HOW TO BE A
(FILL IN THE BLANK)
SUPERSTAR ?
March 10, 2009 | by Brian Ling (DesignSojourn.com)

Or…
Or
How to Build your Personal Brand by
Blogging?

What is a Brand?
“A Brand is a Collection of Perceptions in the
Mind f the Consumer”
Mi d of th C ”

What is a Brand?
A 360 Degree Experience
360
360°

What is a Brand?
“Every Starbucks store is carefully designed to enhance
the quality of everything the customers see, touch, hear,
smell or taste…” Howard Schultz, CEO

Why Brand You?
Why Should You Care?

Why Brand You?
“Welcome to GLOBALITY”
(A hyper competitive environment where we are competing with
h ii i h i ih
everyone from everywhere for everything ~ BCG, 2008)

Why Brand You?
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find
and hire great talent
d hi tt l t

Why Brand You?
We Live in a Democratic Internet Landscape

Why Brand You?
People Now Focus on Quality

Why Brand You?
There Will Always
Be Someone Better
Than You!

Why Brand You?
Good News: Good is Perceived

Why Brand You?
Therefore to differentiate, YOU need to also
be
b a BRAND!

Why Brand You?
So if you were a brand, how would people
experience th i ti with you?
i their time ith ?

Why Brand You?
Think of one Keyword that best describes
You?
Y?

Why Brand You?
Now create your 360˚ Experience!
Clothes
Your Objects
360
360°
Hair Style
Blog Content
Blog Design
Writing Style
Colors

Why a Blog?
You are your Blog, Your Blog is You

Why a Blog?
Just like you, a blog is always in BETA
Source: www.tompeters .com

Why a Blog?
Design Sojourn:
Version 1.0 (Nov 2005)= Blah Blah Blah…
Version 2.0 (2006-7)= Went to the Darkside
Version 3.0 (2007-8)= Came Out (of the Closet)
Version 4.0 (2009)= My Brand
( ) y

Why a Blog?
Your “Physical” Presence on the Internet

Why a Blog?
A blog is your “Home Base”
Home Base

Why a Blog?
A Good Blog Brand is :
Authentic
Meaningful
Relevant
Engaging

Building Brand You
Plan your Strategy
1.
Managed Exposure
2.
Build Relationships
3.
Earn Trust and Gain Credibility
4.
4
Become an Authority
5.

1.
1 Plan Your Strategy
Your Vision and Mission in Life
Why do you Blog?

1.
1 Plan Your Strategy
Find your Niche
Where do you want
to WIN?

1.
1 Plan Your Strategy
Write your Elevator Pitch
“DT is a Multi disciplinary Industrial Design leader that
DT Multi-disciplinary
specializes in strategic design and product realization
programs that drives successful brands and businesses”
businesses

1.
1 Plan Your Strategy
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats

1.
1 Plan Your Strategy
What is your Personal Brand Tag Cloud?
Source: cloud.li

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Choose the Right Domain Name
Design Sojourn.com
D i Sj
TDOET.com

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Consistent Visual Identity – Design Sojourn

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Consistent Visual Identity – Design Sojourn

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Consistent Visual Identity – BL.com

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Consistent Visual Identity - Portfolio

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Consistent Visual Identity – TDOET.com

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Consistent Visual Identity - Twitter

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Map your “Personal Brand Pillars”
DD
Yanko
Design
TDOET.com
TDOET com
Me
(DS.com)
Twitter/
BL.com
Authority
Plurk FB
Relationship
Creditability

2.
2 Managed Exposure
Manage your Exposure to create a “Picture”
of your “V i ” on the Web
f “Voice” th W b

3.
3 Build Relationships
Connect with other People in your Niche
Source: www.freelancewritinggigs.com

4.
4 Earn Trust & Credibility
Give (Comment, Write, Contribute) to Receive

5.
5 Become an Authority
It’s not about getting millions of visitors or followers to
your Blog
Becoming an Authority is about
achieving ownership of your Niche
and its Keywords

5.
5 Become an Authority
Google the Keywords in your Niche

Parting Shots
Don’t be Seduced!
Source: bytelove.com

Parting Shots
Learn the Tools and understand how they work
Source: www.aoddesign.com

Parting Shots
Offline is the new Online

THANK YOU!
Slides on www.designsojourn.com | brian@DesignSojourn.com