Saturday, September 21

Today’s Personal Branding Insight

Ephraim here again with another issue from the Influence Engine. Today, I want to talk about the biggest mistakes creators make. The clearest example is Logan Paul, KSI and the likes. Huge brands, that have slowly alienated a large part of their initial audience - all because of how they build their brand at the beginning.

Why audience-building is just the start of something bigger

Most creators are focused on the wrong things.

They’re chasing views, followers, and retweets—but that’s not where the real game is played.

Logan Paul recently posted about how creators grow up and realize one thing:

They’re not just building a YouTube channel, they’re building a business.

And that’s what you need to understand too.

Every post, every tweet, every thread—it’s all leading to one goal: building something beyond just an audience.

You’re creating leverage.

Leverage that lets you build something bigger than a social media following—a business that lasts.

In one way or another, you're dealing or setting up an exchange.

Let’s break down the value exchange you get with content:

Your value → Their attention
Their attention → Your opportunity to monetize

But here’s where most creators mess up.

They flex vanity metrics:

• “10K followers.”

• “1 million views.”

Yet, when you ask them how much they’re making?

Not even hitting $10k/month. That’s the harsh reality.

And like these YouTubers, they quickly realize they need to change strategy.

If you start too late, you get a response like the guy's comment.

All of a sudden your audience hates you because you're switching up.

That's why it's so important to start right.

You can’t let that be you.

Here's a simple framework I use for our clients:

0. Set a clear goal.

   What do you actually want to use your audience for? Is it a course? A service? A product? Know your endgame.

1. Content pillars matter.

   Choose 2-3 things you want to be known for. Nail them. Whether it’s marketing, writing, or storytelling, these pillars will be your foundation.

2. Expand from there.

   Once you’re known for something, build out. Talk about the broader topics your audience cares about: psychology, copywriting, leadership.

Let’s use an example:

Say you run an email marketing agency. Your pillars are:

• Email strategy

• Newsletters

• Writing

When you climb these pillars to get more attention:

• Marketing

• Copywriting

• Storytelling

• Psychology (consumer psychology)

In practice this is what this looks like when you’re actually in the trenches creating content on X:

Our X Content Strategy

It’s how we got results like these:

• 5 longform threads/posts weekly.

  • 3x borrowed authority threads (cite the experts to build your credibility).

  • 2x personal stories (humanize your brand).

• 14 tweets a week.
  50% opinions, 50% actionable tips from your main pillars.

Why this works:

You’re staying consistent, educating your audience, and expanding their knowledge base—all while building a personal brand that’s primed to monetize.

If you’re serious about using social media as a launchpad for something bigger, this is the blueprint.

Don’t wait until your audience feels the shift and rebels against it.

Start right. Build right. Monetize right.

Ephraim

How I can help:

📣 Partner with me to build your personal brand here