4 Tips on Writing Great Stories For Your Brand

When telling a story, how do you make it a worthwhile read? How do you captivate your audience? Reflect on your daily activities to look for life experiences to help reach and engage with your audience. How do your use your life experiences to shape your story?

One thing to keep in mind when writing your story is the focus. As storytellers, we can easily go off on tangents and get distracted. Stay on track by sticking to the focus of your story. If you’re having trouble finding your focus, then stop and think….

and think…

It’s easy to forget a fundamental key in storytelling…thinking.

Think

After some reflection and thought, the focus may come to you once the story’s been told. The focus is what the story is about…why it was told.

Ask yourself four questions when preparing your story:

1. Why does my story matter? Why are you telling your story? You think it matters, but who else does? This goes hand and hand with understanding your audience and telling them a story they’d connect with… emotionally.

2.What’s the point? What’s the purpose of the story. To teach something? To share an experience that changed you? This is your focus. You should be able to define what that is with only a few words.

3.Why am I telling the story? Original content comes from people who are simply willing to tell their story – not attention seekers. So what’s your motivation behind the story?

4.What does this story say about me? Does it reflect you in a good light? Does it tell your audience who you are? Does the story flow? Is there a clear understanding? You want to make your story understandable and relatable. You want to be liked, but you want to leave them with something to chew on.

By answering the four basic questions… your audience may be able to make a real connection with your story and ultimately you (your brand).

Why is it important to focus? Because we want to know what the story was about.

We want to know why that story was shared.

We want to take something away from it… connect with it.

Personal Brands: Have It Your Way

I could tell you this story 6.8 billion different ways, which is just about how many of us there are on this planet. It’s the story behind why I didn’t write last week and why I didn’t have a barbeque's on Labor Day. The same saga could have (and likely did) happen to others.

I’m going to tell you what happened to me in “my way.” Just like you must now be searching and refining “your way” to talk about what happens to you.

Communication is everything

Communication is everything in personal branding. And, you’re probably going to talk about the same things that other people do – other people who want the same job, the same project, the same promotion or the same gig. When you have to compete with 6.8 billion people, believe me, there’s a lot of overlap of material.

When your personal brand is your authentic self, you are going to tell your stories in a coherent, remarkable, and recognizable voice. You are not going to sound like anyone else.

The best way to find your voice is by writing and speaking often enough, about things that are and are not your area of expertise. For a while you may “try on” others’ voices until slowly you hear your own. I tried on Calvin Trillin, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, William Arruda, Chris Brogan, Peter Shankman and dozens of others until I finally heard my own voice.

Consider how you would tell my story if it happened to you. Here goes.

Over five long days, including the Labor Day “holiday,” my doctors stuck me in the hospital because I’d developed this massive gut infection. They’d actually watched it brewing for weeks until – inconveniently, it started to blow up on the Saturday when they’d all been planning their final summer barbeques.

It’s a weird week to be in hospital. Pretty much all the regulars are on vacay so the hospital is filled with moonlighters. It’s like a MASH unit with green recruits filling in for Hawkeye and company. Most of them looked like members of a grunge band, working for cash to fix their broken down VW bus.

My arms were purple and blue because the lab didn’t have staff to send up. Coming off the bench, the fill-ins were averaging 3 sticks for every one that actually drew the blood needed to see just how badly things were going, several times a day.

So, rather than just dig in and get out the offending organ (and spoil the weekend), the floating docs tossed me around for “tests.” Several were piloted by technicians who’d never even seen the MRIs or ultrasounds until they had me in or under them.

I was in one MRI for about an hour, with the tech yelling, “Fill ‘er up” (take in a big breath to fill my belly), followed by “Let ‘er go,” (push the air out). There was a lot of banging. Turns out no one there knew how to read whatever film was actually produced.

So, five minutes after exiting that tube, I was wheeled to an older one that stood in a doublewide trailer parked in the lot next door. This tech was completely silent with her ear buds in, and her iPod tunes helping her stay awake.

What I gleaned (not learned, since no one told me what was going on or going wrong) was that the growing infection clouded the field – meaning by now surgeons were reluctant to operate because they’d have really poor visibility.

Intravenous lines ran and ran out. Drips were hung and went dry. Finally, despite the delay game by the jv squad, it was time because there was no more time.

The procedure took about 45 minutes. Typically, it’s a Jiffy Lube type operation: in and out of a surgery center in just a few hours. It took me five days, a zillion times the expense and a substantial amount of pain that I might wish on my worst enemy, depending on the crime committed.

Per Diem staff (day laborers who normally don’t work the hospital) watched me for a few days and sent me home on two medications that I’m allergic to – both stamped in bold on my medical records at that hospital, and on an easy to see red band that yells ALLERGY on my left wrist.

After being let out, I was back in the emergency room two days later with my immune system shut down, allowing small white palm trees to grow in my mouth. At first the ER doc said, “Too bad, it’s the only drugs you can take for this infection, so you cannot stop taking them.” I frowned, squashing one of the plants onto the roof on my mouth. He stepped out “to make a phone call.” and returned to tell me to “Just stop taking them.” I got a banana flavored liquid to swill in my mouth and a bottle of Benadryl, apparently worth $120 since that’s what the ER visit cost.

As I left, he shook my hand and said, “Sorry for the confusion. I’m actually an allergist. But, I’m just moonlighting here.”

Okay, over a half million people had their gall bladders removed in the US this year. So, the next story could be yours. Personal brand: how would you tell the story your way?

Find your voice

Listen to a friend. Watch a TV show. Read a blog post. Every time you can, ask yourself: How would I tell this story?

Are You The Complete Package?

Today post is by our friend and cohort Tom Webster. Tom blogs at Brand Savant and is a contributor to Social Media Explorer, and at his big kid job he’s the VP of Strategy of Edison research. Connect with Tom on Twitter at @webby2001.

If you’ve ever worked for somebody else, chances are you’ve gotten a performance review. This is not a day you should dread. If you work for a quality manager, this day should not be full of surprises – you know what you need to work on, and your review should be just that – a review of your progress.

If you work for a less competent manager, however, then your review will also provide you with valuable information – about your manager. In any case, it’s all information, and information is neither good nor bad. What you do with that information, however, is another story.

Being Incomplete

Years ago, near the start of my consulting career, I received the following helpful advice in a performance review: “Tom, if you could develop some sales skills, you’d be the complete package.” For a number of years, I operated under that assumption. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a complete package? I had established an early reputation in my field as a sharp thinker, but even sharp thinkers need clients to put food on their family’s table. So I started to work on that aspect of my career. I’m not a natural salesman, so I enrolled in some training courses, read a few books, and – most importantly – tried to find a role model in my organization who could show me the ropes.

I started teaming up with another consultant in my firm who was a gifted salesman – I’ll call him “Jack.” While we were on the same level in the organization, he was clearly bringing in more work to the company. We were about the same age, and had gotten along well socially up to that point, so I was genuinely looking forward to working with him more often in the field. For about a year, Jack and I were a road team for a fair amount of the company’s international work, and we spent lots of time together in conference rooms, airports, and hotels.

I quickly discovered that we were basically oil and water;. While Jack took pains to couch his advice and make the client feel good, I was oblivious enough to call the baby ugly, even when the baby was in the room . Sometimes, when I felt as if he just didn’t “see” what I saw in the data, we would have open debates about interpretations and recommendations – in front of clients.

I saw these debates as healthy, and in service of finding the best solution; he saw them as presenting a message to clients that we weren’t on the same page. We were both a bit stubborn, and soon our perceptions of each other began to result in a more strained relationship. I began to dismiss Jack’s client communications as “happy talk.” Jack saw me as an egotistical loose cannon. We were, of course, both right.

You’re Not My Type

Several years later, Jack and I had both moved on to bigger and better things, and I didn’t spend much time reviewing this particular chapter in my career until I had the good fortune to take a management science class while working towards my MBA. In the course of this particular class, I took a number of assessments and psychological instruments that described my working style, inventoried my skills, and even analyzed my personality. The latter test, the famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), was particularly troubling to me at first, because I saw the results as prescriptive and limiting, rather than as “information.”

If you’ve never taken the MBTI, let me strongly urge you to do so – if you approach it with the right mindset, it will change the way you think about your work, and might even change your life. In my case (and I’ve taken the test twice with identical results), my personality type is what the instrument calls INTP, which basically means that I’m better with problems than with people In fact, I’m pretty much the very textbook definition of an INTP.

As I hinted earlier, at first I rejected the results of this test, because I incorrectly interpreted it as telling me what I can do and what I can’t do, and I don’t like being told I can’t do anything. What I learned, however, was that the test was exactly right – it didn’t tell me that I couldn’t be extroverted or empathic, merely that I would have to work at those things and employ coping mechanisms for those times when I need to be “out of type.”

For example, the “I” in INTP stands for introverted, which doesn’t mean that I am a shy wallflower (I’m not), but rather that people tire me out, and I have to be alone when I need to recharge those batteries. Extroverts, on the other hand, recharge with people. The test doesn’t say that I can’t be extroverted when I need to be, merely that I’d be more comfortable by myself. Maybe you’re the same way?

What Fits, What Complements

When I really came to grips with what I learned as a result of this process and accepted it, I began to rethink what it means to be “a complete package.” To return to my original example (developing sales skills), there is nothing in the MBTI that says an INTP can’t be a competent, or even very good seller. It’s simply a matter of either finding a sales style you are comfortable with (HINT: 99% of the “sales” books on the shelf at your local bookstore aren’t written for you) OR trying to play “out of character” when you need to, and allowing yourself time to recharge when necessary. In my case, I chose the former option, and have worked out a number of strategies over the years to find a sales style that works for me (by the way – and make no mistake about this – whether or not you are in sales, you are in sales. Believe it.)

Turns out, there is also a third option. While INTP’s like myself are not natural sellers, their polar opposites - the ESFJs – are. If you’ve ever met a pure ESFJ, you’ll know the type instantly – gregarious, easy conversationalists, natural connectors, and don’t particularly enjoy the abstractions and theories that an INTP swims in. I’m not even remotely like an ESFJ. I’m pretty sure I know one, however – my former colleague, Jack.

What I saw early in my career as “oil and water” – my opposite – I now see with the benefit of another decade of experience as my complement. Had egos not gotten in the way, I would have realized that “the complete package” I was striving for was really the combination of Jack and me. Jack was an exemplary salesman, and together we were actually a formidable team. Today I can “do” sales, but I’ll never be as good as Jack. I’m now OK with that – I have other gifts. That doesn’t mean I don’t still work on things like sales to be the best I can be, but I no longer see those things as “flaws”; weaknesses that prevent me from being the complete package.

You Don’t Need Fixing. You Might Need Jack.

So here’s the ultimate lesson about all of this. You’ve heard management gurus by the truckload tell you that you have to “break out of your comfort zone,” but sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the cliche, and extract the brass tack thinking behind it to make it work for you (yes, Amber and Tamsen, I DID just do that ) Often, when we form groups, teams and task forces in our jobs, we naturally gravitate towards like-minded people.

True, when I see people at conventions, conferences and in social occasions, there are some people I’d rather have a beer with than others. In business, however, the people you might steer clear of in social situations might, in fact, have completely different thinking styles, communication styles and ways of breaking down tasks and problems that are, if not foreign to you, at least uncomfortable – and that’s exactly why they are invaluable. Working with those people is exactly what I mean by breaking out of your comfort zone.

In the words of John Donne, no man [or woman] is an island. Had I truly been ready to break out of my comfort zone those years ago, I would have recognized that the Toms of the world and the Jacks of the world might individually be good at some things, not so good at others – but put the Toms together with the Jacks, and there is some serious ass-kicking potential. The Toms and Jacks of the world need each other. Together, they are the complete package.

What about you? When you examine your working style, your projects, and even your career, what holds you back? Do you encounter the same stumbling blocks and sticking points over and over? Have you succumbed to negative self-talk, defeatism or other unhealthy thought patterns as a result? Maybe you don’t need “fixing.” Maybe you just don’t know Jack…yet

5 Little-Known Factors Could Affect Your Personal Brand

Although it’s a constant uphill battle to build your brand, destroying or severely damaging it is scarily easy. In that vein, you’ll want to stay away from the following practices:

Appearing Unfocused

You might have multiple interests or passions. Think about which is the most important or most developed to focus your brand around. It can be confusing to others for you to be an expert in two or three completely different fields. What about your brand? Can it be expressed in six words or less, be memorable and convey a positive feeling about you?” He also gave examples such as, “What can Brown do for you?” and “Just Do It.”

Keeping Your Private Life Completely Separate

Gone are the days of keeping business and personal lives separate. You do not want to appear insincere in your efforts. In fact, people will respond and connect with you more if you come off as a real person. So, share stories and experiences with your audience. You’ll be surprised at the deeper connection you will form with each person.

Lack of Listening

Building a brand requires consistency – but it also requires listening to feedback. Do you know what people are saying about your brand? Set up a Google alert to catch new postings mentioning your name, or search Twitter. Genuinely read and listen to praise, criticism and feedback. It can only help you strengthen your brand further!

No Back Story

Everyone has a back story – where they grew up, where they draw inspiration from, why they are passionate about their field, their education, etc. Think about it: the celebrities and well-known people you look up to all have a back story, and you’ve probably heard it a dozen times. Where is President Obama from? How did Bill Gates get his start? These stories are important parts of their brand and allow people to relate to them. What’s yours?

You Think Visibility = Strong Brand

Don’t jump into social media and blogging before you give yourself time to create a strong personal brand. When creating yours, make certain you ask yourself the following questions:

• Who are you?


• What differentiates you from your competition?


• What do you want to do for the long-term?

You can damage your brand by presenting inconsistencies if you don’t consider these important elements of your brand first.

Is there anything else you would add? Have you ever been guilty of any of these?

Author:

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. She is also the author of#ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.

10 Reasons Why YOU Should Care About Personal Branding

The demand for personal branding is increasing faster than I can type this post. Many of the reasons why you should build your personal brand have been discussed on this blog, including global competition, online presence management, and the need to stand out. The global population, from India to Malaysia, has been buzzing about the topic, yet it has become less of a buzz word and more “common speech.” Our brands are going to be seen everywhere that people are searching, forcing us to manage and monitor them daily.

1. Generations are colliding online

Facebook started out as a hang out place for college students, but now we’re seeing older generations adopt social networking. Social networking use among internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled—from 22% in April 2009 to 42% in May 2010. This means that communication between age groups is occurring more and more each day, and your audience is changing rapidly. Entire families are interacting online and 70% of parents friend their kids. You have to be aware of your audience and the content you’re publishing because if they don’t match, it can have a negative effect on your personal brand.

2. You online reputation can make or break you

Your brand is on the line, wherever your name and face is seen. Clients, managers and other professional stakeholders in your life have access to what you post publicly on the net. You can even lose your job over blog comments or attacks from people that already have a negative view on your reputation. For instance, Madhu Yarlagadda was hired by Skype as the new Chief Development Officer, and after a TechCrunch blog post, people came out of the woodwork to expose Madhu. Skype replaced him after a month of employment. You’ve all heard stories of people losing their jobs, their apartments, and their boyfriends/girlfriends because of information and pictures uncovered online. We all need to use more common sense!

3. Employers are reviewing your online personal brand (except Germany)

Almost every website on the planet has a search engine component to it and employers are using them to find more information about you. It’s getting to the point, where some countries (like Germany) are banning employers use of social networks as background checks. There are race and sex issues all the time, but as a culture, we won’t change. The information you provide online is public, unless you’ve used privacy settings. 53% of hiring managers are using social networks to find out more about you, states CareerBuilder. Make sure your personal brand is consistent and up-to-date.

4. Perception (how we present ourselves) is king

It’s the little things that count, whether you’re in an interview, or interacting with people online. A CareerBuilder survey states that 67% of hiring managers say that failure to make eye contact would make them less likely to hire a job candidate and 38% said lack of smile. People will judge you on small things that make a big difference. By being professional, using good eye contact, shaking someone’s hand, having good posture, and using appropriate images online, you will be more successful when communicating with others.

5. Stay relevant or stay unemployed

You need to be relevant to be desirable in the marketplace. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 60% of all new jobs in the twenty-first century will require skills that only 20% of current employees possess. You need a sense for what skills are important in your industry, and which ones might be significant in the future. By keeping yourself relevant, you’re keeping yourself employed. For instance, if you’re in the marketing world, you can’t avoid online advertising, and mobile applications.

6. Job searching has been replaced by “people searching”

If you apply for a job through a job board, you will be disappointed. In The New York Post, there was an article about one woman who applied for 1,056 jobs since being laid off, and only a handful of the 1,056 resumes she mailed out resulted in even an initial interview. Instead of wasting your precious time applying for jobs using job boards, that lead to nowhere, conduct a people search. Use the web to locate people who work at companies, and positions, that you’re interested in and then network with them constantly. For some great networking advice, read this resource by Inc. Magazine.
As you progress in your career, networking becomes more important because it’s almost 100% a hidden job market when you’re an executive job seeker. Only 22% of positions paying $200,000 or more are being posted on job boards. Your best bet is to focus on building an enormous Rolodex throughout your career, giving value to them, and then asking for help when you need it.

7. You have to stand out, to get noticed, and uncover opportunities

People are starting to go to extreme lengths to stand out in this crowded world. 64% of young women say that they would release a sex tape to get ahead. I wouldn’t recommend this approach, of course, but there are a lot of things you can do to build your personal brand and get attention. For instance, creating a video resume of yourself and sending it to a hiring manager is one way to get through the noise. Also, having a blog that depicts your human voice is a great addition to a stale resume that employers don’t trust anyways.

8. You have to specialize

You need to be known for something and don’t try to be everything to everyone. Being a generalist will help you adapt to new jobs because the market changes all the time, but specializing will make you more desirable to hiring managers. In fact, 71% of hiring managers are looking to fill “specialized positions” while 61% of job seekers considered themselves to have “broad skill sets”. Companies are looking to hire experts in their fields to solve real business problems. Become an expert in an in-demand field and you will have leverage over the recruitment process, make more money, and securing a stable position.

9. The competition is relentless

The competition we’re facing online is getting tougher by the day. There are 75 million people on LinkedIn, 150 million blogs, 500 million people on Facebook, and 200 million people on Twitter. With the amount of noise/content available now, you have to work harder, faster, and smarter to get your name out there. People who have known brands in their industry will flourish because people already know, like and trust them. Everyone else has to put in the effort to build a brand that can compete.
The economy has created a tough job market for most individuals, especially inexperienced college graduates. There are currently 2 million unemployed college graduates, and companies are hiring 22% fewer graduates. Our country is becoming more educated with about 40% of Americans having college degrees. Although, having a college degree isn’t a requirement for success (ask Bill Gates), it’s extremely important for building a foundation for future success for most people. Non-entrepreneurs should obtain an MBA in order to attain management positions within companies.

10. Interpersonal skills are becoming more valuable

A brand requires a personality if it’s going to be distinctive. Your personal brand needs to be personable and attract positive attention. Organizations are starting to place a higher value on interpersonal skills (communication, teamwork, organization) and cultural fit, instead of technical skills and experience. Technical skills and experience are easily replaceable in most fields, but it’s harder to replace people who fit perfectly in your organization and work well with your current employees. A new survey by Right Management shows that 31% of companies feel that organizational culture and motivation fit is important, while only 12% are for technical skills, and 11% are for relevant experience.

A Cup of Coffee to Reputation Management

 

Google never forgets.

This can be a benefit or detriment to you, depending on what you’ve put online (or what others have put online about you) thus far.

Negative content can range from news stories, blog posts or comments, and lawsuits that appear in search results all the way to compromising pictures or content on a Facebook profile. Whatever the outlet, this is your online reputation we’re talking about – which is often the only representation of you that potential employers and clients may have – it’s critical to know what’s out there and to take control.

Believe it or not, there is something you can do about negative online information.

Content is key

The key to reputation management is content. Good content – and a lot of it – on Google friendly sites will help drive bad search results from the number 1-10 spots down to the teens or twenty’s, which is sometimes enough to sway a potential influential person from marking you with a big red letter.
Unless negative items are consistently published and updated online, the more positive content you add, the farther the negative results will go. Improving your online reputation takes dedication and time.
Now, you’re probably not going to be able to affect your Facebook or LinkedIn search results, so if you have some compromising material on there, it’s best to remove it entirely from your profile.
Articles published on Google-friendly article directories, press releases, and guest posts on blogs (choose blogs with some history and therefore higher ranking) will help to fill in the first 1-2 pages with positive results. If you can get an article in the local paper, which will most likely have a good online presence that will help the cause.
Content topics should be relevant to what you do, what you know about, or what you’ve done. For example,

1. Press Release: You’ve gained a new client!
2. Article: “Top 10 Ways to…”
3. Article: “What I’ve Learned From…”
4. Article: “What Your Current Service Provider Doesn’t Want You to Know…”
5. Success Story: How you applied an innovative solution to solve a problem.

Repurpose for positioning

If these five pieces are not enough to drive down your negative results, take a look at what worked best. You can repurpose the best content or create new content for that same venue.
There are reputation management systems out there, however, they are merely reporting systems that provide you with the current state of your online reputation and the reporting sources’ trustworthiness. Reputation management companies must still roll up their sleeves and create a barrage of positive content to drown out the rest.
For tips on writing good, fast content and publishing it on Google-friendly sites, see http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/a-cup-of-coffee-to-personal-article-marketing/.
Author:
Wendy Brache is the co-creator of Sales Force Branding and founder of Kismet Group Web Marketing, now a division of Access Marketing Company. Wendy is a senior consultant specializing in B2B Corporate Social Media, and is a featured marketing technology speaker and columnist on renowned websites, such as Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference, Chopra’s Intent.com and Denver’s GreatIdeasForKids.com.

The Tri-Fecta of Opportunity: Personal Branding, Social Media and Inbound Marketing

Lately, I’ve had some interesting conversations on Personal Branding, Social Media and Inbound Marketing. I really enjoy writing and speaking about these topics because they are the new frontier of the Web 2.0 marketplace. And when combined properly they can create massive opportunity where it would not have existed before.

Once upon a success story…

Let’s take a look at a success story on how one savvy Personal Brand had opportunity find them because of the combination of their Personal Brand, Social Media, and Inbound Marketing.

Savvy Sue had been out of school for a few years and was working a steady job at a good company. She was a good employee, worked hard and was dependable. Despite these qualities she realized she did not have anything that truly differentiated herself from others. That was until she created her Personal Brand.

Savvy Sue began promoting her Personal Brand on social media sites like Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and her blog. She joined some forums in topics of interest to her in Yahoo Answers, she joined groups, participated in discussions and answered questions on Linkedin. She tweeted useful links and spread the word about her new blog posts. She was constantly making new digital relationships.

Then it happened to Savvy Sue — she got the offer of a lifetime. She was asked to join the social media group at her company and be a thought leader in developing the company’s social media strategy and take it to market. She gladly accepted the offer.

How did Savvy Sue do it?

She took a chance.

Savvy Sue received this offer because she created visibility and credibility for herself. She put herself in the way of opportunity and it found her.


This is just one of the many success stories I have heard over the years and it drives home a very interesting point.

Visibility and credibility = Memorability

Combine the forces of your Personal Brand with Social Media and you will begin to receive inbound opportunities that can change your career and life.

It takes time, patience and persistence but it can happen.

It happens everyday, to everyday people and it can happen to you too.

Have a great weekend!

Author:

Chad Levitt is the author of the New Sales Economy blog, which focuses on how Sales 2.0 & Social Media can help you connect, create more opportunities and increase your business. Chad is also the featured Sales 2.0 blogger at SalesGravy.com, the number one web portal for sales pros, the professional athletes of the business world. Make sure to connect with him on Twitter @chadalevitt.

4 Personal Branding Tips Learned From Corporations

Companies have long understood the power of branding. They spend millions of dollars a year making a brand promise to customers that goes beyond the technical and physical attributes of a particular product. They build an identity that customers feel safe choosing over the competition.

So, what four specific takeaways can you get from corporate branding, and how can you apply it to yourself?

1. Unique Selling Point

• Corporate Branding. All companies must identify what differentiates their product. Why is it better than other similar products out there? Quality? Speed? Customer service? Excellent design?
• Personal Branding. Identify your own unique selling point. What makes you different? Better? Do you do things faster than your competition? Do you provide superior quality? Are you very sociable and emotion-oriented? Do you have a knack for making complex things simple? Do some soul-searching, and ask a few friends and colleagues what single quality stands out to them.

2. Competitive Analysis

• Corporate Branding. A company must position itself effectively against its competition. A business analyzes how other companies in its niche are acting, to see what works (and what doesn’t). Then they can then create a much more compelling brand for themselves knowing what is out there.
• Personal Branding. Use your competition to your advantage. Look at how other people offering similar services portray their brands. Then build on them to create an even more compelling one for yourself. For example, if you’re an artist, browse artist galleries on the web to see how they’re showcasing their abilities. Then take the best qualities of each one and mix it with your own style.

3. Values

• Corporate Branding. A company’s values guide its decisions. “The boss says we need to lay someone off. Jane sugg ested letting go of our phone tech support guy. But that wouldn’t jibe with our company value of superior customer service.” Corporate values such as superior customer service lay the foundation for decisions that align with a company’s brand promise.
• Personal Branding. Personal values act in a similar way. They are the principles that shape your work habits and the way you interact with other people. Take a hint from your personality traits to find what values are important to you. Are you extremely shy? That may mean you prefer working on a project alone until it’s absolutely perfect before showing it to other people. Your shyness may stem from perfectionism, which says, “This person values the highest standards of quality in all their work.” Identify the values that guide you, then focus on the ones will be most critical to your future success.

4. Impressions

• Corporate Branding. An “impression” is when someone looks at a logo, picture, ad, website, or other visual media related to a company and that image gets embedded in their mind. Each impression strengthens the connection between a company and its brand promise for that person. Corporate branding pushes a company’s image onto as many people as possible, because the more potential customers see the brand, the more they trust that company can deliver on its promise – and the more they think about that company as they go about their day. Impressions aren’t limited to advertising – companies also brand their invoices, newsletters and all communications, using their logo and tagline to strengthen the relationship between their name and their brand.

• Personal Branding. With everyone you meet, strengthen the association between your face and what you excel at. You want your name to be seen in a positive light by as many people as possible. That means every time you post a comment on a blog or forum, every time you send an email, every time you complete a project or presentation, put your name on it. Anonymity is not your friend. Take pride in all your work and connect it back to your brand. The more people come across these “digital breadcrumbs,” the more you convince them that you can deliver on your brand promise. So include your name, your tagline (what you do and who you do it for) and your contact info in all your work.

Author:

Pete Kistler is a leading Online Reputation Management expert for Generation Y, a top 5 finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine’s College Entrepreneur of 2009, one of the Top 30 Definitive Personal Branding Experts on Twitter, a widely read career development blogger, and a Judge for the 2009 Personal Brand Awards. Pete manages strategic vision for Brand‐Yourself.com, the first online reputation management platform for job applicants, named one of the Top 100 Most Innovative College Startups in the U.S.

My Top 4 Personal Branding Goals for 2010

I can’t believe it’s already 2010. Not only did we end another year, but we ended another decade. Ten years ago, I didn’t have an established personal brand. But now, in 2010, I’m excited about planning ahead for growing my brand over the next year—and decade.

Plan your work and work your plan

Everyone knows we make resolutions we can’t keep, mostly because they weren’t achievable in the first place or simply not measurable. So instead of resolutions for my personal brand, I’m making a detailed plan of what I’d like to accomplish by the end of the year—all of which you can do, too.

1. Secure at least one paid speaking engagement every month, or 12 total for the year.

I just love speaking to student groups—particularly when I receive notes from them afterward about how I inspired them to take action in their future careers. (I recently received an e-mail update from a student whose university I spoke at in October. He’s interning with the CIA this semester because of the tips I provided!)

I’m well on my way to achieving this, with two speaking engagements booked in February and a planned nationwide speaking tour with Lisa Orrell, The Generation Relations Expert.

2. Put my business in the black.

Although Come Recommended had an extremely successful launch in mid-May 2009, we didn’t turn a profit our first year. However, I’m nowhere near discouraged by this fact because we just launched a brand new service, GoodieRecruit, that we’re

piloting in Washington, D.C. and has already received rave reviews in the area.

3. Finish my two paperback books and publish a new e-book every six (or so) weeks.

My first book, #ENTRYLEVELtweet: From Classroom to Cubicle, is going through the final stages of publishing and should be out in late-January or early-February. My other book, Come Recommended: From Freshman to Newbie, should be out by the time Spring graduation rolls around.

I just published the first e-book (my second one, actually, but the first in this new effort), Relocating for an Entry-Level Job: Why You Probably Have to & How to Do It. Now I just need to keep the momentum going! All these books are not about the money but rather the prestige that comes with being a published author.

4. Create an editorial calendar for all my writing commitments and guest blog more often.

I write for so many different outlets, and I’ve just added a new one. So, it’s about time I really manage all of my content so I can stay on track and on message. In terms of guest blogging, I know there are even more potential audience members I’m not yet reaching. To help alleviate that, I’ve made a list of bloggers with whom I already have relationships and ones I still need to get to know a little better in order to further my 2010 goals. Hopefully along the way I can return many, if not all, of the favors!

How about you?

What are your personal branding goals for 2010 and your plan for achieving them?

Author:

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers. She is also the national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.

Disagree With Personal Branding? Read This!

I took a week vacation, where I was barely online (it costs 59 cents per minute to use the cruise ship internet service) and I thought really hard about all the criticism that personal branding has received in 2009. I’ve heard rants from people who think personal branding is selfish and others from people who view personal branding as being not authentic. I don’t get discouraged or upset by any of these opinions because people fear what they don’t understand (a line I got from The Dark Night movie) and since it’s the “hot buzz word,” people are getting annoyed hearing it all of the time.

I dedicated this post to people who disagree with personal branding, but care enough about it to voice their opinions online.

If you’re a personal branding expert or enthusiast, you may use this post to help others understand what the concept is all about.

What the critics say about personal branding (and my responses)

Rather than hide the criticisms over the past year, I’d like to shed light on some of the one’s that have caught my eye. The blue italicized sentences after each remark are my interpretations of personal branding.

• “Personal branding makes you afraid.”
  
  If you’re confident about your brand then you’re proud instead of afraid.


• “Could another term downplay the marketing connotation that risks reducing human beings to commodities?” Human beings start off as commodities and by way of personal branding, they can stand for something, achieve greatness and become visible to their audience.


• “I’m just saying all this ballyhoo about ‘branding’ is nothing more than simple, basic marketing.”
  
  Most people don’t have marketing backgrounds (marketing isn’t taught to non-marketing majors) and the internet has forced us to all become marketers of our own brands using social media tools that are free and allow us to connect to our audience, employers, etc.


• “Personal branding is like religious evangelism: if you don’t buy into it, you’re going to hell.”
  
  If you don’t buy into someones personal brand, then you have the authority to unsubscribe to their blog, unfollow them on Twitter, etc. The world is opt-in, so you get to select your own religion.


• “Personal branding is often an ego-based image based on communications.”
  
  When personal branding becomes ego-based, the ego is usually deflated by an audience that can move elsewhere fairly easily. Everyone in the world has an ego and it’s how they behave that accounts for their brand (and how they’re perceived).

As you can see, this is opinion based and the disagreement is the result of a misunderstanding of the concept.

The idea behind the concept

If you disagree with the concept of personal branding, then you might agree with the idea behind the concept, which is marketing yourself to stand out from the crowd. No one can deny that the world population is growing exponentially and that with that larger pool of people comes massive competition. The competition puts us under great pressure to stand out and be known amongst the people vying for the same opportunities as us.



Here is another way how you can look at it:

• Problem: competition


• Goal: standing out


• Solution: personal branding (you can replace this with self-marketing if that makes you feel more comfortable)

The idea wasn’t formed when people starting blogging or when Tom Peters wrote about it in Fast Company on August 1st, 1997. Personal branding has been around forever! How did you ever find out about Christopher Columbus if you weren’t born during that age? You read textbooks about him and watched the history channel on TV. Same with the dinosaurs as well. The tyrannosaurus rex is a brand and you describe the creature as ferocious and it’s branded as “the king of the dino’s.” Everything has always been branded/described/labeled, but it wasn’t until social media took off before people start seeing themselves as a brand.

Why is there a lot of buzz about personal branding now?

There’s no question that social media is the fuel that is making personal branding a common term used in our language now. The reason why it’s happening is because all types of brands have the same privileges now and branding has been taken down to a personal level. For instance, the fact that Britney Spears, Oprah, Comcast, a small pizza place in Chicago, a local dry cleaners in my town and everyone else can have a profile, a website and a blog now, makes it obviously and apparent that branding is everything. The issue isn’t branding though because that already exists as long as you let it. The main concern is making a brand and a reputation.

5 Questions you should ask to people who disagree with personal branding

1. Do you know how you’re being perceived by the people that surround your life?


2. Have you ever been called something over and over again but dismissed it?


3. Are you pursuing your dream or someone else’s dream?


4. If I Google your name or search for it on Facebook, what will I get? Are you proud of it?


5. Has any kind of visibility, online or offline, generated leads, love interest or opportunities for you?

Your turn

Do you agree with personal branding? Do your friends?

Why Would Any Company Care About Personal Brands?

With all the buzz about personal branding, I’m often asked, why would a company care about an employee’s personal brand?

Every industry along with the companies within that industry have acronyms that they use exclusively. J.L.P. is one acronym used by well known international retail giant. It stands for “just like picture”. And, now copycat retailers try to customize that acronym with one of their own, LLP (“looks like picture”). “Just like picture” means that they want a merchandising display to look “just like the picture” that was sent from their corporate or regional headquarters. No variances, nothing adjusted to the locale, nothing different will be accepted – they want it “just like picture”.

Yet, what do you do when the “picture” was built for a store in a large metropolitan area where people utilize public transportation readily and there’s a store virtually on every corner and your store resides in a rural population, where there is no public transit and it’s 200 miles between cities? Does “just like picture” work or does this cookie cutter system make the company feel aloof, corporate and not local?

Every conference I go to I see slides and handouts stating – think global but act local.

I read blogs and Twitter tweets saying when a company gets big they need to remember to act small. It’s about engagement and interaction; conversation not interruption.

I hear people in communities share stories about “their store”, “their city”, “their company” because their desire is really to have ownership in organizations (and stores they shop) and feel a valued part of them.

More organizations are putting social media into their 2010 plan and I see this as a good thing. It is forcing companies to delve into a thought that personal brand strategists have known all along – people do business with people. While the company sets the tone and the culture, the person who is working directly with your customer “is the company” to them.

This week’s #brandchat conversation on Twitter discussed whether people “tweeting for a company under a company’s Twitter account are seen as corporate drones”. Unanimously, BRANDidos (a term of endearment for those who chat on brandchat) shared that a company IS its people.

Here are some stellar nuggets from the conversation:

http://www.yourbrandplan.com/forum/brandchat/27236-brandchat-recap-jan-6th-chat.html

karenswim: Q3: If we’re asking people to be robotic with no personal touch in any job, then yes they R a drone

jasonbreed: Q3: personal branding does help to lift the corp veil & get behind the wall that’s typically set up. rather deal w/person than Co

abarcelos: Q3. UR always a personal brand in people’s minds, especially after engaging (I think @scottmonty =Ford). It’s natural in people.

Can you imagine if Ford listened to “horse and buggy experts”? Would they have unveiled a Twittering car at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) this week? Would they be so well known for their corporate social media connections?

Why do employees need to manage their personal brand?

Because they already have one and if a company provides the tools for them they can effectively deliver on the corporate brand promise through strengths that are uniquely theirs with an authentic sincerity and genuineness that is just… priceless. If a company doesn’t provide the tools for employees to understand, harness the power of and manage their personal brand, they are truly throwing their customer experience out to the wind or they are making it so “JLP” that it thwarts relationships and the personal connections that customers seek.

Does helping create a personal brand encourage an employee to leave?

This is an age old question tied to “what if I train my employees and they leave?” And, here the answer comes in the form of a question – “Which is worse? The trained employee who MIGHT leave or the untrained employee who stays and represents your company, controls your assets and affects your bottom-line?”

Employees come with their reputation and their circle of influence and that is currency in our hyper-connected society. Relationships have even more value in today’s world of business as there are more opportunities and more choices competing for your customers money. When a relationship become cold and ceases to no longer be mutually beneficial, somebody leaves – we see this in friendships, in marriages and in businesses.

Business is built on relationships and relationships require people.

Author:

Maria Elena Duron chief buzz officer, speaker and coach. Share your greatest personal branding challenge in the Brand NOT Brag Contest to win a strategic 5-point personalized plan to create positive word of mouth for you!

Woody Allen Understands What It Means to Be a Brand Champion

Yesterday I heard a repeat interview from last June on NPR with one of my all time favorite actors, Woody Allen. He fielded some challenging questions about his life and his work. The topic was not officially defined as a brand discussion, but as I most often do, that is how I related to the dialogue. Anytime people are talking about identity, they are discussing brand.

Allen was asked about whether or not he cared what people thought of his personal life, especially in terms of his marriage to a much younger woman, who was the adopted daughter of his ex-wife. Allen handled the question quite well. He indicated that he did not think anyone should live their life by what the outside world thought. If one did, he believed one's life would then be inauthentic.

That is an interesting perspective that organizations can and should think about too. I often hear pundits say that a brand is defined by your customers. Like Allen, I believe that if you let the outside world define your brand, your organization will not be authentic. The organization needs to define itself based on its mission and core values. Should internal and external audiences be a part of the process? Absolutely. But when the organization understands itself will it have the opportunity to recruit and retain the right brand champions.

Does your organization, or do you, let others define your brand?

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day- Second City

I am always on the look out for sustainable brands. Those organizations that understand who they are and have stood the test of time. As an education brand consultant, I help colleges and universities, and pre-k to 12 schools understand that a sustainable brand is based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement. I can't think of a better example of how these concepts come together than Second City.

This year marks the fiftieth year anniversary of Second City. For half a decade this organization has offered classes, delivered fantastic performances and produced a hall of fame list of comedic alumni, household names like Joan Rivers and Bill Murray to name two. Others include John and Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Mary Gross, Jerry Stiller, Tina Fey, Harold Ramis and Gilda Radner.

The other day a colleague of mine asked if I had ever featured a comedian as Brand Champion of the Day. He rightfully suggested Second City and its ensemble of the finest in the land. For staying true to your brand, always delivering on your brand promise and producing tons of brand champions, Second City, you are the Brand Champion of the Day!

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

BrandED Consultants Group

If At First Sex Does Not Sell Your Brand Try, Try Again! Or Go Green!

I guess that is the philosophy of the powers that be at Carl's Jr. It must have been about a year or two ago when Carl's Jr. hired Paris Hilton to eat a burger with very little on, thinking that guys were going to get turned on and go out a buy a bunch of burgers and fries at their nearest Carl's Jr. The reason I remember that short-term, ad agency tactic is because it was a success, but because it failed miserably. Now I see that Carl's Jr. is back at it again.

This time they have hired Kim Kardashian to be their spokes-kitten. Apparently this time Carl's Jr. is trying to go green by trying to sway men to enter a contest and win a salad date with Kim. I have to admit that it has been a very long time since I ate at Carl's Jr. so things may have changed over the past few years. But, the reason I have not eaten there for a long time is the same reason I advocate that they concentrate on developing a long-term sustainable brand strategy based on quality of food and service.

Why do some organizations never learn that sex rarely works as a brand strategy? As my friend and brand futurist, Martin Lindstrom says in his quote in Monday's USA Today article on this topic, "What does sex really have to do with burgers?" Ditto! This is not the way to recruit and retain brand champions.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

BrandED Consultants Group

Fresno Attempts to Build a Brand From the Inside Out- Kinda

You may have read about the City of Fresno's latest attempt to "re-brand" itself. On the one-hand I applaud the decision makers for recognizing that any hope for developing a sustainable brand strategy needs to start internal. It sounds like Fresno realizes that it needs to engage its citizens first and get their buy-in.

That might be as far as I am willing to go in supporting the brand strategy, from what I know about the brand initiative. Why? Because it appears that like many other attempts (which usually fail) this one is focused too much on advertising and slogans. Fresno's new adopted slogan is "Be World-Class, Be Fresno." Hmmm, that doesn't do it for me.

I don't think World-Class when I hear or see the word Fresno. I think diversity, agriculture, California and other associations. I believe that every brand strategy needs to have some aspirational stretch to it, but not super aspirational, not in my lifetime stretch. I don't think this will be a sustainable brand strategy for Fresno. In the short-term it will kinda be successful. Too soon to tell whether Fresno will be able to recruit and retain brand champions.

A sustainable brand strategy is based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement. Not just a slogan and an expensive ad campaign. What do you think are the keys to sustainability?

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day- Jack LaLanne, Fitness Guru

Thank you Inc. magazine for your short feature on Jack LaLanne. It reminded me of my days of yore when I used to watch Jack LaLanne's morning television show on those days when I stayed home sick from school, and gazing at the boob tube from the couch. I don't recall whether or not watching him made me feel guilty for missing school or made me feel more sickly.

Reading about him in Inc. makes me feel remiss for not thinking about highlighting Jack LaLanne earlier as the Brand Champion of the Day. Jack LaLanne is now 95 years old and in better shape than most of the rest of us, no matter how young we think we are. I was informed that LaLanne opened his first health club in 1936. Talk about a man ahead of his time. Although LaLanne would probably argue that is non-sense. From his interview in Inc. it appears he does not like anyone referring to the good old days.

When you think about it our most valuable asset is our health. No one epitomizes that more than the Jack LaLanne brand. For all you do, Jack LaLanne, you are the Brand Champion of the Day.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champions Are Your Fans, Favorites, Followers & Friends, Not Your Target Audience

Social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others provide great opportunities for brands to connect with fans, favorites, followers and friends. These online resources and other digital communication channels like mobile texting, allow people and organizations to build their brands by creating communities of champions for their brand. Everyday I am amazed at how I am found, or how I find someone else who shares the same passion for brand. Many of whom will be lifelong advocates of our respective brands.

Those of us who take advantage of these resources understand that they are simply a keystroke or two away. Most often the only expense is time, and a technical glitch now and then. Let's compare that with another scenario. We hire an advertising agency to create an advertising campaign and then hire a television network to show our campaign to people who change the channel when our ad is about to be shown to our "target audience." Target audiences are not brand champions.

If your organization has not yet done so, you need to take the time to develop a digital communications plan that supports your brand. You will soon find the value in connecting to your fans, favorites, followers and friends. In other words, recruiting and retaining your brand champions.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Pepsi Enhances Brand by Dropping Super Bowl Ads

You won't be seeing Pepsi ads this year during breaks from game action on television this February 7 at the Super Bowl. After 23 years of doing so, Pepsi has decided like many of you that traditional 20th century forms of marketing no longer make sense. Pepsi has discovered that its generation like most other generations prefer online marketing.

In my view, this decision enhances the Pepsi brand. This move reinforces that Pepsi is a progressive brand and not tied to business as usual. Why spend upwards of $3 million for a 30 second spot that most people are not going to watch? Yes, there are still those people who say they watch the Super Bowl for the ads, and occasionally there are companies like godaddy.com who build their business from ad campaigns focused on the Super Bowl. But the majority of people either do not watch the Super Bowl or do not like advertising.

I think we will see more and more companies jumping the Super Bowl ship and at the same time recruit more and more brand champions.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Brand Champion of the Day- Jeff Bridges, Actor

About a year ago I heard Jeff Bridges interviewed on a local radio station. Although the actor has a huge body of work and is one of the most recognized names in film, I had never heard him interviewed before. I recall at the time thinking that he was an authentic "dude." Speaking of which, I am sure most of you have seen Jeff Brides play The Dude in The Big Lebowski. What a great character,and movie.

On Monday of this week I read an enlightening story on Jeff Bridges written by Anthony Breznican in the USA Today about Bridges new movie Crazy Heart. Within the piece a quote from Bridges gave me pause. In terms of deciding what projects to engage, Bridges says, "I'm attracted to what I'm afraid of, and I'm afraid of what I am attracted to. I love that. I think that way too. I love a challenge and I am challenged by what I love.

This month many including me have questioned the authenticity of the Tiger Woods brand strategy. Today, I take a different approach and recognize Jeff Bridges as the Brand Champion of the Day.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Forgiveness and the Tiger Woods Brand

Tiger Woods as super-athlete cum Human Brand, resonates with values that sports fans and non-sports fans adore: skill, planning prowess, the ability to get of out of sand traps with a single stroke. PR traps, too. These values –beyond his ability to win and his status as the first billion-dollar athlete in the history of the world – create a loyalty bond that’s second to none. And when you engender loyalty like that, people are six times more likely to give the brand (in this case The Human Brand, Woods) the benefit of the doubt.

Yesterday, Nike, Woods’ largest sponsor announced that its advertising plans involving him would not be altered by Mr. Woods’ “transgressions.” In a statement, Nike said, “ Tiger and his family have Nike’s full support. We respect Tiger’s request for privacy and our thoughts are with Tiger and his family at this time.”

“Sponsor expedience,” you say? That’s as well may be. But had the company an iota of evidence that the “transgression” was appreciably affecting company image and sales, they’d dump him as fast as a golfer scraps a driver with a cracked shaft!

Loyalty isn’t capricious. It’s palpable, especially as it regards sales and situations where the brand requires the benefit of the doubt. It’s far more emotional than rational, which is why virtually 100% of people asked if Tiger’s behavior was acceptable, would tell you “no,” and why that same 100% are willing to forgive his indiscretions. Which is why his biggest sponsors – along with his fans – have reaffirmed their support for him.

Here’s a marketing truth: Loyalty is always accompanied by positive consumer behavior and sales, and consumers willing to buy more, recommend more, rebuff competitive offers, and even invest in publicly traded companies. And sometimes it comes with a metaphorical ‘Get Out of Jail Card.”

But here’s another marketing truth: engendering that level of loyalty doesn’t happen by chance.

Courtesy: Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys

Sponsored By: The Brand Positioning Workshop