting harder and harder to break through the clutter.

But there is a way.

In walks Mark Schaefer. While anyone can call himself or herself an expert, few actually possess the rare combination of experience, skill, strategic thinking, and trend-awareness as Mark.

For his latest book, Mark went out and found examples of people who went from nobody to being known on a relatively large scale. He studied the commonalities and patterns that made each successful, and then packed those secrets and case studies into an easy-to-read, invaluable book: Known.

It’s a must-read for corporate marketers as well as small businesses, entrepreneurs and solo bloggers. In it, Mark guides you through the process of figuring out what you want to be known for and how to stand out, whether you’re a mega brand or a small personal brand.

After reading through it and scribbling furiously in the margins, I knew this book would be extremely valuable to the audience here at Gurulocity.

Here are some of my favorite quotes that I underlined throughout the book:

The key to success isn’t necessarily a passion, it’s finding a sustainable interest… (you’ll have to read the book to learn the difference)
A professional is simply an amateur who didn’t quit.
I don’t think you should blast headlong into any lifelong commitment without at least a bit of forethought. Maybe you should even have a plan.
Passion… that’s common. Endurance is rare.
What is something you believe that almost nobody agrees with?
Chances are you won’t precisely identify your sustainable interest on the first try. But you’re never going to move ahead and improve unless you begin.
If you aren’t excited about something, then why would your readers be excited?
Greatness is an accumulation of many, many individual feats, and each of them is achievable.
You’re not going to make everybody happy all the time. You’re not pizza.
In every waking hour of your day, ideas are streaming over you like a waterfall. You’re just not conditioned to notice them.
Never publish content that can be created by someone else.
Human content builds empathy and connection by offering a glimpse of your personality.

And my personal favorite:

My business temporarily melted from the Pee-wee Heat.

Don’t let the motivational, and sometimes humorous, tone of the quotes fool you. The book is structured as more of a how-to manual, with exercises at each step. It’s an easy and actionable read.

This is one of those books that all business owners and marketers should buy, read, keep safe, and revisit over and over again as your business evolves. Check out the book on Amazon: Known.