Ep. 29: "Posting content on the internet changed my life" ft. Tommy Clark
Sep 26, 2024
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Tommy Clark, a B2B social media expert and founder of Compound Content Studio, began his content journey while studying nutrition. He shares how he inadvertently built a successful agency and reflects on the dynamics of team building. Discussions shift to the art of viral posts, emphasizing trendjacking and audience engagement. Clark also explores striking a balance between personal branding and business management, revealing strategies for creator-led monetization and the evolution of YouTube for trust-building and lead nurturing.
Tommy Clark's journey from nutrition coach to agency founder illustrates the potential of leveraging successful content to create business opportunities.
The importance of building a supportive team early in entrepreneurship is essential for sustainable growth and alleviating the burdens of solo work.
Consistent content creation and engaging storytelling are crucial for standing out in the crowded online space and building trust with audiences.
Deep dives
Tommy Clark's Journey to Entrepreneurship
Tommy Clark transitioned from being a nutrition coach and head of social at a SaaS brand to launching his own content agency, Compound. His motivation to become an entrepreneur stemmed from the success he achieved at Triple Whale, where he generated a significant leads pipeline and received numerous inquiries for freelance work. The combination of realizing his capacity to produce valuable content and the demand for his expertise ultimately led him to take the leap and fully commit to his agency, utilizing the client base he built during his full-time role. Clark emphasizes that understanding one's niche and personal brand is crucial, and he advises aspiring entrepreneurs to recognize when they have a viable opportunity to pursue independence.
Building a Team and Understanding Capacity
Clark reflects on the process of hiring as his agency expanded, noting that he hesitated to delegate content creation initially. After missing out on hiring opportunities early on, he learned through experience that recognizing the need for help is vital for growth. As the agency reached capacity, he finally hired an operations manager to handle administrative tasks, allowing him to focus on client work. Clark advises anyone looking to start an agency or freelance business to prioritize building a team from the start, stressing that it will alleviate the burdens of solo work and create a more sustainable business model.
The Evolution of the Newsletter
Tommy Clark launched his newsletter, initially called Tommy Talks Marketing, as a means to share his marketing insights and connect with others in the industry. Over time, the newsletter evolved into Social Files, accumulating a subscriber base through organic growth and paid promotions while being part of the Workweek network. After leaving Workweek, he opted to return to an independent model, focusing on using the newsletter as a primary lead generation tool for his agency. The newsletter plays a pivotal role in nurturing leads, as each edition often results in multiple waitlist sign-ups for the agency’s services.
Adapting Content Strategies for Different Platforms
Clark discusses the shift in his marketing strategy, particularly in how he approaches content on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. While LinkedIn has become a primary lead source, he has noticed a decline in Twitter's effectiveness for his professional marketing goals. He emphasizes the importance of engaging with his audience directly and creating timely, relevant content that resonates with current conversations or trends. By embracing unique storytelling in his posts, Clark believes that building trust through personal anecdotes sets his content apart from generic advice often found online.
Keys to Success in the Attention Economy
Tommy Clark underscores the significance of persistence in building a presence within the attention economy. He advises content creators to remain consistent and to maintain a long-term perspective, arguing that consistent publishing over the years increases the likelihood of success. Reflecting on his own journey, Clark acknowledges the natural evolution of interests and the necessity of following those pivots to find one’s niche. Ultimately, he encourages others to keep creating and learning from their experiences, as growth comes from both consistent effort and adaptability to changing landscape.
Today’s guest is Tommy Clark, creator of the Social Files newsletter, founder of Compound Content Studio, and a B2B social media expert. He started making content for his nutrition coaching business while still a college student, in 2018 — he never set out to build a career in content. Five years later, he has an agency on track to make over $1 million this year.
00:00 Intro
01:20 Accidentally starting a marketing agency
03:30 Building a team and hiring for content creation
06:17 Growing the newsletter Social Files
13:04 The devolution of Twitter - LinkedIn #1 now?
15:36 How to craft the perfect viral post
20:23 The relationship between the business and personal brand
23:41 Monetizing a creator led business
27:21 What makes someone good/bad at marketing?
29:27 Starting with content creation and rules for posting
39:19 Finding content ideas for viral posts
41:10 Uploading to YouTube but not being a YouTuber
43:55 How you can grow your online brand
Intro music produced by J. and Doug Organ
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