Here is an interesting read for you. If you are striving to build a strong brand for your business online and offline, this ebook that may provide you with valuable tips you might do to help with these efforts: Personal Branding For the Business Professional by Chris Brogan.
Below is just a short sampling what’s in there, so download and read the entire ebook: Personal Branding for The Business Professional.
“Why Build a Personal Brand?
A personal brand gives you the ability to stand out in a sea of similar products. In essence, youʼre marketing yourself as something different than the rest of the pack. Do you need this? I donʼt know. Do you like to be mixed in with the pack?
But How?
Branding oneʼs self in an online environment built on entropy and go-baby-go is difficult at best, and impossible if you forget to take your happy pills. To that end, Iʼve come up with a quick list of 100 things you might do to help with these efforts.
Listening
• Build ego searches using Technorati and Google Blogsearch
• Comment frequently (and meaningfully) on blogs that write about you and your posts
• Donʼt forget the conversations hiding in Twitter (use Summize.com) and Friendfeed. Be sure to stay aware of those.
• If you can afford it, buy professional listening tools, like Radian6 or others in that category.
• Use Google Reader to store your ego searches.
• Use Yahoo! Site Explorer to see whoʼs linking to your site.
• Use heat map tools like CrazyEgg to see how people relate to your site.
• Listen to others in your area of expertise. Learn from them.
• Listen to thought leaders in other areas, and see how their ideas apply to you.
• Donʼt forget podcasts. Check out iTunes and see whoʼs talking about your area of interest.Home Base
• Home base is your blog/website. Not everyone needs a blog. But most people who want to develop a personal brand do.
• Buy an easy-to-remember, easy-to-spell, content-appropriate domain name if you can. Donʼt be TOO clever.
• A really nice layout doesnʼt have to cost a lot, but shows youʼre more than a social media dabbler.
• Your “About” page should be about you AND your business, should the blog be professional in nature. At least, it should be about you.
• Make sure itʼs easy to comment on your site.
• Make sure itʼs easy for people to subscribe to your siteʼs content.
• Use easy to read fonts and colors.
• A site laden with ads is a site that doesnʼt cherish its audience. Be thoughtful.
• Pay attention to which widgets you use in your sidebar. Donʼt be frivolous.
• Load time is key. Test your blog when you make changes, and ensure your load times are reasonable.
• Claim your site on Technorati.com
• Use WebsiteGrader.com to make sure your site is well built in Googleʼs eyes.Passports
Passports are accounts on other social networks and social media platforms. Itʼs a good idea to build an account on some of these sites to further extend your personal branding.
• Twitter.com is a must if you have a social media audience. It also connects you to other practitioners.
• Facebook and/or MySpace are useful social networks where you can build outposts (see next list).
• Get a Flickr.com account for photo sharing.
• Get a YouTube.com account for video uploading.
• Get a StumbleUpon.com account for voting.
• Get a Digg.com account for voting, as well.
• Get an Upcoming.org account to promote events.
• Get a del.icio.us account for social bookmarking.
• Get a WordPress.com account for its OpenID benefits.
• Get a LinkedIn account for your professional network.
• Take a second look at Plaxo. Itʼs changed for the better.
• Get a Gmail.com account for use with reader, calendar, docs, and more.
• Get a Discus.com account for comment threading.
• Get a FriendFeed.com account.(…)
Passion Drives Personal Brand
Thinking and Planning Passion is what fuels the best of what we do. Itʼs that tireless drive to do something that we feel matters that will bring us forward in so many ways…
Passion is Hard to Fake
Authenticity matters. Most people can sense authenticity without a lot of effort. They can also sense when youʼve one astray from what truly matters to you. So be true to your passion. …
Passion Includes Mistakes and Failures
Never worry about doing something wrong, going afoul, pissing people off. Donʼt SEEK to do it, but donʼt be afraid of it. How can you create passionately if youʼre worried about going outside the lines. Make mistakes all over the place. Donʼt TRY to hurt peopleʼs feelings, and most especially, admit when youʼre wrong, apologize, try to be friends again, and keep going….Life doesnʼt have a do-over button, and you learn really quickly who gets mired in the past and whoʼs focused on making the experience of the present and future better. Focus on those who understand the latter. History is there to learn from, but not to obsess over. Make mistakes. Apologize. Repeat. And grow from your passion.
Download and read the entire ebook: Personal Branding for The Business Professional.
