Youpreneur Fm - How To Build, Market And Monetize A Successful Personal Brand Business

Branding can be a tough process but getting your brand to stand out against a crowded landscape can be an even bigger challenge. No matter how unique or niched down you get with your product or service, there will always be stiff competition out there which is why brand differentiation is so important. On the podcast this week, I share my three ideas on how to help your brand stand out. I also discuss the importance of owning your brand story, making a mark within your own industry and how taking some bold stances can help you attract the best audience for you and repel the rest. Most importantly when it comes to building a brand, there are always learning curves and roadblocks to overcome so don’t be afraid to be bold, get out there and try new things! Essential Learning Points From This Episode:Why you need to tell your story on a more regular basis Reinventing a category within the niche you are in How big brands use their founder stories as part of their heritage When it comes to branding, don’t be afraid

Becoming a published author has been a goal I’ve noticed more and more Youpreneurs chasing lately, and for good reason. Getting a book out into the world is one of the most effective expert positioning strategies you can use.  In this episode, I talk about the writing process itself, the importance of validating your idea and what publishing route you might want to take to get your book out there whether it’s through traditional or self-publishing. I also share my own personal experiences with writing routines and retreats, what worked best for me and why I decided to go down the self-publishing route myself for my second book, https://youpreneur.com/book/ (Rise of the Youpreneur). What’s your favorite tip when it comes to writing a book? I’d love to hear it - send me a message over on Instagram at http://instagram.com/chrisducker (@chrisducker) and let me know! Essential Learning Points From This Episode:When is the best time to get a book out into the world The easiest way to serve up and write a book

Whether you are speaking to a classroom-sized workshop or taking on the big stage in front of hundreds of people, building your speaking career is a sure-fire way to position yourself as an expert in your field, develop a deeper connection with a brand audience and spread your message...all at the same time.  If you’ve been thinking about whether you should start hitting stages this year, this episode is all about how you can build a speaking career into your Youpreneur ecosystem. I dive into the basics you’ll need to cover from crafting your talk to getting ready to hit the stage. I also talk about the different ways you can monetize your speaking career, important things you’ll need to invest in to take your speaking to the next level plus my number one tip when building a slide deck. Get that notepad and pen out, you’re going to need it! Essential Learning Points From This Episode:Do you even need to build a speaking career to develop your personal brand How you can approach speakers to offer to speak

Podcast’s popularity shows no sign of slowing down with https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/business/media/podcast-growth.html (the number of daily podcasts) tripling since 2017, but creating and producing a podcast takes a lot more than just showing up behind a mic.  If you feel like you’ve built a good-sized audience and you’ve hit a healthy number of episode downloads then it might be high time to start making your show work for you. Tune into this episode as I share five different ways you can monetize your podcast, from sponsorships and affiliates to using loyalty programs. Whether you’re a podcasting newbie or a veteran with more than a 100 episodes under your belt, it’s important to know how you can monetize your podcast. Try out different approaches to see what works for your audience and fits with your brand. And don’t forget to let me know which method works for you over on Instagram at @chrisducker. Essential Learning Points From This Episode: The 3 different ways you can approach sponsorships

The start of a brand new year is always so exciting for me, it allows me to set the stage for how I want to run my business and hit my goals for the rest of the year. However, if you want to get started the right way, it means that you’ve got to sit down and plan what you want to focus on.  What you want to https://youpreneur.com/you-340-learning-how-to-become-free-to-focus-with-michael-hyatt/ (focus on) really all comes down to you, where you are in your business and what you want to achieve. In this episode I’ll be sharing the five aspects that I’m personally planning to focus on this year and why they are key to helping me achieve https://youpreneur.com/how-to-build-a-business-around-your-personal-brand/ (business success.) When it comes to running a business, the days are long but the years are short which is why you need to get clear on what you want to get done so you can start planning and take action quickly before the year just slips on by. What do you plan on focusing on in 2020? I’d love to kn

In the final Youpreneur Summit 2019 keynote session, author and speaker Hal Elrod shares five simple strategies to go beyond the bestseller, create content that creates a movement, earns a fortune and changes the world. Hal Elrod is a firm believer in the power of what a book can do - not only to you and your business but also the impact it can create around you. He has two reasons on why you should consider getting started: making an impact that’s scalable and an income that’s scalable.  This insightful and moving keynote was the perfect way to wrap up Youpreneur Summit 2019 so get your notepads and pens out, I guarantee you are going to need it! Essential Learning Points From This Episode: The secret to writing a book and create a word of mouth phenomenon is to embed behavior change in your content Why every single author should have affirmations that reinforce your content The single biggest factor in the success of the miracle morning We are just as worthy and deserving of achieving success as any ot

If you were to stop working today, would your business stay the same? This is something that is key critical for entrepreneurs everywhere. We all need to take a break and hit pause once in a while but does that mean your business ends up pausing as well?  In this episode, Celebrity fitness expert, coach and author JJ Virgin takes the Youpreneur Stage as she delivers her keynote presentation and dives into future-proofing your own personal brand business. JJ gets down to business in her keynote as she shares how you can create financial freedom by sharing her own inspiring entrepreneurial journey, monetization models and how you can 10X your own business.  Essential Learning Points From This Episode: Successful personal brands have created multiple income streams  JJ shares her own entrepreneurial journey and how she created impact The rule JJ uses when setting her own price points and what she noticed when she raised her own prices The power of asking and mapping out your customer journey 

I’ve always been a strong believer in the saying “if you do not ask, you do not get”. It’s been a cornerstone of how I’ve built my businesses over the years and something I’ve always lived by. Speaker and author Phil Jones believes in the same thing. He believes that salespeople are born not made because everyone is born with the innate ability to ask. It’s just a matter of what and how you say it. In this episode, Phil goes into why the biggest reason that most entrepreneurs are failing to get the success they are capable of is because they aren’t asking for the things they need and how a few magic words can make a world of difference.  He also shares his personal definition of what a sales person truly is and a five-step process to sales you can apply yourself. This episode is jam-packed with value bombs so get ready to take notes on exactly what you can say to get more of what you want. Essential Learning Points From This Episode: Change is hard, difficult but change is required if you want to change

So many entrepreneurs know that they have what it takes to make a difference. The talent, drive and desire is there but something always seems to hold them back from becoming their best selves. Author and speaker Todd Herman takes the Youpreneur Summit stage to help unlock the hero inside as he dives into the Alter Ego effect and the science behind why this is such a powerful strategy. One of my favorite examples Todd shared during his talk was Winston Churchill who used to stand in front of a wall of hats and he would ask himself, “which self should I be today”. It was this kind of mindset of using an alter ego that helped him lead his country to victory and what so many other top-performers have used as well. Todd also shares how we develop our own identities, which creates our results and the process you can use so you can experience what you’re truly capable of.  Essential Learning Points From This Episode: How we create our identities and the science behind why it’s so powerful. Why and how people g

Last year was a big year for personal brands. From the rise of micro-influencers across a myriad of platforms to big brands moving their ad campaign budgets from prime TV to collaborating with personal brands on platforms like Instagram, this golden era of influencer marketing doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.  As we enter into 2020, I share my own tips on how you can showcase your own personal brand in a fresh new way. Tune in as I share the importance of allowing yourself to be personal and vulnerable on social media, whether keeping a blog is still relevant and the questions you need to ask yourself to define what your personal brand stands for. I also talk about the importance of allowing your personal brand to evolve with your business and so much more. This episode is a short but sharp one so keep your pen and paper on you, you’ll need them! Essential Learning Points From This Episode: When you are setting up your website, make sure you get the look and feel right. It should not only

In the early days of building my business, I hit a brick wall and realized my business was starting to run me instead of the other way around. It’s a moment that I feel a lot of entrepreneurs have felt themselves.  I knew I had two options: to completely burnout or make some serious changes. Once I realized the power of outsourcing and what it could do, that was it. I went to work building my team. In this episode, I want to share a few tips on outsourcing particularly with virtual assistants so that you can get started with building your own team the right way.  I also go into shifting from that Superhero Syndrome mindset and the Three Lists to Freedom exercise to guide you through the process of figuring out exactly what you should be outsourcing. As you slowly start building your team to help run your business, you’ll be able to ramp up business growth by having more time to be able to focus on the bigger picture. Remember to do what you do best and delegate the rest. Essential Learning Points Fr

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with Facebook. There is so much noise and distraction that comes with it - tons of notifications that greet you when you open it, the crazy videos that can turn into a time suck. But love it or hate it, you definitely can’t ignore it.  Especially when it comes to Facebook ads, nothing beats how zoomed in and focused you can get with your audiences. If you’ve been thinking about diving into the world of Facebook ads or if you’ve already started to get your feet wet, tune in as I share a few tips to help you get started. I discuss how targeting is essential, how you can drive traffic to your free content plus why measuring and testing is everything so you can make the most of your ad budget. When it comes to https://youpreneur.com/5-big-brand-tactics-you-can-use-in-your-facebook-and-instagram-ads/ (Facebook ads), there is definitely a learning curve that comes with it but once you have the basics down pat, they’re totally worth your while and can absolutely m

There are so many ways to reach your audience these days. Ten years ago, blogging was considered everyone’s bread and butter, so to speak. It was the primary way we could share our message and get our content out there. Nowadays there are so many different platforms to choose from.  Youpreneurs are spread across various platforms including blogging, vlogging, podcasting, using social media like Instagram and Instagram stories while other Youpreneurs focus on growing communities on Facebook or even shooting live streaming videos. This week, however, I want to zoom in on two main mediums: https://youpreneur.com/how-to-make-a-podcast-generate-income/ (podcasting) and vlogging. Tune in as I weigh the pros and cons of each and share a few tips on deciding which medium is right for you.  I also share some interesting facts on why both mediums are worth jumping on, what you can do to get used to being in front of the camera and so much more. If you are still on the fence about whether you should

Becoming a published author is a goal that many people want to conquer - maybe more than you think. According to a https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryancollinseurope/2019/06/20/heres-what-every-entrepreneur-should-know-about-becoming-an-author/#2ca1ad7577b5 (survey), 81% of Americans want to write a book. But even with the desire to write one, I can easily say that the actual process of writing and editing a book is a completely different ball game.  In this episode, I share a few guidelines you can use while writing your book including how you can get started with writing your book, what you can do to keep up that writing momentum and why it’s crucial to have a fresh pair of eyes go over your work to help you with the editing process. I also cover the second part of the book process which is marketing it and why you don’t need to wait until your book is finished to get started on it. Whether you choose the self-publishing or traditional publishing route, either way, means that you have to make book marketi

Launches have always been one of my favorite parts of being an entrepreneur. Yes, there’s a lot of expectation and stress that can happen during the pre-launch phase but it’s also a time where you can play around with new launch strategies that can connect you with a brand new audience.   If you do have a brand new product or service that you can’t wait to share with the world, it’s important to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before unveiling it to the world. First impressions matter, so you want to make sure you launch it right.  This week, I break down four particular areas when it comes to launching: pre-testing your audience, the three elements you need to create when building buzz, a few of my own favorite launch strategies that I’ve used so far and what you can do after your product or service has finally been released. There are lots of moving parts involved when it comes to a product launch which is why planning is essential from the get-go. Make sure you cover all the detai

Content Marketing is the pillar of how I’ve built my business over the last few years, but I must confess: it hasn’t always been the streamlined process it is today. In fact, it was only a few years ago when my team and I felt like we were constantly chasing deadlines and churning out content left and right with no real direction. Fortunately, we got to the point where we decided it was high time to lay out a proper content strategy and the rest is history. What’s important to remember is that coming up with your own content marketing strategy doesn’t have to be a complicated multi-step process for it to work. You just need to always remember who you are creating content for and what kind of content can serve them best then work from there. In this episode, I share a few tips on creating your own content marketing strategy such as thinking in groups of 12 when it comes to creating content, content repurposing and setting up workflows with your team to lighten the load. I also talk about the importance of deep

In the Youpreneur world, we’re all about building connections whether they’re on or offline. This is why I’m a big believer in live events. There really is nothing like creating real moments and in-person connections between members.  Different communities mean different approaches. You always have to make sure you anticipate what kind of event your audience needs before putting on your event-organizer hat. What works for one group - like a large-scale conference - might not work for a group that is looking for a more intimate setting. In this episode, I go through the different kinds of live events you can put on when building a vibrant tribe to help you decide. Also, stay tuned as I make a special announcement about the launch of our own brand new mastermind group, the Youpreneur Incubator. The team and I have been gathering all your feedback on how we can serve you better and we can’t wait to get this started in the new year.  I talk about how it will be focusing on diversifying revenue, increasi

To monetize or not to monetize? That is the question I get asked a LOT. I know so many entrepreneurs that are on the fence when it comes to monetizing their communities because they are worried they might end up alienating them. So where do you start? What should you be giving out for free and what can you offer as paid content for your audience? In this episode, I dive into four different ways you can monetize your online community: https://youpreneur.com/how-to-write-blog-content-faster-by-batching-your-writing/ (blogging), podcasting, webinars and affiliate marketing plus a few of my favorite online tools that I like to use to make it happen. As Walt Disney once said, “We don’t make movies to make money, we make movies to make more movies.” and that’s the kind of mindset you want to have when it comes to monetizing your community. It’s never about “taking” from your audience. It’s all about being able to truly create more value for your community.  Essential takeaways from this episode: The

We’ve all come across articles making the bold statement that email marketing is dead. Fact is that email is here to stay, but it’s adapted to modern times. According to Forbes,https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/06/12/email-is-not-dead-its-evolving/#4a288d3e7545 ( 59% of B2B marketers) report that email marketing is their most effective channel for generating revenue. One of the biggest mistakes I see online entrepreneurs make is not putting a premium on building their email lists. They would much rather be focusing on building their subscriber numbers or followers on social media.  The problem with that though is those communication channels aren’t really controlled by you and your marketing strategy could be extremely effective one minute and obsolete the next. This is why having an email list is so important to making sure you get your message across to your audience.   Tune in as I dive into a few list building rules you need to keep in mind when https://youpreneur.com/yo

You might have heard the topic pop up in conversation and manyhttps://www.businessinsider.com/most-us-consumers-not-brand-loyal-2019-3 ( studies have agreed) on the same thing: customer loyalty is dropping, and fast. With so many options out there to choose from, consumers are more likely to explore and switch to new brands more than ever before.  So how does your brand cope in the digital era when it feels like 5 new competitors crop up every day? There are a lot of elements you will need to work into your strategy but one essential practice that every entrepreneur should be focusing on is truly connecting and engaging with your audience.  Loyalty is a word that gets thrown around a lot lately. It’s important for us to understand that the loyalty of our audiences isn’t something that should be taken for granted.  In this episode, I share my tips on how you can build brand loyalty with your audience and what you can do to grow an authentic personal brand that your audience can relate to. Make s