Many of you are aware that for some time I’ve been planning and working on a new project that’s going to become very close to my heart, moving forward. And that project is simple entitled:

#DUCKERZONE

For quite some time I’ve been wanting to create more video content, and when launched later this year, #DuckerZone will help me achieve that goal – and some! I say ‘later this year’ as a final launch date has yet to be established.

The show will be a mash-up of viewer submitted questions (and my replies), as well as the sharing of my own biggest, deepest and most action-orientated thoughts.

We’ve already got 12 episodes in the can – they’re busy being edited together as I type this.

However, many of you haven’t stopped hitting me up for a preview of what will become a weekly show on YouTube (and republished to this site, obviously), so I’ve decided to give in and serve up a little taste – in the form of Episode 1.

Kicking Off #DuckerZone

And.. right here in episode 1, we’re kicking things off with a question I get a LOT. And I think everyone asks themselves this at some point. They look at their mentors, muses, whatever, and they wonder, “How can I become an influencer in my industry, too?”

How can I get that kind of attention on MY product or service?

Everyone wants to get to that level where they’ve got a raving fanbase and loads of people asking their advice, influencers are at the level they’re at because they’ve worked their behinds off to offer the absolute best resources you can find anywhere.

These are people at the absolute top of their game… Entrepreneurs who took very intentional and strategic steps to get to where they are today.

And the best part is that becoming an influencer isn’t some restricted access old boys’ club. If you’re ready and willing to put in the effort, you too can not only figure out how to become an influencer, but you can do it yourself, too!

And if you’re ready to get started, here are three quick tips you can start using TODAY to become an influencer in your space.

Leverage What You’re All About

Find and leverage your personal brand statement. Your personal brand is the thing you are… that no one else is. So, whatever you do, don’t copy other influencers. Instead, be you… people will want to do business with you. When you’ve figured out your personal brand statement, try and come up with a catchy tagline to explain it. Pat Flynn is “the crash test dummy of online business”.

It’s memorable and different, and yours should be, too.

Serve, Serve, Serve

Any smart personal brand entrepreneur, any New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker… they’ve all achieved influencer status, And almost all of them have one trait in common with each other.

They simply just kept showing up in service of others. For YEARS, they gave and gave and gave to everyone they met could—sometimes it directly related to their business and their own goals, and sometimes it didn’t.

But the key was they served.

The fact is that there’s countless ways to serve your audience generously and without expectation. Your audience doesn’t need to be big to get started. In fact, it might be as small as a handful of friends and family members on your mailing list. Doesn’t matter. Share with them just as you’d share with an auditorium full of people. Share what you’ve learned on your blog or podcast.

Give talks at community events. Reach out to influencers you admire… ask them how to become an influencer – and offer to help them with a specific thing that you happen to be amazing at. If you keep the goal of service at the forefront of your mind, and then watch what happens, I guarantee that your platform, your community, and YOUR influence will start to grow. There’s no ceiling on your potential when you’re there to serve.

So, serve first… sell later.

Commit to the Goal

Here’s the thing, wanting to become an influencer is like wanting a million downloads on your podcast. Great idea, but without knowing and committing to the steps that go into reaching that goal, it’s just a vanity metric.

Instead of waking up each day trying to figure out how to become an influencer, or with the goal to become an influencer, I want you to see that as a by-product of being really amazing at what you do. Remember that leveraging your personal brand and serving others, you will naturally get better and better, with every passing day.

And let’s face it… at the end of the day, that’s just a much more recognizable and sustainable approach to long-term success.

So, what did you think of the first episode of #DuckerZone? Hit me up on Twitter and via Facebook and let me know. And… be sure to submit your own question by posting it on social, using the hashtag… #DuckerZone