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I've recently been invited to speak to a group about "brand management," but instead of presenting on big companies and recognizable brands like Nike, Target and Apple...it got me thinking about your personal brand. I don't think enough people consider what they're saying and the first impressions they are making online.
I've seen many a Facebook status update and tweet with TMI. By TMI I mean way too much info...too personal, too whiny, too rude - basically grounds for losing a job or a friend. Certainly unbecoming. Unfortunately, the things you do online coupled with how you present yourself "in person" become your personal brand. Everything you put out there: pictures, status updates, tweets, blogs, comments and even other people's comments become part of your personal brand.
You may think that some things are private, but when it comes down to it...is there even a difference between your personal and professional brand? Have you Googled yourself lately to see what comes up? You are a combination of the real you (the person your family, loved ones and close friends know), the professional you (your work ethic, creativity, drive) and the online you (your profiles, social resumes, blog posts, pictures, etc.) - when you put all together is it all adding up to who you really are?
If someone doesn't know you and Googles your name, are you proud of what they find or are you crossing your fingers they're not that savvy and quit searching? At the end of the day, are you making a statement about who you are or misrepresenting yourself? Have you updated or deleted information to clean up your act? How do you feel about your personal brand? Would you invest in you?
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Comments
06.25.10
Having grown up in the days when there was no Internet, I remember when balancing different areas of my life (personal vs. professional) was so much easier. I could keep my work life separate from my home life, but now, I struggle with the fact that online, there are no degrees of separation. If you Google me, you'll find information about my previous jobs along with my social profiles highlighting my personal accomplishments as a songwriter and musician. When combined, these two different worlds can create a confusing personal brand for potential employers and clients to understand. One-size-fits-all sites like Facebook don't make the personal branding process easier when all of your business and personal relationships are funneled into one activity stream. In addition, community and business fan pages almost seem like an afterthought that don't really provide much exposure for companies and brands in general. Don't get me wrong. I love the Internet and social media and social networking sites in particular have re-energized my passion for marketing. But, maybe I'm just old-fashioned. I like my personal space and wish that being "transparent" didn't have to mean disclosing every part of my life, just because someone was able to upload, tag and share it online for the whole world to see.
06.25.10
I get a little anxious when it comes to the increasing popularity of the concept of a 'Personal Brand'. It concerns me because it implies that each of us are commodities to be marketed and sold to others, rather than people. It makes me feel kind of crawly.
If I have my own Personal Brand, then when I make friends, am I reaching out to others, or am I trying to sell my brand? "Why not try some Molly? Now with more caffeine!" "Molly: She's who you're having to dinner."
By our 'Personal Brands' do we really mean our personalities in general and our physical appearances-- the way we present and carry ourselves in work and life? This definition sits a little better with me-- but it also underscores the fact that a brand is a spin; a facade-- an image. It's not the truth of who I am; it's what I want you to see.
I guess I just don't like the idea of thinking of managing my identity the way I think of a corporation managing its public image.
06.25.10
The problem is, if enough OTHER people have a beef against you, THEY can control what comes up in google when your name is googled.
I have yet to create my personal brand as a professional writer and blogger but I will be doing so, and in many ways it will be done to combat this: http://bit.ly/9HorEQ
(BTW, Offensive content warning)
I have been creating YouTube videos for close to four years. Most of them are nothing from a video production standpoint that I would consider valuable or professional. I have a modest following at best. But because a group of five or six people with absolutely no lives, no hobbies and nothing productive to give to society have an issue with me, they've created this, which shows up in the results every time my name is googled.
06.25.10
One of my MBA classmates has experience working at In-N-Out Burger on his resume. After he got accepted by the MBA program, he quit his private equity job to flip burgers because he wanted to learn about the operations experience. He did not want to work for anyone who would not value that experience and decision so he included it as part of his professional brand.
Likewise, I blog anonymously but link it to Facebook and Linked In. I won't make it easy for someone to find with a google search but I am happy to share it for those who are really interested and I have no illusions that it's not part of my professional brand.
Both of us came to these decisions before personal branding became a cottage industry. My challenge to your speech about personal branding is to try and show what is actually new about the concept. When I think of branding, I think of cows, and cows aren't too excited about the whole idea either.
06.28.10
I do a workshop called: "You: The (Online) Brand" about this topic. You can download the entire slideshow, or view it online, here (free): http://michellevillalobos.com/audio_video/you_the_online_brand_slides/
Enjoy!
Best,
Michelle Villalobos
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