How to Build a Personal Brand Online (for Executives)
-
date post
18-Oct-2014 -
Category
Business
-
view
716 -
download
0
description
Transcript of How to Build a Personal Brand Online (for Executives)
How to Build an Online Personal Brand (for executives)
Arik C. HansonACH Communications, Inc.
About Arik
Why is an ONLINE personal brand important?
• Two-thirds of consumers say their perceptions of executives impact their perceptions of the company– And only 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs have an active
social media presence on at least one channel
Today’s key customer channels: • Sales force• Web• Channel partners• Call centers• Traditional media
Customer channels five years from now: – Sales force
–Social (256% increase)– Web
76% of other executives think CEOs should be using social media
And, more importantly…4 in 5 employees would rather work for a social CEO
Why use social media to build your brand?
1 – Extend your brand—and your company’s brand
2 – Grow your network
3 – Build thought leadership
4 – Enhance your company’s customer service
5 – Own page one of your Google search
6 – Identify new customers
7 – Position yourself as innovative
8 – Build rapport with employees—and potential employees
So, what does a personal brand look like online anyway?
Universal Personal Branding
Guidelines
Be a human being—not a “personal brand”
Showing up is 95% of the work
Humility wins favor
Be a creator—not a follower
Visuals matter—A LOT
So how do you BUILD your personal brand online?
Research: Do your homework
Who is your key audience?• Where do the live online?• How do they consume information online?• Who, exactly are they?• Audience profile?
Plan: Define the personal brand you WANT
Define your personal value proposition• I help people better understand online marketing.• I help people with professional development.• I help bloggers become better bloggers. • I help provide pragmatic communications solutions.
Execute: Consistency over time pays off• You need to post/engage on Twitter more than
once a month.• You need to write a blog post more than once a
quarter.• Look to help one person in your LinkedIn
network a week.• Most people bail quickly—stay the course.
Measure: Monitor and adjust• Check your Google Analytics regularly (I check
them 1-2 times per week)• Follower/fan counts aren’t everything—don’t
get caught up in them.• Relationships > numbers.
6 tips to a rock-solidonline personal brand
1 – Have an opinion…a STRONG opinion
Benefits of having a strong opinion online (for me):
• Never-dreamed-before speaking gigs: Seattle, Destin, Solo PR, BlogWorld
• Instant credibility: With clients, bloggers and media
• Random—but useful—opportunities: Guest posts, opportunities to connect, etc.
• Networking cornucopia: Through guest posts, PR Rock Stars, list posts.
• The opportunity to meet people’s Moms (I’m kidding…kinda)
• An opportunity to showcase my skills
• However, there is no direct tie to the bottom line (but, blogging has been a HUGE factor in my business success).
• Community=power
2 - Build your online ‘home base’
What’s the value of a robust LinkedIn profile? • 238 million worldwide users (84 million in U.S.
alone)• 39% of members are a manager, director, owner,
vice president or CEO• 50% of Fortune 100 companies hire through
What should a robust executive LinkedIn profile look like?
Make sure the basics are in place:• Short summary• Head shot (personality)• Work experience (with detail)• Honors/Awards/Education
Then, enhance:• Blog posts• Presentations• Status updates• Recommendations
3 – Become a LinkedIn juggernaut– Share 1-2 relevant posts/stories each day.– Set aside 10 minutes each day to connect with 3-5
colleagues, peers or vendors.– Make an effort to HELP people in your LinkedIn
network.– Use LinkedIn as a research tool to help YOU:
• Identify candidates/connections• Research coffee meet-ups• Spot rising stars
4 – Build out (low-maintenance) spokes– Slideshare– Instagram– YouTube– Quora
5 – Use Twitter as the ultimate door-opener
Network with like-minded people (using Twitter lists)
Better opportunity for success (fewer people at executive level on Twitter—better chance you’ll get noticed and remembered)
Let your personality shine through… (for me craft beer, kids, Minnesota sports, TV)
Use hash tags, WeFollow, Twellow and Twitter Search to find the RIGHT people to follow.
What would I share/talk about?• Personal interests• Professional articles/posts (journals, industry
blogs, etc.)• Live tweet events/conferences• Share your OWN blog posts/Slideshare decks• Bottom line: You have PLENTY to say
6 – Master the art of “Propinquity”– Show up where your key audiences live—a lot– Foster the allusion—you can appear more
busy/prolific than you really are online– Don’t take every opportunity—just the ones with
big payoffs
Questions?