4 Tips to a Powerful Personal Brand

The Vermontrepreneur Summit Series:4 Tips to a Powerful Personal Brand

March 26, 2015

Copyright: Kate Paine Associates, LLC 2015 StandingOutOnline.com

Richard Branson


4 TIPS TO A POWERFUL PERSONAL BRAND

1. Tell your story. Determine what makes you unique.

2. Cultivate past clients to help tell your story.

> Go BEYOND the testimonial

3. LinkedIn and other Social Media Tools

4. Networking Tips


FIRST MOVE: DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE

• Are you targeting the right people? Who are your customers?

• Do you know them? “Meet” them where they live.

• Do you relate to them with any of your interests and likes?

• What's your message?


WHAT IS PERSONAL BRANDING?

Your Personal Brand = Your Reputation

• Establish your brand (identity, what makes you unique)

• Helps you find the right opportunities and clients

• How do you represent yourself?> How does your audience and market perceive you?> How would you like potential clients to think of you?> Your values are essential. Do you exemplify strong ethics?


TELL YOUR STORYTip #1


DRILL DOWN FOR YOUR STORY

• People are naturally drawn to stories. Your story is your greatest asset!

• Determine your most interesting or quirky characteristic

• Your story has a powerful impact

• Write your professional bio for different uses

• Keep it short! Be focused and simple in your approach


SAMPLE STORIES

• A woman with an art degree becomes a realtor. That's her story.

• The head of marketing for a law firm has a dream of becoming a rodeo queen someday! (She puts this on her LinkedIn profile in addition to her skills.)

• A man goes to work for a nonprofit because of a cause he cares deeply about and for which he has a personal connection.

• Why did you start your business? That’s your story.

Show the quirky or unique you!


WRITE A PROFESSIONAL BIO

• Who are you writing for?

• Research bios of other people in your field to see how they represent themselves

• Ideal places to look are websites, LinkedIn profiles, and social media accounts


CULTIVATE PAST CLIENTS

Tip #2


LET PAST CLIENTS HELP YOU

• Go beyond their testimonial on your website.

• Testimonials shouldn’t stand alone, they’re too valuable.

• Use their quote on your blog or social media.

• Mix them up! Use brief but compelling testimonials. Edit if you need to but first ask for permission.


How I use client testimonials on my website.


BRING LIFE TO TESTIMONIALS

• Add a photo (or video) along with your client’s name or business. Adds credibility!

• Ask for a relevant quote that supports your claim (of your

service or specialty)

• Get a story from your client. Describe what you did and

how it helped.

> Not just, “Oh, Sue was great to work with!” Ask them

to explain WHY Sue was great to work with – get the story!


SHOW THEM THE LO❤ E

• Relationships, Relationships, Relationships!

• Do more to make clients feel appreciated.

A few ideas:

> Surprise them with tickets to an event

> A unique gift or card around holiday time

> If client is new to the area – invite them to a mixer > How do you make your clients feel appreciated?

• Thank them with a handwritten note for their business


LINKEDIN ANDOTHER SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS

Tip #3


LINKEDIN, SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGS& YOUR SITE

LinkedIn – THE place to be for professionals, show expertise

Facebook – Conversational, informal, build relationships

Twitter – More professional, speak to industry trends

Pinterest – Very visual, mostly

women demographic

• Website – Needs at least one call to action (CTA), optimized for SEO

• Blog – Popular, VERY effective, increases ranking in Internet search engines (Google, Bing, etc.)

Sample Calls To Action (CTA)


ABOUT LINKEDIN

LinkedIn Statistics, 2014 Source:

sbenfocus.wordpress.com


…MORE ABOUT LINKEDIN

• LinkedIn is the third-fastest-growing social network

• Great resource for people to read your blog

• Direct referral source for people to your homepage

• Optimize your profile with consistent messaging

• Share your expertise, become a thought leader

• Avoid posting late afternoons, evenings and weekends

• Try to post 20x/month if you want to actively participate

• Have employees be engaged with your LinkedIn page


LINKEDIN – BEST PRACTICES

• A QUALITY, professional profile photo

• An SEO headline. 120 characters – use them wisely

• Create keywords/terms describing what you DO vs. your job title > LinkedIn uses search engine features to find keywords

• Place keywords in your headline that resonate with your target audience

• Create a custom URL (Ex., www.linkedin.com/in/katepaine)


LINKEDIN – HEADLINE URL


LINKEDIN – HEADLINE & SUMMARY


SHOWCASE YOUR SERVICES & EXPERTISE

• Provide client case studies, white papers, presentations, E-books

• Engage with industry peers and your network through regular

posting. Keep it manageable and consistent.

• Connect your blog and website

• Post videos or link to your YouTube channel (if you have one).

~ Highlight a variety of recommendations

~ Write an interesting narrative about the service and value you provide


JOIN LINKEDIN GROUPS

• Groups provide a place for like-minded professionals to share content, network, and to establish yourself as an expert.

• Research a group before joining

• Evaluate if it's a good place where you can offer your knowledge

• Groups offer: > Viral distribution capabilities > Email messaging (InMail), > Associations (local chamber or business association) > Peer to peer group networking


THE 3 Cs

COMMITTED. CONSISTENT. COMPELLING.

REMEMBER…


NETWORKINGTip #4


KNOW YOUR NETWORK

• "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

• Go to local business mixers, attend seminars, or volunteer for a cause you care about.

• Want to kick it up? Get creative! > Sponsor a community event with high visibility > Sponsor a recycling or E-waste pick-up event (something different)

• Be a connector. Refer people you know that are experts in their industry and connect them to your clients who may be in a similar business or have similar interests.


RESOURCES

• How to Write Your Personal Bio wikihow.com/Write-a-Personal-Bio

• How to Spot a Fake LinkedIn Profile standingoutonline.com/2015/01/28/how-to-spot-a-fake-linkedin-profile/

• 6 Tips for Using LinkedIn for Business Development

inc.com/ian-jackson/6-tips-for-using-linkedin-for-business-development.html


THANK YOU!

"Making YOU Stand Out Online”

StandingOutOnline.com

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/katepaine

Twitter: @kpaine66

facebook.com/katepaineassociates

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

4 Tips to a Powerful Personal Brand