“If you don't brand yourself, Google will brand you."
–Sherry Beck Paprocki, New York Times, March 27, 2009

October 23, 2009

A successful brand manager will remain flexible in a changing economy and attuned to new social and scientific trends. Writers, for example, can expand their talents into different fields to serve the ever-evolving economy, such as public relations or research for a private investigator.

October 14, 2009

Every target audience has a hierarchy of needs. When presenting your brand, you will want to consider if it is appealing to people in terms of any of their basic or higher needs - such as a need to grow to one's full potential. Take this information into account and work it into your message.

October 7, 2009

Keep it simple! You should be able to express the elevator pitch for your brand in a clear, concise manner - whenever and wherever that may be. Practice will help you focus your message. Many of today's mega-brands started out as experts in one, simple area and expanded from there in time.

September 28, 2009

One way to increase the authenticity of your brand is to create a portfolio of anecdotes. That is, have some stories in mind to tell in casual conversation with colleagues. These fortify your professional reputation and act as a means of connecting with other like-minded individuals.

September 16, 2009

Your personal brand should revolve around authentic interactions with important people in your life. These relationships go to the core of who you are or who you wish to be. Keep in touch with former professors, coaches, or business associates by dropping a card in the mail or sending a quick email to check in with them.

September 9, 2009

Pay very close attention to the details of your marketing collateral, such as postcards or letterhead, and determine what best suits your target audience. Keep in mind that this will vary, depending on who your target audience is. Effective messaging through these channels means you are paying close attention to the verbal and visual elements of your personal brand.

August 31, 2009

Media exposure can be invaluable to obtain visibility for your brand. Mainstream media, such as daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, and trade publications still reach a high number of readers. Getting your name "out there" through one of these channels helps separate you from the crowd and enhance your brand's credibility. Don't underestimate the power of your local newspaper - studies consistently show that the more local the news, the higher the readership.

August 24, 2009

Whether you're an entry level employee, retired, or a stay-at-home mom looking for a creative outlet, think about becoming a regular blogger - on your own webpage. By blogging, writers become their own editor, publisher and boss, allowing them the freedom to express themselves and give others advice without limitations.

August 19, 2009

Technorati, the web-based business that tracks blogging, reported that in the summer of 2008 people were blogging in 81 different languages. It also reported that citizens from 66 countries, on six continents, responded to one of its surveys.

One of the wonders of such a global reach is that nobody really knows how big or small you are, but your brand will certainly be enhanced if you are skilled at doing business abroad and making yourself known.

August 3, 2009

There are several ways to build brand association through goodwill in your community. Volunteering for something you care about and are interested in is a great way to give back - and doing good can also be good for business. Your brand will be connected to another respectable organization. For example, join a civic organization to help with fundraising, get involved in local politics, or support recreation programs. All the while, you'll be networking with others who have a similar passion and building rapport within your community.

July 24, 2009

Social networking hardly existed five years ago, but now it's one of the most prevalent forms of communication for Gen Y. This in mind, college admissions officers and job employers are known to look at websites like Facebook to help them make admission or hiring decisions. One more reason to make sure your page or account is presentable.

July 20, 2009

Forging an emotional bond with your target audience is a key aspect of brand building. It is imperative that you establish this emotional resonance in order to connect with your target audience on a personal level. After examining your own experiences and abilities, you’ll feel more prepared – and comfortable – taking on this challenge.

July 13, 2009

Guerilla marketing tactics can be an extremely useful in your personal brand-building. It’s low cost and you can incorporate a variety of media, from traditional to web-based, to get the word out. A marketing campaign requires a lot of thought and planning before implementation, but the more you know and have researched, the more creative you can be.

July 6, 2009

Blogs are changing the way we do business, get the news, and share information in today’s world. Getting involved in blogging should mean you have pertinent information to convey – that people will want to read.

If you know your areas of expertise, after establishing your branding story, then you have an idea of how to create your blogging niche. Consider how your blog might fit into your personal branding story, who your target audience is, and ways to set yourself apart from the crowd.

June 29, 2009

In order to reach your target audience as you begin building your personal brand, you should be able to recognize opportunities to bring these individuals together in a social setting. Become acquainted with basic hosting rules, such as planning ahead and remembering to introduce quests to one another. You can even show off your social media skills by sending out a Facebook event invitation or an email blast. This kind of networking helps others get to know your brand and can lead to rewarding business relationships in the future.

June 8, 2009

We’re living in an age that is a veritable techno jungle. And, it’s important to your personal brand that you keep current on the latest digital terms and trends.

Do you know the business applications for Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter? Just what is search engine optimization?  (It’s the technical ability to have your website, blog and other online products float to the top of the results of any online search page, such as Google, Yahoo and such.) Today there is a whole new industry that exists simply to get a company or organization to appear at the top of the search engine results.

June 1, 2009

Our advice to college graduates and others who are searching for jobs this summer:

• Emphasize your social networking skills and other unique abilities on your resume and job applications.
• Don’t assume that your interviewers will understand terms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and blog optimization. Be prepared to explain the functional uses of such Web 2.0 tools.
• Suggest ways that you can help the company in today’s digital economy. Are you good at face-to-face communications, when others seemed to have lost those personable skills? Is your spelling impeccable for in-house email messages and other e-communications? Are your fingers nimble and quick when it comes to online research? Have you had classes specific to building online research skills? Can you build a Web site, create a Twitter account, or film a YouTube video that could benefit the company?
• Finally, know that you can win the hearts of many potential employers by simply announcing that you never trust spell-check. (Because too often it can lead you astray.)

May 25, 2009

Your personal brand is about creating an emotional bond with a target audience. You need to think about who you are, the skills that you have and what you want to accomplish. You need to write your own branding story.

Almost everyone should create their own personal brand. In this era of high unemployment, nonstop global communication, and high-speed digital access, your personal branding has already been shaped. Without you.

The opportunity to build your own brand now is unlike any other time in history. It’s all because the Web allows one person to try to be noticed across the nation and around the world.

It’s not easy, though, to figure out your own strengths and weaknesses. We can help you reach that goal. Find out how.