Using social media for marketing business has gained a lot of traction with many companies rushing to leverage on the popularity of social media. With such a large audience base, social media can give your business great visibility without needing to spend a lot of money.
But, what if the brand is YOU? Personal branding is not only for celebrities or life coaches or speakers, but it is also a tool that can help you showcase your specialty, leave your mark or legacy, help you connect with your target audience on a personal level, build your networks by connecting with new audiences and help distinguish you from the competition.
Social media can be beneficial when building your personal brand. It will help you land your next opportunity whether for a job or your business.
How then can you utilize social media platforms to build your personal brand? Use our tips below and see a growth in your personal branding.
Also Check :– You can easily build brand on Instagram
-
Birds of a feather flock together
Social media has many groups that you can join; such groups should share your interests if they are to be of benefit to your personal growth. Platforms like Linkedin and Facebook have many such groups. Popular groups attract a lot of people and you may get lost in the clutter. Instead, do your research and find groups whose members share your interests without having too many members.
Do not be a silent follower, participate in discussions and have unique perspectives that not only generate discussion but add value. You will notice that people will naturally start to gravitate towards you when you become the go-to person for information.
Also, ensure that you consistently grow your online community. You can do this organically or try out Instagram likes free, amongst other online tools to grow your community. The more followers you have the more your exposure making it easy to build your personal brand.
Learn from influencers especially if you can reach out and build relationships with them. Use online tools to find influencers in your line of specialty, see the kind of interaction they have with their followers and how they handle the issues raised. You can then see how to build your social media plan using their ideas.
-
Avoid scandalous content
Keep your profile consistent. It is important to note that once you become a subject of interest people will look for you in all online platforms. Avoid images, posts or discussions that can show you in bad light. Always remember, the internet never forgets, what you may have posted in a drunken haze on a weekend outing will live on in the internet. You, therefore, need to be careful about what you post.
Diversify your content and schedule the posts to ensure consistency. There are great tools you can use online tools to assist in the scheduling of posts. Include pictures, videos, and interactive content to provide variety.
Make sure you fully complete you details providing only relevant content. If there are accounts you are not using, then you are better off deleting them and only keeping the active ones. Also, take this as an opportunity to clean up your account and get rid of content that can raise questions or reflect negatively on your professional image.
-
Do not be boring
You need to engage with your audience regularly if you are to remain relevant. Schedule interesting posts about your life and remember to interact with the audience. Respond to questions and comments but most importantly post interesting content that will generate discussion.
Be careful not to share too much of your personal opinions without occasionally citing content from figures of authority, it gives you content more weight.
Keep your interaction positive. Avoid topics on religion and politics that can be offensive to people who do not share your beliefs.
-
Monitor your Name and Area of Expertise
Set up an alert that lets you know when anyone on social media mentions your name. Also include your area of expertise, so that you can take advantage of any opportunities that may come up. Build your knowledge base in your area of specialty so that you can become a leader in your field.
-
Share your contacts across the different platforms
Platforms like Linkedin allow you to share your contacts from your emails. Others allow you to import from your phone book allowing you to connect with people whom you have not connected with already on social media. Expand your network as much as you can to increase exposure.
-
Keep your business and personal accounts separate
Do not mix your business and personal life. Your personal accounts will allow you to post content that is more personal in nature. Keep your personal pages private, only accessible to close friends and family. Use your business account for new connections and opportunities that can grow your career.
Just like a business that requires effort in order to succeed, building your personal brand requires the same attention. Make sure whatever you post is grammatically correct, if you are posting video content, practice first and make sure whatever you post is interesting and factual. Use good graphics and images. If you need to, hire experts like graphic designers or photographers to lay out your content or to give good quality images.
Final thoughts
Creating a personal brand is not easy and will require time and effort. Chose an appropriate channel, do not pick too many, the fewer you have the more you can concentrate on providing engaging content. At a later stage, you can expand your channels.
Understand your audience; research them so that you have more in-depth information about them and what information they are likely to seek. Be authentic and do not over-sell yourself otherwise people will see right through you.
Follow our tips above and watch your personal brand grow. When you have the right audience following you, you will be able to enjoy the ripple effect on your business.