Personal branding has been around for centuries, the Internet has just made it a more common phenomenon. Online brand management is of vital importance and if done correctly on platforms such as social media and the blogosphere, your personal brand will flourish. Carolyn Holgate, General Manager at MWEB Connect, advises on the following tips in managing and making the most of your brand:
Authenticity is priceless – Sincerity is spotted from afar and will help build your brand in ways that money can’t. Share your experiences, passions and general interests. This reflects who you are and gives you authenticity in the online space. Holgate advises not to be overly opinionated or offensive towards others’ beliefs and thoughts.
Be Bold – To ensure that your presence in the online space is bold, break away from the pack. Don’t be an ambiguous brand by only conversing according to trends – this will make you and your brand irrelevant with no substance.
Be Beautiful – Leaving comments on other users’ content is encouraged, but Holgate stipulates to never leave misleading comments in order to promote your personal brand or your business. It’s also unwise to post repetitive, unhelpful and irrelevant comments on websites, blogs or social media platforms.
Consistency is key – “Once you’ve defined your brand, you need to be the driving force behind it,” says Holgate. Always be consistent in your online presence and personal brand. Stick to what you stand for and be relevant with regards to your shared content. “It is however recommended to balance your personality by keeping the various audiences that follow you interested with a variety of topics or stimulating content whether it’s on Twitter, LinkedIn or your blog.
Privacy policy – Be alert to the changes on social media platforms in terms of privacy changes. In terms of Facebook, keep in mind that all your interests you list on your Facebook profile is made public by default, even to people that are not your friends. Be selective as to what you make public to just anyone, including your friends. Choose your social media platforms wisely and decide what you are going to use each platform for, i.e. Facebook for personal friends, LinkedIn as a professional platform and Twitter to share interests with the world.
Multiplicity – Echo your digital voice by cross-sharing your posts on social media platforms. While being cognitive of how these services work, you can pipe your Twitter updates into LinkedIn or share YouTube videos on your Facebook or Twitter profiles. The most common cross-posting is sharing your Facebook updates to Twitter or vice versa.