“In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes” was the prediction of Andy Warhol. We may not want to be world famous, but if we’re smart we can get our names out there for all the right reasons especially when it comes to our personal brand. Using social media cleverly isn’t just for businesses, it’s something you too can do to create your own brand awareness. It’s a simple way to stand out and get your name into other peoples heads. Whether it’s positioning yourself for the next big promotion, or as a leader in your field, social media can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolkit.
Why bother?
- It’s a fantastic way to increase your profile inside your organisation. When you work in a very large business, for instance, it can be challenging to stand out. Here’s an opportunity to create a broader profile for yourself with influencers that you may not normally have access to. When a project comes up with your ‘brand’ of expertise, whose name will pop into mind. Yours! This is even more effective when you work in a global organisation, where you’re remote from others. Connect with people in your company, in connected teams etc. When people see your name popping up on their newsfeed, they will check out your profile and want to know more. A word of warning, you need to check your company policy on posting and make sure that what you post can in no way be perceived as a negative reflection on where you work. And it goes without saying you never share sensitive or confidential information!
- Increase your profile outside of your organisation. Maybe you want to get a new job or become recognised as an authority on a certain topic so you can be asked to speak at events. Whatever it is, know the outcome or outcomes you want (see below). You can increase knowledge of who you are and what you have to add to.
How to build your personal brand?
Being online to build your brand requires a strategy. If you were to market a product, you would create a strategy to do it well, and this is the same. Recently I started working with a superstar software engineer. She is smart and talented and does so much that only those close to her would know about. We’ve started to discuss the strategy for raising her profile and have identified numerous ways for her to be seen on a bigger stage.
Here are some tips I’ve used to help her that will really help you focus and get it right
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Be clear about the image you want to create
What do you want to be known for and why. Check out a previous blog post to give you more of an insight.
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Do a social media audit
Google yourself. What comes up? If a stranger was to look into you and who you are, what would they find? Look at the story your digital footprint tells about you. It’s time to clean it up.
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Sort out your profile
When you become active on a platform, people will start clicking on it. Once you start you will then want it to be representative of who you are and what you want people to know about you i.e. your brand. Check out my blog on how to stand out on LinkedIn.
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Be strategic about your posting
Think about how what you’re posting and how it will add to (or how it might detract from) your brand. Share articles, videos, and events that promote your brand. If you want to be known as a great leader, then your posts will reflect that.
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Choose your platforms wisely
Where do professionals in your industry hang out? Get posting there. You will waste a lot of time posting on a platform where people aren’t engaging with you.
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Post regularly
You want to stay in peoples minds, which online means posting at least 3 times per week. Remember some platforms don’t have a great reach, so look at how you can optimise your posts. Also, think about the variety. Mix up your own content with other peoples, videos, images, infographics. Variety is the spice of life and a must on the Internet!
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Create your own content
You could think about starting your own blog. WordPress is simple to get going, and then share your content on other social media platforms. Or, many of them have facilities for creating and posting articles This allows you to get your viewpoint across effectively. You can also look at free graphics creation tools like Lumen 5 for video and Canva to create your own graphics.
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Include your own commentary and point of view
Remember it’s not just about sharing what’s useful but extending your brand awareness too. This means giving something of yourself in the post.
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Publicise events in line with your brand
This is a total win: win. You’ll increase the profile of the event, and yourself. Share pictures of you there. Tag the organisers and speakers. Give feedback. Make connections. There’s so much mileage available even if you can’t go!
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Comment on others’ posts
Particularly with people you respect and want to grow relationships with. It increases the reach of their post which is great for them and identifies you as an ally.
What is the key to success?
Like most things in life, consistency is key. ‘Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come’ Dwayne Johnson
And my software engineer client. Watch this space. Her star is set to #RiseandShine!
About Sinead Sharkey-Steenson
Sinead is the Founder of Generation Women and is a Career and Leadership Coach. She has almost 20 years’ experience in developing leaders in global corporates. Her passion for helping others excel in their careers has resulted in her clients landing the jobs they want, being headhunted, and stepping up into leadership with confidence. She’s the Director of Leadership Development for Lean In Northern Ireland and a passionate advocate for equality.
Sinead’s signature coaching programme is Rise and Shine Career Design, which is her ultimate career accelerator. She currently has a waiting list for her September programme, book a call to speak with her to get on the list.
Website: https://genwomen.global/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenerationWomen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinead-sharkey/