personalbrandingtips​

50+ Tips to Brand Yourself Online

 

By: Jacob Share (www.personalbrandingblog.c​om)

 

Once you’ve designed your personal brand and have a personal brand name, use this handy list of suggestions to implement your personal branding strategy.

General purpose​
 

•     Show your expertise as much as possible.

•     Publicize your brand-related successes and achievements.

•     Make yourself easy to contact for thoughts and questions via email, Twitter, Skype, internet messaging, etc.

•     Help other people in your industry such as bloggers, Twitterers, colleagues, advice seekers, etc.

•     Give people a reason to talk about you in a positive way that also matches your brand.

•     Follow other people in your industry and anyone else who can teach you how to spread your message.

•     Create and apply personal design guidelines that will share the values of your brand and are reusable online and offline.

•     Keep in mind that where you interact online also conveys messages about you, and then stick to the websites and communities that will help most in reaching your goals.

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Tactics
 

•     Choose an appropriate avatar.

•     Consider using a personal logo.

•     Join brand-related communities on social media (such as LinkedIn Groups), in discussion forums, newsgroups and mailing lists.

•     Be helpful by sharing links and resources that you know people will enjoy.

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Kinds of websites you could create
 

•     An ‘ask an expert’ website to answer questions about your profession or area of expertise.

•     Discussion forum about your industry that you would moderate and participate in

•     A social media resume

•     A personally-branded version of a free online tool that your audience will find useful.

•     Personal blog

 

Blogging
 

•     Register your own name as a domain name.  If not available, use your personal brand name or some variation that won’t confuse people and will still reinforce your brand.

•     Syndicate your blog in brand-related sites and networks.

•     List your blog in pertinent website, blog and RSS directories.

•     Exchange blogroll placements with industry bloggers.

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Places to put your personal brand information
 

•     Email signature

•     Forum signature

•     Website personal profiles (like Ning’s) that allow you to fill in a short bio and list your website or blog.

•     Software-based personal profiles, like Skype’s.

•     Dedicated video channels for you on sites like YouTube.

•     Launch an online initiative related to your profession.

•     Participate in other online initiatives to get noticed.

•     Put out press releases when you have a newsworthy accomplishment to share.

•     Write op-ed articles for mainstream media.

•     Start a newsletter about your field of expertise.

•     Conduct (free?) webinars about up and coming topics.

•     Create your own products.

•     Grow an affiliate network to promote your products, which means they’re also promoting you.

•     Likewise, promote products that you can recommend honestly and whose buyers will appreciate you bringing it to their attention.

•     Leave insightful comments on related blogs.

•     Have online chats or Q&A sessions about brand-related topics.

•     Guest post on pertinent blogs.

•     Interview industry celebrities, trendsetters and other people of interest.

•     Be one of those people of interest and get interviewed on related topics.

•     Post presentations you’ve given on topic, such as by publishing them on your LinkedIn profile and blog.

•     Write an eBook.

•     Release free reports about latest events in your industry and your predictions for the future.​

•     The name field in blog comments forms should mention your personal brand name.

•     The website field in blog comments forms should point at the website that best brands you, whether your blog, social media resume, LinkedIn profile, or anything else.

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Social media
 

•     Considering the time investment involved, be selective in choosing the right social media for you, and then complete your personal profiles with your branding messages.

•     Use Twitter or other micro-blogging services to network, ask and answer questions, share and learn.

•     Create a social bookmarking account (e.g. on del.icio.us) specifically for articles related to your profession or interest, and then encourage people to help you find related arti cles.

•     Arrange to have bios posted about yourself on Wikipedia, Knol, Squidoo and other user-generated media.

•     Launch a Facebook Page about your industry niche.

•     Tie together everything in a dedicated Friend Feed profile that allows people to follow your online activities from one source.​

Personal brand-reinforcing content
 

•     Produce your own podcasts (audio or video).