The Digital Leaders: Cam Jones, Founder + Director @ Spark Futbol

From the first moment you meet Cam Jones, you can’t escape his passion and energy. It’s infectious and uplifting – he’s a man on a mission. But what makes Cam such a rare leader is how this passion is magnified through his digital brand. His consistency, on and offline.

I’ve known Cam – now Founder + Director @ Spark Futbol – for a long time, as a close friend and business mentor, so I understand his circumstances better than most. Given his business journey to date – a genuine David and Goliath story – I’ve often wondered how and why he commits so much time and effort to curating a purposeful digital brand.

Cam was kind enough to share his wisdom in our recent Q&A – his experience is a timely reminder that any leader’s digital brand is their most valuable – and enduring – asset.

Follow or connect with Cam on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.

In my opinion, leaders need to be on social media because…

From a “platform” perspective – social media is everything.  A leader, by definition, needs a platform. Not to “beat their own drum” but to evangelise their message. A true leader is simply the mouthpiece to a bigger cause and a greater purpose.

Social media is what traditional media used to be. Previously exposure was limited to a few. Now we literally have our own media company in our pocket. And we MUST capitalise on it. Again, not for ourselves, but for the people we lead and the work we are invested into.

When it came to my own digital brand, the turning point for me was…

The realisation that my digital brand is the one and only IP, asset etc. I actually truly “own” as a business owner and entrepreneur. It’s the one thing in business that is ‘recession proof’. Many external factors can influence and impact our journey or success in business but no one can take “us”. No one can be me. No one can be you. So it reasons to suggest that my digital brand is therefore something I should invest into. For if, rather when, I eventually move on from a company, a business, a brand, ‘I’ will still remain. And how and what that looks like, who sees it, what impact it has, is mine to invest into, curate, and own.

My biggest barrier up to that point was… 

A lack of understanding around the importance of my digital brand and my personal profile in general. I always struggled with the concept of putting myself front and centre. It seemed egotistical or even arrogant. I realised the purpose wasn’t to put the spotlight on me. But rather on my mission and the people we serve through it.

I now see the audience and network I have across social media as a currency of value in itself and therefore one worth investing into. The more that network grows, the more engaged they become with my message, the more impact we can have, and ultimately – at a pure business level – the more growth we will see in the product and services we provide. As the saying goes, “all roads lead to Rome”. For me, a strong digital brand absolutely proves that to be the case.

I’m currently using social media to… 

Try make a difference in the world – in my own small way! It became abundantly clear that I needed to use my own digital brand to get my message out there and connect with like-minded people – be it customers, partners, or people.

That can take various different forms but whatever it is, there’s a purpose behind it. It might involve posting:

• instructional videos on Instagram to inspire and encourage young players in their own training (something that is especially important during things like COVID lockdowns!);
• similar videos targeted toward parents on Facebook; 
• professional educational videos around our business, methodology, curriculum and approach on LinkedIn. 

I work this into my day by… 

I actually really enjoy curating content and seeing what traction we can get. But as I strived for that perfect piece of content, I soon found this to be a double edged sword. What I came to understand however (from my business advisors at Dent Global) was that “prolific beats perfect”. Even the best pieces of content don’t (1) change your life! Or (2) last very long. 

So I started to shift my perspective to getting more relevant content out as easily as possible while still remembering there needs to be a purpose and it needs to add value to the consumer. I didn’t need to labour it and as a result, I started trying more things. Finding what worked, what didn’t work. Studying the flows and changes to algorithms. I started to enjoy the process and challenge behind creating or curating meaningful content.

Once I had this mindset, it became easier to work this into my day to day. I now keep a backlog of content on my phone I can drop at any point, looking for creative ways of seeding the post into a relevant topical conversation of the day. I find this helps me to work quickly and efficiently.

I then look to engage with others’ content (it can’t be a one way street in my view). This not only allows me to tap into their network but also helps me learn by seeing what others are doing.

The major benefits I’ve seen to date are…

Greater engagement, bigger network, more impact! Not to mention future-proofing me and my business (or future business/s) for whatever lies ahead. The other major benefit is the skillset learnt. Social media is an art not easily mastered. But through regular activity and engagement, one can learn and grow an invaluable skillset in this area.

My advice for other leaders wanting to build their own digital brand is…

Know who you are and what you’re up to first. Know the best 3-4 platforms (max in my opinion) to best get your message out there. Then be proactive and ready to seize the moment to engage with your network. 

Don’t hesitate. Just start! Recognise the value and start trying things.

Lean on experts to advise and guide you to cut through the clutter. And treat it like you would your P&L. It’s that important in my view – in fact more!

One opportunity or success social media has provided that I couldn’t have accessed otherwise is… 

My entire business! Spark Futbol was launched, grown, and built on a social footprint. One that started with me and my own digital brand and profile. That then transferred to the Spark brand. And now, one feeds the other, and vice versa.

A leader who does a great job of managing their digital brand – who motivates and inspires me – is…

Gary Vaynerchuk – as crude and loud he may be to some, he embodies everything that is powerful about social media and a personal digital brand. He clearly knows who he is, his brand tone of voice, his purpose, his mission and guess what, “all roads lead to Rome!”. Gary could sell Vayner Media tomorrow and go and start something just as successful, if not more. Why? Because he took control of his personal brand, and no one or no-thing can take that from him. He is recession proof, COVID proof, and holds mountains of wealth in the currency of social.

If you’re interested in learning more about digital brand for leaders, we encourage you to read “Five reasons executives need to be on social media” or Propel MD, Roger Christie’s “Why leaders should be on social media: a manifesto“.

Alternatively, contact Roger via LinkedIn, email or phone for more information on how you too can build your digital brand.