The inspiration for this post came from something zany I did yesterday on a whim. Let me share…
I am publishing a book right now. The opportunity with that is to update profiles, bios and online identities. As I was updating my About Jayme Soulati page on this website, I decided to share it on Google+ with an out-there message, “Does anyone want to know me? Heh, just getting the shares on this page off ZERO!”
To which my friend Davina Brewer kindly said, “You crack me up; I need to do more of that, too.”
That quick scenario prompted this post and list:
10 12 Ways to Promote Your Personal Brand
1. Update your about page on your website and share it with the world. That was a gimme as I already told you I did that. I may give you 11 tips just because.
2. Write a news release about something cool product, service or project you’re involved with and optimize it with SEO juice.
3. Write a book! You can do an e-book you offer free on your website, a self-publish hard copy book like mine with a printer/book vendor, a Kindle book, or an Amazon book you can hold, too.
4. Launch a Google+ community like mine, Bloggers Unite, and become very active with those who join with welcomes for new members, greetings for those newly engaging, and banter for those frequently engaging.
5. Write a hire me blog post. Now, this I have not done; in fact, I’m not sure I can be so blatant about asking someone to hire me. Hmm, maybe I’ll bury that right here…will you please hire Jayme Soulati? (She’s totally worth it!)
6. Do a List.ly. I already have an idea for mine and have vetted it to see if it’s too alien. It’s going to be called — Top Reasons Why You Should Partner with Jayme Soulati, and I’ll install it on my About page somewhere. Now I need to make that happen. Maybe Nick Kellet will stop in and nudge me twice. (P.S. I just made this happen!)
7. Create your Google+ authorship mark up and add it to all your writings and bios.
8. Showcase your client work on a special page on your website. I just did this and it’s called Client News Releases. It’s samples of all the recent press releases I’ve written in the last month for a variety of clients. It shows an entirely other side to my writing — a more serious business style strictly professional.
9. Create a newsletter and subscribers’ list and do a fantabulous job of being personable while delivering content that makes people want to stay on board with you. Showcase the cool project you’ve just completed or feature someone you like in an interview, podcast, or YouTube series.
10. Guest post. Nothing like being a guest author on others’ blogs; it powers up your brand and introduces you to an entirely new community. Guest posting is something few of us do well. It requires a planned approach similar to what we do when pitching stories as media relations requires.
11. Brand Yourself! No, really. Head on over to BrandYourself.com and sign up. It’s the #RockHot of online personal branding and easy optimization for search!
12. Be a professional and personable you. At the end of the day, your engagement online, your shares, your willingness to help others, the content you write, and the presentation of your professionally personable self does more for the marketing of your personal brand than any recommended tactic.
What did I miss? Got a method that works for you?
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Photo Credit: Jayme Soulati via iPhone 4S on AA flight to LA
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Hi, Jayme – I think one of the best ways to build a personal brand is to contribute to the conversation whenever you can… replying to comments on your blog, leaving comments on other blogs you frequent, liking, tweeting, google+ing the content of community that inspires you and your work.
This is what most effectively reveals the personality of your personal brand; the person behind it… If you can connect with people on this level, you can develop very strong relationships with those folks who will help you build your personal brand.
Cheers, miss! : )
Mark_Harai I agree with you fully, Friend. It’s a circle of promotion, however, that also contributes to the juice behind the brand. We know each others’ brands quite well; however, would a prospect looking to hire us know them?
That’s why some of these little proof points above aid and abet that stream of positivity.
I like that list.ly idea…you got me thinking girlie!
jennwhinnem Checking it out now, looks like one of those ‘looks good but it’s another thing to do and I’ve got too many, so will this be any more helpful or a time waster?’ kinda of things. We’ll see. 😉
Hi Jayme
I really like the Brand Yourself idea. I’ve just signed up for that.
Some of the other things I’m working towards, like the subscribers list and free eBook.
I’m also in agreement with Mark about getting your face out there with blog commenting, replying to comments, Tweets, Facebook etc.
I need to get back into Google+ as well because that’s my biggest source of social media traffic.
I hope you’re well and having a great day 🙂
timbo19731 Hey, Tim! Glad to have you here. I’m in HubSpot school; learning all about digital marketing and how to build that forsaken list. Yes, I curse it all the time b/c I never really cared 3 years ago nor did I understand as a PR person the importance of building an online business. So, here we are playing catch up/ketchup/catsup — what do they call that in the U.K?
Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing timbo19731 Sounds intensive Jayme but worthwhile!
We’d use Ketchup as well or Tomato sauce, although that doesn’t work so well :-).
My own distaste for ‘personal brand’ aside, these are on the money. I know I should guest more, but just.. time for my own blog plus that ever-present fear of writing something stupid holds me back. Hopefully I’ve got the G+ author thing working properly and whenever I make myself take a week, gut and redo the website, my ‘ME ME’ page HAS to get a major rewrite.
I’ve done a ‘hire me’ post, make connections, think I’ve got #12 down cold – certainly am myself and engaging. Only thing is that while they helped me build a network and grow as a professional, the ROI hasn’t been there in terms of business/career development – yet. Think the biggest thing to promote oneself as a professional, to build that reputation – do work so well others want to tell other people about it and ask. Know I’ve done good work, but even asking I struggle to get those references and referrals; something else on the to-do list. FWIW.
3HatsComm It’s daunting, D!! None of us has time for all this stuff. You have to know that this list didn’t happen over night!! It’s been a work in progress, and these are just many of the things I’ve used instinctually to pimp a little here and there.
It does feel awkward putting them all in one list, too. I’m self-conscious enough to know that!! LOL, but you’re the one who inspired me to do it!!
I think Soulati on the Street needs to guest post on a sports analogy social media/leadership blog…you shouldn’t have to search too hard to find one, you know?
dbvickery How did you sneak in here? Thanks! I would be delighted! Let me go hunt for that blogging guy! Once I return from New South Digital Marketing Conference, to which that @RandyBowden @bowden2bowden will be again present (I think all he does is attend conferences), then a GP will arrive on a silver platter.
Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing That Randy guy gets around…