Regardless of job title, industry, or job function, we are all marketers, and we are all in public relations. We brand ourselves daily, selling ourselves to customers, potential clients, or our boss. We’re storytellers by nature! After all, who doesn’t like a good story?
So you didn’t go to school for marketing or public relations. Don’t let that be the reason for not executing your brand! Once we understand this universal theme, we can finally start setting ourselves up to see the results that a good marketer guarantees. To do this, it’s important to focus on branding yourself and the organization you work for.
Branding Yourself
Depending on age and preference, the social media platform you cling to will vary. The most common are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. Think about it for a second, how many of these social networks do you have a profile on? What other social media accounts do you subscribe to?
The purpose of social media is not getting lost in cat videos or humorous memes, but, to stay connected with and grow your personal network. Thanks to Facebook, we don’t have to worry about missing our friends or relatives birthdays, (Thanks, Mark Zuckerberg). With LinkedIn, we can congratulate others for a work anniversary, a recent promotion, or learn about their new position.
Social Media is all about branding ourselves and influencing others! Some of the best at this include people like fitness gurus, gaming addicts, beauty bloggers, fashionistas and more. For example, one of the Top Social Media Influencers for 2018 was Huda Kattan, a makeup artist and beauty blogger who founded the cosmetics line, Huda Beauty. She has over 24 million followers on Instagram and more than 2 million Youtube subscribers.
Think about the last place you went to eat. The last song you listened to. How about the last movie you went to see? Typically, the activities we do in our spare time are influenced by the people in our direct circle. We trust the people closest to us. Klout gives one of the best definitions of this term; “Influence is the ability to drive action. When you share something on social media or in real life, and people respond, that’s influence.” When you naturally brand yourself, you are simultaneously driving response. Are you starting to see how this might help you professionally?
Branding yourself and your organization
Let’s bring this full-circle and apply it directly to your profession, your industry, and your objectives. It starts with your personal and professional brand. Are your networks up to date with your current and past professional resume? Look at your recent published content. How do your updates reflect your brand or the organization you represent? Is your voice being heard? How do others engage with your brand? Do your ideas drive action or influence others?