I don’t know about you, but despite things not being totally back to normal (whatever that was), I’m feeling inspired and hopeful about my plans and goals for this year. I feel pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished and the growth my company, Monkey C Media has achieved in the last year. But I want to go even bigger this year! I want you to as well. That’s why I felt compelled to create this post as your roadmap to your 2022 personal branding and marketing success!
My Own Goals for 2022
This year, I’m working on putting myself out there for real. In 2021, I upped my social media game, dedicated some real time to engagement and focused on working smarter, not harder. This year, I want to put myself in the spotlight more. I’m planning on publishing more articles, getting some media attention, and along with some expansion of our services at MCM, I’ve got some great educational video series planned.
The SDWF and our official podcast, The Premise, is still a priority and we have some exciting things planned for this year’s festival that I’m really looking forward to! We want this thing to get big. Like, really big!
My branding book (title still in process, I’m thinking of Find Your Superpower or Your Brand Plan), is almost ready for beta readers, so if you would like to do an early read, please reach out and let me know in the comments!
Oh, I’m also at a point with my memoir that I’m going to be ready for the next steps to put it out into the world!
Do you have a 2022 Personal Branding and Marketing Success Plan Yet?
If not, keep reading! And if you do, then congrats! But also, keep reading!
It’s a new year and though it’s just another changing of the calendar, this is a time to get motivated, be inspired and set new goals. Because checking in with yourself is a good way to stay accountable. If we learned anything these past few years, it’s that there will always be new opportunities, or changes to adapt to, and fresh challenges to face on the road to your personal branding and marketing success.
I’m a big fan of starting off the new year by setting intentions and establishing (refreshing) your goals. My good friend and co-founder of the San Diego Writers Festival, Marni Freedman, is teaching a free online vision board workshop this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. PST. I for one will be there, setting intentions and getting excited about 2022!
What’s Changing in 2022 and What’s Stayed the Same
So many new and exciting things are changing, from self publishing and indie publishing being on the rise, to those authors getting loyal fans through their hard personal branding and marketing work, to new social platforms. But, a few things will continue to remain the same.
Virtual Events
We’re still living in the realm of virtual events, though in-person events are slowly coming back. But conferences, readings, festivals, and other events will likely remain in the virtual world for now, or at least hybrid. And perhaps, permanently. So, if you’ve been shying away from the virtual world these past two years, it’s time to come out of your shell. It just takes a bit of effort, the right equipment and a few good tips to get started.
Social Platforms
You’ve probably noticed the not-so-flattering stories in the news about Facebook[link] and Instagram and may have even noticed less activity and engagement on those platforms. Now, I don’t think these social media mega giants are going to become obsolete this year, or even next. But I have noticed that more and more niche platform options are opening up and becoming more popular. For instance, Substack and Kindle Vella. Plus, on storytelling platforms like Wattpad and Radish, there is still plenty of opportunity to get your foot in the door and reach micro-influencer status. All things seem to be moving toward very curated communities, rather than a one size fits all type of engagement.
In the last year, I’ve enjoyed meeting new readers and writers on Twitter, surprisingly. The writing and publishing community, and the creative and entrepreneurial community on Twitter is very supportive and I’ve actually enjoyed engaging a bit more.
Find what works for you. Do a little experimenting with GoodReads, or BookTok(book TikTok), or some of the other platforms linked in this post. Even Reddit is very community focused. You may find your niche audience there! It may inspire you. You may find your community is waiting for you on one of those platforms!
Authenticity
Authenticity will always remain a foundation of personal branding and marketing success. That will probably never change. So, I strongly suggest you check in with your priorities, your values, and your long-term goals again and see if there’s been a shift. Traditionally, now is the time to do all this! So make it count. If you have New Year’s resolutions, make sure you include some that are solely focused on maintaining true to yourself and your ideals as you continue to build on your personal branding and marketing success.
Trends to Expect in 2022 to Assist You in Your Personal Branding and Marketing Success
Along with committing to really put yourself out there and holding yourself accountable for your personal branding and marketing success, you should be prepared to be aware of the coming trends and use that knowledge to your advantage.
A Fresh Social Media Landscape
More than ever, video content is becoming the most engaging, fresh and fun way to reach your audience. Platforms like TikTok and Twitch are becoming giants. TikTok started as a place to share goofy videos and Twitch is primarily a platform for video game streaming, but that’s all starting to change. Valuable insights and educational content is being shared( and engaged with) on TikTok and niche communities exist there now. And Twitch is slowly becoming a place for all kinds of virtual events, making it more and more popular outside of just the video gaming community. Then there’s Clubhouse. Which, for the video averse is potentially a godsend. Clubhouse is an audio platform and built for long form content—Think lectures, readings, etc.
So maybe it’s time to check these platforms out and see if they can play a part in your personal branding and marketing success.
Shifts in Personal Branding and Marketing Trends
If you haven’t already, you’re bound to start noticing the shifts taking place in personal branding and marketing trends as well as how you reach your audience and engage with them.
Values and Causes
Did you know that 4 out of 5 customers choose a brand based on its alignment with their own values? That’s a big deal! And it’s no different with a personal brand. Your audience will also be expecting more meaningful conversations and less surface level types of engagement. So if you have something you’re passionate about, let that lead to your personal branding and marketing successes in 2022 and beyond.
A More ‘Real’ Version of You
As I mentioned above, your audience will always expect authenticity. So never do something just to check a box or stay on trend. All your content should remain authentically YOU. That means not always being perfect and polished, but more relatable. Don’t be afraid to show more than all your triumphs and successes. Nobody is perfect and your audience knows that.
And you know a great way to connect with your audience? The trusty newsletter. If you don’t already have a regular newsletter, maybe this is the year to start one!
Marketing Made Easier
Amazon ads will now appear in Google search stream apparently. And love it or hate it, Amazon is at the head of the pack when in comes to books(and well, everything it seems). Getting to know how Amazon ads work will make your book marketing that much easier. Or at least pay someone who knows their way around an Amazon ad.
Besides direct advertising, you have so many new ways to reach your audience to try. Like newsletters, podcasts, and some of those fresh social media platforms I mentioned.
Subscription Services and Serials
Subscription services are growing bigger than ever and will likely continue to do so. With fiction sites like Radish in the game now, serializing your writing is a great way to build your audience. Last year I wrote a blog about Radish that you may want to revisit.
Substack is a great subscription service and possible passive income generator as well. There’s a whole big world of subscription based platforms out there for you to share your content on, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, or audio and video content. You may as well take advantage of them!
The Rise of Audio
Maybe it’s because people are suffering screen fatigue after almost two years of video engagement and/or sitting on our couches binging TV series’, or staring at our phones on social media, but audio is becoming super popular for content consumption. There’s also the fact that audio is a passive way to engage with content while you do other things, like commuting home or cleaning the house.
Which makes me think we should start considering audio versions of our books, host or at least be a guest on a podcast, and maybe join platforms like Clubhouse. Let your voice be heard(literally) in 2022!
A Final Piece of Advice
Write Daily! The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is this, “Work on your writing 12 minutes every day.” I thought it was silly at first, but it makes a difference. Usually I write for longer, but on days when I don’t, that’s okay. I’ve met my goal and I stay connected to my writing. I did this for all of 2021 and guess what? I’ve just completed the third draft of my memoir. A little bit goes a long way to reaching your goals!
