Your Personal Brand AND WHY IT MATTERS @KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Questions we’ll answer…
• What is a personal brand?
• Why is it important?
• How do you build one?
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
• Online presence was fragmented
• If you Googled me you wouldn’t find anything
• I didn’t network or go to industry events
• Wasted time filling out online job applications aka the “the black hole” where your application goes to die
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
How do you want to be portrayed online? Ask yourself these questions:
1. List three words that come to mind when you think of your personality, and your desired personal brand.
2. Think about how you want to help others, and what value you can add to individuals or companies.
3. Write down how your colleagues, friends, and family might describe you.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechConSource: Hubspot
WHAT IS A PERSONAL BRAND?
Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands. While previous self-help management techniques were about self-improvement, the personal-branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging.
Personal branding also involves creating an asset by defining an individual's body, clothing, physical appearance, digital and online presence and areas of knowledge in a way leading to a uniquely distinguishable, and ideally memorable, impression. (The term is thought to have been first used and discussed in a 1997 article by Tom Peters.)
Personal Branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group or organization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding @KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Employers use the internet to learn about potential new employees.
Business people use the internet to do research on potential new partners.
Everyone uses the internet to connect with thought leaders, find new connections, and promote content.
The list goes on and on.
If your personal brand online is not up to par, you might be losing out on opportunities you didn’t even know existed!
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
HOW DO YOU BUILD ONE?
Step 1: Set a goalStep 2: AuditStep 3: ExecuteStep 4: Share ContentStep 5: Don’t give up!
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
SET A GOAL
What do you want to do?
What do you want to be known for?
How do you want others to view you?
What do you want to achieve from your online presence?Find a new job?Start in a new industry?Promote personal content?Position as a thought leader?Promote current company?
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
SET A GOAL
How do you want to be portrayed online? Ask yourself these questions:
1. List three words that come to mind when you think of your personality, and your desired personal brand.
2. Think about how you want to help others, and what value you can add to individuals or companies.
3. Write down how your colleagues, friends, and family might describe you.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechConSource: Hubspot
AUDIT
Do you have a clean slate or do you have some cleaning up to do?
• Google yourself• Audit your privacy settings on all social media accounts • Delete pictures and posts that may hurt your personal brand
Take control of your online reputation!
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Potential employers, partners, clients, and everyone else will use social media to judge you.
They will also use it to get to know you, your personal brand, content that you create, etc.
Keep your “brand” consistent across all social media platforms.
AUDIT
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
EXECUTE
• Set up accounts on all major social media platforms: • LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+• Focus on those most relevant to your goals and target industry
• Align your profiles to match your goals
• Focus on topics related to your personal brand and think before you post:• Does this fit my personal brand? Is this information valuable? Will this
help or hurt my personal brand?
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechConSource: Hubspot
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The Internet is saturated with content. Readers frequently have to sift through countless amounts of irrelevant content to find valuable information.
What you publish on your online channels should address a need. Whether it is something your expertise can solve or someone who is looking to learn more about you, only post content that will add value.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechConSource: Hubspot
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No matter what you do, always add value…
Give to give, not give to get.
…because people do business* with those they know, like, and trust.
*or work with, or are friends with, or employ, etc. @KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
If you’re not reading within your industry, if you’re not following industry leaders,if you’re not following companies you want to work for,you will not make it.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
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Use the 4-1-1 rule when posting content:
4 posts that relevant to your personal brand
1 personal post (i.e. self promotion, picture of you traveling, etc.)
1 off topic post (everybody loves cat videos)
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
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Paralysis by analysis is bad but so is a controversial post that could cost your job, a business opportunity, and so on.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
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Also, don’t drink and Tweet.
Or text.
Or post to social media under the influence.Period.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Rome was not build in a day, neither will your personal brand.
It takes less than 30 minutes a day.
Find one area of your personal brand to improve weekly.
The more work you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
DON’T GIVE UP!
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
LinkedIn is the most professional of all social media platforms and is the best place to start building your personal brand.
This is the first stop for any future employer or anyone you meet at networking events.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechConSource: Hubspot
Your LinkedIn Profile Basics
• Headline
• Profile Picture
• Summary
• Experience
• Groups
• Additional Tips
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Headline
• Create a compelling headline that’s more than just your job title
• Use your headline to show how you deliver value to your customers
• You only have one chance to make a first impression
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Tips:
• Succinctly showcase your specialty, value proposition, or your “so what?”
• Speak directly to the audience you want to entice
• Be specific
• Use important keywords
• Be creative
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Profile Picture
• Being seriously successful doesn’t have to mean that you look seriously intimidating or, worse, angry.
• SMILE!
• Save the pet monkey profile picture for your Facebook account.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Profile Picture DON’T’s
• Selfie
• Cropped out group photos
• Poor quality (pixelated, out of focus, grainy)
• Has more than one person in it
• Poorly lit
• Inappropriate
• Boring
The worst mistake of all? Not having a profile picture!
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Profile Picture DO’s
• Hire a professional photographer
• Can’t afford one? Get creative!• Trade services, crowdsource the funds, or ask for it as a gift for your
birthday/graduation/whatever. Invest in you.
• Do it yourself• Find a neutral backdrop with good lighting, study proper posing by looking at
YouTube videos and Pinterest, and have a friend take photos of you. It's more time consuming but if it's your only option, make it work
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Summary
• Tell people who you are and why people should be interested in doing business with you. How do you provide value to them?
• Use keywords in your summary that make it easy for people to find you in searches.
• Use both industry terms and layman’s terms.
• Use words that express the pain that people are experiencing when they are searching for someone who can remove that pain.
• Take extra care to avoid any grammatical errors or typos.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Experience
• List both current and previous positions.
• Write complete, descriptive explanations.
• Make it easy for people to learn about you.
• Be interesting.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Groups
• You can join up to 50 groups.
• Make it 80% related to your profession and 20% related to your
non-business interests
• Focus on groups that:• Are related to your industry or one you want to work in
• Will benefit your personal brand
• Will teach you something new and beneficial
• You are an expert on the topic and can add to the discussion in a meaningful way
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Joining groups can help you stay informed and connect with people who are in your industry or share your interest.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Joining groups can help you stay informed and keep in touch with people who are in your industry or share your interest.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Additional LinkedIn Tips
• Showcase your work by adding projects to your portfolio
• Ask for and give recommendations
• Include skills and endorsements
• Build your network
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Connect with coworkers, clients, friends, and family.
Every business card you receive is a connection.
Every person you meet is a connection.
Everyone in this room and conference is a connection.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Don’t be lazy,send personalized invitations.
Don’t be this person:
RULE #1
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
The “connect” button is not a magic button, you still have to work at it.
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
Nurture your connections
• Don’t ask for something the moment you connect with someone new • Make it about them• Give them a chance to get to know you first
• Send articles to individuals that may find value in the information• Help others look smart to their audience, help them look good!
• Get their opinion on a topic that they’re passionate about• Like, share, and comment on their status updates and bodies of work• Give public shout-outs to folks who are doing good work• Connect your connections• Start conversations, ask questions, etc.• Take it off-line
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon
So how did I build my personal brand?
• Defined my values and goals
• Cleaned up and aligned social media profiles
• Created a website and personal business cards
• Joined the American Marketing Association
• Attended targeted/industry networking events
• Volunteered skills to non-profits
• Read (a lot) of industry publications and shared what I learned
• Promoted others
@KseniyaMartin | #GeekGirlTechCon