The Influence Strategy (Influence MOT)
Build a personal brand on purpose with a six-step influence build-out
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 85%
Cass frames influence-building as a consultative, repeatable strategy rather than a lucky accident. It starts by clarifying the person's why and objectives, because without a target you always miss. Next you identify the specific audience(s) you want to reach and understand where they play and what they consume. You then find the influencers who already reach that audience and collaborate with them by adding value first, inheriting credibility by association. From there you keep building reach, deliberately migrating people onto a platform you own so an algorithm change can't erase your relationship with them. Only once credibility and access exist do you productize what you have built, then rinse and repeat as the world changes. In practice the steps run in parallel, but the sequence keeps the strategy honest.
Origin
Warren Cass developed this from over a decade of speaking on influence and running large business networks, distilled in his book Influence.
Core principles
- 01Serendipity is not a strategy; do things on purpose and with purpose
- 02Start with the person's objectives, never a one-size-fits-all plan
- 03Genuinely adding value to the audience is the only durable long-term play
- 04Own your relationship with your audience rather than renting a platform
- 05Productizing emerges organically once credibility and access exist
How to run it
- 1
Establish your why and objectives
Understand what the person wants to do, what they want to be known for, and why it matters. Without a defined outcome there is no strategy to build.
Pro tip Ask why it will inspire and motivate others, not just what the person wants for themselves.
- 2
Identify your audience(s)
Work out exactly who you are trying to reach, where they play, the information they consume, and who already influences them. Audiences can be plural.
Pro tip Segment properly; talking to multiple demographics in one tone of voice means you actually speak to no one.
- 3
Add value and collaborate with existing influencers
Reach out to people who already have sway over your audience and offer value first, such as an interview or guest post. This begins credibility by association.
Pro tip Never open with an ask; lead with what is in it for them.
Watch out Immediately asking for something is the surefire way to get ignored.
- 4
Build reach on a platform you own
Keep growing your audience but migrate them onto channels you control, such as an email list, so a platform's algorithm change or deplatforming can't sever the relationship.
Pro tip Offer something of genuine value in exchange for the subscription so it feels like a consensual act.
Watch out Relying solely on YouTube, Facebook or SEO leaves your reach at the mercy of someone else's rule changes.
- 5
Productize
Turn the credibility, access and audience understanding you have built into a product or service. It emerges organically once the earlier work is done.
Pro tip Over-deliver on the free front end so the paid offer feels like obvious value.
Watch out Selling before you have something of true value breaks the trust you built.
- 6
Rinse and repeat
Revisit your why, audience, where they play now, new technologies and new influencers on a regular basis, because the world keeps changing around you.
Pro tip Treat the whole loop as continuous rather than one-and-done.
In the wild
Cass walks host Chris Williamson through the strategy as a live influence MOT, starting from his objectives, working past his perfectionism, then mapping his audience, the influencers already reaching them, and the value he could add by interviewing them for the podcast. The same sequence Cass used inviting guests mirrors Williamson inviting Cass, each gaining credibility by association when they share to their audiences.
→ A concrete, ordered plan for a growing podcaster to build reach and eventually productize rather than rely on luck.
Common mistakes
Waiting for perfect before starting
Perfectionism is one of the biggest routes to procrastination; waiting until everything is in place is an excuse that stalls influence-building entirely.
Leading with the ask
Approaching influencers by immediately requesting something turns them off and gets your outreach ignored.
Is it for you?
Best for
Ambitious professionals, consultants, speakers and small-business owners who want to raise their profile deliberately.
Not ideal for
Someone with no goal beyond simply communicating a little more warmly in daily life.
From the transcript
“serendipity is not a strategy for me”
“the only real thing... nowadays is of long term strategy when it comes to building influence is to actually genuinely trying add value”
“it's important for you to own your own platform and... own your relationship with your audience rather than rely on somebody else”
From the episode
How To Raise Your Profile, Manage Your Reputation and Get Noticed - Warren Cass - #019
Warren Cass