How to build a rock star personal brandBuild your opportunities, build your future, build your dreams

@AndreaTEdwards

/AndreaTEdwards

/AndreaTEdwards www.thedigitalconversationalist.com

The Digital Conversationalist

The Digital Conversationalist

@AndreaTEdwards #TDC

What is personal branding? How should

we think about it?

It’s you. It’s what you stand for. It’s what you believe in. It’s how you think. It’s how you act. It is you packaged up and presented

to the world online.

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#TDC

@AndreaTEdwards

We are the revolution!

How we buy & learn has fundamentally shifted

Consumers are 92% of the way through the sales cycles before we even come to a brand. We are learning and deciding outside the brand.

Source: Gartner

For B2B anywhere from 65-90% Forrester

@AndreaTEdwards

Brand challenges

Only 15% of people trust recommendations from brands

Brand trust has dropped

84% trust recommendations from people they know

But people trust people – and that’s why employee advocates are critical

“If your employees aren’t your biggest fans, you’ve got problems WAY bigger than social media” Jay Baer

Because let’s face it

@AndreaTEdwards

“There are no secrets. The networked market knows more than companies do about their own products. And whether the news is

good or bad, they tell everyone.”

The Cluetrain Manifesto

@AndreaTEdwards

People are the change• We are in the midst of a global conversation – it’s powerful• We are discovering and inventing new ways to share

knowledge • We are faster AND smarter than most companies• We are having conversations – open, honest, funny, straight-

forward and sometimes horrible • But they are genuine human voices• Business continues to speak marketing - not human • And they continue to do it in campaigns or quarters• Business sends a brochure, a CTA, PR• The consumer doesn’t care • Today we must unleash the humans of business

@AndreaTEdwards

A very quick look at content marketing

@AndreaTEdwards

What is content marketing?Content marketing is about creating conversations

with customers, partners and influencers

To achieve that, it’s about creating content so good, it earns the right to exist in your customers

world, where they are

Our goal today, is to build so much loyalty with our customers – because we are consistently

delivering value to them – that they want to buy from us to reward us for our efforts

@AndreaTEdwards

“If you want to sell me a camera, tell me how to take great photos”

Content Marketing Institute

Best definition

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But…

Content Marketing is fundamentally about business transformation

It’s not something the marketing team ‘does’

Everyone must be on board and it starts at the top

@AndreaTEdwards

Information overload!

In the last 10 years we’ve created more information than in all of human history

It’s expected to double in the next two years

Average attention span dropped 12 secs in 2000 to 8 secs in 2015 - Statistic Brain

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It’s a noisy world… and it’s not all good!

@AndreaTEdwards

Where are we deciding/learning?

@AndreaTEdwards

The big one – 1.65 billion

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But we’re not just learning. We’re being distracted!

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@AndreaTEdwards

Benefits of building a strong brand

My journey• Career opportunities• Perceived influencer• Speaking invitations• Media interest• Credibility/respect with decision makers• Known as an expert • Globally connected• Launched a business off the back of my brand• The story will continue to unfold

What will yours be?

@AndreaTEdwards

Let’s get onto being fantastically amazing

@AndreaTEdwards

A strong personal brand has…

1.Credibility – your expertise2.Purpose – your why3.Focus – your theme4.Community support – the

‘tribe’5.Reach - beyond direct

community

@AndreaTEdwards

61% Fortune 500 CEOs have NO social presence at

allIt was 68% in 2014

Only 50 of the Fortune 500 CEOs have Twitter

Accounts. 60% are active +8

#SocialCEO

@AndreaTEdwards

…dominates as the“entry network”of choice amongCEO’s

Of CEOs with only 1network, 70% chose LinkedIn

Nearly half of all social CEOs are only on LinkedIn−presumably because of the unmistakable business benefits

@AndreaTEdwards #TDC

Personal branding isculturally challenging

Cultural Selling & telling

Not getting benefits to us and our business

Our role in communitie

s

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SupportersCreators

Lurkers

You’ve got to be in the top 10%

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@AndreaTEdwards

Getting to the heart of being successful

@AndreaTEdwards

@AndreaTEdwards

1.What makes me great?2.What makes me unique?3.What makes me compelling?

Uncover your magic

@AndreaTEdwards

What is my profession? What am I awesome

at?

Am I more than one

thing?

What can I commit to?

Or…

What’s really

important to me? What do I stand

for?

When I light people up, what is it I am speaking

about?

@AndreaTEdwards

Am I more than one thing?

MeProfessional communicator Mummy Me

@AndreaTEdwards

Who?• What do I want to be known for?• What makes me stand out in a crowd?• When I light people up, what am I talking about?• What is my expertise - am I unique in it?• What are my core values?• What comes easily to me?• What do I read about until the early hours of the

morning?• What do I get up early for – eagerly?• What do I enjoy?• What gives me energy? What feeds my spirit?• What do people compliment me on?

#TDC

@AndreaTEdwards

There are many whys

A passionDifferent future

Aligned to other leaders

Support career aspirations

Part of a global discussion

Better connected to customers

Respected thought leader or visionary

Media influencer

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Not a why

@AndreaTEdwards

My why?

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Find content aligned to your story

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Doesn’t

have to be

written

Video-log

PodcastDrawDesignCreate

Photograph

Blogging?

#TDC

@AndreaTEdwards

Why blog?• It’s how you stand out• Builds careers - internal & external • Influencers blog – it’s how you become one

• It’s the platform to share wisdom, inspire teams, help customers

• It an opportunity to capture the essence of what you believe/know

• Blogging is the core of this new social world

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Which platforms?

Where should you be? Where

your customers

are

Spend time ensuring your online profiles look fabulousRemember visuals – 63% of the world’s population

are visual learners

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Use images in your profile – photos, links, SlideShare decks, blogs, etc…

@AndreaTEdwards #TDC

@AndreaTEdwards

Other tips and tricks1. Be realistic about what you can do and commit2. Commit to sharing your company content 1x week

or more3. Find content & share often. Always ALWAYS add

your opinion4. Support friends & people you admire5. Make hashtags a habit – connects you to ideas &

audiences6. Join & participate in groups – LinkedIn, Tweet chats7. Be kind, be careful. Never judge or criticize

@AndreaTEdwards

Don’t be a viral sensation…

@AndreaTEdwards #TDC

T – is it True?H – is it Helpful?I – is it Inspiring?N – is it Necessary?K – is it Kind?

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Join the Giving EconomyJoin the Giving Economy

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A book about tribe building

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Bring your mind & heart together

@AndreaTEdwards

6 concluding thoughts

1. Focus2. Persistence3. Boundaries4. Audience5. Tribe6. Authenticity

#TDC

Please remember

If you want to blog & build your personal brand

You’ve got to run your own race. Don’t get distracted by others or compete with anyone. Learn from others, but focus on what you

want to achieve

@AndreaTEdwards

“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the

skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill”

Muhammad Ali

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