Activating Your Personal Brand – How to Grow Your Reputation and Online Standing

Many times since we began this blog, we’ve been asked to define what Personal Branding really is.  The way I look at it is to consider Personal Branding simply as a tool in the Self Promotion mechanics arsenal.  There is a lot of material out there showing how to create a brand, even maintain a brand – but there is not much out there about activating that brand!  Personal Branding is one facet of the larger picture – one cog in the machine, one gear in the box.

 

Personal Branding, while one of many strong ways to promote yourself is only leveraged well when it is coupled with other powerful instruments and wielded professionally.  In fact, done right, it is amazing how it can catapult your career upwards.  However, the converse is the same.  Handled poorly, carelessly, or not at all, the Personal Brand tool can become a left handed monkey wrench or worse, a self promotion guillotine.

 

So, seeing as we don’t want heads rolling around here, nor do we want machines with gummed up works – let’s show you how to handle this device properly, and give you some ideas on how to best position yourself online to help your career.

 

1. First of all, be sure to ally with those of the standing you wish to attain as you grow your personal brand online.  Just like your momma told you, you’re only as good as the company you keep.  (and if she didn’t, just play along…)  Be sure the business networks you join will benefit you and not become a weight to bear, and that you joined “just because someone asked you to.”  Remember, Google will document and hang on to anything you post, join or express online.
2. Secondly, be sure to be seen in the best possible position – at the top.  The more times people see you there, the more they see you as the #1 choice.  In addition, there is a certain magic elixir to being a top the pile.  People automatically position you differently in their minds.
3. Now, to move into even more philosophy.  If your personal brand is properly developed, be ready for it to potentially upset people.  You can’t please all the people all the time – and you shouldn’t try.  Be who you are, help who you can.  People often mistake this for “go ahead and be a jerk.”  No, that’s not it – but “be sure to be yourself” is the idea.
4. Be transparent – be sure what you are putting out there is true, real and honest.  Don’t fabricate, stretch, bend, twist or turn the truth to make a better thing.  Be sure not to fall into the damndest lies (Twain) – the ones with a grain of truth at the midst of them that spiral out of control, because, with the internet, those lies can travel the world while the truth is putting on it’s shoes.  (again, Twain…)

Andy “Google Me” Greider is a marketing consultant and new business director with Carroll/White and radio show host of business growth solutions show, Uniqueness is Power. Andy is also Brand Manager with qAlias, plus he is a Self Promotion maven, serial entrepreneur, author, blogger, and inventor of the Gorelephant, first eImpressions and networthing.