
There’s a common school of thought out there when it comes to dealing with social media for business: focus on promoting your company’s brand, and promote the hell out of it. But did you know that there’s a hidden gem out there that you should be taking advantage of to grow your corporate audience? That’s right – if you’re not leveraging your personal brand in conjunction with your company brand, you’re missing out.
If you’re thinking that it’s crazy (or even a little conceited) to develop and promote your own personal brand, just hear me out: there are a number of benefits that come with successful use of your personal brand. Your personal brand will:
Now that you know the benefits, let’s backtrack and define what a personal brand actually is, and how to go about leveraging it. Quite simply, your personal brand is a representation of the type of professional that you want others to see you as, particularly online.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Okay, so it’s all about who I am as a professional. I’m a senior consultant at XYZ Consulting Firm. That was easy.” Not so fast… Your professional representation should expand beyond your basic job title. If you’re a consultant, what particular industries or product types are you interested in? What are the nuances of consulting that you feel especially passionate about? A more complete way to sum up your personal brand might be something along the lines of “I’m an eager consultant specializing in consumer health and beauty products, with a specific interest in the innovative process behind new product concepts.”
Once you’ve identified the specifics of your personal brand, it’s critical to commit to your brand. Strive to become an industry leader; someone who is an expert in your specific interests. Let your interests serve as inspiration for the topics that you blog about and the content that you create. Additionally, use those interests to drive the type of third-party content that you share on social media. Start familiarizing yourself with industry websites that produce high-quality content and scan them each day for articles and resources that relate to your professional interests that you can share on social media.
With a seemingly unending list of social networks out there, it can be a little intimidating to think about managing and promoting your personal brand across social media. But as the old saying goes, less is more; don’t feel like you have to be everywhere. Consider the following:
Taking these few steps to build and leverage your personal brand can have a significant impact on your corporate audience. Make it a priority to commit to your brand and don't miss out on the excellent opportunity!
Topics: Business Branding, Social Media