Build a Job You Can't Get Fired From

About a year ago I started seeing a lot of posts on LinkedIn on how to create a following and eventually earn money through digital products. I was intrigued. Most of my career has been in tech, and tech doesn’t embrace older workers. I wanted to make sure I had a Plan B in place that capitalizes on my expertise and would be limited only by the amount of work I am willing to put in. But it had to be something I could do alongside my current full-time role, so over Christmas break 2022 I took a 2-hour course that would teach me how to get started.

 

Since then, I’ve read posts, watched videos, and taken an additional 4-hour course on how to create compelling content and grow your followers. I’m sharing what I’ve learned in the hopes that you can benefit from my journey.

 

My results since January are as follows:

  • Impressions: 105,646

  • Likes: 4,223

  • Comments: 1,172 

In the world of social media influencers, 105,000 impressions isn’t huge. But it is 105,000 impressions I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t started. This is a side hustle/passion project, so I do it on nights and weekends. It takes me longer to figure things out and to grow this way, but I do feel like I’m connecting with my people.

 

If you are looking for full time job or consulting opportunities, spend a good amount of time commenting, posting and engaging on LinkedIn to show off your subject matter expertise. That way potential employers can find you through your content and learn so much more about what you know and can do for them vs. through a simple resume.

 

I’ll share more in the following weeks about specific tools I use and other details. For now, here’s how to get started.

 

1)    Start by commenting and liking other people’s posts

Add a comment that adds value to the conversation and gives the next reader something to react to or play off of. Do not simply rephrase whatever the original post is - that does not move the conversation forward. Say something unique and insightful that makes people want to engage.

 

2)    Use what works

There are some people on social media who have been out there doing it for years. Through trial and error, they know what kind of content works. Here are a few of their favorite types of post structures:

 

1)    Actionable – tell people how to do something step by step

2)    Motivational – Inspire people through a story

3)    Observational – something you’ve observed and can speak to with a perspective

4)    X vs Y – compare two situations

5)    Present vs Future – compare how things are done now to how you predict they will be done in the future

3)    Stop the scroll

The most important element of your post is your hook. It’s the first line of your post and serves to “hook” people by grabbing their attention. You want to “stop the scroll” by creating an opening line that is so compelling it makes people stop scrolling to read your post. There are a lot of resources on YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn that can teach you how to create a compelling hook, and it is also part of the course I recommend at the bottom of this email.

 

4)    Share your expertise

What do you know about that you can write about confidently and consistently? It could be product marketing, project management, finance, event planning, communications, copywriting….the list is endless. You can always pivot later, most influencers have, just get started by posting regularly and building an audience.

 

5)    Create a tribe

The algorithm on LinkedIn favors posts that get early traction, so many influencers have created support groups that engage with each other’s content in the first hour after it gets posted. The most obvious of these groups is what I call the black t-shirt boys. They all have similar profile photos and all wear the Steve Jobs black t-shirt:

  • Sahil Bloom

  • Anthony Vicino

  • Dickie Bush

  • Justin Welsh

  • Dan Koe

You’ll see them commenting on one another’s posts on both LinkedIn and Twitter, priming the algorithm and broadening reach. Create or join a group of people who are trying to build a following (or reach out to me as I’ve got a LinkedIn group going) to help get your posts boosted and therefore in front of more people.

 

In future posts I’ll talk more about digital products, eBooks, video courses, sponsorships, affiliate marketing and the different tools I use to post, analyze, and engage with content.

By the way, the course linked below is an “affiliate link”. If you purchase the course through this link, I get a commission. This is one way that people make money online - getting a commission for recommending products that people buy. If you go this route, always indicate when you are suggesting an affiliate link, otherwise it feels skeevy.

 

Let me know what you think. I would love to hear what topics would be most useful to you.

 

When you’re ready, there are two ways I can help:

1) I highly recommend the same 2-hour course ($150) I used to get started posting on LinkedIn (affiliate link): THE LINKEDIN OPERATING SYSTEM

2) I can manage your social presence for you, or we can work together to help you create a content system, tell your stories and amplify your brand: GHEIM@GRAYSONHAYDEN.COM

Genelle HeimComment