Business Storytelling with the insightful author of Marketing Rebellion, Mark W. Schaefer
Mark W. Schaefer is an internationally-acclaimed speaker, author and college educator. His books include the recently published Marketing Rebellion as well as the popular Known, The Content Code, Return On Influence, and The Tao of Twitter. He’s also the co-host of The Marketing Companion, one of the top 10 marketing podcasts on iTunes.
He is among the world’s most recognized social media authorities and has been a keynote speaker at conferences such as Social Media Week London, SXSW, Social Media Marketing World and many other great events. And despite how the world of marketing has changed - as you’ll read in his book - Mark believes in the power of story as well as the power of authenticity in your own story.
“I was terrible when I started [blogging]. In my mind I had the perfect message for my target audience. I was bored, making up stories for what I thought my persona wanted to hear. So I decided to just be myself.” - Mark W. Schaefer on the power of authenticity
Content Creation Inspiration: Discipline
Mark says consistent creative work takes discipline. While it may seem counter-intuitive, creativity and discipline paired together, Mark says it works. There is no shortage of ideas and messages and inspiration, so the first discipline you need is awareness.
“We’re bombarded with ideas. You just have to think, ‘Could that make an interesting story?’” - Mark W. Schaefer on the discipline needed for creativity
The second discipline for Mark, and the one he calls “absolutely key,” is the task of recording those ideas so they don’t disappear. that could be in a journal, in your blog drafts or as a voice memo on your phone. However you decide to record them, develop the discipline to record them.
On Gratitude and Community
For Mark, his journey has come to its current point because he aims to help people. He takes time to answer questions, even though he’s busy writing books, speaking around the world and working with major brands. Mark explains in a great story about a grateful woman who told him that after reading his books and so many of his articles, she now has the career she does because of Marks’s content and his willingness to answer her questions.
The best part? Mark feels the same way about his community.
“This young woman came up to me after a talk I did in Scotland. She ran up to me and she had tears in her eyes. She said, ‘I have the career I have because of you. You were the only person in this world who took time to answer my questions and help me.’ I said, ‘The irony of the situation is I am who I am because of you.’” - Mark W. Schaefer on the power of gratitude and community
Connect with Mark:
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