In this ever-changing world of social media and digital marketing how anybody calls himself an expert is beyond me. Things are changing too quickly for anybody to be calling themselves an expert. I like to say, ‘someone in the know!’
You have to be dedicated, analytical, read every day have a great track record and discuss the subject day in day out with everyone to even get close to becoming someone who someone else should listen to!
In today’s digital climate, it’s even simpler to connect with others and promote yourselves. But it really is time to wake up! If you are not using these avenues correctly, it could be a complete waste of your time. But first, your brand comes into play! As we talked about in “Making your Brand Personal” this stuff has to be clear and precise before you embark into using Twitter, Facebook, Google etc.
4 billion people use social media every day so if you are building a personal brand there are a few things you should do to make that happen.
Remember: your brand is not your logo, brochure or website. The essence of your personal brand is something else. We talked on Monday about your USP. This is the essence and if you have more than 1 USP, congratulations!
Remember, you came first before your brand. So think about who you are and how you would approach others naturally. What are your interests, dreams, ideas, beliefs, etc? It all helps create an honest brand.
Research, retain and document information that will strengthen and justify your brand. Know who you are up against and eat them up, nicely of course!
Get your tools in place. Logos, Website, backgrounds, so they all tie in together and create a solid and trusting brand for your followers.
If you feel that you can’t juggle all the core social media sites, start with one and see how you go!
Use Hootsuite or Social Oomph to schedule your updates etc. You could spend just a few hours a week doing this for the month!
Don’t be afraid to big up your bad self. But do it in a way that doesn’t put people off! Good example: “ Thanks for @XXXX for awarding us the best XXX for 2012 we really appreciate it!” Bad example: “We are the best XXX of 2012. Read our story here!”
Participate in others conversation and socialize! That is the name of the game! And don’t forget to keep tabs on whom you have relationships with and maintain them! So important to analyse what’s working and what isn’t.
Your voice is your personal brand and will be the best ambassador for your personal brand. You are not selling, you are building! We touched on this in “Building your Brand Online” So develop your pattern of social media language and stick to what works for you.
If you get stuck, ask someone in the know!
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