There are no shortcuts to getting noticed online.  It’s not about SEO or viral or Voodoo.  What is it about?  Let’s ask an expert, an SEO and viral expert, Arthur Tubman.  He says it’s actually all about content marketing.

You see, I often get asked by clients and potential clients, both of the individual and corporate kind, how to create awareness for their public speaking or their biz in general.  The ones looking for a quick fix ask me if I can connect them with speakers bureaus.  I tell them I can, but it’s a bad idea – unless they’re ready.

They ask me what “ready” means, and I say, a speech that kicks ass, and gets referrals every time you give it.  A whole set of materials online and ready to go that includes things like speaker reels, one-sheets, bios, third-party endorsements, buzz in the media of some kind, and if you’re really firing on all cylinders, some kind of proof that you’re an authority in your field, like a New York Times bestselling book.

There’s usually a brief silence at the other end of the line, as the potential client wipes away a few tears, and then they ask, “So how do you get buzz?”

That’s a longer conversation, but one person who has figured out how to get buzz is Arthur Tubman.  I had the chance to speak with him the other day, and his credentials are impressive.  He began his entrepreneurial career running his own painting company at age 19. Within two years he became one of the top franchisees- That was only the start.

Next, he launched the commercial division of a mortgage company, helping to create a multi-billion- dollar pipeline in a matter of months. Then the market crashed, and here’s where the buzz comes in.  He discovered the world of social media. In 2009, Arthur hosted a free online portal teaching over 1,000 people how to use social media and setup their various profiles.

In late 2009, he launched a tech startup called Free Blog Factory, was part of a web based Reality Show, was featured on the front page of Orange County Register, and worked with celebrity talent and big companies to create more conversions in their businesses. He is currently the CEO and Founder of D4Y Brand Builder, a digital marketing agency working with clients to create comprehensive and scalable marketing and branding campaigns.

He’s figured out how to get numbers that make humble thought leader-speakers weep.  He’s successfully grown Facebook pages to over 10 million page likes.  He’s created YouTube videos that have amassed 26 million views.  His media publishing company generated over 7 million unique page views in the first five weeks alone.

How does he do it?

He told me, “Building communities is more successful than building brands – such as around favorite sports, TV shows, even politicians, rather than brands.”  You see, people are suspicious of – and savvy to – branding and brand building.  They see it coming a virtual mile away.  So how do you get to them, Arthur?

“You serve that community with high quality content. I want to get them off Facebook and give them something useful, without bait and switch. I drive traffic from the social sites (where they are already coming) to niche sites, where they can find something of great interest to them.”

In short, it’s all about content marketing, but not just any content marketing.  Super high-quality content marketing to the niches of people who are interested in that content.

Think about your own Facebook behavior – you click on a link and read a longer article when it’s a subject that really catches your interest.  Otherwise – be honest now – you just keep scrolling, right?

That’s what it takes to create buzz today:  dedication to an area of content you are passionate about and have some expertise in.  Then, putting that content out there in the social media stream where your peeps will see it.  The test of sincerity in that kind of marketing is time and depth.  We tend to believe experts who have spent the hours figuring out the issues in their field, and have dug deep enough that they’ve uncovered some convincing answers.

For more on how to do this right, go over to my friend and expert-on-content-marketing David Meerman Scott.  He’s spent the time and got the depth.

For more on Arthur Tubman’s content marketing, go to his MondayMondayNetwork.

And then make 2017 the year you get serious about content marketing.

If you want to learn about public speaking, then sign up for our phenomenal one-day workshop, March 31st in Boston. We keep the numbers small so that you will get lots of personal attention.  So sign up now!