From an abused and bullied school drop-out scrawny kid with asthma who lost his father to suicide and was diagnosed with PTSD as a teenager through exposure to violence, to a world champion martial artist, bouncer and bodyguard, best-selling author, business owner, online course creator, speaker, coach, TikTok and short-form video specialist.
At 50 he returned to full-time education to achieve an MSc in Marketing and is now working on a PhD while finalizing his latest book based on how businesses can successfully use TikTok.
Matt has a following of around 500,000 across platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube which at times has seen weekly views achieving 2.5 million, a sustained average growth of 1000 per day, and multiple viral videos in the millions of views. All with zero ad spend and no twerking.
Matt has successfully coached multiple clients in the use of short-form content across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts using organic content creation to convert communities and build sustainable pipelines without the need for expensive ad campaigns or generic social media management agencies.
He also coaches on storytelling, content creation, short-form video and expert positioning for social media, writing, self-publishing, and personal branding. He prides himself on offering workable, actionable strategies that can be implemented immediately with clearly defined pathways to make your public profiles the best they can be.
FMM: You are known globally for your expertise in building businesses, brands and community through short-form content. When did your passion for social media begin?
Just over ten years ago, I left my management role to set up my own business. It very soon became obvious that my skillsets at the time did not match the requirements for running a successful business. Marketing was one of the areas where I had to learn fast as experimenting with an ever-dwindling investment pot and limited sales meant that any mistakes were costly. I invested heavily in business and mentorship groups and read voraciously on the subject to start to gain the skills and soon found that this was an area I not only enjoyed but seemed to be good at.
As time moved on social media expanded out, improved, and changed forever how we communicate and do business. This led me to invest heavily in understanding the different platforms and emerging trends and opportunities, which led me to TikTok and the short form content platforms.
After creating a significant presence for my business with many viral videos in the multiple millions, I frame worked out the systems I used to grow across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts to create communities and pipelines for my books, online courses, and teaching which became the Success Wheel Formula. This coupled with my academic study where I lecture part-time and am completing a PhD on the perception of expertise through the use of social media means I have both a solid working understanding of the tools, and also understand the overarching principles that work on a human-to-human level.
FMM: How are you helping businesses to leverage TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts?
Fundamentally, I help businesses to partner with the platforms. By understanding that we the business owner/content creator and the platform are in a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship we can learn to offer what we do in a way that maximizes organic reach and visibility. It is more than just producing content and putting it out there. If you want the prime real estate or shelf space in their storefront, you must give them a value proposition that caters to the outcomes of the platform. We can then look to build content ideas, strategies, and schedules to best achieve those outcomes.
FMM: You have consistently built multiple viral videos across platforms and what clients to do the same. Take us through The half day profile builder.
It starts with a full audit of existing profiles across platforms. We then look at previous campaigns and content to analyse what works and what doesn’t. We look at branding, message, culture, story, and voice within those profiles and see how they align wherever the client has a presence.
We then look to establish what it is the client wants their profiles to achieve, which may be sales, community building, authority status, awareness, or something else, and then look to frame out some basic client avatars.
Then we research the platforms, other creators in our niche, industry leaders, and anything else relevant in the planning stage.
From there we look to rebuild the profiles in a way that is consistent and represents the client/business authentically.
Next is content generation and timetabling. The framework of this outlines the strategy, creation, scheduling, and management of content across the platforms for the coming weeks to build a solid growth trajectory.
The goal of the half-day is to equip the client with good basic foundations and a roadmap to build their communities in a way that works for them.
FMM: What lessons have you learned on the way?
The platforms owe us nothing and are following their own agendas and outcomes.
The platforms are constantly changing and evolving and as such we need to be current in our knowledge.
Building large communities and maintaining them is a long-term investment and the best time to start is today to start to build assets for the future.
Effort and skill acquisition is never wasted. Even if a platform ceases to exist the skillsets learnt will transfer to whatever takes its place.
Always start with value. Be the show not the advert.
Social media is like fire, it can metaphorically warm your room on a cold evening or if left unguarded or disrespected can burn your house down.
FMM: You not only teach what you learn to clients but also to business MBA students. What do you enjoy the most?
I find both equally rewarding in different ways. It is a genuine honour to work with students and be a part of their life story, yet equally, the fulfilment I get seeing my clients succeed and manifest an income and business that can change everything for them and their families is amazing. I have been teaching and training others in various guises for over thirty-five years so helping others to progress is something I am truly passionate about and never tire of.
FMM: Can you share a few tips for individuals who are new to social media platforms, yet know they must provide rich content to scale their business?
Trends and fashions should be used judiciously. It may seem like the fast track to virality, but those followers will not buy through and become part of your community.
Start as you mean to go on. A common mistake is one of consistency. Be realistic about the levels of content creation you can produce and maintain and build your timetables and strategies from there.
Respond. If it’s a comment or interaction acknowledge that and use it to build relationships. After all, if you tried speaking to someone and they repeatedly ignored you how many times would you try before giving up?
Try to maintain a few days buffer of content so that you will always have something to upload. We all have off days or get ill. Be prepared for those in your timetabling.
https://www.differentthink.co.uk
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