Do You Have An Online Action Plan?

We are living a revolution in the way people communicate. Practically everyone turns to the Web first when researching products, services and people to do business with. If you want to build your brand and your business, then a great Web presence is critical.

I am asked on a regular basis, by clients, friends and strangers alike, “How do I stand out and where do I begin?” Once you’ve got the basics covered – your brand attributes, collateral materials, tagline and focus, what’s the best use of your time and money? When you are clear about who you are, what you stand for and how you can help your target market, you are ready to start building a powerful personal brand presence online.

There are six main areas where you actually have some control over how people will perceive your brand through what you put out on the Web – both visually and content-wise.

1. Website – Are you still relying on a static, brochure-style website? If so, you will eventually be invisible online (if you aren’t already!) Statistics show that when someone visits these types of sites, they click around a couple of pages, never to return. Nothing on these sites compel them to stay. If you want your brand to compete, you’ve got to create something interesting and interactive; remarkable and consistently fresh content, resources, links, blog (#2), freebies (#3) and a way for people to sign up to join your list.
2. Blog – Starting a blog is a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build your personal brand presence online. Including a blog on your website -  with lots of new, remarkable content – will turn a brochure-style site into a living, evolving destination for your target market and a magnet for the search engines.
3. Pink Spoon – Also known as your “Free Taste” or “Giveaway,” this is a content-rich item that you give away to your target market just for signing up on your website. It can be in the form of an e-book, white paper, video, webinar, tip sheet or anything else you feel would be relevant and helpful to your target market. And yes, you are giving valuable information away for FREE! People do business with people they know, like and trust. They also do business with those they feel are the authorities in their industries. In order to build your personal brand and position yourself as the expert in your field, you must build a relationship with your target market and be willing to educate, inform and share.
4. Newsletter – Also known as an “ezine”, this is a great opportunity to stay in touch with your target market on a regular basis. It can consist of a feature article, list of resources, tips, images, links or anything else that would benefit your readers. Once people sign up for your Pink Spoon, they should be automatically subscribed to your newsletter.
5. Article Submission – Have you Googled yourself recently? One of the best ways to take some control of what comes up about you is to send your own articles to submission sites such as ezinearticles.com and ideamarketers.com. These sites request a personal bio and link back to your own site, and the search engines often pick up on this content. Articles that you submit to these sites will attract links from other sites pointing to your website. Also, good content is easily and quickly spread on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Digg.
6. Social Media – Social networking, news and discovery sites provide a great way to reach and engage potential clients. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, Delicious and Stumble-Upon all have different uses, but most share the ability to connect to others and interact and share information. The keys to effective social media are to tell your story in an authentic manner, participate by following up and commenting on others’ posts, offer valuable information on a regular basis, be courteous and respectful, and don’t overwhelm your community with sales pitches and self-promotion.  And this goes without saying: don’t ever post anything you wouldn’t want your mother to see.

Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can repurpose your content for multiple use – on your blog, in your newsletter and for article submission. You can also link your blog to Twitter and Facebook so that every time you post, your followers will be alerted to new material. Select one or two of the areas above to focus on and go from there. There are millions of resources out there to get you started. All you have to do is Google them.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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Your Personal Brand Questionnaire

In order to communicate, express and exude a powerful, confident personal brand, you must be able to answer the following questions (they might seem a little repetitive, but humor me here):

1. How do I make people feel?

2. What three words best describe me?

3. What words would others use to describe me?

4. How do I want to help people?

5. How does someone benefit from working with me?

6. How would I describe my unique gift in one or two sentences?

7. What do I do differently from others in my profession?

8. What are the results someone will achieve from working with me?

9. How do I “WOW”  friends, family, clients, and even complete strangers?

10. What imprint or legacy do I want to leave on this planet?

When you have answered these questions and feel excited about your responses, then, and only then, are you ready to put a strategic marketing plan into action.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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What Are People Saying About You?

In personal branding, as in life, the little things matter. Every move that you make and everything that you put your name on reflects your brand.  Brand and reputation are closely linked. Companies are constantly evaluated by the way they are perceived by the competition, the media and their customers. You are constantly being judged based on perceptions as well.

A brand is all about perception, and as frustrating as it might be, you don’t always have control over how potential clients or the public sees you. That said, with the right focus, strategy and consistency, you can certainly influence how your personal brand is perceived. Pay attention to what you are putting out there – everything from how you dress, how you communicate, what activities you participate in and who you choose to work and socialize with, contribute to your overall brand image.

Cultivating your brand means investing time, effort and eventually money into determining what you want to communicate and how you want to communicate it.  Once you have clarity, content and a plan of action, you will be well-prepared to implement it.

Here are four important areas to consider when determining your personal brand strategy and how you might influence perception:

1. Brand Attributes – These are the adjectives or “descriptors” that best describe you. What are the qualities that you want to exude and be best known for? When you make decisions about your brand collateral, website, promotional materials etc., ask yourself if they truly represent the attributes that you have chosen.
2. Brand Identity – Visual continuity is a critical aspect of brand building. It’s important that you create a “face” for your business and that this is replicated in all facets of your image. This not only includes your logo, letterhead, packaging, website, advertising and promotional materials, but also your personal wardrobe and presentation style.
3. Brand Definition – Make sure you clearly define your brand in a way that you want others to perceive you. In one sentence (often referred to as your tagline), you should be able to eloquently communicate what you do and how you can help the other person. For example, my tagline is “I help female entrepreneurs build powerful, confident personal brands with style.”
4. Brand Message – In Politics, one of the Golden Rules is to stay “on message”. This means that everyone on the team understands and is able to clearly communicate the same brand message. A thread of continuity should run through all aspects of your business – from employees to your website and collateral materials. Whether I speak to an employee, peruse your website or receive a letter from you in the mail; I should walk away with a sense of your brand attributes and an understanding of your message.

A strong brand contains an element (or elements) that its target market emotionally connects to and therefore stands out in that consumer’s mind. In order to be memorable – and to influence the emotional connection that a potential client has with your brand, you must be consistent with your brand attributes, identity, definition and messaging in everything that you do.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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