Personal branding is an important thing to be in control of. It affects everyone from job seekers to seasoned business executives, and is something that everyone should be concerned with in today’s digital world. Think building a personal brand has to be time-consuming and complicated? Not true at all! You can get started building your personal brand with just a few extra minutes per day.
Read on for five easy ways to get started building your personal brand today!
Track your online reputation
Knowing how you’re presented to others is a big part of personal branding. And nowadays, many people form their first impressions of you on the Internet. Using a reputation monitoring tool can help you keep track of what’s being said about you, and in turn, help you craft messages that support your personal branding goals.
Marple is a tool that allows you to input your desired search term (in most cases your name), and receive notifications whenever new results are found about it on Google. That way, you’ll be the first to know. You’ll also be able to help manage these results by marking them positive or negative, and even reporting them if need be.
You can sign up for Marple for free here.
Optimize your social media profiles
Once you learn what’s being said about you online, you’ll be able to start positioning yourself in the way you’d like to be seen. Social media is a huge opportunity that allows you to do just that. And one of the easiest and most low-cost steps to building your social media presence is optimizing your social media profiles.
First, you’ll want to secure your username. In most cases, your first and last name is ideal. If those aren’t available, get creative with initials, your business name, or adding a number or two. You can even use a tool like Namecheckr to see which options are available for you. You’ll then want to create a standard bio or ‘about’ section to use across your profiles which includes industry keywords, key information about what followers can expect from your posts, and links back to your website.
Update your personal website
It’s now become the norm for most people to have their own website. Similar to your social media handles, securing the domain name for your first and last name is a great idea, even if you don’t plan to use it quite yet. And building a site is now easier than ever with tons of DIY solutions available, like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly.
A standard website should have a few things: an about section, your contact information, and some examples of your work. For more information on what to include on your website, check out this article for some easy-to-implement tips.
Connect with thought leaders
Social media is called ‘social’ media for a reason. At the end of the day, it’s all about connecting with people! It breaks down geographic barriers that once limited our networks, and the possibilities today are truly endless.
Do a hashtag search on Twitter or LinkedIn to browse some of the most influential people in your industry, and follow or connect with them as you see fit. Then, and most importantly, be sure to regularly engage with them. Comment on their posts in an authentic, meaningful way, and share their content to your audience when it makes sense. A good hack for remembering to engage with particular accounts is creating a private Twitter list for influencers or thought leaders in your space.
Write an article
Once you have everything set up, it’s time to start sharing content! Sharing other people’s content is a great place to get started, but sharing your own perspective is important, too. Writing an article is a great way to drive traffic back to your own website and get your name out there as a thought leader. And if writing isn’t your thing, consider shooting a YouTube video!
Not sure what to write about? Start by examining trends in your industry, sharing a case study of a project you’ve worked on, or offering up a few tips for people looking to break into your industry.
P.S. If you’re not yet convinced that you need a personal brand, check out this article… some of the stats may surprise you!