In a conversation that’s been a year in the making, Nick Bennett of Alyce breaks down his philosophy on all things “personal brand” - what it really means, why it’s crucial, and how it’s made him a top content creator on LinkedIn. For Nick, it’s all about centering what you create in the human element. Get personal. An audience invested in YOU as a human being and not just what tips you can offer is much more willing to engage with your brand in meaningful ways that go far beyond the “Like” button.

MINDSETS:

• Clarity - have a CLEAR goal and vision beyond your target audience. Focus on your niche. This can take time, be patient with yourself. Feel free to experiment and you'll find a little self-reflection can lead to big insights.
• The human element - “Your story matters.” Get personal! Vulnerability and deeper connection to a human story can lead to robust, sustainable relationships. As a creator, living your truth and being your authentic self generates meaningful content (but as Nick says, not everyone will like what you put there… and that’s OK). 
• Gear up for the down side - attitude in the face of adversity. At times, life doesn’t seem to like our plans. Learn to embrace the unexpected and prepare for when things inevitably go wrong. Overnight hacks are a myth. The best things take time to build. And what’s one of the best things to build, according to Nick? Community. 
• Leave your legacy - go beyond reputation. People should remember who you are. Also, it’s ok to evolve. In fact, it’s crucial. Just be open and purposeful along the way. Your identity is never set in stone. 

SKILLSETS:

• Sharpen your ICPs - really understanding the various niches within the marketing space that you want to target generates faster leads. 
• Tie your content to the larger story of you - sounds simple, right? But the real “work” involves the ability to tie every piece of content you make to a larger picture. Viewed within this larger context of who you are as a brand, your audience sees you as a nuanced human being with a compelling story. 
• Personal branding is all the rage - more than ever, marketers and creators who can masterfully carve out a space as a personal brand have the edge.
• Curate your network, curate your social feed - anyone can accept every LinkedIn invite that comes their way. But this leads to a messy, clogged feed. The most successful creators are strategic about their connections. Doing this ensures that your audience returns to your feed to learn about YOU as a person, not just because you offer sound marketing advice. 

TOOLSETS:

• “5 Minute Rule” (a Nick Bennett special)
• Shield 
• LinkedIn 

RESULTS:

• 3% month-over-month growth for Alyce’s LinkedIn presence
• A new Evangelism-based program internally at Alyce focused on personal branding for its employees… This leads to literally millions of impressions for the agency.
• A company-wide event focused on personal branding which generated nearly 4 million organic views on LinkedIn in just a month. 

A bit more about Nick:

Nick is the Director of Evangelism & Customer Marketing at Alyce. Voted as one of LinkedIn's top 100 creators, Nick shares his experiences with personal branding and customer marketing daily on LinkedIn and TikTok. A skilled speaker and creator, Nick is constantly exploring how B2B buyers make decisions today and applies his learnings as host of his own show, Rep Your Brand, one of the world’s top 10% most popular podcasts. 

 
Helpful Links & Resources:

• Connect with Nick @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickbennett1/ 

Connect with Mike & Gaby @ Proofpoint Marketing:

• Mike’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegrinberg/
• Gaby’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellaisrael/
• LinkedIn Company Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proofpoint-marketing-llc
• Proofpoint YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/ProofpointonYouTube

Proofpoint Marketing Website: www.proofpoint.marketing