On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are going to discuss why personal branding is very important in today's social media world. And to help us unpack the key tips and tactics to use, we are chatting with a content marketing and social media expert, Erik Deckers.

Erik Deckers is a professional writer, professional speaker, social media expert, and content marketing strategist. He is the President of Pro Blog Service, a content marketing agency.

Erik is also the author of a few bestselling books, including The Owned Media Doctrine, No BS Social Media, and last but not least, one of my favorites - Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself.

During this episode, Erik discusses his professional journey, and how it led you to his current career as an author, speaker, and business owner.

Erik and I also unpack the latest edition of Branding Yourself, and why he and his co-author Kyle Lacy decided to update the book at this time.

• When did Erik first decide to go into the marketing field.
• Why he advises people to first start a blog before tackling what social media platforms to engage in
• Why you must "fish where the fish are" to increase your chances of success for social networking
• Hear Erik explain which social media platform is his favorite.>
• The reason why you must focus on giving and providing value to others than receiving
• And so plenty more!

• Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself
• Erik's Company "Pro Blog Service"
• Erik's personal website
• Erik on Twitter

• "The Typewriter Song" by Leroy Anderson
• "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin