How to become rich & famous like Ryan Law

In partnership with

How much money do you reckon Ryan Law made this year?

Here’s my guess:

A buttload more than me 🫠 

Because Ryan has spent the last fourteen years saying smart things about content marketing online.

And I’ve spent the last fourteen years:

• Dicking about

• Being unserious

• Staring into the gaping void of the blank page, wracked with imposter syndrome

Luckily, Ryan has shown us all how we can be like him when we grow up in his latest missive for the Ahrefs blog.

Here are the best bits from How to Become a Thought Leader in Just 6 Incredibly Difficult Steps by Ryan Law…

🎯 One sentence summary

Becoming a ✨  thought leader ✨ is easy; you’ve just gotta publish tonnes of content (about the stuff you learn while working on hard things), become known for one thing, piggyback on other people’s credibility, come up with catchy names for your ideas, and repurpose the hell out of your best stuff!

💬 One important quote

“Thought leaders—at least, the ones worth following—are big nerds who can’t help but share the nerdy stuff they’re working on. That provides a clear path for us all to follow: to become a thought leader, you need to spend less time thinking, more time doing.”

🗝️ One key takeaway

I’m just putting the finishing touches on the script of the romantic comedy I’m writing.

It’s called Oh, Well, I Suppose... Love?

And who do you think I want delivering the iconic line:

"I mean, look at us—you're here, I’m here, and, well... blasted feelings are here, too. So, yes. Love. I suppose. Probably." 

Vin freakin’ Diesel? Are you serious?

Hugh Grant was born to play this role.

Because we all know and love him as the charming but bumbling romantic lead.

And that’s been his ticket to fame and erm, gosh, well… fortune.

There are a bunch of SEOs and marketers out there Hugh Granting it, too.

• Ross Simmonds → content distribution

• Masooma Memon → BOFU content

• Lily Ray → algo updates

• Luke Carthy → ecom SEO

• Brie Anderson → analytics

• Britney Muller → AI for marketers

• Joy Hawkins → local SEO

• Brooklin Nash → expert-driven content

Ryan says there are two benefits of being know as an expert in one topic – even when it’s far from the only string in your bow:

1️⃣ “It’s very easy for people to understand my value proposition in a heartbeat: I share ideas about content marketing. If you care about content marketing, I might be worth engaging with.”

2️⃣ “Every single thing I’ve published, recorded, said or done in the past fourteen years has compounded. All of my old ideas, articles, talks, and podcasts are still relevant to people who care about my current ideas. I can call upon a decade of thought, experience, and research every time I want to share something new.”

The biggest shortcut to becoming a ✨ thought leader ✨?

Become “the [insert niche topic here] person” to your target audience. 🎯 

Wanna grow the kind of personal brand that will future-proof your career? Check out Ryan Law’s article How to Become a Thought Leader in Just 6 Incredibly Difficult Steps

A free newsletter with the marketing ideas you need

The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it.

That’s what this newsletter delivers.

The Marketing Millennials is a look inside what’s working right now for other marketers. No theory. No fluff. Just real insights and ideas you can actually use—from marketers who’ve been there, done that, and are sharing the playbook.

Every newsletter is written by Daniel Murray, a marketer obsessed with what goes into great marketing. Expect fresh takes, hot topics, and the kind of stuff you’ll want to steal for your next campaign.

Because marketing shouldn’t feel like guesswork. And you shouldn’t have to dig for the good stuff.

Sign Up Free