“Personal branding online is not about you’ it’s about your content. How do you become someone worth talking to, or even better, worth talking about?”
3 years ago I was engaged in a online battle of wits on a sports forum that defaced who I was and everything I represented. Because I saw a racial remark, I retaliated in a way I shouldn’t have and got banned from using Facebook for 16 hours.
The most disturbing part about it was the stalking that ensued. Someone in Florida who wasn’t too keen on what I said at the particular moment literally stocked me for the next year, trying to find “caucasian/anglosaxon” people on my Facebook and sent them a snapshot of what I said.
For one year….there was a faceless human being who probably had insecurities of his own who followed me and literally tried getting me in trouble at the various work places I had at that particular moment – 10,000 miles away.
Every day, millions of internet users go online with little to no thought of the portrait they paint about themselves in the digital world. We can make inflammatory comments on controversial blogs, especially politics. We tweet meaningless messages about our personal lives. We post questionable photos on our Facebook pages and upload videos of their hobbies, parties, vacations, and friends alongside professional clips on YouTube – never considering what this haphazard collection of information portrays about us.
Listen, people – public content that can be searched instantly by a potential employer, investor, bank loan officer – even a first date…can be used against you.
In terms of successful people, they know how to manage their online persona. Post only information that will contribute positively to the image they present to the world. Even when they are voicing their opinions and bring their personality to the internet, they think about the impact it will have.
What does your online presence say about you?
Personal branding isn’t just for celebrities.
The reality is that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and other platforms of social media can be used BY ANYONE to create a brand.
Personal branding forces you to be crystal clear on what you want to achieve and helps you set goals to get there. It helps you create visibility and present, which attracts likeminded people.
So what are the steps to creating a personal brand online?
Step one: Decide who you want to be.
To develop an online persona or “brand” that will advance your career, business or cause, start distributing content that positions you as someone who can benefit a potential employer, customer, investor, future mentor, coach, or sponsor.
Step two: Determine the market you want to reach.
What categories of people will benefit the most from your knowledge, expertise, or opinions? Do they work in your industry, have an interest in your friend of study, or are they random consumers who have the same hobby, decorating ideas, fashion sense, or entertainment preferences that you do? Also, as part of the process of determining the market you want to reach, be sure to take a moment and Google yourself. Is this what you want people to see? Next, Google your top “competitor” by name. What do the search results tell you?
Step three: Start a blog and build a website.
In the beginning of my journey, I was just a podcaster who sent audios to my friends. Now I’m posting links to my podcast along with inspirational photos on my instagram which automatically get uploaded to my Facebook page which is The Arsenio Buck Show. In addition to that, anytime I blog, the link gets posted directly to my LinkedIn account, twitter and other social media platforms. I’m reaching a new market of people just by taking advantage of all the media that’s how there these days.
Blogging is probably the best way to hone your brand online. Writing your thoughts, sharing your experiences, and helping people when they bring up a question (as I did two days ago on youtube) or comment about a blog post will help you build confidence in your personal brand.
Best way to start a blog is with wordpress or wix. You can choose a variety of themes, write your own biography, easily upload pictures from royalty-free photography sources around the internet. Learn how to tag, too. Tags and categories mean a lot because that will connect other users who are searching or using those terms with you. Again, likeminded attracts likeminded, right?
If you want to know more about posting regularly, living your brand, unleash your participation, cultivate your online presence and a few more categories, tune into my podcast down below.
Podcast – Principle 64 – https://www.spreaker.com/episode/9647434
Arsenio's ESL Podcast 
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