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A lot of leaders are trying to become more visible online.

They are posting more. Commenting more. Sharing more lessons, stories, and ideas.

That effort can help.

But attention by itself is not the goal.

The real question is what happens after someone notices you.

Where Should Your LinkedIn Attention Go?

A lot of leaders are trying to become more visible online.

They are posting more. Commenting more. Sharing more lessons, stories, and ideas.

That effort can help.

But attention by itself is not the goal.

This framework started as part of a guest talk I gave with the Illinois Small Business Development Center Business Growth Academy at Waubonsee Community College.

Big thanks to Maria Malayter, PhD and the team for inviting me in.

The conversation was about building a clearer digital presence, but the lesson applies well beyond LinkedIn: attention only helps when it has somewhere useful to go.

The real question is what happens after someone notices you.

Do they understand what you do?
Do they trust your point of view?
Do they know where to go next?
Do they have a reason to come back?

If the answer is no, the content may be creating motion without building much value.

Attention should have a destination

Posting without a destination is easy to miss because it still feels productive.

You published the post.
People saw it.
Maybe a few people reacted.
Maybe a few people commented.

That feels like progress.

Sometimes it is.

But visibility only becomes useful when it helps the right person take a reasonable next step.

That step does not always have to be a sales call.

It might be reading a related article.
It might be joining your newsletter.
It might be viewing your services page.
It might be reviewing your portfolio.
It might be saving a checklist.
It might be learning enough to trust how you think.

The point is simple: content should lead somewhere useful.

Reach is not the same as trust

Reach tells you how many people may have seen the post.

Trust is different.

Trust is built when your content helps people understand your judgment.

For a business owner, that might mean showing how you think about cost, risk, and customer experience.

For a healthcare leader, that might mean explaining how technology decisions affect staff capacity, compliance, and patient operations.

For a nonprofit leader, that might mean showing how to make better systems decisions without wasting limited resources.

For an IT services firm, that might mean helping prospects understand what good support, governance, and security should look like before there is a problem.

The common thread is clarity.

People should leave your content with a better understanding of the problem, the decision, or the next step.

That is what turns a post into more than a moment.

The three jobs of useful content

Before publishing a post, it helps to know the job of the content.

Most content should do at least one of these three things.

1. Build proof

Proof shows that you understand the real problem.

This can come through examples, lessons learned, practical breakdowns, case stories, or a clear point of view.

Proof does not mean showing off.

It means helping the reader see that you have thought about the issue from more than one angle.

A strong proof-building post might answer questions like:

• What problem do we keep seeing?
• Why does it happen?
• What does it cost when leaders ignore it?
• What should a practical first step look like?

Proof is especially important in services businesses, consulting, technology, healthcare, and other trust-heavy fields.

People are not just buying a solution.

They are buying confidence in your judgment.

2. Build trust

Trust comes from consistency.

Not just posting often.

Posting with a consistent point of view.

A leader who talks about every topic under the sun may get attention, but the audience may not know what to remember them for.

A leader who keeps returning to a clear set of problems becomes easier to understand.

For me, those themes include modernization, cybersecurity, data, project delivery, governance, and better business systems.

That does not mean every post must be technical.

It means the audience should be able to connect the post back to a larger body of work.

Trust grows when your content feels steady, useful, and aligned with the problems your audience actually faces.

3. Point to a next step

A next step does not need to be aggressive.

In fact, it usually should not be.

Most readers are not ready to buy after one post.

But they may be ready to learn more.

That is where a clear destination matters.

A useful next step might be:

• A newsletter for deeper thinking
• A service page for business context
• A blog post that expands the idea
• A tool or checklist
• A portfolio or case example
• A contact page for people already looking for help

The key is to match the next step to the intent of the post.

A thought leadership post might lead to a newsletter.

A practical checklist might lead to a related tool.

A service problem might lead to a service page.

A personal story might lead to an about page or speaking page.

The next step should feel natural.

A simple example

Imagine a founder posts every day about business lessons.

The posts are thoughtful. Some get good reactions.

But the profile has no clear offer, no newsletter, no useful article library, no services page, and no obvious way to understand how the founder helps.

That founder may be building awareness, but the attention has nowhere to land.

Now imagine the same founder makes a few changes.

The profile explains who they help.

The featured section points to a useful guide.

The newsletter captures the deeper lessons.

The services page explains the problems they solve.

The posts connect back to those resources in a calm, useful way.

The content did not become louder.

It became more connected.

That is the difference.

The destination should be ready before the traffic arrives

This is where many leaders get stuck.

They focus on posting more before they fix the place they are sending people.

A weak destination can quietly waste good attention.

Before you ask people to visit your website, subscribe, book a call, or review your services, check the basics.

Website and profile checklist

• Can a visitor understand what you do in less than 10 seconds?
• Is your best next step easy to find?
• Does your profile match your current positioning?
• Does your services page explain problems in the customer’s language?
• Is there at least one useful resource for people not ready to buy?
• Are your strongest ideas saved somewhere beyond the social feed?
• Does your newsletter, blog, or resource page give people a reason to come back?

This does not require a perfect website.

It requires a clear one.

What leaders should ask before posting

What leaders should ask before posting

Before publishing, ask these five questions.

1. Who is this for?

Be specific.

A post written for everyone usually lands with no one.

Is it for SMB owners?
Healthcare executives?
Nonprofit leaders?
Technology decision-makers?
Operations leaders?
A business evaluating outsourced IT support?

The audience shapes the language.

2. What decision does this help them make?

Good content helps the reader think better.

It might help them avoid a bad vendor decision.
Prioritize a system upgrade.
Understand a risk.
Ask better questions.
Recognize a pattern.
Start a better internal conversation.

If the post does not help the reader decide or understand something, it may not be ready.

3. What should this post build?

Pick the main job.

Is this post meant to build proof?
Build trust?
Start a conversation?
Point to a resource?
Clarify your point of view?

Do not ask every post to do everything.

4. Where should the attention go?

This is the part people skip.

If someone likes the post and wants more, where should they go?

Your profile?
Your website?
Your newsletter?
A tool?
A related article?
A services page?

Make the path easy.

5. Is the destination useful?

Do not send people to a dead end.

If the post creates interest, the destination should reward that interest.

That might mean a clearer landing page, a stronger article, a better newsletter signup page, or a resource that helps people solve part of the problem.

The leadership lens

This is not only a marketing issue.

It is a systems issue.

A leader would not spend money driving people into a broken process and call it progress.

The same standard should apply to content.

If your content is attracting attention, the next step should be clear, useful, and aligned with your business goals.

That matters even more in trust-heavy industries like healthcare, finance, education, and nonprofit services.

People in those spaces are not only looking for visibility.

They are looking for judgment, clarity, reliability, and proof that you understand the environment they operate in.

Your content should help them see that.

A better way to think about content

The better question is not always, “How do we get more reach?”

A better question is, “What should this attention help build?”

That shift changes the work.

It moves content from activity to strategy.

It forces you to connect the post, the profile, the website, the newsletter, and the service offering.

It also makes content easier to evaluate.

Not every post will create a lead.

Not every post should.

But over time, your content should make it easier for the right people to understand three things:

• What you believe
• How you think
• Where they can go next

That is how attention starts becoming an asset.

Posting more is not the same as building a stronger digital presence.

A stronger presence has direction.

It builds proof.
It builds trust.
It gives the right people a clear next step.

Before your next post, ask one question:

Where is this attention supposed to go?

If you want more practical thinking on better systems, clearer decisions, and leading change without chaos, subscribe to the Better Systems newsletter.

This article expands on an idea I first shared on LinkedIn.

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As we approach 2025, I’m excited to share some big goals I’ve set for myself and my business. Every November, I reflect on ways to grow, both personally and professionally, and this past November was no different.

Here’s a glimpse into what I’m focusing on in 2025:

Writing and Publishing My First Book

This year, my personal goal is to write and publish my first book. Publishing a book has been a long-time aspiration of mine and is an opportunity to channel creativity, share insights, and accomplish something deeply meaningful on a personal level. As part of this, I’m applying my “5 to 10% personal development rule,” dedicating no more than 5-10% of my time and income to this project.

Here’s where I stand:

• Exploring Content Options:
  • I’ve already drafted two books:
    • A passion project about technology careers.
    • A business-focused book targeting my ideal audience, which I’ve revised twice but may still refine further.
  • Alternatively, I may start fresh and write a completely new book that better meets the needs of my audience.
• Publishing Insights:
  • I recently read The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan by Karl Palachuk and Stephanie Chandler, which provided valuable insights into the self-publishing process. It also helped confirm my assumption that self-publishing my first book would likely require more time than my 5-10% rule allows.
  • To balance my time commitments, I’m leaning toward working with a hybrid publishing company for this first book. This approach will provide the structure I need while ensuring I can meet my personal and professional priorities.
  • Self-publishing is still on the table for future books once I’ve mastered the process and can dedicate more time.

Aligning Personal and Business Goals:

This year, I’ve decided to align my personal goals with my business objectives to create a stronger, more cohesive path forward. A significant shift I’ve embraced is becoming more publicly active—a step I haven’t taken in several years. By aligning my personal and professional growth, I’m taking a strategic approach to strengthen my business and personal brand:

• Q1: Redefining my personal brand marketing strategy.
• Q2: Increasing my public presence by participating in events and networking.
• Q3: Developing a robust process to better engage my target audience.

I’ve also partnered with a marketing firm to fine-tune specific aspects of my business marketing. Their expertise will complement my efforts to enhance my overall strategy.

Looking Ahead

2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year. Publishing my first book—whether it’s a revised version of my current drafts or an entirely new project—will be a deeply personal milestone. By focusing on aligning my personal goals with my business strategy, I’m creating a foundation for growth and success in all areas of my life.

I’m excited about what’s ahead and grateful to have your support along the way. If you have advice, insights, or encouragement, I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s make this year one of meaningful achievements together!

Wylie Blanchard

Here are a few of my activities from 2024:

• What is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Why Does It Matter?
• From NPD to the Cloud: Why Businesses Must Prioritize Cybersecurity Now
• Embracing AI in SMBs: Driving Competitiveness and Efficiency Through Technology
• Essential Disaster Preparedness Strategies: Safeguarding Your Business
• Innovating on a Budget: Strategies for Today’s Tech Leaders
• Embracing AI in SMBs: Driving Competitiveness and Efficiency Through Technology

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As we approach the dawn of 2024, seize the opportunity to shape your year starting right now…

Empower Your Journey: Unlock Success Together

• Invest in Continuous Learning – Commit to taking at least one professional development course or certification to stay updated with the latest industry trends and skills.
• Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration – Become a catalyst for innovation within your organization. Initiate and lead cross-functional projects to enhance collaboration and drive breakthroughs across departments.
• Enhance Digital Presence – Craft a comprehensive strategy to boost your online presence. From updating your social media profile to creating insightful blog posts and actively engaging with your professional network, ensure your digital footprint stands out.

Let’s embark on a journey of growth and achievement in 2024 together.

Wylie Blanchard

In the meantime, here are a few of my activities from 2023:

• Bridging the Gap: Unleashing Digital Transformation for Business Growth
• Security and Privacy Best Practices for Safeguarding Member Data in Non-Profit Organizations
• Building Trust through Effective Communication: Enhancing Customer Relationships in a Digital World
• How Non-Profit Health Services firms can use ChatGPT
• Exploring the Intersection of Emerging Tech, AI, and Business with Marc Lee – Online Dinner Party

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With the 1st day of 2023 approaching, there is no need to wait until the new year to begin planning goals and efforts, let’s do it now…

Challenge your mental and physical discipline.

• Set a new fitness goal that genuinely challenges your physical and mental limits, your time management skills and your nutrition management skills.
• Expand your worldliness by visiting a new part of the world (nationally or internationally) and interacting with locals.
• Learn a skill that is outside of your comfort zone, like public speaking, to exercise your ability to adapt in uncomfortable situations.

Ensure that your goal(s) are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).

Wylie Blanchard

Let’s meet up in 2023.

In the meantime here are a few of my activities from 2022:

I took a break from the internet (personal use internet activity – with a few exceptions) from Nov 2021 to Nov 2022 and I don’t have any activities to share.

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Originally posted at www.GreatTechPros.com.

Excerpt from the Interview:

Wylie Blanchard: What tips do you have for individuals who are new in their career, transitioning in their career or just interested in building their executive presence?  What tips do you have on how they can build their personal branding and their executive presence?

Eric Schmuttenmaer: The first one that comes to me is listening… It is a combination of listening and learning. So if you’re coming new into something,.. find the people that are in the area that you want to be in or that you want to improve upon and get notes on them. Find out where they have succeeded and replicate those in your world or, work to replicate those in the world and find out, more importantly, where they failed and why they failed… Learn where those common pitfalls are for where you want to be from individuals who are already there and then avoid those as much as you can. It’s not gonna be a hundred percent but do your best to do that. It takes a level of listening and slowly learning. You’re not going to boil the ocean but take those little key moments, those little tiny moments, of takeaways from other people’s lives.

Useful Links:

• Connect with Eric Schmuttenmaer on Linkedin.
• Learn more about AMITA Health.
• Follow on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Watch or Listen to Great Tech Pros anytime, anywhere.

• Watch on YouTube,
• Tune in on Facebook Watch,
• Eavesdrop on Google Podcasts,
• Listen on Spotify,
• Be all ears on Apple Podcasts,
• and more.

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Responsible for the strategy, roadmap, resource oversight and overall success of the Voice Assistant Delivery solution and interaction model. Designed for Finance, Mortgage, Insurance, Utilities & Healthcare markets.

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EVENT UPDATE: The SQL Saturday Chicago event is always amazing. I presented two sessions at the event: Become a SQL Pro who’s in High Demand and You’re hired! Creating value before and after the interview.

Notable Sessions: Here are two sessions that I attended that were both educational and enjoyable.

• Andy Wickman (t, l, b) “Lessons from Consulting: Third-Party Vendors,” which explained what to expect and what questions to ask when dealing with third-party software that interacts and manages company data. Andy shared what key things to check and look for in 3rd party software that will have an impact on a data professionals role. He also shared advice on how to work with these vendors that can make integrating their software into a company’s enterprise more successful.
• David Klee (t, l, b) “My Brain Has Blue Screened – Let’s Laugh,” which was a fun exploration of unique stories that data professionals have encountered over their career. Since this was the last session of the day it was a much-needed laugh and break from learning.

More below, including  Event Photos.

Event Follow Up:

SESSION 1 DESCRIPTION:

Become a SQL Pro who’s in High Demand.

Speaker(s): Wylie Blanchard

Track: Professional Development

Expertise in SQL is an in-demand IT skill. As demand continues to grow, so does the increase of SQL professionals entering your specific industry. Learn what’s needed to ensure that you become a stronger technology authority in your industry and a SQL Pro who’s always in High Demand.  You’ll learn how to invest in growing your expertise, improve your social/people skills, how to effectively sell and market your talent, what is a “source of truth” and why is it extremely important and more.

Session Materials for Event Attendees: 

Download: Presentation Slides 

Event Follow Up:

SESSION 2 DESCRIPTION:

You’re hired! Creating value before and after the interview.

Speaker(s): Wylie Blanchard

Track: Professional Development

Landing a gig as an employee, consultant or contractor has become highly competitive. You need to differentiate yourself in a way that tells the hiring manager that you are more valuable than everyone else. In this session, I’ll share 3 things that I’ve learned from my experience as an employee, hiring manager and consultant that will help you market your expertise, create new opportunities and get them saying “you’re hired”.

Session Materials for Event Attendees:

Download: Presentation Slides 

Wylie provided excellent tips on how to make yourself stand out when marketing yourself and reinforced important principles like focusing on quantifying your achievements.

Steven A Osacky
Crowe LLP

Event Follow Up:

PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT:

SQLSaturday is a training event for Microsoft Data Platform professionals and those wanting to learn about SQL Server, Business Intelligence and Analytics. This event will be held on Mar 23, 2019, at Benedictine University, 5700 College Rd, Lisle, Illinois, 60532, United States.

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The resources from this session are now available.

Session 1.

Become a SQL Pro who’s in High Demand.

Speaker(s): Wylie Blanchard.

Track: Professional Development.

Expertise in SQL is an in-demand IT skill. As demand continues to grow, so does the increase of SQL professionals entering your specific industry. Learn what’s needed to ensure that you become a stronger technology authority in your industry and a SQL Pro who’s always in High Demand.  You’ll learn how to invest in growing your expertise, improve your social/people skills, how to effectively sell and market your talent, what is a “source of truth” and why is it extremely important and more.

Session resources and photos are now available.

EVENT UPDATE Mar 23 2019: A speaking slot became available at the last minute, giving me the opportunity to present on another topic. I decided to keep the focus on career enhancement by sharing ways to position yourself as the candidate of choice during the interview process.

Session 2.

You’re hired! Creating value before and after the interview to before and after the interview.

Speaker(s): Wylie Blanchard.

Track: Professional Development.

Landing a gig as an employee, consultant or contractor has become highly competitive. You need to differentiate yourself in a way that tells the hiring manager that you are more valuable than everyone else. In this session, I’ll share 3 things that I’ve learned from my experience as an employee, hiring manager and consultant that will help you market your expertise, create new opportunities and get them saying “you’re hired”.

Session resources and photos are now available.

SQLSaturday is a training event for Microsoft Data Platform professionals and those wanting to learn about SQL Server, Business Intelligence and Analytics. This event will be held on Mar 23, 2019, at Benedictine University, 5700 College Rd, Lisle, Illinois, 60532, United States.

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Learn what clients are saying about his programs....

With the 1st day of 2019 approaching, there is no need to wait until the new year to begin planning goals and efforts, let’s do it now…

• Speak only great things about your family and colleagues.
• Learn a new soft skill (Communication skills – Adaptability skills – Teamwork skills).
• Share news about this skill to your family, friends and associates via mobile technology and social media. 

The people we interact with and actions we take impact future outcomes. Higher a coach, ask a mentor for help, demand excellence from yourself, and never stop taking action.

Wylie Blanchard.

Let’s meet up in 2019.

Contact Wylie today.

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Assignment Purpose.

The goal of this exercise is to examine the customer choice process in the digital era and how marketers may persuade consumers to create connections with businesses using the four primary channels (search, display, video, and social).

Assignment Specifics.

As digital platforms that brands may utilize to create relationships with customers, the following were discussed in the lecture:

• Search.
• Display.
• Video.
• Social.

Consider how firms may build relationships with their customers and assess the success of the four digital channels based on your own experience.
Then answer the following question:

Which, in your view and experience, is the most effective?
Explain your reasoning with one or two instances of firms that use that channel.

Response

Video is the most effective since it can engage our senses multiple times within a short amount of time while also activating various sensory connections such as sound and vision. Furthermore, YouTube, a video content site, is one of the most commonly utilized search engine sites at work. According to Alexa, YouTube.com has the world’s second-biggest combination of visits and page views, trailing only Google.com. SimilarWeb ranks youtube.com as the third most viewed and used website in the world. These rankings demonstrate how important video (especially videos posted on YouTube) is to today’s consumers.

I’ve discovered that video is an excellent marketing strategy since it allows for the creation of several content streams. For example, I’ve previously generated YouTube videos, which allowed me to make three various types of material. The first was video footage I uploaded on YouTube. I then extracted the audio from the video and turned it into audio (podcast) material. I recently finished transcribing the video and creating written (blog) material. I was able to do all of this by generating only one piece of content. I was then able to distribute all three content items as three social media content sharing at various times.

I have personally found that video is an effective marketing tool, due to being able to create various content streams from it. For instance, I’ve created YouTube videos in the past and in doing so I was able to create 3 different forms of content. The first was the video content that I posted to YouTube. I then stripped the audio out of the video and created an audio (podcast) content. Lately, I transcribed the video and created text (blog) content. I was able to do all of this simply by creating one content item. Later, I was able to share all three content items on social media at different times as three unique social media content shares.

Overall, the video digital channel is the only channel specifically designed to engage our visual and auditory sensory connectors at the same time and at a rate on par with our natural ability to process information.

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