The Playbook for Authentic Content with Purna Virji, LinkedIn

Business SuccessPersonal BrandingThought Leadership

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Purna Virji joins Katie Zeppieri on this episode of Get Mic’d to delve into the art of authentic content creation. With a wealth of experience as a globally recognized content strategist and author of High-Impact Content Marketing, Purna shares her insights on building trust and connection through meaningful storytelling.

She emphasizes the significance of consistency in content marketing and the importance of being true to oneself. Throughout the episode, Purna provides practical tips for leveraging personal authenticity to enhance brand visibility and engagement. Join us to explore how Purna’s innovative strategies can elevate your content marketing game and drive impactful results.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

Learn how to craft genuine content that resonates with your audience and builds trust.
Discover the importance of consistency in your content marketing efforts and how maintaining a regular posting schedule can significantly impact your brand recognition and audience engagement over time.
Gain actionable tips from Purna’s extensive experience in the industry, including how to effectively measure your content’s performance and refine your strategies for better results.

Resources

Episode Highlights

[03:31] Career Journey and Transition to LinkedIn

Purna describes her early career in journalism and public television, producing talk shows.
She explains her transition to traditional PR, influenced by a journalism professor’s advice, and her eventual move to digital marketing.
Purna Virji recounts her experience pitching digital marketing services to her CEO and starting in the field serendipitously.
She shares her passion for teaching others and how she joined Microsoft, eventually transitioning to LinkedIn.

[03:53] Purna Virji: “My journey started as a journalist, working in public television, where I produced some public affairs talk shows. At some point, I decided to “move to the dark side,” as our journalism professor in school used to joke, which meant moving into traditional PR.”

[6:27] LinkedIn’s Importance for Brands

Purna emphasizes that LinkedIn is a crucial platform, not just for B2B but also for B2C interactions.
LinkedIn is highlighted as the most trusted platform, with over 1 billion members globally many highly educated and decision-makers.
Members use LinkedIn to invest their time, focusing on learning and growth rather than just passing the time.
LinkedIn is effective for business connections, job searches, and reaching entire buying groups, especially in B2B scenarios where decision-making involves multiple people and longer sales cycles.

[12:13] Purna Virji: “First off, we definitely recommend that if you’re a company, you build out your company profile on LinkedIn. It’s the go-to spot for people looking to learn about your brand, and LinkedIn isn’t just for selling products. There’s a huge employer branding element—how do you attract future talent? How do you showcase what it’s like to work at your company or highlight what your company does? So, absolutely have a company page and make sure you post from it.”

[21:46] Short-Form Video Strategies

Purna talks about the growing importance of short-form video on platforms like LinkedIn.
She shares why the 90-second video format works well, highlighting the increased engagement it brings.
Purna provides practical advice on creating short-form video content:
Start with what feels natural, whether that’s answering questions or offering quick tips.
Keep it simple and authentic, using your phone to record videos without needing fancy equipment or editing.
She mentions how people are drawn to videos that feel real, emphasizing that content doesn’t need to be overproduced.

[26:50] Measuring Content Success

Purna explains how to effectively track and measure the success of your content.
She emphasizes starting with clear business goals and working backward to determine the desired outcomes for your content.
Purna advises using platform analytics to monitor which types of content are resonating with your audience and to adjust your strategy accordingly.
She gives a real-world example of how measuring test drives in marketing efforts (such as with Tesla) can be an indirect indicator of sales performance.
Purna encourages listeners to focus on quality metrics, such as comments and engagement, rather than just likes.

[33:36] The Power of Consistency

Purna explains why consistency in content creation is crucial for long-term success.
She shares examples of how consistent posting, even if it’s just once or twice a week, can help build brand familiarity and trust over time.
Purna discusses how content marketing is a long game, likening it to a marathon rather than a sprint.
She highlights the importance of setting realistic expectations and measuring progress along the way.

[38:12] Purna Virji: “Consistency is what builds trust over time. Whether it’s in marketing, studying, or even making new friends, it’s the repetition that matters. You can have a great first interaction, but it takes time and multiple connections before you fully trust someone. It’s the same with brands and audiences. You have to show up consistently for them to really know, like, and trust you.”

[42:01] Authentic Storytelling

Purna discusses the importance of sharing authentic personal stories to build deeper connections with your audience.
She provides examples of how her own storytelling has helped build trust and engagement with her followers.
Purna encourages listeners to bring their unique experiences to the forefront in their content to stand out from the competition.
She also touches on the value of being vulnerable and relatable in your storytelling to resonate with your audience on a human level.

[42:01] Purna Virji: “To start, focus on posting regularly and lean into what comes naturally to you. Whatever content format is easiest for you to create—whether it’s text, images, or video—go with that. It’ll help you stay consistent.”

[43:00] The Trust Triangle

Purna introduces the concept of the “Trust Triangle,” developed by Harvard professor Dr. Frances Frei.
The three key elements of trust are:
Authenticity: Being genuine and allowing your audience to see who you truly are.
Logic: Demonstrating credible expertise in the topics you post about.
Empathy: Showing that you care about your audience and their needs.
Purna emphasizes that trust is built over time and is essential to all successful content strategies.

[43:00] Purna Virji: “Trust is key, and platforms like LinkedIn really prioritize it. Harvard professor Dr. Frances Frei talks about the trust triangle: authenticity, logic, and empathy. People want to know who you are, trust your logic (i.e., do you know what you’re talking about?), and feel that you care about them. So, show who you are, share advice, and be helpful. It’s okay to sell once in a while, but focus on adding value first.”

[44:10] Purna’s MicDrop Moments

Notable Brand Definition:

“Prioritizing trust consistently over time.”

Memorable MicDrop Moment:

Purna defines success as seeing a mentee or reader of her book share her advice with others. Paying it forward is core to her mission of elevating others through education.

Brand Admiration:

Purna loves the National Park Service for its humorous, passionate, and personality-filled LinkedIn posts, which she finds inspiring and uplifting.

Recommended Resources for Brand Building:

Purna recommends observing top performers in your niche, using the HubSpot blog for marketing insights and using LinkedIn Learning for excellent courses.

Upcoming Projects:

Purna encourages listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn and check out her book High-Impact Content Marketing.

About Purna

Purna Virji is a globally recognized content strategist and multiple award-winning author of High-Impact Content Marketing. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is currently the Principal Consultant, Content Solutions at LinkedIn. She previously led global learning and thought leadership programs for Microsoft and is also an award-winning former journalist. A regular top-rated international keynote speaker, she has been featured in publications including The Drum, TechCrunch+, TNW, Marketing Land and Adweek. She has been recognized as an Adweek Young Influential, the Search Personality of the Year by the US Search Awards and the most influential PPC Expert in the world by PPC Hero. Virji is also an Honored Listee on the Marquis Who’s Who 2023 list.

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