What Kind of Fame Do You Want? (why I don’t build locally)

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

There’s Very Little Gray Area When it Comes to Online Fame

If you’ve been working online for any length of time …

This idea of *Internet Fame* either

1. really excites you or
2. it scares the bejeebers out of you.

Common sense would probably tend to dictate that you should be judicious and careful about how you present yourself online – and more importantly perhaps what you present.

I mean … I grew up in NYC – I know about creepy people.

Maybe it’s because I grew up there that I’ve been able to work online so easily …

I have literally known the worst kind of people there are to know (some of them more closely than you really want to).

Growing up, I never let them intimidate my getting around the city (think NYC subway at 2am solo – that’s how stubborn I was), but they were always a presence.

Maybe the Internet takes a little street savvy to feel all the way comfy.

I’m totally comfy.

Even better, over the years I’ve learned in real time that the marketing (video in particular – I’m gonna tell you about fame and video in a minute) I create actually serves to finely filter through only the exact people that I want to be talking to.

Done right, with authenticity and clarity of purpose, I literally don’t have to talk to anyone I don’t want to.

And neither do you.

Truthfully (and maybe you already know this all too well), just putting your stuff “out into the ether” doesn’t really have any lasting effect.

That is, unless you make marketing moves to change that story.

There’s literally SO much information online that systems have to be continuously put in place just to get the words and messages you want OUT in front of eyeballs …

We now live in a world of infinite information. Most of our systems weren’t designed for this world.Even if you had the best recommendation system ever, and everyone stopped publishing interesting stuff tomorrow, you’d never get through all the content you’re interested in.
-Ev Williams ~ Medium.com

So fear of attracting yucky folks hasn’t ever really stopped me from interacting with new people online …

But ironically, it has been a major factor in choosing, or rather choosing NOT to build locally.

Here’s why.

What Kind of Fame Do You Want?

So, here’s the thing.

Ultimately, for success in this game it’s not really who you know that matters – it’s literally who knows you that makes all the difference.

[sidebar: Your job – your ONLY job is to build up know like and trust within a circle of people who will then take your recommendations often enough to translate into value for them and revenue for you.]

Read that at least twice. Three times would be better.

So some amount of “Fame” is required.

But I also deeply cherish my personal space and schedule and private lifestyle.

I want to be able to go to the grocery and not be recognized. I also want to be leverage fame at an event but still be able to get on a plane afterwards and slip back into anonymity.

By NOT building locally and using video online inside my marketing, I’ve struck this happy balance.

And “Fame” for this introvert-leaning gal is suddenly not so scary or impossible.

3 Day Fame

Heres how it works …

I literally go to a marketing event and I’m recognized.

People I don’t know, know me.

100% because of my videos.

It can be intense … and a little weird at first.

(at the first event I went to a few years back, one fellow literally recognized me just by the sound of my voice from being on webinars)

But then you realize that they’re already pre-sold on you (WAY pre-sold) and there’s nothing but lots of opportunity.

“Fame” literally creates opportunities (as well as responsibility, but that’s a different conversation) to impact your very own corner of the world – it allows your message to be heard more clearly and to be received more quickly and easily.

But it’s also nice to not have to be “on” all the time.

Fame for 3 days is just about right.

It’s the Internet and the power of video that makes it all possible.

[sidebar: I just realized that a plug for my friend Vitoria Castro’s Dominate Video Marketing course would fit in right about now – especially excellent course for folks who feel unsure of all the different technologies involved or who have just plain avoided getting on camera for one reason or another – Vitoria’s coaching will get you over the hump. Period. She’s very good at what she does – and bot does she care about her clients – whoosh!]

So what kind of Fame do you want? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me a PM on Facebook. We’ll explore.

See you at the next event – come say ‘hi’

Andrea

PS. I often hear from people who say they’re not sure what to blog or email or create videos around.

Let me tell you a little story about how this post just sprung to life. In about 20 minutes flat.

First, I made the intention yesterday to blog daily (53 posts give or take) until I land at the “Don’t Be a Wussy 2013″ event in Denver (you’ll need an account to see that page – login or set that up here first). So it was on my radar to pluck an idea and turn it into content first chance I got.

[8-25-13 Update: I so SO didn’t get all that blogging done, so don’t go looking for them lol … ah well it is what it is … this PS. section is still gold – pay close attention]

Next I opened an email … which lead to a video…

And literally in the first 8 minutes, my attention was grabbed by something the guy was saying.

(critical piece of the puzzle comin’ atcha here)

I stopped the video, gathered some initial thoughts about my own experience in that direction and started exploring the story behind it ON my blank blog post.

That’s right, I opened up a new post on my blog and started typing.

I just told the story, made a few distinctions and observations, wound up promoting a solution via an affiliate link (the one to Vitoria’s product up above) – totally unplanned but wholly appropriate …

And done.

I think the biggest trick (or maybe it’s a skill – which is good news ’cause it means it can be learned) … is being intentionally on the hunt for that something that first tickles your brain and STOPPING the video, audio, reading that you’re doing and expanding on it NOW.

See I may or may not get back to that video.

I probably will, it was actually harder than usual to pull myself away (if you’re curious to see it, it’s the training/sales video that comes right before you buy the Video Hosting product inside Empower Network) …

but – and this is a big BUT …

… even if I don’t… I’ve accomplished one of my big rocks for the day and that’s what’s most important.

Appreciate you

Remember to leave your thoughts below – I love to hear from you!

– A