Happy Monday, readers! What better way to start off your week than reading Part 2 of the Building Your Own Brand blog entry!? Here is the rest of the information that I learned from one of Krista’s many social media training seminars. Be sure to also go back and read over Part 1: Defining Your Brand. Enjoy!
Step 2: Building Your BrandThe key to building your brand is consistency. It is how we build strong impressions; the more consistent you can make your online presence with who you really are, the more likely you are to be successful. This is a fundamental step of brand building because it helps us to develop a clear idea of what something or someone is. What you want to do is to make it as easy as possible to remember you. In order to stay consistent, be sure to:
- Keep the same username, visual appearance, and mission/vision/equity on each social media site that you are visible on.
- Always reserve your username, even if it is on a social network you are not currently a part of… You still may need it someday.
- If it hasn’t already been taken, try to get the .com that is the same as your social media username.
The number one principle to remember when it comes to building your brand is to start showing people and stop telling them. Whatever site you are on, remember to post useful information, be up-to-date on what’s going on in your industry, and keep a blog that discusses thought leadership. Be present on as many different sites as possible that will allow you to share why you are the best of the best. For example, create an account on a site like SlideShare, where you can publish your presentations, and post links to it on your LinkedIn page. The number of things you can do to build your brand is infinite.
When it comes to LinkedIn, remember that your profile must match your equity statements – it’s all about positioning, not lying. Be sure to join and participate in groups; you can post discussion topics, post news, and answer questions. Always update your status, and as mentioned before, use apps to integrate your presence on sites like Slideshare onto your LinkedIn profile.
While LinkedIn is great, a blog is probably the easiest way to get your brand out there. You should be able to write each of your posts in an hour or less, and you can always post info graphics when you’re in a time crunch. Build personality into your blog, it will help you position yourself. It’s literally a home page, that you have control over, that allows people to learn about you
Step 3: Monitor Your Brand
Even after you have your brand set up and well-established, the work is never over. You must always remember to keep an eye on your online presence. One great thing to do is to set up Google Alert, which will send you alerts every time your name is mentioned online. Start with an online presence on one networking site and slowly build it up from there.
Remember…..
A blog really is the best way to start. People aren’t going to investigate your professional and personal background as long as you know what you’re talking about. If you make smart posts and comments on something you are supposed to be an expert in, you can show people you are an authority on that topic without telling them.
So there you have it, no more excuses! Be sure to share your own ideas below on how to keep your brand consistent! Building Your Personal Brand can be done in 3 simple steps (and again, click here to review Part 1), so start building your brand and enjoy the successful results that will come in no time!
Hi Krista,
I am a big fan of you work. Personal branding is such a necessary thing for people to do in this social media driven society. Those that brand themselves are the ones that get he jobs, business and wins.