Building a Personal Brand in the Digital Age: My Chaotic, Weird, and Surprisingly Effective Content Strategy

Look, I’ll be real with you—if you’re trying to avoid putting yourself out there, good luck. In today’s world, you either build a personal brand, or you’ll be yelling into the void hoping someone gives a damn. There’s no escaping it. You have to create content. You have to be seen. And no, that one LinkedIn post from 2021 about how "you're passionate about growth" doesn't count.

I’m Dmetrius Reed—entrepreneur, father, husband, philosopher of things no one asked me to think about, and a proud owner of too many browser tabs. My personal brand revolves around entrepreneurship, creativity, and figuring out life without losing my mind.

If you’re like me—neurodivergent, over-caffeinated, and constantly spiraling between ideas—you need a system. And lucky for you, I’ve got one. It’s a little weird, borderline obsessive, but hey, it works. Here’s how I produce content without losing my sanity (most of the time).

The Non-Negotiable Tools You'll Need

Before we dive into the "how," let’s talk about the tools you’ll need to make this whole thing happen. Consider this your survival kit:

• Voice Memos (iOS) – Because writing stuff down is too slow and my brain moves at breakneck speed.

• ChatGPT (Custom Trained GPTs) – Think of it as your unpaid intern who actually listens. You’ll need the $20 plan for this. Sorry, dreams aren’t free.

• Google Docs – Where all my chaotic thoughts live in perpetuity.

• CapCut – Because video editing shouldn't require a PhD.

• The Giant Maker OS – My all-in-one marketing software. Yes, I’m plugging my own company. Wouldn’t you?

• A Blog/Website – Don’t freak out. You don’t need to be a web designer; you just need a place to dump your thoughts professionally.

• A Newsletter – Because social media algorithms will betray you, but an email list is forever.

• Social Media Platforms – X, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn—pick your poison.

Step 1: Training Your AI Sidekick

First things first—if you want to build a personal brand, you need an assistant who actually gets you. Not just someone who nods and says "great idea," but an AI that understands your quirks, your ideas, and the weird stuff that makes you, you.

I use OpenAI's ChatGPT, specifically the custom GPT assistant you can create yourself. You’ll need the $20 a month plan, but it’s worth it. Once you've got all your ideas dumped into Google Docs, the next step is simple: upload them as .txt files into your custom GPT. This gives it everything it needs to generate content in your voice—your actual voice, not some weird AI corporate jargon nonsense.

The Five Buckets of Business Framework (aka How to Avoid Making Random Noise Online)

Before you go feeding AI random thoughts at 3 AM, you need structure. Enter my Five Buckets of Business Framework—a simple way to stay focused and avoid becoming just another person shouting into the void:

1. Problem Bucket: What are you solving? If your content doesn’t address a problem, it’s just noise.

2. Solution Bucket: How are you solving it? Your content is your first "product"—start there.

3. Audience Bucket: Who are you talking to? Be specific, because “everyone” isn’t a target audience.

4. Brand Bucket: What makes you different? If you don’t know, no one else will either.

5. Distribution Bucket: How will you get it out there? Posting and hoping isn’t a strategy—get tactical.

Once you’ve defined these buckets, boil everything down to this statement:

"I help [WHO] get [WHAT THEY WANT] without [THE BAD STUFF] through [MY UNIQUE WAY]."

It’s deceptively simple, and trust me, you’ll rewrite it about 17 times before it feels right—but it’s crucial.

Step 2: Voice Memos—Your Shortcut to Capturing Ideas Before They Escape

I have thousands of voice memos—no exaggeration. I record my thoughts constantly: while driving, waiting in line, pacing around the house like a madman. It’s been my habit for years, but if you’re just starting out, here’s how you can do it without losing your mind:

Set aside a weekend, grab your phone, and talk through these key areas:

• The Five Buckets: Work through your problem, solution, audience, brand, and distribution.

• Your Core Philosophies: What do you believe in, and why? Stuff that guides your decisions and opinions.

• Pop Culture Stuff You Love: The movies, shows, music, and random influences that shape your personality.

• Your Backstory: How you got here—the good, the bad, and the embarrassing moments that shaped you.

• Random Thoughts: Yes, even the weird ones. Some of your best content will come from rants and side tangents.

Here’s the workflow:

1. Talk it out. Just hit record and start speaking—no filter, no judgment. This isn’t a TED Talk, it's a brain dump.

2. Transcribe it. Use AI (ChatGPT, Otter, whatever works) to convert your ramblings into text.

3. Refine it with AI. Once transcribed, feed the text into AI and ask it to clean up your thoughts, connect dots, and make sense of the madness. Think of it as your personal content therapist.

4. Sort it. Take the AI-refined version and dump it into Google Docs. Start categorizing by themes, topics, and potential content pillars.

5. Upload it. Once it's organized and makes some kind of sense, export it as .txt files and feed it into your custom GPT assistant so it knows your voice inside and out.

6. Refine (again). Read through it, cringe, revise, and polish it until it feels authentically you.

This process is messy, uncomfortable, and probably a little embarrassing, but trust me—it’s the closest you’ll get to cloning your brain and turning it into content gold. 

Once you’ve brain-dumped everything and trained your AI assistant, it's time for the next step: The Binge Bank Strategy—where the real magic happens.

Step 3: The 90-Day Binge Bank Strategy (How I Stop Procrastinating and Finally Get Stuff Done)

Alright, here’s the deal—you’re not just making content for today; you’re building a content reservoir so that when people finally stumble across you, they don’t just consume one piece and leave. Instead, they’ll binge your content like it’s their new favorite guilty pleasure. The goal here is to have enough high-value content stacked and ready so you can focus on growing your audience, not scrambling to create something new every day.

Think of this phase as setting up your content foundation. You’re building a library of ideas and resources that showcase your expertise and personality in a way that feels binge-worthy.

What You Need to Build Your Binge Bank

Before we dive into the process, here’s what you’ll need in place:

• A Simple Blog/Website: This is your content HQ—no need for anything fancy; it just needs to house your blog posts and videos.

• A Newsletter Sign-Up Form: Because social media followers are cool, but an email list is where the real connection happens.

• 90 Short-Form Content Ideas: These are tweet-style ideas that will serve as the seeds for your larger content pieces.

The Execution Plan (90 Days of Controlled Chaos)

1. Generate 90 Short-Form Ideas Using AI

   • Use your trained GPT assistant to come up with tweet-sized ideas based on your philosophies and content pillars.

   • Keep it fresh—think quick insights, bold statements, or thought-provoking takes that make people stop and think.

2. Expand Two of Those Ideas Per Week into Blog Posts

   • Flesh out each short-form idea into a full blog post by adding personal experiences, examples, and valuable insights.

   • The goal isn’t length; it’s clarity—deliver value in a digestible format.

3. Turn Those Blog Posts into YouTube Videos

   • Record yourself expanding on the blog topic in a 5–20 minute video.

   • Use the blog post as your guide—no need to script every word, just share your thoughts naturally.

4. Link the Blog and Video Together

   • Each blog should have the video embedded, and each video should reference the blog.

   • This creates a natural loop that keeps people engaged longer.

5. Rinse and Repeat for 12 Weeks

   • By the end of the 90 days, you'll have:

     • 24 blog posts.

     • 24 YouTube videos.

     • A binge bank of content that positions you as an authority in your space.

Why This Works (And Why It’s Worth the Effort)

Having a binge bank means that when someone finds you, they don’t just get a single post—they get an entire ecosystem of content that keeps them hooked. It builds trust, authority, and—most importantly—it makes people feel like they knowyou.

And here’s the kicker: Once your binge bank is built, it becomes your content ATM. You can withdraw content from it in different forms—short clips, quotes, tweets, you name it.

This brings us to the next step—once you have the binge bank, you need to start sharing it strategically.

Step 4: Sharing It Without Losing Your Mind

Now that you've built your content fortress, it’s time to get it out into the world. But here’s the thing—posting every day manually is a one-way ticket to burnout.

Instead of running yourself ragged trying to be everywhere at once, we’re going to start thinking about how and where to share your content strategically.

We’ll begin by breaking down distribution channels, and later, we’ll explore how automation can take the load off your shoulders. But for now, the focus is on laying out a solid, repeatable process.

Step 5: Short-Form Content (aka Snackable Bits of Genius)

Now that your binge bank is stocked, it’s time to shift gears and get discovered. This phase is all about taking your long-form content and repurposing it into short, attention-grabbing pieces that pull people in and lead them back to your core content.

Clipping Long-Form Videos

Start by mining your existing YouTube videos for gold. Clip out the best 30- to 60-second moments—those insightful mic drops, relatable stories, or hard-hitting truths. These clips will fuel your presence on:

• Instagram Reels

• TikTok

• YouTube Shorts

• Facebook Reels

Think of these as trailers for your full content, leading people straight back to your blog or YouTube channel.

Creating Original Short-Form Content

Beyond clips, you’ll create fresh, vertical video content based on structured segments—reliable formats your audience will recognize and engage with.

Your Content Segments (Like Late-Night Show Bits):

1. Q&A: Answer common questions in your niche with your unique take.

2. Micro-Lessons: Quick, actionable tips that provide instant value.

3. Storytime: Share relatable personal anecdotes and experiences.

4. Self-Deprecation: Poke fun at yourself—because nobody likes a perfect influencer.

Automating Your Distribution

Creating content is one thing—getting it out there consistently is another. This is where automation saves the day, and your secret weapon is The Giant Maker OS.

1. Social Media Scheduler:

   • Plan and schedule your short-form content across platforms in advance.

   • No more scrambling to post daily—just batch, upload, and let it roll out on autopilot.

2. Content Cues:

   • Organize your short-form content into categorized buckets (e.g., tips, behind-the-scenes, Q&A).

   • The system will intelligently pull and repost content based on your schedule and audience behavior.

By leveraging automation, you keep showing up without burning out.

The Hub-and-Spoke Model

Your short-form content should always drive traffic back to your long-form content. Think of it like spokes leading to the central hub:

• A TikTok video teasing a blog post.

• An Instagram Reel pointing to your YouTube channel.

• A Twitter thread leading to your email list.

Always link back. Use captions, pinned comments, and bio links to guide viewers to the full experience.

Step 6: Build an Email List or Die Trying

Social media is great, but email is where the money is. Here’s the strategy:

1. Collect emails via blog articles, YouTube videos, and social media.

2. Start with one email per month (don’t overthink it).

3. Send out a simple recap with links to your best content.

Final Thoughts: Stop Overthinking and Just Start

Perfection is overrated. If you keep waiting for the “right time” to start building your brand, you’ll be waiting forever.

Start today, get messy, and figure it out along the way. If I can do it with my chaotic brain, so can you.

Let’s connect—subscribe to my newsletter and join me in this wild ride of content creation.