Grow Your Brand By Rooting for Others

A critical aspect of both social media & business growth is building your network. Or put another way - designing your ecosystem.

Because your environment, for better or worse, influences your outcomes. Especially online.

But most creators overlook massive opportunities right in front of them. They’re too busy cranking out content to rise above the noise. They’re missing the forest for the trees.

But I have some good news for you: Social media growth can be easier (and more fun).

The easiest way to build out your network is to root for others.

It’s a timeless principle: Give To Get.

But I’m not talking about the same old cliche advice you hear everywhere: "Engage with others" or "Comment on their content".

I’m talking about being strategic with your personal brand. And bringing your online relationships and possibilities to real life. All through the magic of kindness and support.

Today, I’m sharing four unique ways you can root for fellow creators and, in turn, grow your own following, relationships, and business.

Let’s dive in.

1. Share the spotlight

Let’s face it. As creators, we spend most of our energy focused on our own work.

But sharing can go a long way.

Instead of exclusively promoting your own content, products, etc, consider shining a light on someone else's work that you genuinely admire.

You can do this in a Twitter thread, a LinkedIn post, or even an article or newsletter on your website.

Recently, Pat Walls broke down my business in an article and subsequent Tweet. He published it, I retweeted it, and it generated nearly 100k impressions.

There’s no easier way to get someone’s attention than by writing an in-depth review of their product or service.

And when you do, even massive creators will sometimes return the favor (or at least re-share your shout-out) which can lead to new followers and opportunities for you.

2. Break down someone else’s work and share it publicly

The creators growing the fastest right now are doing in-depth analyses of other people’s work and showcasing it to their own audiences.

Take Chenell Basilio for example.

She’s growing like wildfire on Twitter by breaking down how other creators build their audiences, newsletters, and businesses. It’s fascinating.

She teases out these breakdowns and then drops them into her newsletter and social media, focusing on other creators’ achievements and offering key takeaways we can all learn from.

Doing things like this not only helps your audience learn something new but also provides exposure to your featured creator.

This helps you plant the seeds for a new and potentially valuable relationship.

In fact, a few months after this, I featured Chenell in a newsletter issue of mine (and this is the second time).

Win/Win.

3. Host collaborations or interviews

Another great way to get mutual visibility online is to team up with other creators in your niche (or a complimentary niche) on some type of collaboration.

I did this a lot early on in my journey, always working my way up the ladder by doing little projects with creators with slightly larger audiences than I had.

The bigger I grew, the more I could reach out to slightly more popular creators and keep climbing.

If you have creators in mind that you’d like to team up with, propose a joint project to them, like a webinar, podcast, or even a joint article.

Your audience will benefit, as will theirs. And you’ll tap into each other's networks, leading to better visibility and growth for both of you.

4. Be a thoughtful connector

As you broaden your network, you'll come across people who would benefit from knowing each other.

Consider making introductions when appropriate, whether it's connecting two creators with similar interests, or introducing a fellow solopreneur to a potential client.

Just be sure you get a “double opt-in” before you fire off any intro emails. A double opt-in means you’ve asked both parties for permission to make the intro.

Recently, I've been fortunate enough to be introduced to some incredibly cool new people: drinks in Portugal with Eric Partaker, a Zoom with Ali Abdaal, dinner in NYC with Wes Kao, and texting business ideas with Nick Huber.

And all of these people have been introduced to me through a "connector".

When you play the role of a connector, you become known as a valuable and helpful person. You’ll naturally attract more followers and partners.

In Summary

What many creators and solopreneurs don’t realize is that growing your audience and business is about so much more than working in isolation and promoting your own thing.

It's also about genuinely supporting other folks along their journeys too.

I go super deep on this topic in my course, The LinkedIn Operating System. It's where 30 LinkedIn Top Voices and 17,000 other students learned to build deep relationships on the platform.

If you build a routine that includes rooting for fellow creators, you'll strengthen your network and create deep, mutually beneficial relationships along the way.

And remember, this is not a zero-sum game. Other people winning doesn’t take anything away from your ability to succeed.

Elevate your network, and watch your businesses thrive.

See you next week.