How Richard van der Blom Dominated Linkedin

 

Subtle. 

If you have been on LinkedIn recently, you might have noticed one guy out there SLAYING THE PLATFORM. It's always fun to watch someone that literally creates a following around what they are passionate about. 

Richard van der Blom has all the makings of a LinkedIn influencer (I hope he doesn't punch me in the face for using the dreaded I word, but in this case, its complimentary). 

Richard cracked the "secret sauce" of LinkedIn, and in this article, I'm going to reverse engineer what he does that makes him so good at LinkedIn. (Or what I call, "the platform where fun goes to die") 

Here are the things that I observe him doing: 

Optimized his profile 

If you look at his profile, found here: LINK, you see that he has a custom graphic, hashtags, a very clear message about what he specializes in and contact info. This is a very important step to create positioning in your industry. 

Consistent Content

Richard is REALLY good at eye catching content and his carousels are always easy to dive into and high value stuff. I feel like Richard's strength is not oversaturation, but carefully meted out INTENSE training material that leaves you walking away with new skills and ideas. 

Audience Engagement

He also takes the time to have conversations with people and to connect with them. This is a lot more important that people think. Just spamming an inbox of cold leads with sales pitches is a terrible LinkedIn strategy embraced by too many. Follow this example and get some dialogue going! 

Variety

Although his carousels are my favorite content, he mixes it up with questions, polls, informational content and more. His strategy is pretty simplistic yet yields strong engagement and makes him sound like someone you would want to have a beer with in your living room. 

Attitude

Richard is a professional that doesn't take himself too seriously. He can unwind, be fun, and still deliver some of the most valuable content you'll ever see. Too many professionals are so consumed by ego that they forget to be likable. Richard doesn't have that problem. 

Keep crushing it Richard, thanks for all the great content and for helping us little guys grow our businesses! - Rob 

How Digital Marketers Can Earn Trust Again

 

#marketers, #fraud, #grifters, #clickfunnels, #liars 

I had a stunning revelation this week. 

I will never hire a digital marketer. Ever. 

Years of duplicitous ads, my friends being lied to and swindled over and over and Russel Brunson churning out thousands of hypebeast assclowns with fake 2 Comma Club Awards have completely soured me. 

I work in PR. I realize what its like to have a job where you don't have everything under your control and sometimes things go to shit even when you do your best stuff. 

That's still not good enough. 

Digital marketers now have less trust than 

*Politicians
*Used car salesmen
*Military recruiters 

"Bro, just sign right there, we totes won't send 
you to the Middle East" 

Scrolling through IG ads and seeing digital marketers on Facebook begging for sales like Dean Graziosi doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. 

"HEY ARE YOU A COACH, LAWYER, DAYCARE OWNER, SOCCER PLAYER, OR TEACHER?"

Seriously, what the fuck kind of ads are these? Did Russell teach you guys to scream into a video and cast the widest net ever to find some desperate fuck that's stupid enough to hire you? 

I mean lets be honest, remember the Cardone/Kern Agency? Was supposed to change the game right? Two of the biggest names in marketing/sales getting together and blah blah blah. 

My buddy hired them. Paid 8 grand for ZERO sales. ZERO. Couldnt reach a rep, never got any refund, nothing. Whole process was outsourced and performed about as well as FTX. 

You guys are feeling the pinch of desperation because people aren't falling for "the 7 figure blueprint" anymore. Tai Lopez pretty much muscled in and took most of the people that fall for Mouthbreather Marketing. 

So what can you do to recover? 

1. Get good at what you do.  

It took me years to get good at PR. I got in the trenches and learned how to get baseline results for clients. I didn't spam Facebook with ads talking shit like Ric Flair in the 80s. I kept my head down and DEVELOPED PROCESSES. 

2. Keep your marketing hype to the level of your marketing results. 

Don't promise people 7 figure results when you can't even get them 4 figure sales. This is the MAIN issue people have with DMs. A ton of hype to make the initial sale and a blank stare when its time to review results. Stop claiming to be the "fastest growing agency" when you can't be Googled, asshat. 

3. Develop your results and have legit case studies for future clients

This is the harsh truth. If you don't have strong client results, you don't have what it takes to be a digital marketer. Start small. Build your way up. But you HAVE to have results if you want to survive. You're in an oversaturated market and 90% of your competitors are bragging like Pitbull while riding the bus to a WeWork cubicle. 

I started off with a single email PR course. I focused on making it strong and developing the client results. This led to a bigger course. I got 25x sales from this one with no ads. Why? I focused on techniques that got stronger results. Clients got on TV, they got more interviews, their social media got stronger. This built my reputation. 

4. Dont follow the herd. 

"We get you 100 qualified leads a month or YOU DONT PAY" 

I will never fucking take one of these deals. It means you are desperately casting a line and trying to get the lowest pond scum clients you can find. Seriously, just be yourself without gimmicks, a fake 2 Comma Club award you paid Russell to get, a neon lit room or a fuckboy haircut. 

Be yourself. It works surprisingly well. 

This is my Google search. I have always been myself. No gimmicks, lies, or inflated results. 

In hindsight, if you need a good digital marketer that actually can provide results and expertise, talk to my buddy Justin Charpentier. Strong reviews, great client results and a solid performer. 

 Contact Justin here: LINK

Now if you'll excuse me, Tai Lopez just dropped his latest NFT and a branded Kangen Water deal from his jail cell in Florida. 

How to Win at Entrepreneurship

 

After failing out of high school and two colleges, I tried to enter corporate America after my Air Force enlistment was up. 

I was a technical writer and realized that cubicle life felt like a slow death. I was wildly creative and reporting every day to do a job I hated, surrounded by miserable people that had given up on their dreams was a fate worse than death. 

Oh, and I was supposed to be GRATEFUL for a 2% raise each year? No thanks. 

So I did it. I rolled the dice and six years later, am a visibility consultant, own a magazine and wrote 8 books. I have no boss, can pay my bills, and have complete time freedom. I work from home, can choose my clients, and am rapidly growing in my niche. 

Entrepreneurship is a double edged sword. 

Advantages: 
*Unlimited income cap. You can make as much money as you want 

*Time freedom, you literally create your own schedule and can take a 2 hour lunch if you want, including margaritas (I have done this and its awesome) 

*Can create the workspace of your dreams 

*You no longer have to worry about appeasing management. You are management. 

*You can create side hustles that HELP bring in more income. I derive income from advertising, 1:1 consulting, membership sites, press releases, ebooks, etc 

This is my balcony in San Diego. Its a perfect place to sip coffee and ponder my 
future marriage to Arianna Grande. 

Disadvantages:
*You have to make EVERY decision. Even the stupid shit. Its all in your hands 

*You have to create your systems, your business model and uplevel your skillset constantly

*Your first year will be a shitshow. If you don't grow and improve, your first FEW years will be a shitshow 

*You will need to face your worst internal fears head on. Poverty syndrome, imposter syndrome, fear of success, fear of failure, fear of judgement, all this shit will constantly rear its ugly head and strike at inopportune moments 

*You have to do the not fun shit like taxes, paperwork, W-9s etc. 

Here are some tips that will help you get what you need if you despise your job and every fiber of your being wants career independence:

Stay the FUCK away from the gurus. 

Most of them couldn't run a lemonade stand and will upsell you into poverty. Buy from experts only. People that are actually talented. Ever notice how the people in FB and IG ads rarely show client results? BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE ANY. 

Invest in your business. 

Mentors, business coaches, masterminds, business groups, software, contractors are all good investments but do your due diligence. 

Get your DIY business education from TikTok, Amazon and Youtube
You can find amazing business advice from actual experts in these three places. HIGHLY recommend Rachel Pederson on Tiktok, her advice is solid. 

Work on you. 

I've interviewed a lot of millionaires. They journal, practice gratitude, have a fitness plan, work on their shortcomings and are VULNERABLE. Plus they give back to their audiences and community. 

Grow a thick skin. 

You're going to get advice from everyone. There is no shortage of untalented, do nothing losers that have nothing better to do than criticize you out of sheer jealousy. Only heed advice from legit experts and high IQ friends. Remember that every shitty comment online actually helps keep you in the spotlight. I always respond "TFTV." This serves a dual purpose of eliciting a response, AND confusing trolls. It stands for Thanks For The Visibility and makes me laugh every time. 

Switch from selling to solving. (THIS)

This is more for my service based business owners out there. No one wants to be sold to. Its grimy and feels gross. LOTS of people have a problem that you can help them solve for a fee. Once you make that mindset shift, you'll stop doing stupid shit like cold calling, pitching strangers in their Linkedin DMs, and desperately spamming for sales. (remember Itworks? UGH). 

Focus on two things: The problem and the person. Here are some examples: 

My buddy Gunny Gonzalez helps people get fitter. He will market to someone that doesnt have a healthy lifestyle and solves the issue of obesity 

My friend Sarah Max specializes in getting insurance for hard to insure clients. She will market to people that have been rejected in the past and solves the problem of uninsurability 

My buddy Cory Thompson helps mid level business owners that are up to their ears in tasks and have gaping areas of business weakness. His target market is six figure business owners that know a few areas of their business need help. The problem he solves if poor time management and lack of skillset

When you niche down on WHO you serve and WHAT problem you solve, you'll start attracting more clients. Learn the "language of pain" for your audience and create content that helps people trust you and explains HOW you solve problems. 

Ill leave you with the two best pieces of advice that I ever gave. These literally changed my life and one of them helped Dr. Loren Michaels Harris earn over $50,000. (seriously)

"Give away WHAT and sell HOW" 

"Stop pricing things at what YOU can afford" 

Good luck, if you have questions, email me at editor@shiftlifedesign.com - Rob