Key Takeaways
- Choosing the right platform, like LinkedIn™, made a significant impact on Snežana’s professional journey and audience engagement.
- Consistency and community support are crucial elements for Snežana’s success on platforms like LinkedIn™. Embracing growth opportunities and learning from mentors can help overcome challenges and boost confidence in sharing your unique story and offerings.
- The power of storytelling and authenticity transformed Snežana’s brand impact and attracted her ideal audience. Building confidence and clarity in her messaging allowed her to connect with those who resonate with her mission and values, leading to meaningful engagement and growth.
Choosing LinkedIn™ as My Platform of Choice
Before I was a Story Architect, I was an English teacher. I taught English to my Serbian people and used Instagram to promote my business. It was fun until it wasn’t anymore. Instagram was difficult because I had to post a lot of stories and comments daily, and the algorithm was wild. It became very challenging for me to manage.
Several months later, I quit that business idea and got a job as a content marketing manager – managing a company’s LinkedIn™ page for several months. While exploring LinkedIn™, I juggled posting company content and promoting webinars. However, the company needed people to sign up for webinars, and almost no one was doing that through LinkedIn™.
I Googled what I could, and should, do differently. But it didn’t help.
What helped was incorporating storytelling instead, but that was just a hunch I had.
Over time, I had huge problems with my digital marketing manager, and I remembered the day when I just had enough. I posted about my experience on LinkedIn™.
I felt drawn to my experience because I was already exploring LinkedIn™, and I could see all the potential it could bring. That post at that time, which was a year and a half ago, got 70 likes and 50 comments, and it made me feel popular at the time. People were so supportive of me, and it just felt amazing.
Since then, I quit that job, but I haven’t stopped posting on LinkedIn™ since that day.
Now, I’m stuck here. I don’t care about any other platform but LinkedIn™.
Learning and Growing on LinkedIn™
I tried to be consistent on LinkedIn™, posting two stories a week, but I was going story crazy. I tried telling stories. But when I met Dan Manning and Melanie Borden, I realized I was not really writing stories.
Dan advised me to join The Human to Brand Community and complete the assignments to inspire and encourage other members to start sharing their stories. However, when Dan assembled the storytelling section for Melanie’s community, I had several AHA moments! Although I was part of his Storytelling Community for half a year, he has 21 storytelling lessons. And in Melanie’s Community, he created five. Dan is very distinct in the way that he communicates all of his lessons to The Human to Brand Community.
It was like, oh, now I get it even more!
Community Support and Embracing Growth
When I first joined the Human to Brand Community, I remember being welcomed, and more importantly, feeling welcomed by Melanie and her team. The community is very chill; I am not afraid to leave a comment or share my stories! I felt like the whole team was there for me, like friends.
It’s not like a professional platform with Melanie Borden as the founder of the Human to Brand Community, and here we share this and that. Instead, Melanie and her team suggested what to post, provided members-only resources, and hosted a live session, easing my anxiety.
Since joining the Community, Melanie helped me be more courageous. I remember when Melanie did a live audit of my profile on LinkedIn™ during a live community session. And she was like, where’s your offer? You’re supposed to share your offer! But actually, I was trying to hide myself because I wasn’t confident. I had already written 50-plus stories for business owners, and I had a storytelling mentor/coach whom I trust, and I’ve gotten excellent feedback on my stories and skills. I have no idea why I was scared to share that I’m offering something.
Maybe because of all the people on LinkedIn™ who say, you should do this, you shouldn’t do that, you should have this type of an offer, and, “Oh my, you’re posting about that? That’s not an offer.”
I was torn between different opinions on offers and was scared to test mine to see how people would respond, and Melanie helped me with that. She planted that seed in the live session and continued to motivate me in our 1:1 session, which she provides once for every new member.
During my 1:1 with Melanie, we spent 50 minutes instead of 15! I fell in love with her. She fell in love with me, and she saw potential. She saw the big potential that I was seeing. I noticed my potential, but I didn’t want to accept it. I needed the extra push, and honestly, I don’t know who doesn’t need that extra push.
With Melanie, I could feel two women sitting down with each other in their power, just exchanging thoughts and ideas, and it made me feel great. I think the day after I posted my first offer! And I put it in the featured section, which was even scarier.
People will see posts and eventually forget about them, but in the featured section? It was like it was written on my forehead. It was a big thing, and Melanie helped me with that.
I overcame my imposter syndrome when I found what’s bigger than me. What is bigger than my imposter syndrome? What is bigger than my fear of vulnerability? I am here to help my women business owners tell their stories. That’s my goal, and it’s bigger than my fears.
Looking Ahead with Confidence
Melanie has awakened my confidence. The Human to Brand Community encouraged me to start showing up with more intent. It’s like I stepped into my light because I started sharing my thoughts and my ideas more boldly. I wasn’t scared anymore.
Before, I would say something and follow up with, “Hey, don’t take this the wrong way.” But because I know who I am talking to with my content, I am not scared of what other people who are not my audience will say because they’re not my people.
It is all about who you are trying to impact.
Want to learn more about this topic? Make sure to follow Snežana Petrović on LinkedIn™.
