246: CASE STUDY: How lawyer Alex Martin uses LinkedIn, podcasts and the media to build strategic visibility and trust in the marketplace

CRANK THE 3RD: Exploring the entrepreneurial + creative side of life post 50

This show is dedicated to people like today's guest: business owner and litigation expert, Alex Martin, from Taurus Legal Management.

Twelve months ago, Alex's personal branding endeavours largely revolved around in-person networking, but as he says, you can only shake so many hands!

He also published the occasional post on LinkedIn, but not with any purpose or direction.

But Alex is an action-taker. He knew he needed to raise his profile and position himself as an expert in his space if he was to build his professional reputation and that of his legal firm.

So Alex went back to basics, and started following a strategic plan.

Having a plan, he says, "makes a lot more sense and has a lot more impact".

Today, Alex takes an integrated approach to content across owned, earned and media channels.

On LinkedIn, he regularly publishes videos that address the common challenges and pain-points faced by his audience, owners of growing medium-sized businesses.

Plus he uses the platform to share commentary on relevant commercial legal issues that are covered by the media.

But that's just one leg of the three-legged 'media stool'.

While steadily building his presence on LinkedIn was an important first step that has resulted in him more than doubling his following on the platform, Alex has also branched out into the other two legs of the media stool - owned media, and earned media.

He hosts a regular podcast with a financial advisor - A Lawyer and Financial Advisor Walk into a Bar - he also publishes videos to YouTube, writes articles for business magazines, and is a regular expert interview guest on commercial radio and national television.

Critically, Alex is only 12 months into his personal branding journey, but he's doing it in a way that's both strategic and sustainable. The 'runs on the board' are piling up, and he's starting to really get noticed in legal circles for his commentary and content efforts.

Even one of his clients texted him after he emerged from a broadcast studio after giving an interview to say how he saw him on TV!

In short, Alex has had a big year in terms of creating content, being in the media and building personal brand visibility.

This is an all-encompassing conversation: It's not about doing the one thing and knocking it out of the park, it's about blending many of the key elements that come into play when strategically building one's professional profile and reputation.

Alex has done that, and more: this is his story.