In this episode of Do This, Not That, host Jay Schwedelson welcomes Morgan J Ingram, founder and CEO of AMP Creative. They discuss the power of leveraging internal influencers and transforming company teams into dynamic content engines. Morgan shares his journey into content creation, strategies for engaging employees as brand advocates, and the significance of personality-led marketing in today's AI-driven landscape. The conversation also touches on overcoming common challenges in content creation and effective public speaking tips for marketers.

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Best Moments:

(01:40) Morgan's journey into content creation

(03:51) Concept of turning employees into company influencers

(05:32) Addressing concerns about employees becoming "stars"

(08:53) Strategies for content creation across different channels

(10:49) Common pitfalls in content creation and engagement

(13:30) The importance of personality-led marketing in the age of AI

(15:05) Morgan's tips for effective public speaking

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Guest Bio:

Morgan J Ingram is the founder and CEO of AMP Creative, a company that helps executives and founders create credible content that converts. With over 167,000 followers on LinkedIn, Morgan is a well-known figure in the B2B marketing universe. He started his content creation journey in 2016 and has since become an expert in leveraging internal influencers for business growth. Morgan is passionate about helping businesses harness the power of their teams to drive authentic and impactful marketing strategies.

Morgan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganjingramamp/

Morgan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganjingram/

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Welcome to do this, not that, the podcast for marketers. You'll walk away from each episode with actionable tips you can test immediately.

You'll hear from the best minds in marketing who will share tactics, quick wins and pitfalls to avoid. Also dig into life, pop culture, and the chaos that is our everyday. I'm Jay Schwedelson. Let's do this, not that.

We are back for do this, not that, presented by Marigold. And we have, we have a, like a really important dude here today. A guest. Who do we got? We got Morgan Ingram.

Now, you probably already follow Morgan on, on LinkedIn because the dude has 167,000 followers. It's like a, a small country is following this guy. He is the founder and CEO of AMP Creative. AMP Creative.

And he's, I mean, he's probably one of the most well known people in the, the, the B2B universe in terms of marketing and things.

And today we're going to be digging into the influencers within your organization and how to leverage them and what it all means that you don't even realize you're sitting on this gold mine. You, Morgan, welcome to the show.

Awesome. Well, fantastic intro here, Jay. So I'm excited. I'm excited.

I'm excited that you're excited.

Yeah.

Before we get into the topic of the day, how did you wind up? How did Morgan wind up? This is what you do. Like, how did you wind up here?

And I remember reading a post from a sales leader when I started off my sales development rep roles.

For those of you who don't know what that is, it's like someone who cold calls and does cold emails and all the fun things to book meetings, to hand it off to a closer. And so in that article, it said, hey, if you are in this role, you should create a YouTube channel and content because no one else is.

And I was just one of those people who was like, all right, cool, I'll do it. So four months into my role at my first job, I started creating content.

Jay, this was a huge controversial thing because people are like, one, you just started your job, so why are you creating content? Two, you don't have 20, 30 years of experience. Why are you creating content? Like, three, you're on LinkedIn creating content.

Like, why aren't you on, like Instagram? So it was so much of that controversy, but that's where I Started my journey of creating content was just documenting what I was doing.

I didn't talk about things I hadn't done yet. I was just talking about what I'm currently doing actually at this moment. And that's when I started that journey.

You know what's so interesting about what you just shared? And I believe this.

You know, there's that whole thing out there that you have to spend do 10,000 hours of something to be like a quote unquote expert in whatever the hell it is. And there you are, you're starting your job, you don't even know where the bathroom is, and you're putting out content there.

And everyone's like, who are you to put out content? But that's the world that we're in now, people.

You don't need to be 10 years into your career, right, to be trying to put out thought leadership stuff and to establish yourself. Is that fair?

100% and it's fair, but you have to do it right.

Like, for example, if I came out and started creating content and I was like, hey guys, I'm running an eight figure business, that would have not landed well at all. So anyone can start if you're documenting and doing the right things. But you have to make sure your context is appropriate.

Don't look at someone's content. Be like, oh, they're talking about that. I'm gonna talk about that too. It's like, well, the. Where you're at in that journey might be different.

That, that's the one thing I will say.

Okay, so I want to dig into exactly what we're talking about here, which is I'm a, I'm a company. I could be a, a 50 person, you know, business to business.

I sell, you know, plumbing supplies or whatever it may be, and there are people within my plumbing business here or whatever that you believe you can turn into almost like an influencer for your own company and turn your own team into a content engine. Do I have that even remotely right?

That's, that's correct. We're. We're in the right. We're in the right place. You're not. We're not on a different island. We're on the same island.

But how do you do that? What do you just say? Okay, I listened to that episode. That guy Morgan says, look around your company.

That dude over there, let's make them our influencer. Like, what is the actual and why?

Okay, so let's. Plumbers. We'll use the plumbers, for example. So first and foremost, before we go into this.

I actually did run into a company, I think it was last year, and they had a roofing company right in the same film or the service, and they had a YouTube channel and it gets views and it gets them business. I didn't think that was a thing, but then when I saw it, I was like, this is interesting. So I have been on this journey for the past year.

Like, can anyone do this? And the thing is, yes, they can. There is. I forgot what the YouTube channel is called, but there is a YouTube channel that is for plumbers.

And he's literally like, here's how you unclog the toilet. And it has like hundreds of thousands of views, which is crazy, but like, it's a real thing. So how do you get started?

Right, so the first thing that you need to do is identify the people internally. That could be what we call the subject matter experts.

So you need to change your entire viewpoint on how you look at influencers because it's typically negative connotation. You typically say, oh, well, I'm not a tiktoker, I'm not a dancer. Like, I have calls with executives all the time and that's what they think.

I'm like, no, our job is to get your expertise and put it out digitally so that people can say you are a trust, trustworthy source to come buy whatever you're offering. So you need to talk to that person internally, those people internally, and say, hey, who first and foremost wants to create content, right?

Show of hands. Then you need to decipher into the three buckets of how they're going to distribute the content. So one is video. So maybe you have someone who likes.

Could be good on video. Okay, let's maybe get them to start creating some YouTube videos, some how to videos on, like how to do whatever it is in plumbing that you would do.

Right? I just mentioned unclog the toilet. But like, I know there's way more than that.

Second thing is like writing, okay, so maybe we need to start writing some blogs. Maybe we need to be on maybe a Facebook probably probably wouldn't be on LinkedIn to like create this content. Let's say Facebook.

So you're probably writing content there. And then three is like, we're on this right now. This podcast is audio. And is there a podcast for plumbers, Jay? I actually have no idea.

But like you could be the go to source for plumbers interviewing plumbers. I don't know this. I would listen to be like, what are y' all even talking about? But the thing is Is that like, that's what people want, right?

It's the content is about becoming a trustworthy source at scale. Before they even hop on the call, they're like, ah, this person is trustworthy.

And that's what's helped me grow my business and continue to help me grow my business and do all these different things. So I know there's a lot to unpack there, but that's how you get started.

So the first thing I would ask though, if I'm the owner of that business, I'm like, okay, this sounds pretty cool, but I don't want to turn somebody into a star and then they're the star. I want my company to be the star and to get the benefit.

How do you turn that around back to that company, say, no, no, no, you should invest in that person. And here's why.

Yeah, so that's very valid. You know, a lot of people that I talked to, they said, okay, if I invested this person, they're gonna leave me.

They're gonna go on all these different things, right? And these are all fair and valid points. What I tell people though, is this person's expertise and skill is most likely actually happening on calls.

And when they're in front of customers, do you worry that when they do a good job in front of a customer that they could leave you? That actually could happen. They did a really good job on the plumbing service. They get a five star.

You don't think that other companies could, they could do these things. So the reason I mentioned that is they could be. They could always go off on their own and they can always do that.

So maximize the time that you have with this person because it's going to be reciprocal. You help them build their brand, ultimately it will come back and help build your brand.

And the ROI of that is going to be bigger than if worrying about if they're going to leave you or not. And also that's why it's important to systematize these things on how you actually build these, these internal people.

And that's why I also say that you need to have at least two to three people creating at once so that you de risk all the things I'm saying, right? Because if one person leaves, you still have two other people creating. And here's the, here's the most important part of all this.

If you decide all these things I just told you, you're like, Morgan, I don't care about that. Your competitor will decide to listen to me and do the thing that I just told you.

And then you won't have a business, and then you won't have anyone on your team. That's also the ultimate reality of it.

So when you have this almost like these bench players, right? You're like, okay, this person is going to be front and center. We got these two people waiting on the bench in case, whatever. Just.

Are you like, like kind of 80% of the contents around this person and then the other 20, we're getting these people there. So if the 80 person kind of bails on us or whatever? Yeah, we have to people that have some notoriety.

Are you doing that or is it just like, hey, if this person leaves, we got that person, don't worry.

Great question.

So the, the way that there's two ways actually to go about this, and also it depends on the talent you have internally and how they operate and how you want to go about it. The three different channels that I mentioned, of distribution, we have each person own that lane.

So we have one person for video, we have one person for written, we have one person for audio. Now, if the video person goes away, typically your audio person could probably step up and do that.

If your written person goes away, your video person could step in and hit fill that gap. The goal is that we have three lanes of content creation. It's easier for someone if they already created the content to go to a new thing.

Harder to pull someone into it if they haven't been creating that content. So that's why we want those three channels going on that lane. The third thing is. Yeah, go ahead.

No, no, I want to know what's the third thing?

Yeah, so. Or the second thing. The second thing is that, like, okay, you have these lanes that are going.

The other component of this is you can do what you're talking about, which is like, all right, we have this one person going more heavy than everybody else, and we have the other people supporting doing other content pieces. But it's not as crazy. Let me give an example. We have one person who's doing the videos, they're writing the blogs and they're posting on LinkedIn.

They just, this is what they're doing. But then we have two people just writing textbooks on LinkedIn. They're not doing anything else.

If the person that was full in front of, they leave, one of those people can step up and take that place. And then we just have the systems to then go from there.

So that makes a lot of sense to me. When somebody comes to you and says, hey, we already are posting a lot of, you know, how to videos.

We got this person doing it, but we're getting no engagement, nobody cares, and we're trying to make somebody the star. Is there things that companies are just doing flat out wrong that is holding them back?

Are there some simple pitfalls to avoid if you're not ready to hire, you know, amp creative and work with Morgan and just do on your own that are just. They're just screwing up?

Yeah. Yeah. I'll give you some baselines, like, three things that, like, if you make these tweaks, you'll see a success. One is, are you.

Are you talking in corporate talk? That's like the first thing, right? I was working with.

With a company, and we were like, going back and forth on something, and then I was like, wait, hold up. You.

You mentioned that this did not go well for you in the past month, but all they did was the executives just reposted the product updates and they're like, it's not working. And I was like, well, yeah, because you're. You're not even communicating with the audience. It's very stale.

Like, you need to actually have a communication route. So that's. That's like, number one. Number two is, let's go to what you just said, the how tos.

If you actually are saying, okay, we're not having any corporate talk, no jargon. We're actually getting tactical, and you're not getting views. Couple of things are going on there. One is the hook is probably off.

So that's the first thing I look at, is like, is your hook good? Like, are you actually bringing people in? Like, does it make sense? And then the second thing is pack the packaging idea.

Is the idea of what you're presenting actually relevant to the audience? Or did you just say, oh, we just did this because we thought it would be good? Like, no. Does the audience care about what you talk about?

We got to actually dive in that. The third thing is, what's the length of that video and where are you putting it? And that's also a big thing, too.

So those are the things that I look at across the board.

Well, I totally agree with all that, especially the length. That's why we keep this podcast tight, because nobody, Nobody, when they see something along, they bail on it.

And, you know, one of the reasons I wanted you to come on the podcast, I asked you to come on the podcast was because, and I'm curious if you believe this, that I believe that with AI, this tidal wave of generic garbage that's coming at us, that personality led marketing, whether you're a business brand, a consumer brand, whatever it is that this personality led marketing is how the go to market, how you're going to be successful as AI becomes even more and more part of this world of content that we're in. And that's why I wanted you on, because that's what you're about. You're about this kind of personality led marketing initiatives. And do you.

Is that is. Do you buy in all that?

I. I do. Because I mentioned three. Right.

That was the third, which is AI, is that most people will just rely on AI to be a genie and say, here's our posts. So they write their scripts in AI, they write their posts in AI and guess what? Everybody knows it. And you got to get away from that.

And even I agree with you 100%. But also we have to look at the past four years. Like four years ago we were in Covid, right? Terrible time for most people. And that created isolation.

It created people weren't as social. And. And so not only is AI basically dehumanizing the communication, we also had Covid that put you in isolation.

And now people just want, can I just connect with a real person? Can I hear what really this company is about or what they're trying to accomplish?

And so the more personality you can tap into your brand, the better. That's why I believe. Right. Tapping into those internal people are how you're going to get that message out.

And the external influencer marketing plays a part of this. I'm not saying get rid of it. I'm just saying your people also need to have a voice too.

You're going to become the thing that doesn't send out. So, by the way, I hope everybody actually doesn't follow this advice. They keep being wallpaper, so everybody else's stuff stands out.

So that's me being a horrible human being. All right, before we wrap up here, I want to ask you something totally off topic. You, you're an exceptional public speaker. I've seen you speak.

You crush it.

And for everybody out there, whether they are speaking at an internal meeting with five people at it, doing a webinar, speaking at a big event, whatever it may be, what are Morgan's secrets to public speaking that are like, this is what I always make sure to do. This is what I never do.

Oh, wow. This is actually this is awesome.

So the thing that I would tell you all not to do, and I have done this so many times, is immediately just, like, come into the talk and not set it up with the expectations of what people are going to get out of it, because you don't inherently know who's in the room, and you need a level set. It's just like doing a call or anything, right? Just like when you start a podcast, it's like, here's what we're going to cover. So don't do this.

Because sometimes I've hopped in the talks, and I'm like, all right, guys. So, like. And I just want to dive into it, and I don't set the context, and then people leave because they don't know what's going on.

So do not do that. Don't. This is a personal thing, and I've just found this to work really well. Don't, like, put yourself in a prison on the stage.

What I mean by that is most people see the podium, and they just stay on the podium. Now, I think there's a time and place for that, depending on what you're delivering.

But if you're talking to an audience, you need to, like, get rid of the podium. Like, I immediately get in the audience. Like, I am in there with you. And the reason for that is it's a psychological barrier that you create.

When you're on the stage, the stage is elevated, which gives a subconscious sense that you are above everyone else. So that's why is I get off the stage as fast as possible. If I can write some areas, you can't. But I try to get off the stage, and I'm with the crowd.

So let's talk about things that I do do. So I create motion throughout my talks. So I have people raise their hand. I call out people. I have people talk.

One of the best things that my mentor taught me in the past was when you have a talk, it's a conversation, not a presentation. The people should feel like they're a part of it. And they're like, wow, okay. Like, this is so different than what I've ever experienced.

Like, this Morgan guy is great, right? That's what you want. And you also, again, like I mentioned, set up the expectations.

I say, hey, everybody, these are the three things that you need to do during this talk if you want to actually find success. And then I go through 1, 2, 3, and I break it down for people. And if they don't follow those things, then, like, it won't be successful.

That's just what it is. And the other thing is pauses. You need to be really good at pausing so people can reflect. I talk pretty fast. We're on a podcast now.

But my speed's a little bit lower when I speak in person. But, like, the energy is still there. But I pause a ton because I want people to embrace the point.

I want people to know what's going on and to absorb what's happening so I can probably keep going. I know our time is tight, but those are the secrets there, dude.

I like the pausing and I like the it's a conversation and not a presentation. That's cool. I really dig that.

And it's true. Such good advice.

Yeah, I know. Totally. All right. I love all this. Morgan, how does everybody get involved with AMP Creative and you, where they follow you, what do they do?

Everyone's got to take advantage of your world.

Yeah. So if you want to see what we're doing and my post where I'm the most active, I'm on LinkedIn. Morgan J. Ingram.

And then if you want to see the work that we are doing with executives and also founders to create this credible content that converts, check out AmCreative IO.

Love it. All right, we're going to put this all in the show. Notes. Morgan, you are awesome. Appreciate you being here, man.

Absolutely appreciate you.

You did it. You made it to the end. Nice. But the party's not over.

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