Brands aren’t just for businesses anymore.
In this day and age, everyone has some sort of social profile or public persona they project into the world. Yes, even if you don’t own a business or aren’t a public figure, that Facebook feed, that LinkedIn profile, those retweets and likes, those Pinterest pins and Instagram posts together compose your digital persona. And as any marketer will tell you, it’s crucial that you are the master and commander of your own story to tell. You don’t need to be an influencer to create and maintain your image; anyone looking to advance in their career professionally or personally can benefit greatly from being intentional with what they are putting out there.
A few tips to get started:
No. 1 Do some self-reflection on the image you want to project.
Who are you? What are you about? What do you want people to know? What do you want to do in life? In my experience, people don’t put much thought into what they post; they like what they like. Even if you’re a dedicated stay-at-home mom thinking I’ll never need a personal brand… you can be intentional with your image too: what if you want to be president of the PTA someday? What life goals have you set for yourself? Now is the time to start crafting that story. And when I say story, I do not mean you should be inauthentic about it. This is about ALIGNING with who you want to be, what you want to do in your life, and having clear intentions in order to attain that.
No. 2 Sync up all your social handles. Buy your name URL too.
As social media platforms become more and more integrated into our daily work and home lives, don’t take for granted the importance of setting yourself up for success in the future with something as simple as having the same social handle on all platforms (and securing it as a URL too). If someone wants to tag you on Instagram but your Facebook handle is something else, it won’t translate. Make it easy for people to find you. Make it easy for people to connect with you. Make it easy for people to remember you. My secret weapon is namechk.com: check usernames and URLs on multiple platforms and extensions in one place. Start with the big ones first: Facebook (for Pages), Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, or others that are relevant to your audience and community. Even if you don’t plan on posting on them anytime soon, reserve them anyway.
No. 3 Do a quick social audit.
Once you get some clarity on how you want to be perceived in the world, you can be more clear in your social profiles and feeds. Post what aligns with your new vision. Delete what doesn’t. Rewrite that profile bio to one that provides a more direct description of your intentions. Update your LinkedIn profile. Perhaps even do an audit of your connections, follows, and followers to become even more specific and aligned.
No. 4 Get personal.
Yes being connected digitally is great, but you have to get out in the real world too. Start saying “no” to opportunities that don’t align with your vision, and “heck yes” to only the ones that do. Be mindful of how you spend your time and who you spend it with. And get back to writing personal notes of gratitude or acknowledgment. What we are missing in this so-called “connected” digital world is the real-life, real-human connections. Notes on personalized stationery still go a long way too. You don’t need a graphic designer to create it for you (although that would be nice, wouldn’t it?) — you can certainly find options on sites like Minted.com or PaperCulture.com.
Starting your personal or professional brand is easier than you think; it just takes a little forethought now. Which honestly, doesn’t that sound better than wasted time and effort that doesn’t serve you in the present or future? Might as well.
Photo by Erika Brechtel
