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I've been trying to work on my personal brand for awhile now. You know? What do I bring to the table? What makes me stand out? Why do people read this blog about me? Why are they my friend on facebook? Why do they follow me on Twitter? Why did they accept my LinkedIn invitation?
Here's my problem with this - maybe you can help.
I don't think this is about ME.
I think this is about us - ALL OF US!
In this wonderful wacky world of ours - don't we all need each other - maybe now more than ever?
Okay - that's a little over the top.
Here's what I'm saying - We all know why the people who are in our lives, are in our lives, why they are important, what value they bring to our relationships. BUT (insert screeching brakes sound here...)
Do we know why we are in their lives? What value do we bring to our relationships?
How many times have you heard, seen or read, heck even said something like this?
"I started blogging, or twittering, or using facebook or (insert your social media platform here), but I have no idea why anyone would really care what I'm doing or what I think about anything. It can't be that interesting, etc..."
Right?
Yeah, me too.
Do you get answers like this? "Well obviously you are interesting. Somebody is paying attention. Just keep doing what you're doing..."
Yeah, me too.
Drives me crazy. (More like a short putt. Probably a gimme.) Can "Obviously you are interesting," be a personal brand?
No, I don't think so either.
So, Dear Reader I set out to find out what others thought was my "personal brand."
A friend suggested that the best way to get what people think you
bring to the table is to ask someone who was your boss or a friend you
know will be honest and not just tell you what you want to hear.
So I did that.
I had the perfect person. A former boss who is my friend, and has never been afraid to tell it like it is.
Here is what he said.
I'm not sure I understand exactly what it is that you are looking for. So I don't know if any of this helps, but:
I know I have always thought of you as a "quick study" with the
energy to stick with any task any task until it is completed. I could
say things like: "affable, gregarious, friendly and warm" with insight
and a good sense of humor (sunglasses on wedding attendants). I know you don't cut yourself as much slack as you cut others.
energy to stick with any task any task until it is completed. I could
say things like: "affable, gregarious, friendly and warm" with insight
and a good sense of humor (sunglasses on wedding attendants). I know you don't cut yourself as much slack as you cut others.
Let me know if this helps, if it misses the mark or if I can provide further input.
That did help, but I'm hoping you all can provide further input.
Can you help a brother out?
It never hurts to ask right?
Have you thought about your own "personal brand?"
3 comments:
As you know, I am a cynic. Which gives rise to the following:
I joined Facebook because all the nayvors were on it and that is how we kept in touch. Then I obtained 128 friends.
How did I get all these friends? Most are people from high school whom I haven't seen in 18 years. (Class of 91 ROCKS!) I don't mind that. I liked seeing what they were doing; how their families were, if they were married, how many losers got hot wives.
What I don't like is there are 128 people who see my status when I deign to post it. 90% of them don't care. Therein lies the problem of social media.
Social media is all about ME.
"Here is what I am doing, here is what my kid is doing, here is what my dog is doing..."
No one cares. Everyone just wants to then post how THEIR dog is dong, etc.
I qualify that last remark. It is not all social media. It is Facebook. Twitter is a different animal.
I just joined Twitter. I followed you, Annette and Jack. I post shit on Twitter that I would never post on Facebook for my 128 "friends" to see. Because they are not my "friends". They are people I once knew.
On Twitter, I am raunchy, politically incorrect and rude. And funny. That is me.
Which finally gets back to your original question:
People read you because you are a positive person. Most people aren't. You write about your life in an honest and open way that almost everyone does not. It is like a sudden squall that blows away the cynicism (ahem, me) of most bloggers who ply the Internets.
Keep up what you are doing. The Internets need someone who doesn't just bitch.
Please ignore my typos. I'm drunk. :)
Connected. You connect online and in person. That is your brand. :-)
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