Building your individual brand via social branding
Social media has many advantages and one of them is to build your professional brand. Social branding, as I like to call it, is the recognition you as an individual develop through social media. Branding has always been important. People don’t buy a product or service, they buy the brand because of what they believe it will give them – it is aspirational. And the same goes with individuals; clients and customers buy you, not the service or product, in most instances.
Having an individual brand is becoming more important as we live in a competitive and ever-changing world. So it is important to stand out and social media can help you with that. Any social media activity though needs to be aligned with who you are and what you are about.
Take some time out to pause and reflect about where you are now and where you would like to go.
Audit your current profile/s
Assuming you have at least a LinkedIn profile, it is important to do a review and see what your profile says about you. Consider the following questions:
- What do I believe in?
- Do I describe myself to the fullest?
- Do I need a new photo?
- Has my job description change?
Use the answers to these questions to make yourself stand out from the crowd.
Define your purpose
So you have decided that you want to use social media to increase your professional brand, however, what is it that you really want to achieve? It is important to define your reason for being on and for using social media. Don’t just use social platforms because everyone else is. Decide what it is that you want to achieve.
- Do you want to educate?
- Do you have an unique point of view that you want to share?
It doesn’t matter what it is, it just needs to support you and your career.
Enhance your Profiles
LinkedIn, Twitter and blogging are great platforms to use for your professional branding depending what industry you are in and what you do. Make sure all your profiles are consistent in their messages about you.
- Have the same professional photo across all platforms
- Make sure the photo conveys the professional image you want to project
- Is your bio accurate and up to date?
- Are you engaging and being part of the conversation?
Although your experience and expertise are essential, also add information that tells people about who you are as a person. Give it a personal touch to make you stand out.
Everything you post on social media is a reflection of you and it stays online forever. Make sure that it supports you in a positive way.
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