cutting through the noise: finding your brand voice in an online world

Cut The NoiseFinding Your Brand Voice In An Online World

about Me

about Me

Born in Hampton, VA

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to Florida

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First Camera

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First CameraMoved To Atlanta

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First CameraMoved To AtlantaEpic Ignorant Shit Ensued

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First CameraMoved To AtlantaEpic Ignorant Shit EnsuedCorporate Shit Ensued

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First CameraMoved To AtlantaEpic Ignorant Shit EnsuedCorporate Shit EnsuedPops Health Slipped, Priorities Changed

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First CameraMoved To AtlantaEpic Ignorant Shit EnsuedCorporate Shit EnsuedPops Health Slipped, Priorities ChangedYGET Asked Me Onboard

about Me

Born in Hampton, VATraveled the entire east coast by 16 years old - Maine to FloridaQuit Football Freshman Season, Picked Up First CameraMoved To AtlantaEpic Ignorant Shit EnsuedCorporate Shit EnsuedPops Health Slipped, Priorities ChangedYGET Asked Me OnboardAll This Made Me

The Baddest Mutha Fucka On The Planet.

What Is your purpose?You’re here for a reason. Stop bullshxtting and honor it.

Facebook

Instagram LinkedIn

TwitterHuman Voiced

InteractionConversation and News

Visual Marketing Business Leads and eStalking

Followers Likes70,000Social media isn’t about quantity as a personal

brand unless you’re trying to get those advertising bucks.

!Focus on the quality of your content and

distribution strategy, the numbers will come. !

Remember your purpose? It’s not to reach some empty quantified goal. Stay the course.

Create Dope Shxt.

EXECUTEIdentifyresearch

HootSuite

Crowdbooster

+

= $$$$

LinkS!!!

Android Drives It.

FB is dead.

case studies

SnapChat x Taco Bell

1

2 3

Oreo - Daily twist

What Is your voice?Autotune your shxt if you got wack vocals.

Tone

Tone is crucial to perception.

Are you sarcastic? Snarky? Witty? Gloomy? Fun? How are you interacting with your potential customer?

Mission

Your mission is simply a statement that identifies what your purpose is to anyone that is interested. What are you doing this for?

Values

Values are the standards you hold high in your interaction with others.

Are you honest? Punctual? Compassionate? Empathetic?

Personality

Personality can sometimes be confused for tone. This is simply when you humanize yourself (and your content) to become identifiable and approachable.

“Game Of Thrones is back! #RedWedding”

Um… What?

Fight The Noise

500 Million Tweets Per Day

Craig Smith of DMR (Digital Marketing Ramblings) compiled some pretty

heavy facts. With THAT many tweets PER DAY being sent, think about what

YOU’RE adding.

These guys create the positive groundswell on social media. They

show users what’s new and important (or just pretty effing cool) in particular

industries and markets.

InfluencersInhibitors create pointless noise that we have to cut through. We can’t get rid of them, but we can use them to

find new audiences.

“Oh my gawwwd, Chipotle is my liiiife!”

Inhibitors

exercise #1 “Charette”

Who Inspires You?Find influencers that embody your mission in other niches.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Marcus Troy

Time to Give some Fucks.

What Do I Do Now?

Meet Some FUcking people

They’re AWESOME.

Almost EVERY connection I have is from talking with and meeting people. No matter how automated things become, there will always be a person calling the shots and

making the decisions behind it all. Don’t get lost behind your computer screen!

get the fuck out of your little box of cool

Stop being so fucking timid

Fucking Explore Shit

Take Some Fucking Chances

Rules Are Made To Control.

!

FUCK Rules.

exercise #2 “Career Roadmap”

Exercise #3 Use Social Media To Land A

job Interview.

Indeed is the best “job board” style website for finding work in the creative and communications fields. Not journalism. For that try JournalismJobs.com.

Indeed

• Find a company or job listing you’re interested in.

• Use LinkedIn or ZoomInfo to find the departmental manager (NOT HR) direct contact info.

• Use this new info to reach out or find them on other (contextual) social media.

fishing on linkedinNetworking events are key! Creative Mornings has a branch in Washington, DC that is ripe for people like us to attend.

Get in these streets!

Industry white papers and journals provide pointed statistical data that will help you to form educated guesses on emerging trends and strategies. Marketo and the Infographics Labs blog are two great resources. Behance’s 99U is my personal favorite for creatives.

targeted research

Q&A

I’m between VA, DC and NY often so don’t be afraid to reach out if you’ve got questions about anything we’ve covered today or just to say what’s up. It’s TOUGH coming from limited resources and breaking through, but it is NOT impossible.

thomas@thomasawilson.com

YouGottaEatThis.com

ThomasWilson2

twitter.com/ThomasWilson2