I’ve been having numerous conversations with people on the topic of personal brand development — there is a general acceptance of the increasing importance of this concept, which is described wonderfully by Tom Peters:
“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.”
So where to start?
There are a wealth of “personal brand development” websites and articles, and I provide a few links to those I personally found useful further below. But how about this for a starting point: what do you want people to see when they Google you?
More than ever before, we have at our finger tips an unprecedented amount of tools for helping to shape our digital profile.
#1) LinkedIn: This professional networking tool has become standard operating procedure for business pros across all industries – it’s the replacement to the business card. Meet someone interesting at that conference last week? Make sure to send a personalized follow-up note (avoid using the canned, default text) with your LinkedIn request. I can’t stress the importance of developing one’s network early in your career – you don’t want to find yourself in a position where you regret not having a supportive network of colleagues and contacts.
Best LinkedIn, how-to article (inspiring!): 10 Ways To Use LinkedIn by Guy Kawasaki
#2) Blogging: There is no better platform for conveying thought leadership. A blog gives every person the opportunity to express their passions, their ideas, their thought process. Sound familiar? In every way, the blog can replace the traditional, paper resume.
During a recent job interview, I was challenged to consider the future of magazines and the publishing industry. I could’ve written an email with some thoughts. Maybe even write something elegant in Word. But I decided to have some fun with it — I prepared a series of slides, hosted them on SlideShare, and embedded them within a post on my blog, and sent the link to the prospective employer. (And yes, I got the job, but even if I didn’t, it would serve as great content and reference for the next opportunity.)
I’m careful to point out here that blogging (for me, anyway) isn’t just about setting oneself up for that next career opportunity, it’s about spreading a message. The magic comes when that messaging resonates with your audience (intended, or otherwise), be it a prospective employer, potential customer, professional colleague or friend.
My preferred blogging platform: WordPress (free hosting option, super easy to use, lots of templates to choose from)
Don’t like to write? Then put that microphone or webcam to good use! You can create your own “channel” on video sharing services like YouTube and Vimeo, and embed audio/video podcasts directly within your blog posts.
#3) Twitter: You could use this to tell people what you had for lunch. Or, you can leverage this hyper-expanding micro-blogging service to further develop your personal brand. Here’s a great example from a friend of mine in the financial services industry:
@nickchen66: US Consumer Confidence was 54.9 this morning. Anything above 50 is considered bullish… that’s why stocks are up huge today.
Thought leadership and a willingness to educate and add value all rolled up in 140 characters or less. Also, don’t forget to tweet your latest blog updates, which provides your Twitter followers with 1-click access to your latest content.
#4) Facebook: Like it or not, Facebook is increasingly becoming a professional networking tool, despite some people’s efforts to keep this an oasis of their private & personal relationships. Despite privacy controls, I treat anything I do on Facebook as publicly available. Better safe than sorry (just ask this once-aspiring NDP candidate from BC).
Consistent across all platforms is the opportunity to engage, respond, teach, and add value. Of course, apply common sense as you navigate these tools. You can always create a checklist for vetting content prior to publishing, perhaps ask yourself questions such as, “Would this content be cool with my current or former employer / client / partner / mother?”
Ultimately, my advice is to simply to dive in and experiment, and learn from your mistakes. Sign-up to a blogging service and try it out. Not ready to announce yourself publicly to the world? Use a pseudonym. Have a portfolio of work? Put it on Flickr. Want to share your latest insights into fashion trends? Create a photo blog.
I’ll close with another great quote from Tom Peters:
“What’s the future of You? It’s over. No more vertical. No more ladder. That’s not the way careers work anymore. Linearity is out. A career is now a checkerboard. Or even a maze. It’s full of moves that go sideways, forward, slide on the diagonal, even go backward when that makes sense. (It often does.) A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.”
Additional recommended reading & sources of inspiration:
Filed under: Marketing , Brand Management, Personal Brand Building, Social Media, Social Networking
The impending extinction of the traditional 1-to-many relationship model between a company and its customers has long been recognized by marketers. ”1 to 1″ relationship marketing has been the natural successor to mass media, as database technology and marketing ingenuity have enabled unprecedented levels of personalization.
Laptops have been outselling desktops 
How far over budget am I this month? 
