Hey there. Tim here.

This week, we talk about:

• How I actually grew my agency
• Why your personal brand isn't generating revenue
• Idea of the week: Why ambitious people fail (and the solution)
• Post Lab: Simple hack to improve your profile

1. The REAL Reason My Agency Grew

My first agency exploded because I accidentally got 3 key things right.

And it generated tens of millions in revenue.

Here's the backstory:

When I first got sober, I started an online business called Sober Nation.

It was a blog and directory of rehab facilities.

Over time, I built a massive community in the addiction recovery space.

I became a known, trusted figure in the industry.

And the directory was proof of my knowledge of:

• Community building
• SEO
• Content marketing

As a result, people started reaching out and asking me to do their marketing for them.

Thus, Stodzy was born.

An internet marketing agency that helps addiction treatment centers get found online.

If I reverse engineer why it worked, it comes down to 3 key ingredients:

• Specialization: I specialized in addiction treatment.
• Trust: People got to know me in the comments.
• Proof: My own websites were proof of my marketing knowledge.

These key ingredients ultimately generated tens of MILLIONs of dollars for the agency.

There are a few lessons in here.

1. Focus on one offer for one industry

Most service businesses fail because the operator offers too many services to too many people.

But I only served addiction treatment. That made it easier for me to dominate.

Pick one industry.

Start with one service.

Scale from there.

It's incredibly hard to say "no" to other opportunities, but it's a cheat code to scale.

2. Build community and a personal brand

This means:

• Commenting in communities
• Commenting on the posts of other industry influencers
• Posting about your own experiences

"Building a personal brand" seems like a science these days.

But it's really just talking about your experiences.

What worked.

What didn't.

That's it.

3. Start doing the service NOW to build case studies

When you pitch clients, the first they'll ask is:

"Can you show me some examples of other client results?"

So start actually doing what you plan to offer.

Here are some ways you can do this:

• Offer to work for free
• Create your own website/newsletter/social media content

If you start now, you'll have an advantage when you're pitching clients.

2. Why Your Personal Brand Isn’t Making You Money

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Everyone is talking about "personal branding."

But for many people, it's a distraction.

Focus on being a business person first and then just share your experiences.

So in this video, I'll share:

• The difference between creators and entrepreneurs
• Why content without conversations goes nowhere
• How businesses actually turn attention into revenue
• How to build systems that generate predictable growth

​Click here to watch the video.

3. Idea of the Week: Why Successful People Fail

I loved this post from Codie Sanchez.

Most people don't fail because they lack ambition.

They fail because they lack either:

• Patience
• Prioritization

It's similar to what I said earlier.

You need to specialize first.

Then scale.

4. Post Lab: LinkedIn Post Feedback (Academy Members Only)

Every week in Copyblogger Academy, we provide feedback on your LinkedIn posts and newsletters in Post Lab.

If you're an Academy member, you can submit your work for feedback and view the feedback videos.

Tip From This Week's Post Lab:

Specialize and clarify.

One of the most common mistakes from this week's Post Lab is that the profiles lack clarity.

Here's how we fixed one profile:

Previous tagline:

• "I help people who care about what they’ve built communicate it clearly—so the right people show up, stay, and support it. | Content that moves people, not fills feeds | Digital Communications Consultant & Screenwriter"

This is unclear.

Instead, use this checklist:

• What do you do? Copywriting
• Who do you serve? Non-profits
• What outcome will they receive: More donations
• Do you have proof? $1M+ in donations generated

New tagline:

• "Copywriter for Non-profits: Generated $1M+ in donations via email and social content"

Notice that it's not only clearer, but also more compelling?

If you want feedback on your content, please join Copyblogger Academy.

P.S. - Not a member?

​>> Click here to join The Copyblogger Academy.