Tag: #BeAwesome

#AwesomeBranding – Your Personal Brand is Just as Important as Your Corporate Brand

The Social Media Advisor specializes in training and supporting small businesses in their branding, storytelling and social media strategy. A decade ago the concept of corporate branding was still getting traction. However, today, branding is a must for companies of every size. The advances and innovation that new technologies have brought us are extinguishing traditional advertising methods. This is why branding and permission-based marketing methods are the most effective right now. People are tired of being pushy sales methods. That means that every company needs a solid, clear branding strategy so that their target audience truly understands what they are buying.
“Branding is fundamental. Branding is basic. Branding is essential. Building brands builds incredible value for companies and corporations.” Scott Goodson, ForbesContributor
The workforce no longer needs to be convinced that branding is essential. The concept is mainstream enough today that large corporations and entrepreneurs – all of them invest in a branding strategy. A corporate brand focuses on the feeling or impression that their audienceexperiences when they think of your business. A lot of thought is put into a corporate brand and ensuring all the touchpoints that a person interacts with are infused with strategic branding.
What is a personal brand and why is it important?
Your personal brand is a separate entity from your corporate one. However, the idea is the same. When branding your own persona, the concept is to develop or hone the areas of your personality best suited to what you want your audience to think when they walk away from interacting with you. 
Today, people do business with other people… not corporations. They want to build a relationship with their customers, contractors and vendors. Building like, know and trust is more than just a social media construct. This is a cornerstone of relationship marketing. This is why personal branding is necessary. What is your audience seeking? Who will they trust and want to do business with? This is not an invitation to build a fake persona because that is not authentic or genuine and it will turn others off right away. However, it is an opportunity to examine your own personality and interweave it with your corporate brandingto come up with a personal brand that benefits you and, in turn, your business.
Here are five suggestions for developing a strong personal brand:
Keep Your Inner Circle Small
1.     Be mindful of what you say. We all have bad days. On days when you are feeling off your game, limit your negative communication to those in your inner circle that you trust. Do not just vent to any random person. You never really know who is connected to whom…and who would love to repeat what you say. Plus, a negative judgment could be attached to you and your business that will last long beyond your temporary moment of weakness.

Personal Branding Follows You
Your personal brand will move, and grow, with you. If you have a career change, parts of that personal brand will go with you. People will associate your personal branding with who you are…not just who you work with.
Consistency
Don’t want to confuse people? You have to keep your branding top of mind and consistent. If you are worried this will be difficult to accomplish, be certain that the foundations of your personal branding incorporate your true personality so that just being you – at your best – is enough.
Blending Your Branding
Be sure that your corporate and personal brands blend well together. If they are contrary in any way, this will work against you.
Accept the Way Branding Works
As with any branding, what others think about you (your personal brand) is ultimately not up to you. You cannot control another individual’s impressionsand thoughts. All you can do is build a branding strategy, follow it consistently, and hope for the best.

 

If you’ve already spent time building your corporate and personal branding, then it is time to roll out that strategy into your social media marketing and other marketing content. Need assistance creating a great story around your brand? This is where we excel. We can build out your online assets to reflect your branding in the best possible light and get you on the right track to creating quality content that is consistent with your messaging.
 
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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

#AwesomeBranding – Personal Branding & Why Like, Know, Trust is Essential

Personal Branding is the core of your business. It’s what separates you from the crowd, and makes potential customers and clients pay attention. One of the key aspects of personal branding is building the “Like, Know, and Trust” factors. Here are seven ways you can develop these areas:

Create Valuable and Relevant Content:
This creates the expertise portion of branding. It’s a key part of the trust factor. Don’t think content is limited to blog posts or social media posts. Be creative in how you distribute your content. There are videos, downloadable guides, ebooks, webinars, podcasts, printables, and more.
It’s very important that you know your ideal customer or client. You can’t appeal to everyone, so don’t try. Instead, focus on your ideal client and give them the content they need. Ask them questions via a survey or other form of interaction. Find out what challenges they are facing and provide content that can help them overcome those hardships. Send personal messages to those who complete your surveys or answer your questions. It will put you to the top of their mind (know) and build a relationship (like).
Guest Posts:
Building your brand involves connecting across your network. Make a list of 30 blog sites and publications you want to be tied to your brand. In that list, write down how you can contribute to THEIR audience. You must provide content relevant to them, their audience, and you, in order to build trust. Once you make that list, check each publication’s website for submission requirements (ProTip: follow the requirements, or your request may be sent automatically to the trash bin). Create a personalized email to each publication pitching the article you’d like to write, video you’d like to contribute, etc. and how it aligns with their goals (or on a particular topic they discuss often).
Keep in mind that you will be rejected. That simply means their audience didn’t meet the needs of your brand.
Put a Face to the Brand:
People need to know who you are. People are more likely to trust an image of a person than a logo. Personalize their experience, and let them get to know you.
Be Authentic:
This is very important. You’re not the next Seth Godin. You’re the next YOU. Your experiences and observations are unique. The strengths and talents you possess can only be used by you. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? If you love hiking through Colorado, horseback riding, or playing tabletop games, make it part of your brand. It is easier, and far less exhausting, to be yourself than to shutter the light of your personality.
Share ONLY Your Best Stuff:
Freebies, webinars, etc. are the first impression. You need to wow them with your work. If you provide high value, people will be thankful. Every free incentive needs to provide an answer to a main problem (they can take a more in depth approach through your sales funnel, of course). Most of all they need to feel as though they haven’t wasted their time getting to know you and your ability to help them.
Be Consistent:
Consistency is the key to all three areas. Whether it’s a video subscription, blog, podcast, live stream, or more, be consistent in content, time, and delivery. If you create a schedule, stick to it.
Be Grateful:
While branding is the core of who you are, marketing isn’t about you. It’s about your customers and clients. Your audience deserves to feel important. Be genuine and honest. Without them, you wouldn’t have a business.

Take time to build your personal brand. Don’t try to be someone you’re not or you’ll get burned out and lose interest in interacting with your audience. Which aspect do you struggle with? Let us know in comments.

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

#RelationshipsMatter – Remove These Words from Your Social Media!


Social media can be a minefield to transverse. You want to make friends and share your opinions without coming across poorly. Even if you feel strongly about a topic, depending on the wording you use, you may come across far stronger than you imagined. To avoid this, there are certain words in which you should remove from your social media vocabulary.
Hate – such a strong word for dislike. If it is a regular word you use, then stop! Regular use of the word can have you coming across as an angry, or cynical person. It can even bleed in to other aspects of your life by creating a more hateful attitude towards the world. Other phrases such as ‘I don’t like…’ can be politer and still clear on your feelings about the topic. 
Why don’t you… – This is one of those phrases that makes a person feel they are failing in some way. We all think differently and have different experiences, so there are those who may not know of a different way to do things than they currently do. Pointing this out by saying ‘why don’t you…’ can have a negative impact on the original poster. Using the phrase ‘Have you considered…’ is a more positive phrase as it suggests rather than demands.
With all due respect – You know as soon as you hear that phrase the following words are going to be disrespectful. They instantly put the reader on edge and awaiting something negative and critical. Consider the words about to follow that phrase, and if they truly need saying –is there a more respectful and considerate way of putting them?
The only ______ you need – The question is, is it really the only thing of its kind out there? This phrase begs for people to challenge you and prove you wrong. Many people use this phrase when selling their products or services but often don’t consider the negative impact on business if several others piped up with the exact same product/service to prove you wrong.
Slang – If it’s a professional page, unless it is directed related to your brand messaging, avoid trendy words such as fleek and bae and turnt. Not only will it confuse a portion of your audience, you could damage your credibility. 
Cutting out these words, and phrases, from your social media vocabulary can present you as a more respectful and professional business or entity while still allowing you to share your thoughts publically. Practice making changes to social vocabulary and notice the change in your interactions with others. 
 
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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

 

#RelationshipMatters – Being Compassionate Instead of Judgmental in Social Media



We are all judgmental in some way. Think about it: we see someone, and based on their looks or actions, we judge them. Not necessarily a good judgment, either. It often happens without even knowing the other person. The problem is we become judgmental to feel better about ourselves in the short term. However, being compassionate with individuals instead leads to greater, long-term rewards.
Let’s look at social media as an example. Using social media allows us to express ourselves and provide our perspective, yet sometimes our comments can come across as being judgmental. This sets you up to be critiqued by others in turn.  It is easier to forget about the very real, living being on the other side of the screen. It is a vicious cycle and the only way to get out of it is to demonstrate compassionate behavior that others will want to copy.
How can you be compassionate on social media rather than judgmental? Here are some simple tips.
If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all – This old adage is one we all heard growing up whenever we said something mean to another person. It is a concept to keep in mind when interacting on social media as well. Before hitting submit, think about whether or not it is a comment you would like to receive. If the answer is no, then it is best to not send it. The same goes for your own posts, flip the script and imagine it was directed at you instead.
“If you can’t think of anything nice to say, you’re not thinking hard enough.” Kid President

Watch your language – If you truly want to share your opinion and help someone, consider the way in which it is presented. Instead of telling the individual what they must do, suggest how you might do it instead. Avoid using words that are overtly negative, patronizing, or demanding. Instead use phrases such as ‘I find using such and such easier’ or ‘Personally, I prefer…’ this way you are demonstrating what suits you while providing them an alternative option.  The use of “I” statements is an effective technique in conflict resolution because it forces people to examine their own feelings and actions instead of pointing a finger at another.
Accept we are all different – What might work for you will not necessarily work for someone else. Why make them feel wrong for not doing things the same way as you?  For example, someone has chosen to use a particular system and is looking for help on it. Rather than tell them how the system you use is far superior, provide a few tips on making their current system easier to use. Perhaps they chose to do something for their own reasons or circumstances, which are probably far different than yours.
Once you are aware of behavior that comes across as judgmental you can start to change it into more compassionate behavior instead. Not only will you come across as a nicer person, but people will be less judgmental of you in return.

“Be somebody that makes everybody feel like a somebody.” Kid President


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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

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