"Success in messaging comes from connecting emotionally with the right people."
Welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview with Rob Swystun, a seasoned professional who has traversed the dynamic landscape of content marketing, thought leadership, and B2B marketing.
With a career spanning nearly a decade, Rob has transitioned from the fast-paced world of newsroom journalism to become a respected authority in the realm of content strategy, ghostwriting, and digital marketing. In this insightful conversation, Rob opens the door to his wealth of experiences and expertise.
Hailing from a background in journalism, Rob’s journey took a remarkable turn when he ventured into freelance writing in 2012. Over the years, he evolved into a content marketing maven, specializing in thought leadership strategies, with a particular focus on B2B marketing, notably within the tech industry. His transition is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of modern communication and marketing techniques.
As we delve into the interview, Rob shares not only his professional insights but also his personal journey, highlighting valuable lessons learned and plans for the future. Join us on this enlightening exploration of the multifaceted world of modern content marketing and discover the keys to thriving in a rapidly changing business landscape.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Rob Swystun: I started freelance writing after leaving newsroom journalism in 2012, and since then I’ve moved into content marketing strategy and ghostwriting, focussed on thought leadership. My interests lie in B2B marketing, especially for tech companies.
What advice do you wish you had received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
Rob Swystun: I wish someone had advised me to reach out for help sooner. A lot of people are willing to share their expertise (sometimes for a price, sometimes for free).
When I started freelancing, I wasn’t sure how to go about it, and I eventually found my way, but I kind of took the long way because I had to learn everything through trial and error rather than getting some guidance right away.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Rob Swystun: This is excellent news for me because all my clients are online. In the next year, I expect the buzz about artificial intelligence to die down to a more normal level (similar to what happened with blockchain) and for businesses to get back to actually wanting to communicate with their clients in a more human way.
I’m going to capitalize on this by reminding clients that it is the human relationships that make a business successful. Regardless of whether you are an online business or not, connecting with people is what counts. Find the people you need to connect with and communicate with them in a way that evokes an emotional reaction and your messaging efforts will likely be successful.
Christopher Hitchens, an American journalist, is quoted as saying that “everyone has a book in them” Have you written a book? If so, please share with us details about it. If you haven’t, what book would you like to write and how would you like it to benefit the readers?
Rob Swystun: I’ve ghostwritten a book about transitioning from being an employee in someone else’s company to starting your own company.
The credited author is a mentor of mine and the writing process with him taught me a lot about entrepreneurialism and what it takes to study a market, spot an opportunity (even if it’s not something you’re especially interested in) and making that opportunity come to fruition.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Rob Swystun: In my experience, communication seems to be the most underestimated part of running a company. As someone who is hired by companies as a contractor, I can tell you that a lot of business people are atrocious communicators.
Rather than taking a few seconds to write a message to keep everyone in the loop about what’s going on, they’ll just leave people hanging without any indication of what is happening with a given process or project.
It’s disappointing to see how poorly a lot of businesses communicate with the people who work with them, who work for them, and even their own clients much of the time. Communication is a skill that you need to practice and perfect like any other skill.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Rob Swystun: This one is easy. If I could pick a business superpower, it would be the ability to zap a message straight into someone’s brain rather than having to go through the process of sending an email and/or trying to hunt them down on LinkedIn to get an answer to a question. I would use it whenever I required information from people.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Rob Swystun for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Rob Swystun or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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