Chanel, Michael Kors, Apple, Samsung, Nike… What do all these things have in common? They are BRANDS. And guess what you also have something in common with these household names. You too are a brand! Yes you. You are your own personal brand. Personal branding is just the way we present ourselves to others. Nowadays social media plays a vital role in that process. If you haven’t already started branding yourself on social media, you should definitely start now if you want to keep up with the business industry. Social media is one of the first places hiring manager’s check for. Here are some tips and tricks on how to successfully brand yourself on social media.
1. Pick a screen name.
The one thing household brands have in common is that they are all known by name. You know an Apple product when you see it and you know Nike shoes when you see them. When someone goes to your page you want them to know that’s you. Pick a screen name and stick to it. All your page names should be consistent so it’s easy to find you. For example, my Twitter and Instagram names are both @fawningoverme (shameless plug). You don’t have to have a creative or catchy name. It can be something as simple as just your first name. Just be consistent. That way if someone searches you on google, your pages will be the first to pop up.
2. Pick your brand.
What do you want to be known for? Do you want your social media pages to be resumes for future employers? Are you a blogger? Into lifestyle content? Future basketball player? Doctor? Entrepreneur? Whatever the answer is, use social media to showcase that. Make sure whenever someone goes to your pages they know exactly what your brand is. Content is vital because it is the fuel for your brand. For example, I am a broadcast journalist so I try to limit my content to news, sports, and entertainment. Now that’s not to say you can’t post anything else on your social media, just make sure it’s known what you brand is.
3. LinkedIn will be your best friend.
No matter what your profession is or what you want to be known for, everyone should have a linkedin! LinkedIn is practically a resume and portfolio website where you can connect with people in your profession and others. You can upload your resume, your skills, samples of your work, look for jobs, find employers, get in contact with people in your field, etc., Your profile is basically your brand on LinkedIn. There’s a lot to LinkedIn, and I will be doing a separate blog post on why you should use it, and how to use it to your advantage. So look out for that in the next couple of weeks. (Another shameless plug)
4. Start a YouTube page.
YouTube is a big player in the game of social media branding. No matter what you want to do or be known for, vlog about it! You can start with just an introduction video, telling who you are, what you do, your brand, and basic information your followers should know. Now YouTube isn’t for everybody so this step isn’t vital. Learning how to film and edit videos for YouTube is a job in and of itself (no wonder YouTubers make thousands of dollars). So if you rather skip this step that’s fine, but YouTube can bring a fair amount of attention to your brand. And if you’re clever or funny or even just helpful you will attract a lot of followers.
5. Interact!
Twitter is the perfect place for this next step. You want to interact with your followers and get your following up. That way more people can start to know and learn more about your brand. Post at least 3 times and day (at the very minimum) to keep your pages fresh and interesting. Also keep your followers talking. If you aren’t interacting, your followers will get bored or uninterested.
6. Don’t forget to plug, plug, plug!
GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE. A lot of people aren’t worried about being internet famous and having a lot of followers but that’s not what this next step is about. It’s about building your brand. To become a household name people need to know your brand. You can attract employers in this way if you do it right.
Something to remember – ANYONE can brand themselves and these steps are not just for specific people. No matter what you are into or what your profession is nowadays, social media plays a big part of our lives. Use it to your advantage. Whether you’re an architect, doctor, athlete, journalist, or whatever. You can brand yourself on social media and become big in your industry Branding yourself on social media can get you job opportunities, money, success, fame, and so on.