I like to think of Facebook, You Tube, LinkedIN and Twitter and oth­ers as “venues” because they are places that have defined char­ac­ter­is­tics that facil­i­tate cer­tain kinds of inter­ac­tion. Like restau­rants or bars, they imbue meet­ings with a social con­text that can add or detract from the meet­ing. You already use dozens of (offline) places every month to meet clients. Sim­i­larly, var­i­ous “social net­works” are more appro­pri­ate for engag­ing clients, depend­ing on’ per­son­al­i­ties, the busi­ness at hand, etc. LinkedIn has done a great job at cre­at­ing a social con­text that’s all busi­ness, and this is con­gru­ent through­out the site. When you join LinkedIn, you are try­ing to improve your business—and that of the “Con­nec­tions” in your net­work. It facil­i­tates busi­ness rela­tion­ships and con­duct­ing business.Face­book is more like “the por­tal of life”; many peo­ple think of it as more “per­sonal,” and that’s accu­rate at a high level. The social con­text is play­ful and experimental—not as con­ser­v­a­tive. Here you have “Friends.”Twit­ter is a net­work, and it’s very social, but it is not a “social net­work” venue in the same way as the first two: it is not based on a pro­file, but on terse com­mu­ni­ca­tions with net­works of “Fol­low­ers” whom you often fol­low as well. It can be very per­sonal and businesslike.YouTube is also social net­work, but in a dif­fer­ent cat­e­gory, because their pur­pose is shar­ing video con­tent. How­ever, like all Web 2.0 appli­ca­tions, much of their value is the con­ver­sa­tions that unfold around the con­tent. Mem­bers are con­nected though sub­scrib­ing to each others (video) lists. These four social networks will be the main places that will allow you to build your personal brand and give you the ability to always DO YOU.

Always Do You,
Greg

A personal blog will allow you to set yourself apart from others even if the topic you blog about is similar to that of other sites YOUR insight makes it completely different. Even the most popular blogs contain information that can be found elsewhere, it is just their ‘spin’ on the issues that makes it unique. No matter what your personality is or your opinions may be there will always be people who agree with you or will be attracted to your style. The best way to increase blog traffic is always to step away from the ‘pack’ and be the individual that you are. In this way it is more likely you will create some sort of stir or interest. A personal blog allows you to be more comfortable in your ‘own skin’ and this makes the blogging ‘process’ all the easier for you. The result here is that the content you produce tends to be increasingly more unique as you shed your inhibitions about sharing perspectives or making suggestions. This is all part of the identity branding process and your blog is actually ‘maturing’ as it takes on and grows into its personality. A personal blog will also allow your creative juices to flow. Once you have hit your ‘comfort zone’ you now feel more comfortable about tackling issues with which you may have an opinion or even suggest solutions. Everybody has pet peeves or personal passions as you likely also do and now you can pursue them from the ‘pulpit’ which is your blog. With your personal brand already established your readers now know what to expect and this is likely why they continue to return. Remember when blogging to always DO YOU.

Always Do You,
Greg

As you move forward in developing your personal brand it will be important that you embrace video technology. Videos will allow others the ability to get to know you better. Videos will allow others to trust you more and will allow you to send a clearer message. We are living in a see me, hear me and feel me. With people viewing 33 Billion videos last month alone and 40% of all internet users watching videos on a weekly basis it will be important for you to incorporate videos into your personal branding efforts. The prices have come down on HD Video cameras and the quality is now excellent. All of the smart phone manufacturers are now installing HD cameras for a reason. Video is here and here to stay. If you want to fully develop your personal brand videos will need to be in your marketing toolkit. Videos will always allow you to DO YOU.

Always Do You,
Greg

Your personal brand is all about who you are and how you are perceived and one of the key components will be for you to be authentic. Everything about you, from the way you look and how your voice sounds to what you drive, speaks something about you so always remain true to yourself. In marketing personal branding is about working on your personal style, positioning and uniqueness to create a valued brand.Whether its a personal brand or that of a product or service, the value of a brand is in the promise that it makes. If you do not take control of your own personal brand, then somebody else will. And unless its a highly paid consultant with your interests at heart then its time for you to start thinking about personal branding. Personal branding takes key branding principles and applies them to individuals. This gives those individuals a considerable edge and can differentiate them from the competition. In order for you to differentiate yourself from other always be authentic and DO YOU.

Always Do You,
Greg

Branding yourself can take a little time but once done, you’re in business and making the kind of money you had hoped for in the first place.I am often asked how an individual can brand themselves and if personal branding is as valuable as corporate branding.Truth is personal branding is easier than company branding.Strong brands are clear about who they are and what they are not. Which is why branding yourself can be an easy process.The key to successfully branding yourself and doing it effectively is to first establish a personal brand identity.Thus I like to encourage you to consider branding yourself as well things you touch and activities you are involved in. People who focus on branding will stand out amongst the crowd.At its essence, personal branding is about the authentic and very special promise of value you offer. In order to brand yourself properly you must have the tools in place like a personal blog, great photos, online videos as well as you will need to use some of the new tools out there like contact management, video email, desktop sharing and the likes. Personal branding takes work but at the end of the day if you do the work you can elevate yourself to rock star status.

Always Do You,
Greg