Katie Harbath on Uncovering Your Unique Voice - Chief Influencer - Episode # 017
Katie Harbath is the Founder and CEO of AnchorChange, a civic tech strategies firm focused on developing solutions at the intersection of technology, policy, and business, focusing on global issues related to democracy, elections, and civic engagement online. She is also the writer of a popular Substack (AnchorChange), along with her work as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, Senior Advisor for Technology and Democracy at the International Republican Institute, Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and more. Katie joins Host Anthony Shop for an enthralling discussion of what success looks like in today’s changing media landscape, why leaders need to discover their own voice, and the keys to developing an audience online.
Takeaways:
- While many leaders are used to discussing stories and topics from their company’s perspective, they have not put much time into thinking about how to tell their own stories. After leaving Facebook, Katie decided to proactively tell her own story and share her views. Her honesty and openness have been integral to her Substack’s success.
- Leaders should focus on the number of people their message resonates with, instead of impressions, likes or engagement.
- You don’t need to think up outrageous hot takes for your content to be successful. Instead, prioritize creating content that is valuable. Katie gave two examples: 1) Sharing job openings within a specific industry. 2) Curating links to the sources you use to keep up with the latest news in your industry.
- No one does it all by themselves and no one’s life is always perfect, so don’t feed into this cultural facade. Rather, spotlight the people and resources that make your success possible.
- As the social and mass media landscapes continue to fracture, it’s impossible for leaders to effectively share their message everywhere at the same time. Because of this, micro-influencers are becoming an increasingly important part of reaching target audiences wherever they are. For example, TikTok’s popularity has surged immensely, particularly among younger generations, making it a great channel to reach new voters. However, the app is banned on devices of anyone in the federal government. To circumvent this, federal leaders have worked with micro-influencers to create and share content about their message.
Quote of the Show:
- “It's not just a numbers game, it's also a quality game” - Katie Harbath
Links:
- Substack: https://substack.com/@katieharbath
- AnchorChange Website: https://anchorchange.substack.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieharbath/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harbath/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/katieharbath
Shout Outs:
Creators and Guests
Host
Anthony Shop
Anthony Shop believes in the power of people-centered branding and marketing to create a bright future. He chairs the National Digital Roundtable, the premier convener of digital innovators, leaders and policy shapers. Anthony also is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a digital services firm that helps companies and non-profits establish winning strategies with social media, websites, creative, and advertising. An enthusiastic presenter and teacher, he has led executive-level training for Amazon, PepsiCo, NASA, The British Embassy and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He has been recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times, “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal, and Business Leader of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce. A former newspaper reporter, Anthony was the first new media professional elected to the National Press Club’s Board of Governors. He currently serves on the boards of Leadership Greater Washington and LearnServe International. He earned his MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, where he teaches as an adjunct lecturer.
Guest
Katie Harbath
Katie Harbath is the Founder and CEO of AnchorChange, a civic tech strategies firm focused on developing solutions at the intersection of technology, policy, and business, focusing on global issues related to democracy, elections, and civic engagement online. She is also the writer of a popular Substack (AnchorChange), along with her work as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, Senior Advisor for Technology and Democracy at the International Republican Institute, Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and more.
Producer
Robert Krueger
Robert is an Executive Director for The Communications Board, an organization with the mission of providing high-quality professional development for every communicator in every location. He is also the Global Lead for Partnership Communications at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm. Prior to his current role, he performed executive and CEO communications for Gensler, and was the senior director of public relations and social media at the Urban Land Institute. He obtained an MA in Communications and an MA in History from George Mason University. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition, Robert has taught communications at universities including George Mason University, West Virginia University, and the University of Florida. Robert currently serves as Immediate-Past President for the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) -- the nonprofit’s largest chapter.