WordCamp Europe 2026 - Nobody Knows What You Know

WordCamp Europe 2026 - Nobody Knows What You Know ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FYNukD5i6YI/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [WordCamp Europe 2026 - Nobody Knows What You Know](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [personal-branding, expertise-visibility, content-strategy, ai-tools, marketing-strategy] > author: Vasi > source: WordCamp Europe 2026 > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > > # 🏷️ Title: Nobody knows what you know (and that's your problem) >  ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ## 📝 Summary - **What happened**: Personal branding expert Vasi delivered a strategic framework for overcoming the "expertise visibility gap" - the disconnect between what experts know and their public visibility. - **Why it matters**: In an increasingly noisy digital environment with AI-generated content proliferation, traditional expertise alone is insufficient for career advancement and client acquisition. - **Key stakeholders**: B2B tech professionals, freelancers, service providers, WordPress community members seeking to build personal brands. - **Risks and tradeoffs**: Personal branding requires time investment and potential vulnerability; however, remaining invisible poses greater career risks in competitive markets. - **Bottom line**: A systematic three-part approach (strategy, messaging angles, consistent presence) can bridge the expertise-visibility gap using AI as a tool rather than replacement for human insight. ## 📖 Main Content The central argument addresses what Vasi terms the "expertise visibility gap" - the phenomenon where highly skilled professionals remain unknown because they fail to systematically present their knowledge publicly. This gap has widened due to three factors: increased digital noise, market fragmentation, and AI-generated content commoditization. ### Strategic Foundation Personal branding success requires starting with audience identification across multiple categories: - Primary clients (revenue generators) - Amplifiers (opinion leaders and community builders) - Project partners (adjacent field experts) - Recommendation sources (senior leaders and community managers) - Learning network (peers for knowledge exchange) Channel selection follows audience behavior, with three high-impact options: - Long-form content (trust building through depth) - Speaking/one-to-one connection (highest trust mechanism) - Social media (discovery and sampling) ### Remarkable Content Angles The framework emphasizes developing "remarkable content angles" - distinctive perspectives derived from personal beliefs, professional insights, and experiential history. These angles should be: - Personally passionate (generates authentic energy) - Somewhat uncommon (differentiates from market noise) - Audience-relevant (addresses their interests) - Service-aligned (leads toward business outcomes) ### AI-Augmented Implementation The speaker advocates for AI as an "ideas sparring buddy" rather than content generator, emphasizing the "slow food" philosophy - optimizing for quality over speed. Practical tools include: - Idea capture systems (notebook or digital) - Foundational context documents (audience maps, positioning, voice guidelines) - Voice-to-text idea expansion - AI-assisted refinement and challenge ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=30) Opening story - 2010 stage experience - Personal branding breakthrough: sharing knowledge creates genuine connections - Post-talk interactions revealed the power of expertise visibility #### ⏱️ [00:02:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=165) Historical context - Cicero quote - "Times are bad, children disobey their parents, and everyone is writing a book" (50 BC) - Expert visibility challenges have existed for millennia #### ⏱️ [00:04:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=252) Three reasons expertise visibility is harder now - Noisy environment with amplified competition - Fragmented markets preventing clear differentiation - AI-generated "marketing slop" creating false strategy expectations #### ⏱️ [00:07:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=450) Three-part framework introduction - Strategy first (audience identification) - Strategic pillars presentation (content angles) - Content production (AI-augmented implementation) #### ⏱️ [00:09:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=555) Audience identification exercise - Five audience categories beyond direct clients - Trigger questions provided in resources for detailed mapping #### ⏱️ [00:12:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=760) Channel selection strategy - Long-form content for trust building - Speaking/one-to-one for relationship depth - Social media for discovery and sampling #### ⏱️ [00:15:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=920) Positioning clarity importance - Algorithm optimization through consistent messaging - Human memory and top-of-mind awareness - Example: Dece Randon's clear WordPress positioning #### ⏱️ [00:18:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=1125) Remarkable content angles definition - Self-examination through beliefs, ideas, and personal history - Four evaluation criteria for angle selection #### ⏱️ [00:23:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=1390) Natural customer filtering benefit - Consistent angle sharing creates aligned audience bubbles - Reduces client acquisition friction through self-selection #### ⏱️ [00:25:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=1530) AI implementation tactics - Idea capture systems and foundational documents - Voice-to-text expansion methodology - Slow food philosophy for AI collaboration #### ⏱️ [00:28:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNukD5i6YI&t=1725) Carlo Petrini inspiration - Slow food movement founder's approach to quality over speed - AI as strengthening tool rather than replacement ## 📚 References - [WordCamp Europe 2026](https://europe.wordcamp.org/2026/) - [Vasi's Resource Library](mentioned in talk - slides and additional resources) - Cicero quote reference (50 BC) - Carlo Petrini and Slow Food Movement - Dece Randon (WordPress positioning example) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase Vasi argues that technical expertise alone is insufficient for professional success in today's saturated digital marketplace. The "expertise visibility gap" prevents talented professionals from connecting with opportunities because their knowledge remains hidden. This problem has intensified due to increased online noise, market fragmentation, and AI-generated content that commoditizes generic marketing advice. The solution requires a systematic approach starting with clear audience identification across five categories: direct clients, amplifiers, project partners, recommendation sources, and learning networks. Understanding these audiences informs channel selection, with long-form content, speaking opportunities, and social media serving distinct functions in the relationship-building process. Success depends on developing "remarkable content angles" - distinctive perspectives derived from personal beliefs, professional insights, and experiential history. These angles must pass four tests: personal passion, market differentiation, audience relevance, and service alignment. Consistent expression of these angles creates natural audience filtering, attracting aligned clients while repelling mismatched prospects. AI tools can accelerate implementation when used thoughtfully. Rather than generating content wholesale, AI serves best as an "ideas sparring buddy" that helps refine and strengthen human-generated concepts. This approach, inspired by the slow food movement's emphasis on quality over speed, maintains authenticity while leveraging technological capabilities. ## 📰 Newsletter 🎯 **WordPress professionals, your expertise is your competitive advantage - but only if people know about it!** Vasi's WordCamp Europe talk tackles a challenge every WordPress expert faces: the "expertise visibility gap." You know WordPress inside and out, but that knowledge won't land clients or career opportunities if it stays hidden. **The three-part framework:** 1. **Map your audiences** - Not just clients, but amplifiers, partners, and your learning network 2. **Develop your angles** - What unique perspectives do you bring to WordPress development, design, or strategy? 3. **Create consistently** - Use AI as your sparring buddy, not your replacement **WordPress-specific opportunities:** - Share your plugin development insights on WordPress.tv - Write detailed tutorials for the WordPress Developer Blog - Participate in WordPress meetups with prepared talking points - Document your troubleshooting approaches on your own WordPress site **Resource goldmine**: Vasi provides templates for audience mapping, content angle development, and AI collaboration strategies. Perfect for WordPress freelancers and agency owners ready to step into thought leadership. Remember: In a world of AI-generated marketing fluff, your real experience debugging WordPress sites, optimizing performance, and solving client problems is pure gold. Time to let it shine! ✨ ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Create audience mapping template for developer community segments (plugin authors, theme developers, core contributors) - Develop content angle assessment framework for technical expertise positioning - Design speaking opportunity pipeline for WordPress events and meetups - Establish measurement framework for expertise visibility impact on developer adoption #### WordPress - **Core Program Team**: Integrate personal branding guidance into contributor onboarding to increase visibility of WordPress expertise - **Community**: Create templates for meetup organizers to help members develop speaking topics from their WordPress experience - **Training**: Develop curriculum on professional positioning for WordPress professionals - **Marketing**: Document case studies of successful WordPress expert personal brands for replication strategies - **Documentation**: Create guides for WordPress professionals on content creation using their platform expertise - **Meta**: Establish WordPress.org contributor profiles that better showcase individual expertise and specializations #### Community - Develop mentorship program pairing experienced WordPress professionals with those building personal brands - Create cross-project collaboration opportunities to help experts build visibility across the ecosystem - Establish recognition programs for community members who effectively share knowledge publicly ## 🧪 Hypotheses 1. **Personal branding directly correlates with business outcomes** - WordPress professionals with consistent public expertise sharing will show measurably higher client acquisition rates and premium pricing power within 6-12 months. 2. **AI-augmented content creation maintains authenticity** - Using AI as a "sparring buddy" rather than primary creator will produce content that rates higher on authenticity measures while reducing production time by 40-60%. 3. **Remarkable content angles create natural market segmentation** - WordPress experts who consistently express distinctive viewpoints will attract more aligned clients and experience reduced sales cycle friction compared to generic positioning. 4. **Multi-channel expertise visibility compounds exponentially** - Combining long-form WordPress content with speaking and social media presence creates visibility growth that exceeds the sum of individual channel efforts. 5. **The expertise visibility gap widens competitive moats** - As AI commoditizes generic WordPress advice, professionals who authentically share unique perspectives and experiences will command increasing market premiums. ### 📊 Methodology - **Business outcome tracking**: Revenue, client acquisition costs, project value, and pricing premiums measured quarterly for participants vs. control groups - **Content authenticity measurement**: Audience engagement rates, comment quality analysis, and brand trust surveys comparing AI-augmented vs. purely human-generated content - **Client alignment analysis**: Sales cycle length, project scope changes, and client satisfaction scores correlated with content angle consistency - **Channel synergy measurement**: Attribution analysis across content formats with cross-channel engagement tracking - **Market positioning assessment**: Competitive analysis of pricing and positioning among WordPress professionals with varying visibility levels ### ❓ Questions - How can WordPress professionals balance authentic expertise sharing with commercial goals without appearing overly promotional? - What specific content formats work best for different types of WordPress expertise (development, design, strategy, hosting)? - How do cultural and language differences affect personal branding strategies for global WordPress community members? - What role should personal vulnerability and failure stories play in WordPress professional branding? - How can junior WordPress professionals build credibility through personal branding when they have limited experience to showcase? ### 🔮 Future Research - **Cross-cultural personal branding effectiveness** in the global WordPress community - **Long-term career trajectory analysis** of WordPress professionals who invest in personal branding vs. those who focus solely on technical skill development - **AI tool evolution impact** on authentic expertise positioning and content creation workflows - **Community platform optimization** for expertise visibility within WordPress ecosystem - **Measurement frameworks** for intangible personal branding benefits like industry influence and thought leadership recognition ### 💡 Implications **For practice**: WordPress professionals need systematic approaches to expertise visibility that go beyond occasional blog posts or conference talks. The framework provides actionable steps for sustainable personal brand development. **For policy**: WordPress community organizations should consider expertise visibility support as part of contributor development programs, potentially including personal branding resources in official training materials. **For security**: As AI-generated content proliferates, authentic expertise sharing becomes a critical differentiator and defense against commoditization of WordPress knowledge. **For education**: WordPress training programs should integrate personal branding and expertise positioning into technical curricula to prepare professionals for competitive markets. **For funding**: Investment in WordPress professional development should include expertise visibility support, as community member success directly benefits ecosystem health and adoption. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment **Reading level estimate**: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 10.2 (high school sophomore level) - accessible to most WordPress professionals while maintaining sophisticated concepts. #### 👀 Visual learners **Present**: Three-part framework diagram, audience mapping templates, channel selection matrix **Improve**: Add process flow diagrams, before/after personal brand examples, content angle visualization tools #### 🔊 Aural learners **Present**: Full video presentation with clear verbal explanation, storytelling examples **Improve**: Provide audio summary, podcast-style discussion format, voice memo templates for idea capture #### 🗣️ Verbal learners **Present**: Clear definitions, analogies (slow food movement), concrete examples (Dece Randon) **Improve**: Add glossary of personal branding terms, comparison charts between approaches, plain-language checklists #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners **Present**: Practical exercises, audience mapping activities, content creation templates **Improve**: Interactive worksheets, step-by-step implementation guides, hands-on content creation labs #### 🧠 Logical learners **Present**: Three-part sequential framework, cause-and-effect relationships, evaluation criteria **Improve**: Add ROI calculation templates, decision trees for content topics, systematic measurement approaches #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners **Present**: Community connection emphasis, networking strategies, collaboration opportunities **Improve**: Peer accountability partner matching, group challenges, WordPress community integration guides #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners **Present**: Self-examination exercises, individual reflection prompts, personal story development **Improve**: Private journaling templates, self-assessment tools, independent learning paths #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners **Present**: Organic growth metaphors, ecosystem thinking about WordPress community **Improve**: Personal brand lifecycle analogies, sustainable content creation practices, environmental impact considerations ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics **Present**: Video has spoken content, clear heading structure in transcript **Improve**: Add detailed slide descriptions, table headers for framework components, landmark navigation #### Keyboard navigation **Present**: Standard video player controls accessible via keyboard **Improve**: Timestamp links for easy navigation, skip links for transcript sections, accessible content templates #### Contrast and readability **Present**: High contrast slides with clear typography **Improve**: Verify color contrast ratios meet WCAG standards, provide high-contrast slide versions #### Text resizing and reflow **Present**: Transcript text scales appropriately **Improve**: Ensure slide content remains readable at 200% zoom, test framework diagrams for scalability #### Media and captions **Present**: Full transcript provided **Improve**: Add closed captions to video, audio descriptions for visual framework elements, downloadable transcript #### Forms and interactions **Present**: Clear resource link provided **Improve**: Ensure templates and worksheets meet accessibility standards, provide alternative formats ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth **Present**: Acknowledges global WordPress community, mentions cultural considerations **Improve**: Include examples from diverse geographic regions, address cultural differences in self-promotion comfort levels #### Inclusive language **Present**: Uses accessible business language, avoids technical jargon **Improve**: Address different comfort levels with self-promotion across cultures, include neurodiversity considerations for content creation #### Neurodiversity support **Present**: Clear structure with defined sections, multiple content format options **Improve**: Acknowledge different processing styles, provide alternative approaches to public visibility for introverted professionals #### Representation **Present**: Speaker shares personal story and vulnerabilities **Improve**: Include diverse case studies, acknowledge different starting points and privilege levels in professional networking #### Psychological safety **Present**: Emphasizes generosity-based approach to reduce promotional anxiety **Improve**: Address impostor syndrome directly, provide strategies for building confidence gradually ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning **Deductive strength** (00:04:12): The three factors making expertise visibility harder (noise, fragmentation, AI commoditization) logically lead to increased difficulty in standing out. Well-supported with contemporary examples. **Causal reasoning** (00:23:10): The argument that consistent content angles create natural customer filtering is well-demonstrated through the speaker's personal experience and logical customer behavior patterns. **Analogical reasoning** (00:28:45): The slow food movement analogy effectively illustrates the quality-over-speed approach to AI collaboration, providing a memorable framework for tool usage. #### Fallacies **Appeal to tradition** (00:02:45): Using Cicero's quote to suggest this is an ancient problem may minimize the unique aspects of digital-age expertise visibility challenges. **Fix**: Acknowledge both continuities and new elements of the modern challenge. **Hasty generalization** (00:06:30): Claiming AI-generated content is universally "slop" oversimplifies the spectrum of AI-assisted content quality. **Fix**: Distinguish between poorly prompted AI content and thoughtfully augmented human expertise. #### Tone of voice **Conversational and encouraging**: "I get very quick talking about topics I'm excited about" - builds rapport through vulnerability **Practical and actionable**: Focus on implementable frameworks rather than abstract concepts **Balanced on AI**: Neither dismissive nor uncritically optimistic about AI tools ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis **No DARVO patterns detected**. The presentation does not involve accusations or defensive positioning that would trigger deny-attack-reverse dynamics. The speaker maintains a constructive, educational tone throughout while acknowledging challenges facing professionals in the field. ## 🎯 Conclusion Vasi's framework provides a systematic solution to the expertise visibility gap that prevents WordPress professionals from capitalizing on their knowledge. The three-part approach - strategic audience mapping, remarkable content angle development, and AI-augmented implementation - offers a practical pathway from hidden expertise to market recognition. **Key takeaway**: In an environment saturated with AI-generated generic content, authentic expertise sharing becomes both more valuable and more necessary for professional success. **Next steps for readers**: 1. Complete audience mapping exercise using provided categories 2. Identify 2-3 remarkable content angles from personal experience 3. Set up idea capture system and foundational context documents 4. Publish first expertise-sharing content within one week 5. Access speaker's resource library for detailed templates and tools The framework's emphasis on authenticity over automation and relationship-building over content volume provides a sustainable approach to personal branding that aligns with WordPress community values while addressing competitive market realities. --- ## Full Transcript [00:19] I get transported back to another stage [00:24] a long long time ago now. Back in 2010, [00:27] it was a much smaller stage. It was a [00:29] way smaller room and back then I didn't [00:34] have the natural knack of color coding [00:37] my outfit with the theme of the event. [00:41] That's completely by accident. I'm not [00:43] going to take any any reference to that. [00:49] Now the reason why I always start [00:53] thinking back to that time is not the [00:58] nice feeling as being in the limelight [01:00] although 12 years of acting are going to [01:03] get you addicted to that. The reason is [01:06] what happened after I got off stage and [01:09] this was people coming over practively [01:12] introducing themselves saying hi talking [01:16] to me and asking additional questions [01:20] that my talk raised with them. [01:23] And this is the moment where I figured [01:25] out something important, which is when [01:28] you share what you know, when you tell [01:31] others what you can help them with, you [01:34] can start building real connections. And [01:37] that's the basis of personal branding [01:40] the way I understand it. [01:43] My name is Vasi because the full version [01:45] is going to be hard for a lot of you [01:47] besides the Polish speakers. The Polish [01:49] speakers do great with Vasilena. [01:52] I help B2B tech companies, service [01:57] companies, founders, freelancers like [02:00] myself and generally [02:04] great experts like all of you here to [02:08] earn visibility through sharing their [02:11] expertise and doing that through [02:14] personal branding and content strategy. [02:19] And this is sort of what I'm going to [02:21] talk about today. Now, I want to set the [02:24] scene and I think that this quote [02:27] represents it really nicely. [02:29] Before I get to the quote, I have to [02:31] make that initial comment. I get very [02:35] quick talking about topics I'm excited [02:38] about. So, fair warning, if there's [02:41] something that you miss, if there's [02:43] something that you need additional [02:44] context on, there's going to be a [02:46] resource link right at the end where [02:47] you're going to get the slides, but also [02:49] a lot of additional resources that I've [02:51] combined for you. [02:53] So, back to the quote that I really love [02:56] and it goes like that. Times are bad, [02:59] children disobey their parents, and [03:01] everyone is writing a book. [03:04] Now, I don't have personal experience on [03:06] the parenting department. Maybe some of [03:09] you can tell me after, but the writing [03:12] book part feels very very true. [03:16] Especially in my field of marketing, it [03:18] really does feel like everyone was [03:20] writing a book. [03:22] Now, [03:24] turns out that this isn't a new problem [03:26] because the quote you see here was [03:28] actually said in the 50th year before [03:31] Christ by Marcus Dilio Cicero. Well, [03:34] we're not entirely sure that he said it, [03:37] but that's not going to work with my [03:40] flow of a talk now. So, let's just gloss [03:42] over that inconsistency. [03:45] Now, yeah, this problem isn't new for [03:48] sure. [03:50] Being seen as an expert is a challenge [03:53] we've been grappling with for ages. But [03:56] I'd argue that now it's getting harder [03:58] than ever to do that. And I think there [04:01] are three reasons for that. The first [04:03] one is that we are living and working in [04:07] a really noisy environment. Everyone is [04:11] shouting at the top of their voices. [04:14] Some have microphones which makes the [04:16] job of everyone else shouting a lot [04:18] harder. [04:19] But in any case, the more voices [04:23] shouting out there, the more difficult [04:25] it is for any one person saying any one [04:28] thing to get noticed. [04:31] The second thing and I think that's [04:33] particularly relevant to experts like [04:36] ourselves, people who work with their [04:39] brain and their knowledge is that we are [04:41] working in a very fragmented market. I [04:45] know that I'm not competing with two or [04:48] three big marketing firms out there when [04:50] new clients come over. No, I'm competing [04:54] with any other of the bajillion [04:56] marketing experts and positioning [04:58] experts and brand experts out there. [05:02] And this means that I can't create a [05:06] clear and streamlined positioning [05:08] strategy for myself because I can't [05:11] differentiate against every single one [05:14] of all of these people. So I need to [05:17] take a different path and I'll tell you [05:18] more about the path that I choose to [05:21] take in a little bit. [05:23] But the third thing and obviously we [05:26] can't have a talk on marketing without [05:28] talking at least a little bit about AI. [05:30] Although this is not going to be what my [05:32] talk is all about is that we're now you [05:35] losing to this I'll just use AI kind of [05:39] attitude. [05:41] I don't know about you, but for the last [05:45] maybe six months, every time a new [05:46] client comes over, they say, "We already [05:49] have a marketing strategy. [05:51] Here is this 50-page marketing document [05:54] that we'd like you to review and help us [05:57] figure out how to implement it and we're [06:00] just going to pay for implementation, [06:02] not the strategy work." [06:04] And when I look for at that and I hear [06:07] the laughs here. Yeah, that's what's [06:09] happening to all of us. When I look at [06:12] that document, it's pages upon pages of [06:15] AI slop that's going to create what [06:19] Monica before me was talking about. [06:21] You're going to sound like everyone [06:22] else. [06:24] But people think that this is what [06:27] marketing actually is about. So, we need [06:29] to get with the times and figure out how [06:31] how to stand out. [06:34] Now my issue with a lot of personal [06:37] branding speak out there [06:41] is that we don't know how to bridge that [06:44] gap. [06:46] I call it the expertise visibility gap [06:49] just because I needed a nice brandable [06:51] phrase to present to all of you today. [06:54] But in the simplest terms, this means [06:58] that you know and you can do a lot. But [07:01] this is the best kept secret in the [07:04] world. [07:06] If you're not visible, if you're not [07:08] presenting yourself as an expert, you're [07:10] not able to go forward to the way where [07:14] all of the opportunity lies. You can't [07:17] get new clients. And even if you're [07:19] building a personal brand from the [07:21] perspective of a person wanting to get [07:23] hired in a cool company, you're not [07:26] going to get these opportunities now. Or [07:28] at least it's going to be way harder if [07:30] you're just competing on the value of [07:33] your expertise. If you have opinions [07:36] visible online, [07:38] hiring or getting hired is going to get [07:41] that much easier. And in my space, when [07:44] I'm competing for clients, if I'm [07:47] visible and if I stand for something, [07:50] my job of client acquisition gets way, [07:53] way easier. [07:56] Now, this talk isn't going to be like [08:00] many other [08:03] branding talks that I've heard out there [08:06] because I'm not here to tell you how to [08:08] generate a bajillion cool content ideas [08:12] and spew them out into the world for [08:16] everyone to see. [08:18] Because having ideas and producing [08:21] content is not the big issue we have. [08:23] The issue we have is that we don't have [08:26] a clear direction. We don't know what [08:29] our personal brand needs to look like. [08:32] And if we do know that, then going full [08:36] speed in that direction is going to be [08:38] easier. [08:41] Now, here's what this talk is actually [08:43] about. I think that we need to cover [08:47] three areas. The first one is starting [08:49] with a well-built personal branding [08:52] strategy. [08:53] The second is figuring out how to [08:56] present [08:58] these strategic pillars publicly through [09:01] the topics and angles that we choose to [09:04] speak about. [09:06] And then and only then does producing [09:10] content at a fast enough clip come into [09:13] play. [09:14] I'm going to obviously take you through [09:16] all three. [09:18] Let's start with strategy. [09:20] And the place we need to start with [09:22] strategy is what frankly any marketer [09:26] out there who is worth their salt is [09:28] going to tell you. Start with figuring [09:31] out who you're talking to. Who are the [09:35] people whose attention you want to [09:38] attract? [09:39] And yes, the first and most obvious [09:41] version of that question is who are the [09:44] best experts out there or the best [09:46] clients rather? The people whose work [09:49] you want, the people whose projects you [09:54] want to work on, the people who will [09:57] obviously be paying the good bucks [09:59] because that's also important. [10:03] Now there are other components here [10:06] though. The first one of them could be [10:09] who are the people who can amplify my [10:11] ideas publicly. These are other opinions [10:15] leader in your field who would be [10:18] interested in what you have to say just [10:20] because they're talking about these same [10:22] issues and thinking about these same [10:24] problems. [10:27] The next group could be the people who [10:29] may become project partners. In my work, [10:32] I work with a lot of experts in adjacent [10:35] fields. These are designers, developers, [10:40] and I want to be in their field of view. [10:45] So that the same way that I go to them [10:49] when I need design work being done or [10:52] development work being done, they will [10:54] come to me when they have a client who's [10:56] struggling with their messaging. [11:00] And this can also mean [11:03] reaching the people who you want to be [11:07] recommended by. [11:10] These can be senior leaders in different [11:13] companies who have a wide group of [11:15] people around. These can be even people [11:17] who manage communities of the type of [11:20] clients you want to work with. It can be [11:22] a lot of different things. [11:24] And finally, and I'd even argue most [11:27] importantly, because a big part of our [11:28] work is to have fun doing it, is [11:34] building connections with the people you [11:35] want to hang out with and learn from, [11:38] which is what I'd argue word camp is all [11:41] about. So, that's super topical. [11:45] Now, when you think through these [11:48] different groups and in the resources [11:50] I've provided, I have some trigger [11:52] questions to help you better define each [11:54] of these audiences. [11:57] Making any other marketing decision when [12:01] you know who you're talking to is going [12:02] to get that much easier because what are [12:05] the questions we usually struggle with [12:07] where what are the different channels [12:12] where we need to be present? Well, where [12:15] are these people gathering? That's where [12:17] you need to be. What are the different [12:21] formats of content that you should be [12:24] producing? Well, what do they like to [12:25] do? Do they like to watch videos or do [12:27] they prefer written text? Then you have [12:30] your answer. [12:32] What are the different topics that they [12:36] want to hear about? [12:38] It's all about figuring out who those [12:42] people are to answer all of these [12:43] questions. [12:45] Now, since [12:48] I wanted to make something a little bit [12:51] more specific here, I'd argue that for [12:53] personal brands, there are three [12:55] specific channels um that would give you [13:00] the highest lift. [13:02] The first one is long form content. And [13:05] when I say long form, I mean anything [13:07] that's over the length of a tweet [13:09] essentially on the unpaid version of X. [13:13] Are we calling it now? I think so. [13:16] So this can be a blog that you publish [13:20] on WordPress. It can be a newsletter [13:23] that you send out through maybe [13:26] WordPress as well. That's quite often [13:28] the case. [13:30] It's about having the space to present [13:33] your ideas. [13:35] And this is where the majority of that [13:37] trust building that we were talking [13:39] about earlier today when we were talking [13:41] about product market fit is happening in [13:43] the long form. An even better place to [13:46] build trust is in onetoone connection [13:49] and I have put here on the screen [13:51] speaking [13:53] but that doesn't necessarily mean being [13:55] on stage like I am now. It can be [13:58] hosting a meetup or even participating [14:00] in a meetup and asking a question to the [14:04] speaker that's going to sort of make [14:07] other people think. [14:11] Now the third and only third component [14:15] of that whole thing is social media and [14:19] you can use this as a discovery channel [14:22] where you get seen by a lot more people. [14:25] It's essentially a trial version for [14:27] them to sample your ideas and when you [14:29] can get their attention there, you want [14:32] to move move them to the long form [14:35] content that you're producing because [14:37] that's where the actual connection [14:39] happens. So we can think of these as [14:42] discovery versus relationship building [14:44] platforms. [14:46] Now if we know who we want to reach and [14:49] where we can get to them, the next [14:51] question is what do we need to ask? Uh [14:54] to tell not to ask. Asking has happened [14:57] in the first steps of this. [15:00] So the most important bit here for me is [15:05] being clear on what you stand for. [15:08] On the practical and more technical [15:10] side, this is helping you with all the [15:13] algorithms are out there that are [15:15] surfacing different ideas because the [15:18] clearer you are on what you stand for, [15:21] the easier it is for an algorithm to [15:24] place you and to surface your ideas to [15:27] others on that platform. But even more [15:31] importantly, it's about the human. [15:34] If people know what you stand for, [15:37] you're going to be the top of- mind [15:39] expert when they need expertise like [15:41] yours. And my favorite example, and I [15:44] think that I have now contractual [15:46] obligation to mention it when I'm [15:47] speaking at a word camp is uh my dear [15:50] friend Dece [15:59] around that. And it's very easy for you [16:01] to place him in that box. That doesn't [16:04] limit him. That means that he's getting [16:06] more attention that way. [16:09] Now, if you're not sure what you need to [16:12] stand for, here are a couple of [16:14] questions, and I'm not going to read all [16:16] of them. You can just take a screenshot. [16:19] Just [16:20] go to a friend, to a colleague, to a [16:23] person you've worked with in the past, [16:25] and ask them about some of these things. [16:28] Ask them what you are all about in their [16:33] mind. And this is going to be the [16:35] simplest form of customer research you [16:37] can do in the early days. [16:41] Now we know who we're talking to. We [16:46] know where we're finding them. We know [16:48] what we want to tell them, what we stand [16:50] for. Now we go into the how. [16:56] And the way of doing that is figuring [16:58] out what's your particular type of [17:00] message related to your expertise. [17:04] This is something that I like to call [17:06] remarkable content angles. [17:09] I'm going to sort of dissect that idea [17:12] just to give you a clearer view of what [17:15] I'm talking about. An angle meaning a [17:18] particular way that you see and do [17:21] things. And I'm saying here content [17:23] because I'm a content marketer at heart. [17:25] But that does doesn't need to be just [17:27] about the content. It can be about the [17:31] types of services you provide or even [17:33] your work methodology as a whole. But to [17:38] me, it's also largely what drives your [17:40] content ideas. And when I say [17:42] remarkable, that doesn't need to be [17:44] something no one has ever heard of [17:46] before. It just needs to be interesting [17:48] and significant and somewhat unusual. [17:53] Monica before me was talking about your [17:56] unique point of view and that's largely [17:58] what I mean here. So I need to thank her [18:01] for saving me a little bit of time. I [18:03] hope you saw her talk. But even if you [18:05] didn't, if you're thinking through this [18:08] idea of remarkable content angles, they [18:12] sound a little bit complicated because [18:15] I'm using a term you're not familiar [18:17] with here probably, [18:19] but the way to reach them is very easy. [18:21] It's about self-examination. And the [18:23] resources I'm going to provide for you, [18:26] there are some trigger questions you can [18:27] use to surface these ideas. [18:30] Now these can be the different types of [18:33] beliefs that you hold. How do you want [18:36] your industry to look, your market to [18:39] look? What do you feel is important for [18:41] you to provide your clients and so on? [18:45] Some of your ideas, what do you think is [18:48] crucial in the field? What is crucial [18:50] for a job well done? [18:54] For me, these all look in some shape or [18:58] form about creating a true connection [19:00] with the audience. [19:03] And the third option here is to examine [19:07] your history, your personal story, and [19:10] how that story, the ups and downs have [19:13] shaped you into the person that you are [19:15] today and the type of expert that you [19:17] are now. [19:19] Speaking about all of these things [19:22] is going to make you seem like a real [19:24] life human with real life points of view [19:27] and real life experiences, which is what [19:30] I'd argue we want in an expert we hire [19:34] in any case. [19:36] So when you have these ideas, you're [19:40] going to start thinking, okay, like [19:42] what's the thing that's really the one [19:46] or two or three that I want to focus on? [19:49] And the first and most important tell is [19:53] if this is something you feel very [19:54] strongly about, [19:56] think about the last time you got really [19:58] angry at reading someone else's post on [20:01] LinkedIn. [20:04] Yes, that's what I'm talking about. You [20:07] can take this energy, probably edit out [20:10] a little bit of the ranting around it [20:13] and actually say what you think the real [20:15] story is. And this is a great first step [20:18] to figuring out what your content angles [20:21] should be about. [20:23] Then the second question is if this is a [20:27] concept that is not that common in your [20:29] field. Remember I made that caveat that [20:33] remarkable doesn't need to be completely [20:35] unique but also this can't be the same [20:39] story that everyone else is telling. So [20:41] it needs to be at least a little bit [20:43] different or your way of talking about [20:46] it should be a little bit different. And [20:48] this doesn't mean that you have to be [20:49] counternarrative for [20:51] counternarrativism's [20:53] sake. [20:55] It means that you just need to speak [20:58] about the things that others might not [21:00] know, might not think about, might not [21:03] feel at this point and see if it runs [21:05] true for them. [21:08] Then is this a concept that your [21:10] audience can truly feel passionate about [21:12] or interested in? because I have very [21:16] strongly held opinions about the I don't [21:21] know the importance of orange cats in my [21:23] life but I would assume that people [21:26] hiring me for marketing have completely [21:28] different questions on their mind [21:30] and then is this a concept that aligns [21:33] naturally with your products and [21:34] services because at the end of the day [21:36] I'm talking about personal branding from [21:38] a marketing perspective [21:40] and if we're not leading people at least [21:43] at least gradually to the point of view [21:46] of learning what we can do for them. [21:48] We're not doing a good job at marketing. [21:51] The cool thing about this isn't just [21:53] that you're going to have something cool [21:57] to tell people and get their interest. [22:01] The cool thing about this is that the [22:03] more you share about your unique ideas, [22:07] the more you create a bubble around [22:09] yourself with other people who hold [22:11] these same ideas to be true. And this is [22:13] the perfect fit for customers. [22:17] I have been vocal about the fact that [22:19] you need a clear strategy before you [22:22] start doing random acts of marketing for [22:24] a long time. And this naturally leads to [22:27] me clients who know that this is true. I [22:30] haven't had the need to dissuade someone [22:36] from working with me. [22:39] someone who, you know, feels that they [22:42] need the latest growth hacks and they [22:44] need them yesterday. Just because [22:48] if you see any of my online or offline [22:53] ideas, [22:55] you will be very clear that this isn't [22:57] the type of service that I provide. So, [23:00] it served as sort of a natural filter. [23:05] And now I'm going to just glance over [23:08] that last component because I don't [23:10] think that this is the most important [23:12] thing. But still I'm going to talk about [23:14] how do we build that into a consistent [23:18] public presence schedule. Let's call it [23:21] because I don't want to use the content [23:22] marketing schedule. You know it sounds [23:25] too corporate to me. And this is where [23:28] I'm going to mention AI. And this is [23:30] where I'm going to say that to what Tami [23:34] was talking about yesterday, we can use [23:37] AI to create all sorts of stuff as long [23:40] as we have the human in the loop and as [23:43] long as our ideas are our own and we're [23:46] using AI as a multiplier. [23:49] Now this is a short list of my current [23:53] approach into using the help of AI but [23:57] the ideas in my brain to create content [24:00] for my personal brand's benefit [24:03] first and I think if you take one thing [24:07] from this list this should be it. Set up [24:10] a place to store idea nuggets that you [24:12] can then weave into full content pieces [24:16] online. [24:19] The thing about this is not just that it [24:21] makes it easier to not start from a [24:24] blank page every time, but there's [24:27] something weird that happens when you [24:30] start recording ideas. Is that you start [24:33] noticing more ideas. [24:36] It's because you're training your [24:38] observation muscle up to the point where [24:41] you're going to have maybe two, three, [24:43] or at a conference like this, probably [24:45] dozens of ideas [24:47] that you can then build into content [24:50] marketing pieces. [24:52] I personally prefer using handwriting [24:56] and a notebook, which is over there in [24:58] my bag. Wendy can verify that. [25:03] And um you can do it in any shape or [25:06] form that feels natural to you as long [25:08] as you have one place and one place only [25:10] where you have these ideas. [25:13] Now the next thing and this is useful [25:16] both for [25:18] your personal sense of clarity and [25:22] working with AI especially is to have [25:25] what I call foundational context [25:27] documents. These are often called [25:28] knowledge blocks as well. [25:31] And these are the description of your [25:34] audiences, a short overview of your [25:37] personal positioning, your story, your [25:40] experience, your brand voice, and you're [25:44] going to find some exercises to create a [25:47] consistent brand voice guideline in the [25:50] resources that I have. [25:53] These things are going to help you set [25:56] up a project that truly feels like you [25:58] and sounds like you with the help of our [26:01] dear friend cloth. [26:03] But it's also very useful to have that [26:06] for yourself. And frankly, every couple [26:09] of weeks, maybe I turn back to my ICP [26:12] map and look at the different types of [26:16] audiences that I'm serving from that [26:18] initial list that I showed you and [26:21] remind myself who these people are, whom [26:24] I've met recently, who exemplifies one [26:27] of these personas, and try to put [26:29] personal faces in there for my own [26:31] benefit. [26:34] Because turning back to all of these [26:36] foundational ideas is how you can build [26:38] consistency not just in terms of [26:41] publishing consistently but in saying [26:45] consistently the same type of things [26:46] that are going to attract the right type [26:48] of people. [26:51] Now, my preferred method of expanding [26:54] these idea nuggets into full content is [26:57] to talk. [27:00] And maybe you see that I obviously if [27:03] I'm here, I have a natural tendency to [27:06] talk. [27:08] But it's not just about that. Uh I like [27:10] to just voice my ideas probably during a [27:14] walk, a stupid little walk for my stupid [27:17] mental health, as is popular to say on [27:19] social media. [27:21] And I talk through these ideas that I [27:23] have in my mind because this gives my AI [27:26] a lot more context to work with and [27:28] build from. And it also [27:31] results in content that more naturally [27:34] sounds like me because I've already said [27:36] it. The AI is only editing it and [27:39] putting different parts of it together. [27:42] But at the end of the day, it's my idea [27:45] in my voice. And that's what's [27:47] important. [27:49] Now going further we have this one idea [27:53] that I'm also really passionate about [27:55] which is using AI as a sparing buddy. [27:59] What I mean here is that [28:03] the value of AI I don't think is only in [28:06] getting things faster. [28:09] And [28:11] I'm going to expand on that, but I want [28:14] to first mention the last point of that [28:16] checklist, which is start before you [28:19] feel ready. The sooner you start, the [28:22] quicker you're going to get used to [28:25] presenting yourself online in a [28:27] structured way. And it only takes one [28:31] post, maybe with ideas you've seen here [28:33] during Word Camp. If you do one of [28:35] those, tag me. [28:37] And this is the thing that gets the ball [28:40] rolling. Now, back to my point about the [28:45] this idea sparing buddy that I like to [28:49] use AI for. [28:51] I think that the one person that I keep [28:56] trying to channel when I think about my [28:59] work with AI is this guy. [29:02] And this isn't a great professor from [29:05] MIT, a great uh technical leader or [29:09] something like that. This guy is called [29:11] Carlo Petrini [29:13] and he is the founder of the slow food [29:16] movement. [29:18] Back in the 80s, he organized protests [29:22] in Rome against a McDonald's opening up [29:26] right across the Spanish steps in Rome. [29:30] And the reason I'm thinking about him [29:32] when I'm trying to start working with AI [29:35] is that the slow philosophy isn't about [29:38] doing everything at the snail pace. It's [29:41] about doing everything as well as [29:44] possible instead of as fast as possible. [29:47] And this is what we need to remember [29:49] with AI, I think, [29:51] because having this back and forth with [29:54] AI isn't an inefficiency. It's the whole [29:58] point because AI can be very helpful in [30:02] strengthening our our ideas and pushing [30:04] back if we teach it how to do that. [30:08] And in the resources that I'm going to [30:10] share with you, there is a base version [30:14] of that content pairing buddy that I use [30:16] that I hope you at least try out and see [30:18] if you get better ideas that way. [30:21] Now, I want to leave you off with this. [30:24] Uh, and this is a quote that's [30:26] originally about public speaking, but I [30:29] sort of redid it for personal branding. [30:32] I hear that a lot of people are worried [30:35] about personal branding, that it doesn't [30:37] come easy, that it's a little bit [30:39] cringe. [30:41] But the truth isn't that you should be [30:43] nervous. It is that you should be [30:45] terrified. [30:47] Not terrified from doing personal [30:49] branding, but terrified that all the [30:52] cool stuff you know is not going to be [30:56] seen by more people. It's being [30:59] terrified that your expertise and your [31:02] best ideas are not going to help more [31:05] people than you can just connect to [31:07] directly. And I feel that personal [31:09] branding from the point of view of [31:11] generosity [31:13] is the best way to do personal branding. [31:15] So, I hope I at least pushed you in that [31:18] direction and I gave you at least one [31:21] thing to think about and one thing to [31:23] try today. And as I mentioned, you can [31:27] get all the slides and a resource [31:30] library of sorts at this link. There's [31:32] also a link to my newsletter if you're [31:34] interested in what I had to say. Thank [31:37] you so much and I'd love to talk to you [31:40] a little bit more during the break.  📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/WordCamp Europe 2026 - Nobody Knows What You Know.md|WordCamp Europe 2026 - Nobody Knows What You Know by YouTube]] ## Highlights - So, back to the quote that I really love and it goes like that. Times are bad, children disobey their parents, and everyone is writing a book. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ktffzhy6fqxhcqnmeg3tvm9e)) - Note: An ancient lament ("everyone is writing a book") reframed for the AI-content era — content saturation isn't new; what's scarce is knowledge worth sharing. - Tags: wceu-2026, atom/zettel/z1, knowledge, content - what I call foundational context documents. These are often called knowledge blocks as well. And these are the description of your audiences, a short overview of your personal positioning, your story, your experience, your brand voice, and you're ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ktffzt3zyq1gya016n6x53kw)) - Note: "Foundational context documents" (knowledge blocks): reusable descriptions of your audiences, positioning, story, experience, and brand voice — the context you feed AI so it writes as you. - Tags: knowledge, atom/literature/h2, content, wceu-2026, ai