The free webinar, “Branding for Journalists: You Being You… Online,” was held March 5, 2013. You’ve heard about journalists and personal branding for a few years now. And if you’re like most journalists, you thought: Oh, that’s just a buzz phrase. Isn’t branding just marketing? Isn’t branding just selling out? Or, but my work should stand for itself. Some of that is true, but the reality is that you are branding yourself, whether intentionally or not. You are creating your brand. So let’s talk about ways you can grab the wheel and take control of it. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How to identify what your brand is now. Ways other journalists manage their online images. How to get started: Identify your strengths, know your goals. Understanding your personal brand promise. Practical ways to take charge of your image online. YOUR INSTRUCTOR Robin J. Phillips joined the Reynolds Center in 2009, after working as online community manager for azcentral.com, the website of The Arizona Republic in Phoenix. She has also served as deputy business editor at The Republic and Newsday, as well as editor for BusinessWeek Online’s small business channel. Phillips teaches a course on the Business & Future of Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was an adjunct professor of new media at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York and has presented at various journalism organizations on the use of social media as a reporting tool. For more information about free training for business journalists, please visit businessjournalism.org.

1. +
Creating your brand
Robin J. Phillips, Digital Director,
Reynolds Center for Business
Journalism | March 5, 2013

2. +
What you will learn
n How to identify what your brand is now.
n Ways other journalists manage their online images.
n How to get started: Identify your strengths, know your goals.
n Understanding your personal brand promise.
n Practical ways to take charge of your image online.

3. +
Creating your brand
n Do people really talk like that?
n Is this just a buzz phrase?
n Isn’t branding just marketing?
n I am shy.
n Isn’t branding just selling out?
n … and why should you trust me?

4. +
Robin J Phillips | About Me
n @RobinJP | RobinJPhillips.com | Robin.Phillips@asu.edu
n Digital Director, The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism
n Former business editor @ BusinessWeek, Newsday, others
n Co-founder, #wjchat, weekly online web journalism discussion
n Co-founder of Perfect Moment Project
n Journalism professor, Cronkite School, Arizona State University
n Master’s candidate, ASU

5. + Key points about
personal branding
n People have an image of you … whether you like it or not.
n It’s important for you to know who you are.
n Journalists need to take control of their image.
n Your brand can be as simple as You Being You… online.
n Your brand or how you live your life online, good and bad,
stays around a long time.
n … and we’ll look at how some journalists handle their online
image.

6. +
Why branding now?
n Historically, journalists’ reputation were closely aligned with
that of their employers.
n The promotion of our work was left up to our news
It’s not selling out
organizations’ marketing departments as part of the overall
branding strategy.
n In large part, reporters were comfortable letting the work
speak for itself.

7. +
Why branding now?
n Historically, journalists’ reputation were closely aligned with
that of their employers.
n The promotion of our work was left up to our news
It’s not selling out
organizations’ marketing departments as part of the overall
branding strategy.
n
That’s all changed.
In large part, reporters were comfortable letting the work
speak for itself.

8. +
So what is branding?

9. +
Differentiate yourself
Commodity
Brand

10. +
Personal brand = relationship
Personal brand is a collection of
perceptions someone else has which
describes the experience of having a
relationship with you.
If you are not branding yourself, you can
be sure others are doing it for you. You
might as well grab hold of the wheel and
drive.

11. +
Your brand
1) If I brought up your name with people who are
familiar with you and your work, what would be
the first things likely to pop into their heads?
2) If someone at work suggested including you on a
project, what would come to mind for them?
That is your brand

12. + Not just about being Googleable
.. but that’s
some of it.

13. +
First things first

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To thine own self…
n Branding is knowing yourself.
n Know your talents and skills.
n Know your goals.
n And knowing this is all flexible.
n Once you know yourself, you can define your brand.
… please be true!

15. +
Ask your
friends, mentors,
even strangers.

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20. +
Similar, but different
(just add ‘er’)

21. +
Smartypants

22. +
Private

23. + Personal and professional

24. +

25. +
Once more let’s ask…

26. +
What is your brand promise?
n If you …
n Hire me
n Read my story
n Watch my newscast
n Buy my photos
n Follow me on Twitter
n You will get …
n Xxxx

27. +
Not a TASK promise

28. +
Brand promise
n What you stand for
n What you offer
n What people should expect from you

29. To be genuine, fun,
+
Brand contemporary, and
different in everything we
promise do at a reasonable price.
To be the premier sports and
entertainment brand that
brings people together,
connecting them socially and
emotionally like no other.
To inspire moments of
optimism and uplift.

30. +
What is your brand promise?
n If you …
n Hire me
n Read my story
n Watch my newscast
n Buy my photos
n Follow me on Twitter
n You will get …
n Xxxx

31. +
So, please, repeat after me:

32. +
So, please, repeat after me:
I promise, today after
work, to write a
brand promise that
expresses:

33. +
So, please, repeat after me:
I promise, today after
work, to write a
brand promise that
expresses:
n What I stand for.

34. +
So, please, repeat after me:
I promise, today after
work, to write a brand
promise that
expresses:
n What I stand for.
n What I offer.

35. +
So, please, repeat after me:
I promise, today after
work, to write a brand
promise that expresses:
n What I stand for.
n What I offer.
n What people can expect
from me.

36. +
So, please, repeat after me:
I promise, today after
work, to write a brand
promise that expresses:
n What I stand for.
n What I offer.
n What people can expect
from me.
n What differentiates me
from others.

37. +
So, please, repeat after me:
“I am not Coca Cola.
I am a passionate
journalist with a
story to tell.
And I begin with my
own story.”

38. +
Now let’s get started
n Create a website – simple WordPress is just fine
n Begin blogging
n Take a daily photo, film a daily video
n Subscribe to blogs, comment when you have something
to say
n Use your name or a consistent username
n Blog responsibly – write, edit, publish, shoot photos
n BUY YOUR DOMAIN NAME … today!

39. +
Do you own your URL? Username?
n Use your name
n Everything should be your name
n If you can’t get your name, use a derivative of your name

40. +
Landgrab!

41. +
Buy your domain name
W!
Register NO
12.
For about $
me.
O wn YOUR na

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How others do it

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47. +
Brand-a-palooza

48. +
5 rules
n Be diligent
n Be consistent
n Be relevant …. OK, 8 rules
n Be interesting
n Be simple
n Be yourself
n Be unique
n Be focused

49. +
… back to first things first

50. +
… back to first things first
Please stick around and take our evaluation