microDOMINATION

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how to leverage social media and

content marketing to

build a mini-business empire around your

personal brandTREVOR YOUNG

microDOMINATION

how to leverage social media and

content marketing to

build a mini-business empire around your

personal brandTREVOR YOUNG

microDOMINATION

how to leveragesocial media and

content marketing to

build a mini-businessempire around your

personal brand

John Wiley & Sons, Australia, Ltd

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First published in 2013 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064

Office also in Melbourne

Typeset in ITC Berkeley Oldstyle Std Book 11/13

© Trevor Young

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Author: Young, Trevor.Title: Microdomination: how to leverage social media and

content marketing to build a mini-business empire around your personal brand / Trevor Young.

ISBN: 9781118505649 (pbk.)Notes: Includes index.Subjects: Small business — Management. Small business marketing. Social media — Economic aspects. Internet marketing. Dewey Number: 658.4012

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover design by C. Wallace

Internal design by Peter Reardon, www.pipelinedesign.com.au

Author image by Neil Creek

Social media icons on pages 50, 51, 64 and 96 © Orman Clark, www.premiumpixels.com

Printed in Singapore by C.O.S. Printers Pte Ltd

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

DisclaimerThe material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

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Dedicated to my family and friends (on and offline!) for their ongoing support, encouragement and conversation.

I also dedicate this book to all the smart and generous micro mavens mentioned within these pages, without whom there would be no

phenomenon to write about. These people have inspired not only me but also, collectively, millions of people around the world; they’ve done it by sharing ideas, telling stories, and putting their thoughts and views out in the public domain (which can be a scary space sometimes). Ladies and

gentlemen, I salute thee!

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vii

Contents

About the author ixIntroduction xiii

Part I: Introducing the micro maven 11 From small-time personal profile to global microbrand 32 Meet the micro mavens 11

Part II: Exploring the micro maven 233 Micro mavens: the sum of many parts 254 The seven powerful characteristics of micro mavens 37

Part III: Becoming a micro maven 675 Introducing the micro maven blueprint 696 Develop a platform 817 Build your brand 1078 Grow your business 1419 Live your dream 181

Part IV: The micro maven in action 18910 Profiles of five micro mavens 19111 Starting your micro maven journey 211

Index 213

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ix

About the author

Speaker, consultant, content creator and start-up entrepreneur, Trevor Young is a true PR Warrior on the front-line of the communications revolution!

A recognised blogger and marketing communications practitioner, Trevor’s goal is to help companies, organisations and individuals increase the intensity of connection they have with the people who matter most to the success of their business, cause or issue. He does this through his hybrid consulting, training and publishing practice.

Over the past five years, Trevor has built a reputation as a speaker and commentator on the topics of PR, social media, content marketing and what it takes to be a ‘connected brand’ in today’s hyper-networked marketplace. He writes regularly for LeadingCompany and Samara Magazine.

SmartCompany.com.au named Trevor’s blog one of the 25 Best Business Blogs in Australia in 2011.

Connect with Trevor

Website: www.trevoryoung.me

Facebook: www.facebook.com/prwarrior

Twitter: @trevoryoung

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trevoryoung

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xi

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xi

MAVEN noun

A maven (also mavin or mayvin) is an expert in a particular field, usually one who is self-appointed and who seeks to pass his knowledge on to others.

Source: www.websters-online-dictionary.org

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xiii

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xiii

Introduction

Welcome to the world of the micro mavenThe emergence of the social web has seen the rise and (continued) rise of a new breed of entrepreneur who is creative and connected, prolific and passionate, socially savvy and community-minded.

These new-look entrepreneurs are the product of today’s ideas economy, fuelled by new media technologies that allow them to expand across the virtual globe, winning fans and advocates, allies and supporters — and, importantly, generating business — often from the comfort of their own home (or even on the road somewhere). Whether their home base is in an exotic location such as Costa Rica, Chile or the Philippines, or an ordinary suburban house or city apartment somewhere like Boston, New York, Vancouver, Melbourne, Queenstown or Reno doesn’t matter — where they are based is less important than what they represent and how they operate.

These individuals are at once digitally smart, self-sufficient and generous with their knowledge and experience. They’ve built their personal profiles by thinking and acting like publishers and media proprietors: they are first and foremost prolific creators of rich and interesting content — text, photos, video, audio, illustration — which they share freely and willingly online. Critically, they have a point of view that people gravitate towards — a flood of ideas like-minded souls hook onto and spread via their own networks, in addition to a set of experiences that fans and followers alike take note of and learn from.

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