Online Personal Branding

I am eager to share part of my Online Personal Branding presentation with you.

I have given this presentation several times recently and, from the feedback I have been receiving, it seems to be timely and valuable to the audience. I hope you too find these points useful and helpful.

What is your brand?

I usually start off the presentation by reminding the audience of the old and proven sayings that “first impressions are lasting impressions” and “you have about two seconds to make a good impression”.

The impression you make is your brand.

In those two seconds, people are using every clue at their disposal to categorize or make a judgment of you. You can be a victim here or you can take control.

When someone comes to your blog or sees you on a social networking site, you have the power to influence how they perceive you. You are in control. For better or worse.

That is very powerful.

I also like to remind the audience, which lately has been business people, that the opportunities that come your way will be greatly influenced by how people perceive you. If you are branded in a positive light, you get the call or the benefit of the doubt. If not, crickets.

These following points are what I urge my audience to consider.

The name you choose – use your real name. Always.
Your photo or image – it is very important that you take control here. You will be judged. Be thoughtful about this.
The bio – be real but tell us your dreams. We want to know the real you.
Your email signature – use this free email tool. It is a big mistake not to.
Using professional templates – are you so cheap that you can’t afford to pay for a template?
The words you choose and how you use them – take the time to spell correctly and choose your words carefully.
Your demeanor – don’t come across as a crazy person – people read what you post. They read your rants and your brand takes a dive. Don’t be a crazy person.

It is commonsense but we see people violate these rules all the time.