Jonathan Jordan's Linkedin Analytics

Recent (and Real) Question in my DMs: "Do you really work with Billion Dollar CEOs or you just saying that so you get to?" I welcome the question. Because there's a ton of LinkedIn-flation happening. Especially when it comes to positioning statements. People here are: -Inflating their results -Straight up inventing social proof -Twisting the "technically true" to skip the trust-building line So here are the facts: -2 years ago, I worked with the CEO of a Silicon Valley startup valued at $1.3 billion. -Last year, I worked with a former CEO of a company that's worth $76.8 billion. -This year, I worked with a CEO/founder of a company valued at $1.7 billion. Are these the only people I work with? Heck no. For me, the positioning isn't about the dollar sign. It's about what the dollar sign communicates. These are people who don't take decisions lightly. It's a way to communicate, "If they trust me with their books, you can too." It's tempting to want to "skip the line" online. But for me, trust is far more important. Trust is something you CAN'T put a valuation on. >>>What's a positioning statement you use to build trust?

Snapshots. Remember: What you see online are snapshots. The greatest hits. The cherry-picked portfolio. But behind the scenes… Blurry photos. Unhinged messes. Clutter-y and clumsy. That’s alright. Because you can’t spell “message” without starting with a “mess.” >>>photo by a 3 year old phone thief.

OMG IT'S HAPPENING. [well, for up to 10 people...] Last year, I noticed 2 bottlenecks in publishing: 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸 1. People who want professional help, but... -Can't afford proven book coaches ($10K+) 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸 2. People who can afford the price tag, but... -Need more direction before plunking down 5-figures. The solution? Group book coaching: 10 participants. 5 weeks. -Recorded group sessions with teaching and tools. -Finished book outline based on proven methods. -Action plan for handling obstacles. -Defined publishing route. -1:1 coaching session. Yeah, it's happening. But I'm only taking 10 people max. >>>DM me "BOTTLENECK" to learn more. >>>Comment with your favorite Office gif if you just want to celebrate with me.

I "cheated" on LinkedIn last week... by paying to boost a post. Here's what I learned: Both had similar formats: -Writing tips -Touch of humor -Practical application My boosted post still came in 2nd place for impressions. But attracted 4x the amount of followers. My biggest post last week? -3x the impressions -2x the engagement [compared to the boosted post] The lesson? Boosting won't guarantee success. Storytelling does. Both posts provided value. But the non-boosted post provided a better story. Storytelling = Strategy Storytelling = Scaling Storytelling = Success >>>Ever tried boosting a post? What did you learn?

If Michael Phelps needed a coach, good chance you do, too. Phelps was already talented before meeting Bob Bowman. But he still needed coaching. Bowman holds zero World Records for himself. His athletes hold 43. (yes, most of those are Phelps, but not only.) Bowman takes his athletes to the next level. Maybe you're a great writer already. So you think you don't need coaching. But publishing is hard, even for great writers. My group book coaching program is intended to take you to that next level. -5 weeks. -10 max participants. -Starting June 27. Learn more at the link in the comments. >>>Ever given group coaching a try? For what topic/issue?

This is probably bad LinkedIn strategy... but I changed my headline for the 1,025th time. ⤵️ I work on Sunday afternoons. (Jesus said he doesn't mind.) Usually, I use Sundays to: 1. Catch up on editing projects. 2. Work on business strategy. 3. Laundry/errands. I wasn't planning on changing my headline. But I was thinking about patterns. And asking myself: "Do my best clients have anything in common?" On the surface, not much. - Different industries. - Different backgrounds. - Different points of view. - Different levels of success. Then it hit me: They're all rebels. All of them were told stuff they couldn't do... ...then went and did that stuff anyway. Also explains why I don't focus on a niche topic. Because I have a niche clientele. Rebels. Pirates. Vigilantes. Maybe I'll change my headline 3,800 more times. But at least this one defines who I work with best. >>>How many times have you changed your headline?

36% of business authors won't earn ROI. Here's what changes the odds: 1. Clear business strategy for a book. 2. Hiring a ghostwriter or book coach. 3. Doing publicity for your book. Whether or not you do #2 or #3, #1 is a must. No book can succeed without defining: -Your Reader (target market) -Your ROI (goals) -Your Route for publishing (distribution) -Your Reality (timeline & obstacles) We'll be covering all of these in my upcoming group book coaching program. Don't be one of the 36%. Apply to be part of the program at the link below. >>>Fellow authors, let's celebrate the ROI you've seen from your book. Comment and I'll cheer you on.

Tired of DMs from ghostwriters? Here's how you scare 'em off: You can't guarantee your book will be a bestseller. (whatever that even means.) Not unless you tell me you're strategically buying 5,000+ copies of your own book for marketing. >>>Want to learn why the term "bestseller" is misleading? >>>Check out the webinar I just did. Link in comments. (Around minute 39.)

How my client won 30 awards for his book: [this is kinda stupid] He entered contests. Okay, sorry if that felt like 2009-style clickbait. But here's the fact: Nothing happens UNLESS you put yourself out there. Those award wins aren’t just vanity prizes either. When he won the Nautilus silver medal, his sales jumped again, putting him side-by-side with some of the biggest business books. They establish his credibility. They open up new opportunities. It's not rocket science. To win awards, you have to: 1. Write a great book (he did) 2. Enter it into contests (he did) 3. Be patient (he was) Put yourself out there. You may surprise yourself. >>>How are you putting yourself out there?

My wife and I got married in September 2010. We bought a business in November 2010. [Neither of us had taken a business class.] Okay, not totally true. I took Business Calculus freshman year. The teacher let us use cheat sheets on tests. I don't advise you to buy a business 2 months into a new marriage. We sold the business 4 years later. For a VERY modest profit. But the experience taught us to: 1. Learn fast. -In the first month, she learned accounting. -I learned copywriting to update the website and marketing materials. 2. Bootstrap. -Our first apartment's so-called "dining room" was our equipment storage. -Until we could justify the expense of a real storage unit. [Over a year later...see pic.] 3. Make it about others. -Events were my first sales experience. -Parents signed up when we told them what kids enjoyed about our service. -Businesses signed up when we told them how they could make money off of us. Most people thought we were nuts. [And we were.] But those skills have translated into our current businesses. Learn fast. Bootstrap. Make it about others. >>>10 points if you can guess what our business was.

Can you help? (Not me. But an old friend.) Katie interned at the foster facility I worked for. Then she worked for my wife one summer. Recently, her (ex)husband left in the middle of the night (affair). He was the sole earner. She and her oldest daughter both have Type 1 diabetes. The one-time alimony payment of $20K mostly went to legal expenses. She started driving Lyft to make some money and just landed a job as an executive assistant. But they’re at risk of being uprooted. And this family really doesn’t need any more changes. Anything helps. https://lnkd.in/g6QBqSRh

1st Rule of the internet: "Never read the comments." LinkedIn: "Hold my beer." Fact: LinkedIn's not like the rest of the WWW. When you don't comment, you miss opportunities. [And I do mean YOU, not an AI.] I'll be brutally (and sadly) honest here: Last week, I only got 4,176 impressions on my posts. Nothing to brag about. Literally. On Monday, I commented on a post. Nothing serious. Just being my self-deprecating self. That comment got 4,099 impressions. And it only took me 5 seconds to write. Comments create: 1. Content (like this post) 2. Connections (who could hire you) 3. Community (who will support you) If you're going to scroll, don't just consume. Make sure you also commune. The party is in the comments. And you're already invited. P.S. Thanks to Adam Knorr for posting content worth commenting on. >>>Who's the last connection you made thanks to a comment?

I spent 30 hours dissecting the top 25 bestselling business books. [And I'm giving away what I learned.] - "Think and Grow Rich" has sold 80 million+ copies. - "Rich Dad Poor Dad," 40 million copies. - "How to Win Friends & Influence People," 30 million. - "Atomic Habits," 20 million. Turns out the 25 bestsellers have 11 traits in common. 11 traits that aspiring authors can steal. And I've put them in a cheat sheet. That you can have for free. [probably a terrible business decision] Just DM me "CHEATS." And all 11 cheats are yours.

Before she was Marilyn, Norma Jeane was a Rosie. The future Marilyn Monroe's "big break" wasn't in Hollywood. During WWII, she was a Rosie the Riveter. Inspecting parachutes. Assembling drones. At the not-so-glamourous Radioplane Company. Located in the not-so-glitzy city of Van Nuys. The Army took her first "modeling" photo. [Holding a model propeller at that.] But her comfort in front of the camera opened up later opportunities. Just goes to show: You never know when your "big break" is coming. It may not come when or where you expect. It probably won't look like a big break at the time. >>>Got a favorite celebrity origin story? Tell me. [P.S. Always been more of a brunette guy myself.]

What people think ghostwriting is: - transcribing a conversation - grammar & spellchecking - using better words What it really is: - storytelling like a novelist - listening like a therapist - researching like a journalist - strategizing like a CEO - thinking like a marketer - reading like a consumer - navigating pitfalls like a lawyer If you just want a transcription and grammar check, you don't need me. If you want a book that gets results, then you do. >>>Mini AMA: What's your biggest ghostwriting question?

Story: Sydney Sweeney is selling her bathwater. Lesson: Find your bathwater. Actress Sydney Sweeney is doing a deal with personal care brand Dr. Squatch. The resulting product? A soap called "Sydney's Bathwater Bliss." Supposedly made with some of her actual bathwater. The internet went wild. [hence, this post] When I saw it, my first thought was: "This is either brilliant marketing... ...or an FBI sting operation to identify creeps." [Maybe it's both.] But the real lesson is this: You have something people want. You might not value it. (bathwater) But they do. The answer might be closer than you think. I'm starting a group coaching program. Specifically for those who want to find their "bathwater." In 5 weeks, you'll know: -Your audience -Your ROI -Your publishing path -Your book's complete outline DM me BATHWATER to learn more. >>>Who else thinks this is an FBI sting? Let's form a club.

It only takes $2.97 and 5 minutes to become a #1 Bestseller. (sorta) ⤵️ Here's what no one tells you about publishing: "Bestseller" can be a misleading term. In 2016, Brent Underwood decided to test Amazon’s self-pub platform. He spent 5 minutes to create an ebook. Took a picture of his foot. Titled it "Putting My Foot Down." Selected obscure categories. Uploaded to Amazon. Asked a buddy to buy it. (And reimbursed him.) It was an instant #1 New Release and "Bestseller." - Labels can be misleading. - Numbers can be cooked (or hidden). - Results can be "technically true" tall tales. Time to put the foot down. I'm creating a new resource that decodes the real bestsellers. My newsletter peeps will get first access. (Link in comments.) >>>What's a misunderstood label where you're putting down your foot?

If working with a ghostwriter is cheating, then: -Having a financial advisor is cheating. -An athlete having a coach is cheating. -An actor having a makeup artist, accent coach, and costume designer is cheating. -Having a mechanic work on your car is cheating. You get the picture. By all means, write your own book. (3 of my current clients are doing so.) But if you want to scale your message, scale your storytelling, and scale your results... ...ghostwriting might be the ticket. >>>What's a way you help people "cheat" their way to success?

Do you see a windmill or a bunny in a Jedi cloak? My son sees the Dutch Bros. logo differently: Where I saw a windmill, he saw a bunny in a Jedi cloak. Proving he has the more creative mind. [and will likely make more $ than me.] Creativity doesn't mean coming up with totally new ideas. Creativity is seeing what others don't see. A) "Windmill" is the obvious answer. It's what the company wants you to see. B) "Bunny in a Jedi cloak" is the creative answer. It adds fresh perspective. C) "A logo" is the sarcastic answer. It mistakes cynicism for creativity. What do you see no one else does? That's your superpower. Go help others see it. >>>What's your honest answer? A, B, or C?

I’ve never been a fan of LinkedIn-flation: [How many of these ya seen?] LinkedIn-flation: "I write copy for two billion dollar brands." Real Life: "I got paid $24 to write a product description of Nike sneakers being posted on eBay." ------- LinkedIn-flation: "I've tripled my client's following in a month." Real Life: "They had 150 followers. Now they have 450.” ------- LinkedIn-flation: "I just had a $25K month." Real Life: "My client paid me $25K for 6 months of work because paying upfront meant they could get a discount." ------- Words can be twisted. Stories can be exaggerated. Social proof can be manufactured. Cliché lesson: Not all that glitters is gold. Real lesson: Let's choose to live in a world where we don’t have to inflate results. There's room for us all to win. >>>Guilty of committing any of these?