Build your personal brand

Reaching people is one thing but what do you say when you have their attention?  Focus on discovering and communicating your personal brand so you’ll know what and how to market yourself as an individual. Your reputation determines what people think about you and whether they like you or not. If you can get people to like you, then eventually they will begin to trust you as a person, and your expertise in a certain area.

Build a personal brand

The concept of building a personal brand may sound a bit weird at the beginning – after all, people usually frown upon a person who likes to extol his own virtues. Give the matter some deeper thought, and you will recognize that personal branding is an integral part of many influential sectors of society, like politics, show business, sports, and so on. Actors, singers, politicians, and activists are people who have managed to create a phenomenal brand image of themselves. These people play pivotal roles in the affairs of the world and in leading public opinion. It is their ability to influence people that makes them so successful. Each of them is an embodiment of certain values and beliefs that common people can associate with. For example, if the name Steve Jobs comes up – you immediately think about a man who represents the qualities of excellence, simplicity, and innovation. Every individual has something that he/she can utilize to make the world a better place.

“Focus on discovering and communicating your personal brand” [tweet this]

Be proud

The first step towards expressing a successful personal brand is to take pride in your achievements in life. Maybe you survived a terrible disease, fought through a natural calamity, quit a bad habit, helped someone get through a difficult time, lost weight, or accomplished some other thing that makes you proud of who you are. You must recognize that you have the potential to inspire countless other individuals to progress in life. All people have unique qualities that make them special. Some people are honest and hardworking, some can instantly get others to smile, while others have creative minds that are full of exciting ideas, and so on. Make use of your unique qualities to make a difference in the world. Aim to be the catalyst for progress and others will respect you and follow you.

A celebrity blogger like Steve Pavlina and lifestyle coach like Osho have a tremendous fan base because they have achieved feats that are appreciated by others. If you want to be successful in life, then uncover and communicate your personal brand in a compelling way.   Your position in society is directly related to the number of people whose lives you influence. Think about it – business are built not only upon money, but primarily upon people. People still have, and always will do, business with people.  The question is have you discovered your brand and do you communicate it in the context that’s valuable to your target audience?

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

If that book is entitled Amazing Things Will Happen then the answer is yes! Although the international bestselling author, C.C. Chapman never really set out to populate the shelves of the “self-help” section, he managed to package some modern wisdom into a modest sized publication sure to inspire positive change in your life. Indeed, the self-help section is the last place C.C. ever wanted to find someone reading his book. The project actually started out as a way for him to pass down some fatherly wisdom to his kids.

To be honest, when I found out my favorite content marketing strategist was writing a self-help book, I cringed. After publishing the wildly successful digital marketing book, Content Rules, I wondered why C.C. would venture off into the dubious realm of self-help. But after reading it, I found it extremely beneficial. One of the most fruitful exercises C.C. offers is his “3 Word Challenge.” After considering all the things you want to accomplish in a year, you are to write down three words that will motivate you to take action. The three words I chose were:

Servant Leadership. Wisdom. Liberty.

To me, these three words are like my morning coffee – they awaken my spirit and motivate me to act. They are easy to remember and help keep me focused on my purpose. In just four months, I have achieved more of my goals than I have in the past five years combined.

If you would like to hear C.C. Chapman discuss his newest book, please join us for the Reach Personal Branding Interview, Thursday, May 16 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST. William Arruda will be interviewing C.C. as we explore how content marketing ties into personal branding and how exuding your personal brand can make amazing things happen.

Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013
9:00 AM Los Angeles | 12:00 PM New York
5:00 PM London | 6:00 PM Paris

Register Now: http://360rea.ch/11lhquW

Ryan Mickley helps high school and college students “discover the brand they were meant to be, not the brand they have allowed themselves to become.” With a foundation of servant leadership principles, he coaches his clients through the personal branding process and teaches them how to build authority online through content marketing. Ryan is the Executive Producer for the Reach Personal Branding Interview Series and the Content Marketing Strategist for iQuarius Media.

Ask permission to build a great brand following

Once a business has the attention of its target audience, one thing that the business will notice is that permission is cost effective. You can use email and RSS feeds to deliver your message to the people who have agreed to listen to you. Subscriptions ensure you have a loyal and valuable audience. However, getting to such a level where you have an audience of loyal customers takes patience and humility.

If you’re an entrepreneur, how you conduct your business will reflect even more so on your personal brand.

Permission Email Marketing Tips to Help Exude Your Personal Brand

The following tips can help you get permission email marketing right:

- Avoid becoming a spammer as it will impact your reputation. Send out messages with calculated frequency; filling customers’ inboxes with messages will paint you in bad light. Also, never email anyone without getting their permission first. As such, refrain from getting email lists from third parties.

- The double opt-in method of customer subscription will ensure you get only genuine subscriptions to your content.

- If you haven’t sent your email message for some time, say about six months, ask for the recipient’s permission again before emailing them.

- Clarify to the subscribers the frequency and content of your emails so that they know what to expect and what the emails will be about. This will also reduce any chances of spam complaints.

- If possible, give subscribers the choice to select the frequency and content of the emails they wish to receive.

- Make good use of the permission you have obtained and send relevant and useful messages in every email to build a fruitful relationship.

- Give subscribers the option of opting out if they don’t find your content useful or interesting.

Social Media Permission Marketing for Personal Brands

Individuals can use social media networks like Facebook to engage in permission marketing. The process starts with these three steps:

1. Make friends
2. Convert your friends into subscribers
3. Message and maintain subscribers

Depending on the messages you wish to convey, first decide who your target audience is. Do your research to determine the groups of people you wish to have as subscribers. Tell them clearly what kind of messages and content they are going to receive such as entertainment tips, problem solving advice, and financial information, among others. Social media is a great vehicle for word of mouth marketing so if you share useful information and content with your subscribers, they will publicize your services to many others.

Use interest lists to network. [tweet this]

First, you can use already made interest lists and subscribe to those so you won’t ever miss a conversation or insight from a connection or an information source. Secondly, you can create interest list and include yourself in the list.  Then, when people share the list you will be always included in the list and “branded” as a viable contributor to leading edge discussions.

More Tips for Personal Brands

- Earn the respect and trust of your subscribers which can make them loosen up and be more responsive. This will give you more opportunities to provide better value to them and close more deals.

- Remember to focus on what you want to be known for.  Then, what can you do or provide that would make you known for that?

Permission marketing is ideal for individuals who wish to promote themselves or their services. By going about it in the right manner and getting customers to willingly sign up for constant updates or subscribe to your personal profile or page, they are assured of a receptive audience who will wait eagerly for the next message, look forward to the interaction and who will gradually be molded into loyal and long-term brand advocates.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

How profanity affects your personal brand

Have you ever been tempted to use the “f” word in the office, a meeting, or in a presentation? Even if a select few think you’re cool or entertaining because you dropped the f-bomb, it’s guaranteed that the majority of onlookers will judge you harshly. Here are just four reasons why you should never use the f-bomb in a business environment.

You come across as inarticulate

A good number people use profane words when they can’t think of a suitable word or sentence to express their point. When you drop the f-bomb, people may assume that you cussed because you have a limited vocabulary. If your colleagues or boss label you as inarticulate, they’ll be unlikely to trust higher level work to you or let you give important presentations.

People label you as immature

If you think dropping the f-bomb is cool, people will think that you have an immature sense of humor and don’t take your career seriously. Remember, you’re not a teenager anymore and swearing in a business environment is juvenile. If you want your boss or colleagues to think that you’re “cool”, impress them with your work ethic and innovative ideas instead!

There are some very popular entrepreneurs who are known for profanity.  And, if you own your business and you own that in your core values, then your word choice is your prerogative. When you work for a company, your brand must effectively deliver on the COMPANY brand promise.

You run the risk of limiting your future job prospects

By dropping the f-bomb in a work place environment you not only offend those around you but your outburst may have long term repercussions. As an example, if you’re heard cussing by a boss or a manager, your reputation within your company is at more of a risk.

While nothing may be said, we know that first impressions are lasting.   The results from the experience could be you being far less likely to receive a pay raise or opportunities to take on additional responsibility in the future. It could also very well be the difference between someone referring you – or not.

If you run a business and swear in front of your staff, they’ll be less likely to take your authority seriously or worse yet, may think that it’s acceptable to swear in front of clients.

You offend customers or clients

Never, under any circumstance, drop the f-bomb in front of a customer or client. It’s important to remember that your behavior reflects not just you but also the company you run or work for. If a customer or client overhears your use of profanity they will think that your business is unprofessional and may stop further business with your company or even worse dissuade their friends or colleagues from doing business with you.

It only takes one offended customer hearing you and concluding that you make poor word choices and wonder what other choices you approach with poor judgment. The actual risk could include losing several or even dozens of customers.

Next time you think it’s now accepted to be more casual with profanity or that you even gain some credibility by dropping the f-bomb make sure to think twice about the potential consequences. While you may feel it was an effective word choice to express your passion “for that moment”, the repercussions of your outburst may seriously limit your current and future job and business prospects.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

Improve personal branding by turning negatives to positives

Experience negative situations is a challenge for all of us. We focus on what could go wrong rather than looking at what will go right. This tends to break the focus from working to achieve a goal to trying to avoid failure.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what leads to failure. Consider yourself driving down the road. Off to the side, a plastic bag floats by and offers a distraction from the road. More often than not if you follow the plastic bag, you start subconsciously drifting towards it rather than keeping your eyes on the road ahead. The same applies to life and business; focusing on what could go wrong will lead you off the road to success.

Negative thinking

Seeing or anticipating the worst in every situation, leads you to focus on what needs to happen for a project to fail. Small issues that lie ahead could pose a threat, but how you handle them makes all the difference. Often, a negative individual will complain about the problem. Perhaps there’s too much to do and not enough time to handle the issue.

Others may start by complicating the situation, in many cases refusing to try the solution because it may not work. The key word here is “may.” Often times, these individuals are practitioners of micro-management and are basically critics that pay attention to the worst, even in the best times.

Eventually, this negative thinking can weigh heavy on you.  It is responsible for costing time and resources because you’re focusing on what’s wrong rather than focusing on finding a solution. The irony of such a situation is that they’re often complaining about not having enough time yet are wasting time complaining about it. This leaves an individual with only one task …

Find a solution

Rather than dwell on what isn’t working or what might not work, the goal is to find a solution to the problem at hand. The mentality here is to stay focused on finding out what will work, as well as be positive when you’re facing a problem. When you look at what it takes to succeed, you’ll be able to save time because your efforts are concentrated on solutions that work.

Complainers

One of the biggest issues we face is that negative people tend to share their pessimism with everyone else. In fact, negativity is contagious. It can be difficult to evade every negative situation, but it’s always possible to turn negatives into positive influences. Does someone have a problem? Do you have a solution to it? This could be your chance to demonstrate your  expertise.

Constructive criticism

There is a positive side to negativity though. Not all complaints are necessarily bad news. Take, for instance, the unhappy client. These individuals are actually quite beneficial, especially when the majority of customers who are unhappy will silently slip away and won’t take the time to share concerns or provide feedback.

Use the information the unhappy customer gives to improve, and can be the baseline for future changes and adjustments to your processes.

Always remember to ask questions when in doubt. In this particular case, you want others to be open with you and bring certain information to your attention. Then, you can focus on making it right for them now and for future connections. Don’t dwell on the past. What’s done is done. The best you can do is learn from it and make sure not to repeat any mistakes.

Negativity holds us back. Yet, it’s different from constructive criticism which is needed to help us grow. [tweet this]

Negative thinking is what we must always avoid. Problems remain unsolvable until you find a positive solution. In order to do that, keep your eyes on what works and see the good even in a bad situation.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

Social marketing strategy to stay on top

One of the greatest challenges faced is constantly being able to keep yourself top of mind to those you would like to connect with, work with or do business with. Due to the vastness of the online world, keeping your personal brand on the minds of your audience takes great skill and employing the right techniques.

Get under the spotlight

First of all, you need to know where the limelight is at the moment, because that’s where you want to be. The ideal method is to utilize keyword searches to uncover new trends, primarily through social sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+. These sites constantly update the latest information and the hottest topics being discussed.

You’ll have to do a round-up of the news from around the web. After that, consider what topics the industry leaders are covering at the moment and how you fit into those emerging trends. Consider what unique experiences you have that would blend with such trends. Can you apply your brand to them in a specific way? This is one of simplest ways to create an opportunity for you to garner “share of mind” and a busy person’s attention.

Maintain the audience’s attention

To keep your audience’s attention, you have to think like a journalist and ask questions and offer tips about particular trends. Successful personal branding depends on your ability to deliver a clear message, which means that you’ll need to offer helpful content that is interesting and intriguing. At the same time, it’s important to be fun and exciting as well, which is where the use of infographs, videos, and podcasts come into play.

One of the key elements to maintaining attention is your ability to leave a positive impact on the audience. Intertwining useful information and entertainment is ideal in this particular situation, providing the audience with a message that will provide value to their lives and is deserving of their attention.

Pitching the right message

One of the biggest issues when trying to get attention is that of coming on a little too strong. This can seem braggadocios to others if you aren’t careful about what you say and how you say it. The goal here isn’t to exemplify yourself by saying “Pay attention to me.” Rather, the goal is to get attention by saying “I add value to the conversation.”

Pitch good information to the right audience in order to get their attention. Focus on providing quality content that demonstrates your expertise or your access to expertise.

Advantageous opportunities

The additional use of user-generated content is a big bonus when it comes to getting attention, and luckily, the online world is saturated with such content. Social sites, blogs, and articles often review the activities of trends and those participating in them. Because of this simple fact, you’ll want to check for media opportunities, such as Twitter where you can monitor reports and use hashtags to responses, all the while including yourself in conversations that matter to the audience. All through this, consider: What value can you add to these conversations? What reports offer the best audience responses? Which ones matter the most to your personal branding situation?

Following the right crowd can be tricky, but researching and following those that cover worthwhile trends and topics will make it easy to help focus the attention on your personal brand and establish your expertise in the field. You just have to make sure that you aren’t “stalking” leads or jumping into conversations and demanding attention. The best method is to listen to the conversation first and input valuable information that will be of aid. Once your audience hears what you have to say, keep in mind that it takes time to build trust and authority.

So be persistent and courteous in your discussions and sharing efforts. [tweet this]

The online world is a large network of various audiences, and getting the right people to follow you is a challenge in itself. However, as long as you know your target audience and what it will take to get their attention, it is possible to get top of mind recognition. With the right words and the right attitude, you will reap the benefits of your efforts, and be shared through the words of others.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

In number 10 of my 10 Personal Branding Trends for 2013  I share with you how easy it has become to build your brand with moving pictures.

In my new book, Ditch. Dare. Do! with Deb Dib, we devoted an entire chapter to video (video bios, thought-leadership videos, video proposals, etc.). If you have attended any of my keynotes, you’ve heard me expound the virtues of video.

In case you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of video!!! That’s because it allows you to deliver a complete, compelling communication while making your message stand out. Have you incorporated video into your personal branding strategy?

VideoBio, a Reach partner and an amazing company headed by a great CEO, Catharine Fennell is having a 50% off sale – so if you’re thinking about video, now’s the time for your close-up! www.videobio.com for more info.

Here’s a link to the motion graphic video VideoBio created for Reach for the launch of 360Reach R6.0: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU3ndyZiePY

What are you waiting for?

How networking affects your personal branding

What businesses should realize though, is that each one of those individuals in the online world is a person, and it is with people that you do business with, regardless of the medium chosen to deliver the message to them.

Connecting with business relationships

First of all, it’s essential that any brand focus its efforts on making connections with the right networks. With social and other online networking tools, it’s easy to get caught up talking with just about everyone. However, most of those conversations don’t offer the valuable connections your brand needs to succeed. Focusing your efforts on specific groups and individuals will allow you to develop contacts that provide the most value to your brand.

Essentially, connections don’t truly become valuable until you take the next step. This is where a great number of networking endeavors seem to go wrong because they stop at the introduction phase. In order to convert your connections into a valuable resource, you need to develop those networks into business relationships that accurately understand what your brand represents.

“…a great number of networking endeavors seem to go wrong because they stop at the introduction phase.” [Tweet this]

Online personalization

Social networking has become one of the most prominent methods of online networking, and has benefited from mobile, blogs, and videos that help amplify your brand’s message. But, aside from liking and retweeting your content, are your social contacts adding value to your brand? Do they feel free to discuss and share with you? Have they been converted into loyal members of your network who are eager to share your brand with others?

While social awareness is important to expand your brand’s influence, it always comes down to how well your audience actually knows your brand. Getting involved in conversations is more important than focusing on posting for visibility and awareness. While doing the latter is valuable for meeting new contacts, developing the ones you have is even more important because they will ultimately have the most influence on others.

For this reason, it’s important to a brand that they are able to discuss with their audience on an individual level. This is why email is still important, and allows a brand to directly communicate with a single individual and better familiarize themselves with their network.

With the advancement of technology, certain online methods can still offer a personal touch when used properly. Video connection tools such as Skype and Google Hangouts live video link are optimal personal meeting locations and allow you to contacts meet face to face, even if it is through an online atmosphere. Doing so gives your brand the humanistic element that will help build professional relationships effectively.

Live and in person

One of the most effective ways in which to do business is still the classic in-person mode. People often trust someone that they can see and speak to directly. This opportunity is one that helps build a partnership of trust and loyalty more effectively than any other communication method.

This is why local networking events and scheduling one-on-one meetings are both ideal for personal interaction, providing an opportunity for you to demonstrate the qualities that define your brand as one that the contacts will want to associate themselves with and advocate for in the future. These in-person connections can’t be replicated by the online world and will always have the most impact on your connections. So if you’re willing to spend a portion of your valuable time connecting on a personal level with your contacts, they’ll reward your business with their loyalty and recommendations.

The benefit of in-person networking is that you have the opportunity to demonstrate and authenticate your level of expertise with another individual. This time together allows them to better understand what it is that you can do for them specifically, especially since every contact has different needs, concerns, and contributions.  The more they know about your brand, the more they can and will share with others and implement the most effective word of mouth marketing- loyal advocacy.

The ultimate goal of personal branding is to build trust that has value. While this can be done in both the online and offline world, it is the act of personalizing your relationships with the right connections and turning them into loyal brand advocates that will ultimately generate the most influence. With a network of reliable supporters, your brand will be able to reach out to others outside of your personal network and gain their attention and trust as well.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

Smartphone tips to increase word of mouth

Smartphones have become a great asset to every individual. Whether they’re building a small business or shopping on their favorite site, these devices allow people to stay connected in the most opportune ways.

The smartphone relationship

Unfortunately, this has resulted in a side effect that isn’t so greatly appreciated. For many, the smartphone has become the only gateway for communication. Calls? Texts? Emails? Social network updates? All these things become a priority, even when in the company of others.

And the trouble here is that most users aren’t able to say “no” to interruptions like these. Rather than focusing their present audience, they indulge in a social comment or watch the latest trending video –   alone and outside of the conversation. When the only conversation partner you seem to have is your phone, you quickly find that those in the world around you aren’t paying attention to you either. For those who are developing their network or contacts, this isn’t something you want on your resume.

So the question is: Do you find yourself staring at your phone screen rather than focusing on the discussion at hand? If you do, you’ll want to consider exactly what your smartphone infatuation is doing to your personal branding situation.

Destroys opportunities

When others are speaking to you, it’s imperative that you listen. If you’re constantly checking your phone or otherwise diverting your attention away from your potential connection, how do you expect to be able to engage in an effective conversation?

Consider yourself at a lunch meeting. What’s going on around you? What are your potential connections talking about? What information are they sharing? The fact is that if you’re focused on your phone, you won’t hear the comment that you appear to be “in love” with your phone. It doesn’t take long for others to discover that when you’re around, they seem to be the last on your list of priorities. And that is something that others will share via word of mouth with their own connections.

Be smart about your smartphone relationship

It is essential that you demonstrate your priorities when meeting with others. Since you’ll need to develop positive relationships with your connections, you should focus on them rather than your phone. The first and easiest step is to simply turn your phone off or at least put it on silent mode when you’re in a meeting. Ignore the IM’s and the social updates. They can wait until you’ve provided the much appreciated attention that your connections deserve.

Get smart about your phone

But, there is a balance to the use of a smartphone in a real-life conversation, so it’s important to note that there are certain times during a meeting when phone use is acceptable. These moments are limited and shouldn’t be the bulk content of your discussion, so be cautious about mixing your phone and conversations inappropriately.

Amplify

One such application is the act of using it as a tool to amplify the conversation. This would incorporate the act of sharing information such as videos, links, or even a meme, with others as long as you include the entire audience (nothing is worse than leaving some of your audience out of the experience). The key here is to use your phone not to interrupt but to boost the quality of your conversation.

Instigating conversation

Another moment, though limited to use and opportunity, is the act of using it as a conversation starter. Each year, newer phones with the latest technology are generated, and even the applications for them increase as well. These topics are often great conversation starters and an excellent way to make a new contact (can I call you to set up a meeting?)

Collecting contacts

This brings up the importance of sharing contact information. With all the different social networks, email situations, and contact lists, the use of a smartphone can make collecting prospective contact information much easier and is the right tool for the job in this instance.

Other than that, your phone should not be a part of the conversation you’re having with your present audience.

Give them your undivided attention and let them know that interruptions can wait until after your conversation is complete. [tweet this]

Smartphones are a great tool for personal branding strategy, but they can quickly become a double-edged sword if you find yourself infatuated with it during a conversation. Keep your eyes and ears on the present conversation so that you will ensure that all present company will understand what it is that’s important to you and feel that they are on that list.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.