Almost everyone in the digital age has Googled themselves.
Entering your own name in the popular search engine returns a list of webpages, stories and a slew of other items making up your digital profile.
Today, managing this digital profile is as important as maintaining a current resume.
“Begin by thinking of yourself as a brand,” said Larry Light, CEO of the Stamford, Conn.-based brand consulting company Arcature.
In an article in Inc.com, personal branding guru Dan Schawbel defined the concept: “Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others,” he said.
Light admits this might go against some people’s natural instincts, but considers brand reputation a vital instrument in today’s world.
“Think of what people expect of you,” Light said. “That is your brand. My feeling is you have two choices: Be branded by others or manage your brand.”
Be consistent
The first step in building a strong personal brand is to be consistent.
“Consistency builds confidence, and a brand is a promise of an expectation,” Light said.
He is the author of “Six Rules for Brand Revitalization” and served as chief marketing officer for McDonald’s from 2002 to 2005.
Consistency will lead to credibility, according to Light.
“Credibility is the foundation upon which trust is built,” he said.
This fact is more important now more than ever, Light said, as trust becomes “under attack in every aspect of society.”
“If you are clear about what you want to stand for, people are clear about what they can expect,” he said.
Be genuine
“The key is to be genuine, because when the opportunity arises to meet people in person, they will expect the same person they’ve gotten to know online,” said Dawn Mentzer, professional freelance writer who provides content for businesses and individuals from her practice in Lititz, Lancaster County.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates advertising on the internet and requires ads to tell the truth and not mislead consumers. The same cannot be said about an individual’s presence on the web.
Catfishing, the act of luring a person into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona, spawned a movie, a TV series and a new word entry into the U.S. lexicon.
A good principle to follow when considering personal brand is authenticity.
“Do not try and position yourself as something you are really not,” Light said. “It will feel false because it is false.”
Everyone has a brand
Disregarding any nefarious intent, the experts agree it is important for a person to brand themselves.
“Personal branding via a combination of social media and face-to-face channels gives potential employers and clients a sense of who you are, your work ethic, your professional capabilities and your interpersonal style,” Mentzer said. “As a business owner, it’s not enough to focus on your company’s branding efforts. Ultimately, people do business with people, so it’s critical to make personal branding a priority.”
“You’re in the personal branding business whether you like it or not, because people will brand you,” Light said. “People who know me have an impression of me through personal branding. They know what to expect. I try to deliver on that expectation.”
Brand ambassador
Because of social media, the importance of personal branding has become accelerated. People now can be a company’s or product’s brand ambassador to people they have never met.
“Social media is an accelerator and a magnifier,” said Light, who maintains an account on LinkedIn.
With the growth of the internet, one-to-one communication in the workplace is worldwide. Before social media, if employees had problems with their employers, the thoughts were contained to a few. Now, opinions – both positive and negative – can be expressed to tens, hundreds and even thousands of people with a social-media post.
“Do people have confidence that you will promise what you expect to deliver and deliver what you promise?” Light asked. “Before social media, people would have that debate inside the company walls. Now they put it on the internet.”
Best for brand
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and Tumblr: The list of social networking sites goes on and on. Which platform is the best for an individual’s personal brand?
“Let’s pick Facebook,” Light said. “There are people who love it. There are people who hate it.”
He simply advises to use the best platform to suit an individual’s needs. For people focused on business, he recommends LinkedIn.
“Whether you go on Snapchat, whether you go on Twitter, whether you go on Facebook: they all have certain demands,” Light said.
He urges people to realize there is a difference between familiarity and fame.
“Brand is about what others think of you, not what you think of yourself,” he said.
Social media risky
It important to consider what an individual is posting via updates and comments on personal social media accounts.
“Yes, you have the right to state your own thoughts and opinions on any topic,” Mentzer said. “But realize people might take offense. Being overly political, controversial or disrespectful online puts you at risk of missing out on or losing business.
“The line between your personal brand and your business is forever blurred because of social media.”
Do not be absent, according to the branding professionals.
“There’s no use going on a platform and then ignoring it,” Light said.
He suggests updating social media accounts regularly. Light suggests updating blogs daily. Personal branding is driven by the external market and what people are saying on the internet.
“Don’t be inauthentic,” Light said. “There’s such a temptation to be what you cannot be, and that’s a brand-killer.”
CEO of your brand
There is a difference between personal branding corporate branding.
“There are a lot of principles of corporate branding that are common to personal branding,” Light said. “They share common principles, but are executed differently.”
Basically, the corporation does not speak for itself. Brand management is conducted through a third party.
“With personal branding, the person is the brand manager,” Light said. “The person is the CEO of the brand.”
Promotional item
When it comes to branding in business without the web, one of the most popular tools is the promotional item.
“A lot of people think what we do is just promotional products, but we do much more,” said Rick Mann, president of Lasting Image, a full-service marketing and promotional branding company in Sinking Spring. “There is only so much imprint for a logo or information on a pen. What we do is ask: What would you like that pen to do for you?”
Mann believes people simply look at promotional items as logos, but he believes the message should be greater and create an increased level of exposure for the company. Promotional items should drive emotion to create action.
“Use the budget you have for marketing and pick something to reach your needs,” said Mann. “Have a plan. I can’t stress that enough.”
Contact Michael C. Upton: money@readingeagle.com.
