Try Riverside free now: https://creators.riverside.fm/PodcastersPodcast & Use code: Podcast15 for an exclusive 15% off. Ben Askins joins Ash and Kane to discuss how he created and sold a luxury digital marketing agency and his journey to becoming a viral content creator with 1.5 million followers in just 18 months. He shares insights and experiences regarding content creation, tackling topics from the challenges of handling viral growth to the effects of social media on politics. He also gives his perspectives on business, management, and the future of green technology. KEY TAKEAWAYS Building a luxury brand requires a different approach as direct outreach doesn't work; instead, focus on inbound marketing and making brands want to approach you. Content creators can get locked into their audience's expectations, forcing them to maintain certain viewpoints even if their actual opinions evolve. Personal branding should be broader than your business niche. Ben's content about management helps his green tech company by opening doors through his influence. The most relatable content often performs best, so stories about common workplace frustrations resonate more than extreme scenarios. Growing a successful content following doesn't require fancy production. Ben's simple setup of talking to a camera against a blank wall generated 750 million views! When starting a business young, many will be patronising until you hit a tipping point, then they'll claim your success was obvious or lucky. Social media has completely changed the way we consume information, Ben's content sometimes gets more views than traditional news outlets, proving the shift in media influence. BEST MOMENTS "We were very good at hiring good people to kinda help us out as we knew nothing we couldn’t kid ourselves we could do it on our own” "There is a snobbery to luxury, and what I mean by that is you can't show you're too keen." "I get branded like a career expert and HR expert. I'm not that. I just a lot of all the knowledge I have is on a sort of practical level." "I think content creators sit between... celebrities and in the sense of like, I think content creators people feel a more of a personal connection to in a lot of ways." "Either at some point as a country we're either going to be selling the tech or purchasing it. That's just a fact." "I love that about social, the fact that people can monetise things they absolutely love. I think that's got to be good for the world and society in general."   VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/askinsben/ Website EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT Comparing Podcast Production Options | using AI? Building a High Ticket Offer | The Best Way to Monetise a Podcast ABOUT THE HOSTS Ashley Morris (Podcast Consultant) and Kane Baron  (Public Speaker) help independent podcasters launch, grow and monetise a podcast. They run the UK’s largest podcast agency for independent creators, Progressive Media. Progressive Media take care of all things production, copywriting, design and video for podcasters round the globe. They have also recently launched Pod Partnerships, a new venture created to connect established podcasters with valuable audiences and innovative brands to create and manage win-win sponsorship campaigns. CONNECT & CONTACT Instagram LinkedIn Email: [email protected]