SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PERSONAL BRANDING EFA Ohio 10/15/09 Marketing your freelance editorial business – and yourself – via the social Web

What is personal branding? Why is it important? Personal branding 2.0 A few horror stories Unanswerable questions Key takeaways Today’s discussion

What is personal branding?

Why is it important?

Personal branding 2.0

A few horror stories

Unanswerable questions

Key takeaways

Tom Peters invented personal branding in a 1997 Fast Company article: “ 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 CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” The brand called You

Tom Peters invented personal branding in a 1997 Fast Company article:

“ 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 CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

What will differentiate you? Think about: Three things you are good at Three things you are known for Three things you are passionate about Three things other people think you’re good at Finding your niche

What will differentiate you?

Think about:

Three things you are good at

Three things you are known for

Three things you are passionate about

Three things other people think you’re good at

An interconnected online footprint of relevant: Content Photos Video Audio found by Googling your name Personal brand 2.0

An interconnected online footprint of relevant:

Content

Photos

Video

Audio

found by Googling your name

Google results present your personal brand – the good, the bad and the ugly You can either accept and manage that or ignore it… Google is your home page

Google results present your personal brand – the good, the bad and the ugly

You can either accept and manage that or ignore it…

But you WILL be Googled!

“ If you don’t brand yourself, Google will brand you.” ~Sherry Beck Paprocki, author The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Branding Yourself

“ If you don’t brand yourself, Google will brand you.”

“Everything you do now ends up in your permanent record. The best plan is to overload Google with a long tail of good stuff and to always act as if you’re on Candid Camera, because you are.” Seth Godin, master marketer:

“Everything you do now ends up in your permanent record. The best plan is to overload Google with a long tail of good stuff and to always act as if you’re on Candid Camera, because you are.”

What’s worse than negative search results on Google? No results at all “Not being online today is akin to not existing.” ~Alena Tugend, NYT

No results at all

“Not being online today is akin to not existing.” ~Alena Tugend, NYT

The good news? Google wants to help you manage your personal brand Google profiles launched this month at http://www.google.com/profiles Google profile results have begun to show up at the bottom of U.S. name-query search pages Over time, as people begin to fill them out, profiles will become the top result for your name

Google wants to help you manage your personal brand

Google profiles launched this month at http://www.google.com/profiles

Google profile results have begun to show up at the bottom of U.S. name-query search pages

Over time, as people begin to fill them out, profiles will become the top result for your name

Sample Google profile

More good news! Google loves social media Blogs Social networks Any other sites with tons of inbound links (e.g., traditional media sites) Content on social sites rises to the top of Google This all happens pretty fast

Google loves social media

Blogs

Social networks

Any other sites with tons of inbound links (e.g., traditional media sites)

Content on social sites rises to the top of Google

This all happens pretty fast

Painful case study

Ouch. One night of celebrating and debauchery at an industry awards show… …now lives forever as the #2 search result when you Google “Akron ADDY award”

One night of celebrating and debauchery at an industry awards show…

…now lives forever as the #2 search result when you Google “Akron ADDY award”

Drunken foolish antics live forever online More painful case studies

Drunken foolish antics live forever online

More positive social media activity Your prescription?

More positive social media activity

Social media strategy Ensure a consistent, positive image on: Blogs Discussion boards and forums Social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace) Microblogging/lifestreams (Twitter, Friendfeed) Photo sharing (Flickr) Video sharing sites (Youtube, Viddler) Social search/sharing & tagging sites (Delicious, Digg)

Ensure a consistent, positive image on:

Blogs

Discussion boards and forums

Social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace)

Microblogging/lifestreams (Twitter, Friendfeed)

Photo sharing (Flickr)

Video sharing sites (Youtube, Viddler)

Social search/sharing & tagging sites (Delicious, Digg)

Some ideas Start a blog Serves as a home base for all social media activity Facilitates two-way conversation Powerful SEO tool Showcases your niche and differentiates you from everyone else Gives voice to your personal brand Lends credibility and authority to your job search, career or hobbies

Start a blog

Serves as a home base for all social media activity

Facilitates two-way conversation

Powerful SEO tool

Showcases your niche and differentiates you from everyone else

Gives voice to your personal brand

Lends credibility and authority to your job search, career or hobbies

Blogging 101 How do I start a blog? Free tools like Wordpress or Blogger Write at least weekly Represent your personal brand well; be unique but authentic Be consistent, clear and concise Build community Comment on other blogs Share links Incorporate blog into other social networks

How do I start a blog?

Free tools like Wordpress or Blogger

Write at least weekly

Represent your personal brand well; be unique but authentic

Be consistent, clear and concise

Build community

Comment on other blogs

Share links

Incorporate blog into other social networks

Social networks Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Youtube Delicious Majelly Speakersite

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Flickr

Youtube

Delicious

Majelly

Speakersite

Social networking 101 Maximize your profile Share meaningful content Think 70/20/10 Add relevant contacts/followers Explore the search function See what else is there

Maximize your profile

Share meaningful content

Think 70/20/10

Add relevant contacts/followers

Explore the search function

See what else is there

Facebook tips Check your privacy settings Open up or lock down all or part of your profile Control your Wall content Turn tagging settings off for both photos and pictures You wouldn’t want your friends tagging you in a picture of you doing something stupid, would you?

Check your privacy settings

Open up or lock down all or part of your profile

Control your Wall content

Turn tagging settings off for both photos and pictures

You wouldn’t want your friends tagging you in a picture of you doing something stupid, would you?

Create and share useful content Answer questions, offer advice Provide tips and info Showcase your expertise to gain credibility Be a good Netizen – respond to broader queries Add value to get and keep followers Be human, memorable and likeable Follow 70/20/10 rule Build relationships on and off-line Contribute to the community

Create and share useful content

Answer questions, offer advice

Provide tips and info

Showcase your expertise to gain credibility

Be a good Netizen – respond to broader queries

Add value to get and keep followers

Be human, memorable and likeable

Follow 70/20/10 rule

Build relationships on and off-line

Can you manage multiple identities online: Business Personal life Family Church, hobbies, etc? Maybe – but it’s difficult and messy One identity to rule them all

Can you manage multiple identities online:

Business

Personal life

Family

Church, hobbies, etc?

Maybe – but it’s difficult and messy

Some companies don’t like employees to have strong personal brands “ The David Armano/Critical Mass situation definitely shows us the danger of companies investing in personal brands. David has clearly benefited from Critical Mass’ direct investment into his brand, and I’m sure on some level so has Critical Mass. How much we’ll never know. What we do know for sure is that Critical Mass invested a lot and now 2 years later they have a massive hole to fill." (Adam Kmiec, Kmiec Ramblings) Is there a down side to all this?

Some companies don’t like employees to have strong personal brands

“ The David Armano/Critical Mass situation definitely shows us the danger of companies investing in personal brands. David has clearly benefited from Critical Mass’ direct investment into his brand, and I’m sure on some level so has Critical Mass. How much we’ll never know. What we do know for sure is that Critical Mass invested a lot and now 2 years later they have a massive hole to fill." (Adam Kmiec, Kmiec Ramblings)

GETTING STARTED

Social media monitoring www.Whostalkin.com for just about everything www.Socialmention.com for just about everything www.Summize.com for Twitter Check your name availability http://namechk.com/ www.CheckUserNames.com Personal branding resources http://delicious.com/LaraK/personalbrand Useful tools

Social media monitoring

www.Whostalkin.com for just about everything

www.Socialmention.com for just about everything

www.Summize.com for Twitter

Check your name availability

http://namechk.com/

www.CheckUserNames.com

Personal branding resources

http://delicious.com/LaraK/personalbrand

Dan Schwebel, Gen Y personal branding expert and author How to build a powerful brand to achieve career success Discover your brand Create your brand Communicate your brand Maintain your brand Personalbrandingbook.com New book: Me 2.0

Dan Schwebel, Gen Y personal branding expert and author

How to build a powerful brand to achieve career success

Discover your brand

Create your brand

Communicate your brand

Maintain your brand

Personalbrandingbook.com

Online reputation management How are you connecting? How much is too much? Define role and value of social media for you personally Know that what you say online to one person, one time … you’re saying to everyone, all the time Social media can get you hired – but it can also get you fired!

How are you connecting?

How much is too much?

Define role and value of social media for you personally

Know that what you say online to one person, one time … you’re saying to everyone, all the time

Social media can get you hired – but it can also get you fired!

Create your Google profile and set up Google alerts for your name Start a Twitter account (think: 70/20/10); follow people in the Columbus area and your industry/field Build a robust profile on LinkedIn. Answer questions and ask for recommendations to boost your credibility Join Facebook or overhaul your existing account to ensure it enhances your personal brand Open a Flickr account and upload photos Create a Delicious page to share links and resources Key takeaways

Create your Google profile and set up Google alerts for your name

Start a Twitter account (think: 70/20/10); follow people in the Columbus area and your industry/field

Build a robust profile on LinkedIn. Answer questions and ask for recommendations to boost your credibility

Join Facebook or overhaul your existing account to ensure it enhances your personal brand

Open a Flickr account and upload photos

Create a Delicious page to share links and resources

QUESTIONS?

CONNECT Lara Kretler @LaraK on Twitter [email_address] 614-383-1618 or 937-271-9151 www.fahlgrenmortine.com www.larakretler.com