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So you’re trying to get your personal brand started. The first question you should ask yourself is “why?” My advice is don’t dive in until you have a plan. Strategize. In order to become truly successful in branding yourself, there are many nitty-gritty logistics. Recently, I felt compelled to “brand” myself online since I’m looking to go into digital strategy or PR when I graduate in May. It’s been an interesting road, but I’ve learned a lot. Keep in mind personal branding doesn’t happen overnight, but with dedicated work, you can build a reputable name for yourself in the cyber world. If you’re looking to get serious about personal branding, here are some tips:
1. Have a niche and stick with it. Initially, I think this is something that all personal branders struggle with (I’ll admit, I’m a prime example – but I’m working on it). Know what you’re interested in and use it so that your niche and name eventually go hand in hand. This should be consistent across all mediums that you use to brand yourself. Are you tweeting or blogging about marketing or finance? Don’t stray too far from what your purpose is and you’ll find yourself with more substantial recognition and an intrigued following.
2. Personal branding and personal blogging – there’s a difference. Have a blog under your name? Great, but is it for personal use or more than that? We’ve all seen personal blogs. They’re cute, fun, and feature interesting reads about someone’s day-to-day grind. However, if you want to brand yourself successfully, consider making more of a statement, and mixing your chosen expertise with personal experience. Be an opinion leader, and try not to blog about something personal unless it also coincides with your chosen niche.
3. Stay cohesive. You will want to stay recognizable across all platforms. I’d recommend having no more than two to three profile pictures across all social media mediums – and don’t change your profile picture on these mediums often, if at all. Also, link all of your accounts to each other. Have your Twitter, Linkedin, Brazen Careerist, and any other sites you’re a member of link seamlessly, so those looking you up can jump from site to site effortlessly.
4. Keep it gender neutral. It’s one thing for sites or blogs to cater and market to men and women separately. But if you’re going to brand yourself and use your own name as a domain or otherwise, you should make sure you’re staying gender neutral. In my experience, men can get away with more masculine themes through blogging and Twitter, but the opposite isn’t always true. Girls should stay away from girly designs and pinks and purples, unless your chosen niche is gender-driven.
5. Get active. Follow blogs in your niche, comment, play around with SEO, tweet interesting reads, but be genuine. Don’t comment on a blog unless you feel compelled to respond to the post. Don’t retweet an article unless you’ve read it yourself. Learn to build trust around your personal brand. But also know that your brand isn’t going to grow itself; you’ve got to get out there and make it happen!
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Comments
12.11.09
Great advice, even if you're not using it for personal branding. You could almost call it social media etiquette or best practices. I know there are people who might RT things without reading the post, or even the entire post. You never know what might be in the content that isn't what you expect or is something you don't support if you don't read it. Good post!
12.11.09
I think these are good points to remember, particularly the one about engaging with and reading other people's blogs in your interest area. All are things that can help you build community, and ultimately, build a community that you actually enjoy, think about, and can have meaningful discussions with.
Great tips!
12.11.09
Good advice and well written, but I do think that the advice about holding off until you've solidified your intentions and defined your strategy might lead to inflexibility. In my own case, had I waited until I had a coherent plan written in stone, I'd still be waiting! One of the glories of personal branding is that in many cases, it's evolution can be worthwhile for those observing and I'm finding that the new avenues I find as I go are sometimes the most productive. Thanks for posting!
12.11.09
Thanks, Emily and Beth!
Danielle, your comment is great. I agree completely. I think it depends on what social networking medium you're using. If you're going to tweet, start and make the most of it - no reason to wait! but with a blog, I've learned that trying to drive traffic without having a narrowed focus may deter readers from coming back. Once you have an idea of what you want to do, it's all about faith and knowing it will eventually come to be everything you wanted.
But I love how you use the word evolution - I think that's what it's all about. I'm always looking for new inspiration, how to best type my thoughts, and new blogs to read that satisfy whatever hunger for knowledge I have that day.
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it!
12.11.09
Excellent article, Samantha. I agree that you must have a solid game plan if you want to get the biggest bang for your buck. Personal branding is an important part of overall market strategy. Staying focused on your area of expertise and keeping a solid and regular presence on the social media platforms will build a strong foundation for your brand. Thanks for sharing this!
Carlton
"The Carlton Zone" (my brand!)
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