The Basics of Online Personal Branding: Five Simple Ways to Make Yourself Known

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a corporate executive, or an entrepreneur, an online presence in today’s digital world is a must. Often, when perusing through my Twitter newsfeed, I see women making very candid and opinionated comments, sometimes as a personal attack on another. What these women do not realize is that their immature behavior casts them in a negative light when it comes to their online persona. With this being said, it’s very important for women to know how simple it is to create a strong and positive brand for themselves on the internet.

 

Here are five basic things to think about when forming your identity in our digital age:

 

1. Identify your biggest strength and focus on that.

Use celebrities as an example. They hone in on their best skill (singing, acting, dancing, business) and focus on being the best at it. They focus on being great at one skill, instead of knowing a little about a lot of things. This is the same principle you should use when forming your presence on the web. Your “skill” can range from an expertise, to a hobby, to personal interests you have in common with others (ex: TV shows, music).

 

2. Think about what makes you stand out from the crowd- why should people remember you?

Make people remember you for your knowledge, skills, and similar background, not how well you trash talk or how opinionated you are in conversations. There is such a thing as bad attention, and the internet is not the place to broadcast biased thoughts. Now more than ever, negative online behavior can effect a situation when you least expect it.

3. Establish a presence on social media with the correct audiences- Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram.

Below is the difference between audiences on social networks. Some people mass post content on all their social media profiles. This is not a good practice because each audience is very different. One universal rule is to always act with respect. You are putting your brand out for the world to see- be mindful of that.

Facebook- social friendships, family connections, and re-connecting with people from the past. People also follow businesses and news outlets.

LinkedIn- a strictly professional network- most people keep their connections on this site to business colleagues, businesses they admire, and people who they wish to connect with professionally.

Twitter- follow important topics, people, and have conversations that are important and relevant to things that interest you.

Instagram- share your life with friends through photos. Many TV shows and celebrities have accounts you can follow and comment on as well.

4. It’s all in the content you create!

Create content on a regular basis to ensure that your brand stays fresh and relevant. A personal blog or website, in addition to your social media profiles, helps people get a sense for who you really are and what you are trying to accomplish.

5. Create change- lead change, be innovative and make significant contributions to your industry.

Network, mentor, public speak, and do pro bono work. These things only make you, as a brand, stronger. For the stay-at-home moms out there, mom bloggers have proved to be some of the most influential women on the internet by just writing about products that they like and dislike.

You have the power to decide who you want to be online, and if you follow these steps, you’ll be remembered for your knowledge, contributions and influence.