Marcy’s Social: Thoughts on ‘Personal Branding’

I get asked frequently about how I created my ‘personal branding’ online. I find it a bit humorous to think that you can craft some alter personality and manage to maintain that and keep it up while you grow your digital presence. Um, you can’t. You can try- and that is about as successful as leading some double life. It is exhausting and inauthentic.

So my best advice for people wanting a ‘strong personal brand’ is to understand who you REALLY already are: what do you do best, what makes you different, and what makes you happy. Once you know that- you have your ‘brand’. Now just RUN WITH THAT. No need to invent some other persona. Just be you- only more obviously so.

In other words – online try to be the double espresso version of yourself.

Once you got that figured out (and it takes a while, because answering those three questions above are hard. I know people who have been in therapy for years trying to figure those out) It is time to do the visual branding. Pick a photo that fits ‘your brand’, airbrush it to this side of recognizable and post it. Headers, colors, design…all of it consistent across all platforms you have control over. Don’t believe me? I teach by example:

Google Plus

Facebook

Twitter

My landing page

And of course all of this coordinates with this website as well.

Oh wait I nearly forgot one of my favorite parts… MY PHONE.

Did I miss anything?

Where can my brand be added?

: )