As writers, sometimes we get too caught up not only in what we’re saying but also on how we say it…the delivery factor if you will. At SMBMad’s October event Rachel Werner, digital editor at Brava Magazine and the beauty and fashion host at Gravy, a mobile game show, delivered her message in a VERY big way.

During her presentation “Style. Spin. Soar.” Rachel dispatched nuggets of social media and personal branding wisdom to those in attendance in an entertaining, informative, and interactive way.

It was like a laser light show, which was fitting considering we were at UltraZone Lazer Tagon Grand Canyon Road—big shout-out to Angie Beulow of UltraZone for hosting us in their amazing, multi-use space.

Building a brand through social is a process

Rachel got her start freelancing for local and national publications about sustainable agriculture. A year after that, she joined the editorial team at BRAVA, where she was asked to take the lead on social media, which led her to figure out how to start building connections…lots of connections.

Soon she found her ability to connect spilled over to her personal branding efforts, and she parlayed her efforts into building her own social networks.

In the process, she learned that building a brand and a social network is a process. You have to know your own skills and how you can utilize them to build your brand. But it’s an evolution, she says. Your look will change, and so will your brand.

Rachel talked about three concepts created by Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point. To achieve a Tipping Point, keep these insights in mind as you build your own brand:

The Law of the Few

All it takes is a few well-connected people to start a trend. Connect with those people online.

The Stickiness Factor

Some concepts are inherently more appealing. It has to be distinctive, yet still connect.

The Power of Context

Human behavior is sensitive to and strongly influenced by its environment. Gladwell explains: “Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur.”

You also need to find your own strengths. During an interactive exercise, Rachel broke the group up into three sections:

1. Connectors
2. Mavens
3. Salespeople

The groups had to pitch bathroom products, as well as their own personal values. It brought forward a healthy dose of self-awareness, key to any marketer…or human being in general.

Rachel concluded with a few genuine gems:

• Leave perfection at the door
• Get going and find out what works, and don’t let excuses get in the way
• It’s all about consistency and building content
• Beware of oversaturation
• Don’t worry about other’s opinions
• Find your digital tribe

“Live your brand,” Rachel concluded with, “and the story will tell itself.”

Special thanks to Rachel Werner for all her insights. See you next month at the 2018 Non-Profit LIVE Social Media Audit at Lussier Family West YMCA.

This post was written by Greg Mischio, the Owner and Strategic Director of Winbound, a content marketing company. Winbound provides an all-in-one content marketing and conversion optimization package specifically designed for small marketing departments. Twitter: @gregmischio