Blog for more than one article, and you probably understand that you have a ‘digital image’ to protect. The fact that you are online reading this says you probably have at least one social network account and regular Internet access – making you, for all intents and purposes, a brand. Learn how to develop and protect the most important brand in the world = yourself.

Your Guide to Developing Personal Branding

When I launched this blog in the summer of 2012, I had a goal of establishing a digital version of me: the things I am passionate about, the topics which interest me, and the knowledge I would like to share. The Internet is jam-packed with blogs and bloggers; how will you stand out from this noisy crowd? Of course, you need to identify yourself in a unique way, with personal branding. The following three concepts below have worked well for me.

Develop a Distinct Umbrella/Niche/Specialty

Many would-be influencers make the amateur mistake of trying to do too many things too soon and too quickly. I have found that short-listing up to five key areas which you are genuinely good at helps, and this could be whittled down further later on. It also helps to think in two time frames: short-term (3-6 months) and long-term (3-5 years). Every short-term checkpoint, consider whether you’re increasing your skill set and knowledge base – or not.

Long-term thoughts should cover plans: What will you be blogging about? Where will you be? Can you commit as much as you do now?

Unify Your Social and Digital Presence

It all starts with subtly making your (probably) most common assets – Facebook and Twitter – reflect your messaging and interest. I’ve found that I could use Twitter as a ‘headline’ and Facebook as ‘headline + excerpt’ to lead people back to my blog. This is of course dictated by the unique advantages of each of the two social platforms, respectively. Later on, “peripheral” social network accounts such as Google+, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, and FourSquare can be unified using two simple changes:

• As much as possible, have the same profile picture for all of them, and
• Have the same user name across all your assets

A simple but easily overlooked concept.

Social Listening and Monitoring

Bloggers often forget the basic rule that to be in social media is to be social. It will only hurt you as a digital influencer if you don’t listen and observe players in your industry or interest field. Do a quick Google search for the things you love (see first concept) and read/learn as much as you can. The arrow dynamics of Listen > Respond (to queries and interaction) > Share (own opinions and thoughts) is a must in order to develop your personal brand.

Eventually, an established influencer then reaps the fruits of the ‘reverse arrow’: You may now Share > Respond > and then be Listened to.

Takeaways for Establishing a Personal Brand

1. Have a game plan consisting of short-term monitoring and long-term goal-setting.
2. Have a unified ‘brand personality’, from imagery (profile picture) to brand affinity (user name, ‘flavor’).
3. Have a tortoise ethic; take time to build your AIR: Authority, Influence, Reputation.

Do you already have a personal brand? What other strategies for personal branding have you tried? Share your thoughts in the comments! Like and Tweet this article if you found it useful!

Featured image from the University of Minnesota, retrieved on January 8, 2012.

The 3-Step Guide to Personal Branding on Social Media

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