Given today’s widespread internet usage, it seems as though the concept of reading a book to absorb new information has become obsolete. After all, our lives have been transformed with the advent of new technologies and social media channels that often pump out answers before they even hear questions based on past search histories and popular results.
Tai Lopez, a widely popular investor, entrepreneur and advisor, has amassed a loyal following of startup entrepreneurs, businessmen and just those seeking a bit of direction in their lives. He has successfully achieved this after suffering some initial failures and a stint in finance as a certified financing planner, by starting one of the world’s largest book clubs. And by cleverly refining himself as a source of inspiration and valuable content, something he describes as VRIN - value, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable.
By reaching 1.4 million people across 40 countries and supplementing this with Youtube podcasts and inspirational talks and videos, it is rather clear that Tai, who tries to read a new book everyday, has been able to create value for readers, provide a unique perspective on life, jump ahead of competitors, and become a main source of information that cannot be found elsewhere.
Read books to find inspiration
While many successful entrepreneurs have interesting background stories, it is rare to hear of one that so avidly promotes the concept of book reading and absorbing the wisdom of mentors as a source of inspiration. Tai, who grew up poor with a single mother, decided that in order to become a better and more successful person, it would be best to learn from those that succeeded beforehand. He set off to travel around the world seeking advice and tips from the world’s best minds, what would form the basis of his successful series – “The 67 steps.”
He called this quest the “Good Life”, the balance of the four major pillars of life: health, wealth, love and happiness. Commenting on this wisdom collection, Tai claims that his “entire life is one big experiment”, one that brought him to intimate talks with some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential people.
Utilize social media to spread your brand
To help get his outlook on life to the masses, the passionate Tai has been able to share his exciting and inspirational views across social media channels. Noted for being a social media influencer, he cites Instagram Stories and Snapchat as ideal platforms, as they provide a direct opportunity for adopters to share their lives with others.
Tai has specifically used these and other channels from the beginning to successfully promote his brand and image. In fact, by last year, he claims that by having a clear idea of what he wanted to share with his followers, from tips on business lifestyles to how to reach out to customers, he was able to reach a point where “more than 900 million minutes of my videos have been watched.”
Whether it is his relentless passion to share his story, to interact and engage with his followers, or his unwavering drive to succeed and find meaning in life that covers the above-mentioned four pillars, Tai Lopez believes there are market and business opportunities for people to share their unique personalities. With this in mind, he has been able to successfully build a brand and be recognized as an exciting entrepreneur, an influential speaker, a startup mentor and advisor, and a social media influencer who has reached millions with valuable content.
Leverage your network to further your business
Tai has been able to leverage his network and online IQ to further interact and engage with customers across different channels and mediums. For instance, through his online podcasts, which are regularly available to the masses, he has been able to generate more traction to his book club and other ventures. Given the amount of views and feedback he receives from the active digital community, such exposure often leads to additional business opportunities, including speaking invitations from around the world in order to further promote his brand and ideas.
Create a value prop for user engagement
According to Lopez, rather than posting another filtered image of your last meal, those seeking to succeed in business and in life should focus on creating content that is interesting, unique and is truly representative of their values. In today’s competitive market, users are interested in hearing from people and companies that provide content with real value and substance, knowledge that can impact the way they lead their lives and/or run their business.
By creating a script or storyline for what you wish to share with the world, you can focus on planning ahead and defining what and how you plan to share, keeping in mind the core principles that are unique to your set of skills and experience. In this way, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and create a value proposition for user engagement.