Find Yourself Online

OK. You've Googled your name, which everyone will agree is step one. How about the steps beyond that? Here are some strategies to find yourself online.

• Use quotes — Have you searched for your name in quotes ("Fred Stutzman")? You'll see a more targeted result set. This general strategy works by itself or with any of the following strategies. A search engine's results are only as good as the query being put in. Ask many times, many ways.
• Search all of your name(s) — Say you have a nickname, maiden name, or a name under which you publish. Search these names as well ("Fred Stutzman", "Frederic Stutzman", "F Stutzman", "Stutzman, F"), both with and without quotes.
• Try spelling variations — People are bad at spelling, and if you've got a complicated name, people might be writing about you and spelling your name wrong. Try a couple of different spelling variations ("Terrell", "Terrill", "Terrelle", "Terell", "Terrelll").
• Use name association — Say you are affiliated with a project, and people talk about you in the context of this project. They won't always use your last name. Fred, for example, has been affiliated with claimID and ibiblio. Searches like Fred ibiblio and Fred claimID may bring back new results. Don't limit yourself with name associations; you can search your name with things like your church's name, your hometown, your school's name, and so on. However, as the institution or place you associate yourself with gets bigger, the chances of the results matching you get smaller, so try and throw additional terms in there that may help you. An example of a more targeted search term would be your name, your company and your department (Example: Fred ibiblio systems).
• Search for things that don't mention you explicitly — There's more about you online than just the stuff that your name! For example, your various profiles in services like Ebay, Flickr, Amazon, MySpace and Epinions may not mention your name. These are part of your identity, and if you want people to see these pages, link to them with claimID. If you've spent a ton of time writing Amazon reviews, why not help people find them?
• Don't forget things you've created — Say you've written an article or designed a Web page about someone else. Unless you've created a portfolio page, people won't know that you're the creative force behind these things. ClaimID is really good for creating a portfolio of the work you've done. Sure, these things aren't about you, but they speak to your online identity. So go ahead and add 'em!
• Remember memberships, past and present — Your college's website may not mention you, but isn't it a part of your identity? You can add links to schools you've attended, places you've worked, and organizations you've been a member of. When people visit your claimID page, they will be able to easily browse through these things that can speak volumes about your identity. Don't limit yourself; claimID is about presenting your best face on the net, and anything that is online that speaks to your identity is absolutely fair game!
• Try lots of search engines — Don't limit yourself to just one search engine. The internet is much, much bigger than the size of all the search engines' indexes combined. Google, Yahoo!, MSN Search, Teoma, MetaCrawler, Clusty, Alexa, A9, Dogpile and Ask.com are just a few of the search engines out there. Find a huge list of search engines here.

via claimid.com

William Arruda's Personal Branding Predictions

1. Video, Video, Video
Thanks to greater bandwidth, cheaper storage, and a proliferation of products and services that make shooting, storing, viewing, and sharing video easy (Flip video, iPhone 3GS, YouTube, vimeo, blip.tv, vodpod, etc.), video will be king in 2010. Video is ideal because it allows careerists to deliver a complete communication and convey their personality—a critical component of branding.
2. Hiring Process
Companies will be hiring brands rather than employees. They will use social networks and Google to source talent, filter candidates, and validate credentials. "What's your brand?" will become as standard an interview question as "Tell me about yourself."
3. Branded Partners
Often more traditional in their approach to marketing and delivering their services, professional-services firms (accounting, law, consulting, etc.) are going to jump on the "brandwagon" with reckless abandon in 2010. In 2010, personal branding will be integrated into all levels in a firm—from hiring through becoming partner.
4. For-Credit Courses
Personal branding is a critical part of preparing students for successful careers.
5. Unified Search
We are already seeing many new services, such as addictomatic.com, that combine search results from many different search engines.Those who are building their personal brands will need to use various tools to ensure their visibility is positive and pervasive.
6. Video Search
With the huge growth in video on the Web (see prediction No. 1), we will start to see more sophisticated search capabilities within videos.  Currently, most search tools use titles and meta-tags to evaluate the video content to include in search results. That will change—making video the most powerful tool for brand-building.
7. Increased Efficiency
New services are available to make the process of maintaining your brand online quicker, more efficient, and more integrated. Tools such as KnowEm, HelloTxt, and png.fm help you build your personal brand on the Web in less time and with less effort.
8. Personal SEO
SEO is just as important to people who are looking to build their brands. Of course, most of us cannot afford to have a full-time SEO expert on staff. That's why companies such as QAlias and PeoplePond have sprung up. Their services are great for career-minded professionals—especially those who have a common name or share their name with a celebrity. More such tools will become available and popular  in 2010.
9. Digital Dirt Elimination
As Google results affect more aspects of our lives (getting a job, a loan, a date, etc.), people will engage firms such as ReputationDefender, Defend My Name, and Online Reputation Manager to eliminate digital dirt.
10. Permanent Mindset Shift
The confluence of Web 2.0 technologies and today's economic climate due to the subprime mortgage meltdown has changed the way we think about our careers.As we start to think of ourselves as companies of one, we will be more likely and more comfortable outsourcing activities related to our personal brands—building a management team to help us achieve our professional goals.

via marketingprofs.com

Personal Branding is about Fashion

I recently presented my pitch on personal branding at two lunch time events in Sunnyvale.  On the first occasion I wore tan corduroy pants with the shirt you see above.  And more recently I wore black pants with the same shirt.   I didn't really think too much about it except that I know this is a good color on me.

I started a small buzz when people realized that the business cards I was handing out before the event matched my shirt.  I had several people remark about it to my surprise. I have been dressing up a bit lately since I shifted from being a software architect to being a business development social media evangelist who just happens to be an expert in personal branding.
We should never discount the impact color and style can make with other people.   Color and probably fashion can play an important factor in developing your personal brand.   I like a strong emotional color like orange - because if feels like me - articulate, personable, and warm.   Companies pay huge amounts of money to get their brand colors just right.  In my case my wife Jacquelyn paid a couple of hundred dollars to get my colors done so that she could shop for me.   I learned alot about how to use my eye extension colors in my tie - when going on an interview.   But to tell you the truth - I usually just select things I like - but more often than not it a good color for me too.  
When I want to make an impression about my personality I like wearing things with some color.  In contrast I love grey - but its not the best color to project my enthusiasm or my emotion. 
My wife by the way used to work for Oracle and we always remarked how many employees there wore black.   I always thought that made Oracle more intellectual than emotional.  So I guess if you dont make you living connecting with others - the neutral colors are fine.
Knowing about yourself and the colors you look good in helps promote your brand.  And in my case Ive noticed Im more confident when wearing comfortable but stylish clothing.  And you never want someone to think that your are "Out of Style" Just as its important to stay current in your profession - its important both to have a memorable style while not reminding people of the 70's.
Living at the nexus of Technology, Service, Marketing and Evangelism

The Brand Evangelist and Social Media

A Brand Evangelist is a person who promotes your brand without regard for compensation.  Their reward is the association with your brand.   Your brand becomes part of their identity.  The goal of any brand is to find and cultivate Brand Evangelists who can promote your brand everywhere without costing you a cent.  Social Media provides a great platform for you to grow some Brand Evangelists for yourself.

A Brand Evangelist:

• Purchase and believe in your product or service
• Passionately recommend you to friends, neighbours, colleagues
• Purchase your products as gifts to others
• Provide unsolicited feedback or praise
• Forgive dips in service and quality
• Are not bought; they extol your virtues freely
• Feel part of something bigger than themselves

The place that Brand Evangelist congregate is online.  You can use Social Media to create a place where your Brand Evangelists can thrive by catering to their passions and needs.  Specifically Brand Evangelists:

• Need to share experiences - Social Networks provide a place where they can publicly share their stories about your brand.  We all know the power a personal story can be to influence others to buy your brand.  The evangelists can become your ambassadors online.
• Exhibit a high level of brand pride.  You can connect with your evangelists by providing images, logos, other branded paraphernalia that they can acquire, wear and share.
• Want to know as much as there is to know about you.  You will need to provide intimate stories about your company online.  Share the CEO's personal blog.  Publish videos of how you get things done in house.   Your Brand Evangelists will be empowered by knowing all the minutia about your brand and company.
• Are looking for a place to hang out with other evangelists.  You must provide online communities where they can congregate and share their stories.  Facebook has done a great job of providing a public space where brand fans can show themselves.  On the Fan Page you should take this opportunity to reward your evangelists in small ways and make them feel special.

Living at the nexus of Technology, Service, Marketing and Evangelism

The Well Branded Business Card

Ive seen many a business card in my day.  Mostly all forgetable.  When I meet someone interesting and get their card I usually invite them to join me on Linkedin as soon as I get home.  The card gets tossed into a stack of other business cards never to be retrieved again. Sometimes after a large event I have a card for someone who I cant remember.  Nothing on the card jogs my memory particularly if I havent made any notes.

Your business card needs to stand out just as your brand needs to stand out. It needs to be memorable so the reciever takes a look at it before slipping it into their pocket. Ive compiled a short list of branding business card tips.

• Use a personal image if you feel comfortable with that.  This allows the person to remember you later.  We remember faces more than specific conversations.
• Use a color on your card to make it pop.   A colored card will stand out in a sea of plain white cards.
• Some cards are noticiable because they are a different size.  Im not crazy about the tiny or the larger cards because they dont fit into my stack of cards.  But I have to admit that its memorable.
• Dont use glossy print that someone cant write on.  Often times I make notes on the card after the conversation.  A glossy card looks good but if you cant write on it - then its defeating the purpose. 
• Dont use up every single bit of space on your card - front and back - since this will leave no room to take notes.
• Use a tagline that summarizes your brand.  Mine is "simplify organize finish".  I cant tell you how many people have remarked about it.
• Include your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin urls so that they can connect with you later.
• Include the usually stuff - but think about keeping it sparse.  Name, email and phone are the basics.
• I have seen the back of a card used to great effect - listing special skills like a mini resume.  This could be effective for a job hunter - but mostly I think its overkill.
• There is nothing wrong with inexpensive business cards that you get from VistaPrint.com. But pay to have their information not printed on the back.  Dont use a generic template - I can spot them a mile away.
• My friend Scott Monfort prints high quality custom business cards for specific events. He includes his image and the name of the event.  Later a person will remember meeting Scott at the event - even months later.
• I like to see a bit of personality in a business card - just like a good brand. My friend David Paktor has a wonderfully memorable card that uses a bug caught in a trap and the words "The Bug Stops Here" - he is a great software developer.
• The design of your card should reflect what you do.  My friend Katherine Spencer is a visual designer and uses drafting-like drawings to help other connect with her and her brand.
• If you print your cards yourself at home - make sure that everything is nicely formatted and that its not obvious that its homemade.  Sometimes its worth the money to just get some printed in order to protect your brand and the impression others have of you.
• And lastly - never show up to a networking event without your cards. 

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Your Personal Brand Can Change The World

I remember a comment Neil Young had about Live Aid and other similar events. He said "save yourself". I have always thought about that and realized that after I find my true self and act upon that fact - the world will change around me.

Personal Branding - Expertise vs Expert

 

I have found that when we talk about ourselves we might say that we have some particular expertise in something and only rarely do we say "I am an expert". This is a personal branding mistake. For example, I might say that I have expertise in Java Software Architecture. But it would be better expressed as saying "I am a Java Software Architecture Expert". 

And another thing, the more you repeat this phrase - the more people will believe it and refer to you as the "Expert".  Saying that you have "expertise" is a commodity statement that is cast away from consciousness faster than you can finish the sentence.  When branding yourself - you must refer to yourself directly - and you must create real impressions in the minds of your audience.

Internal and External Brand Mantras

We have all heard about taglines sometimes called "brand" taglines. A tagline is really an external mantra for your customers to resonate with. Its also important when developing a personal career brand to have an internal mantra. Just like the word "OM" - which is chanted to bring inner calm - we need an internal mantra to guide our career and to give it meaning.

Finding an internal mantra that "fits" is not an easy task. It relies on some deep reflection of your core values and then simplifying them into a single statement. I have found it helpful to catalog my values formally on a piece of paper. It should be an expression that helps you find your way along your career path. For me its about using a combination of skills in my career. I have always felt that I work best when bridging ideas, selling ideas, and uncovering deeper meaning and understanding of things.

photo credit SanDiegoJoey

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Criteria for a Great Brand Name

• DISTINCTIVENESS - always important in branding.  You must standout.  Ive seen some pretty interesting names lately that have been creative with spelling - apptizr.com as an example.  This company provides a smart way to find iphone apps.
• BREVITY - Often you want to have your brand name be your domain name.   So some brand names or company names are just too long and you are forced to have a domain that is different from your brand.  Not that good. The shorter the name the easier it is to remember.   And it fits in small spaces.
• APPROPRIATENESS - It should reflect what you are providing.  It should remind you of what you are getting.
• EASY SPELLING - You want people to be able to spell your name particularly when doing a Google search.
• EASY PRONOUNCIATION - Man I hate it when I cant pronounce the brand name.
• LIKEABILITY - If possible it should make your customer feel good.  I think medicine names have been pretty good at this.  But I think Cheetos might be a better example.
• EXTENDABILITY - This insures that your company can extend into other categories.
• PROTECTABILITY - You dont want your name taken from you later after you have established yourself.
• PRINTABILITY - You have to think about where you are going to place your brand name.  It should be easily reproduced in text and on various type of swag.

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What is a Personal Brand Tagline

Taglines aren't just for companies - they are for individuals. A tagline is a very short expression that conveys meaning to your audience. When developing a career we can use these short expressions in conversation or on our business cards to quickly help others understand who and what we are. A good tagline starts a conversation and provides context for everything that follows. Without any further preamble (Just do it), I am going to list some qualities of a good tagline.

Simple - A tagline should be very short - no more than 9 words.

Succinct - A tagline is to the point and not long winded.

Clear - A tagline is immediately understood.

Original - A tagline is not a stale reused expression.

Authentic - A tagline is genuine and conveys real values about you.

Positive - A tagline is best when expressed highlighting the good.

Memorable - A tagline is useless if its forgetable.

Believable - A tagline is credible.

 

Personal Branding is Outcome Thinking

Personal Branding - especially for your career has to do with setting and achieving goals. In essence - getting things done. We are not used to setting our own goals - more often we are buffeted about by forces around us. But branding ourselves in our career is about setting some personal goals and actually accomplishing them. In David Allen's book Getting Things Done he uses a term called "Outcome Thinking". He says "Thinking in a concentrated manner to define desired outcomes is something few people feel they have to do. But in truth, outcome thinking is one of the most effective means available for making wishes a reality". Its probably another topic - but a person who sets and achieves their own goals is a person that people respect - they make an impression - which is one of the main goals of branding. And David reminds us that when we think of the desired outcome first before acting - we can more easily accomplish what we set out to do.

Personal Branding Is Repetition

 

Should I say it again? Personal Branding is the effective use of repetition. A curious thing about our brains is that after hearing something over and over - we begin to believe it. So when we set out to get "mind share" one technique is to repeat the message over and over. Let me amend my last statement and say that it is a necessary technique. Hey and guess what happens when you repeat something boring over and over? Your brand (if you call it that at this point) is boring. What you say is as important as the repetition. If you tell everyone you are an expert at something over and over and over - in person, on the phone, on your business card, in your email signature - then after a while people will peg you as an expert.

The 2009 Edelman Trust Report suggests that 60% of people need to hear a message three times before they believe it.  So if you are positioning yourself as an expert by writing articles and making presentations - its imperitive that your listeners hear it repeatedly.

(As a caveat to this post - some might consider repetition as an aspect of marketing not branding.   This might be true.   I tend to think of branding as a process that results in a brand.   Im saying that repeated sightings of your brand reinforces it in the minds of your customers - and just saying you are an expert doesnt make it so.    However,  repetition doesnt always need facts to be effective - just look at some beer commercials during a football game.)

The Personal Branded Avatar

Its important to present a representative image of yourself in all of your social network profiles.  People respond visually and make very quick decisions about you.  If your avatar is a cartoon its hard to take you seriously.   One caveat to that is - if you are not concerned about your brand then the avatar could be anything.  Sometimes you want to be anonymous or be known as something other than what you really are - thats playful and fun - but its not a personal brand.

In branding its important to make a quick yet distinquished impression that conveys your value.  Your avatar helps people start to establish trust with you.

All that being said - Peter Huboi has created for himself what I call the "best avatar on the web".  It has a clear image of his face but also includes some other elements which make you want to find out more.  Its brilliant and I never seem to tire of seeing it.  While Peter doesnt use it everywhere - its a refreshing change of pace.

Personal Branding Is Like Buddhism

One of the reason so much branding fails is that people arent aware enough of their circumstances - personally and in the marketplace. While I dont profess to be a Buddhist, I have benefited from some meditation and slowing down of my crazed monkey brain - thereby starting to notice a bit more nuance in my life. Personal branding is about personal awareness. We could learn a lot from the Buddha.

The 7 Keys to Social Branding

Insight “Know who you are, and what that means.”

Identity “Be who you are, become what you want to be.”

Resonance “Know whom you serve, and why they care.”

Clarity “Speak your messages in their language.”

Coherence “Look the part, be the part.”

Relevance “Put it together, and put it to work.”

Leverage “Own your brand, and keep it healthy.”

Evolution “This is a process, not an event.”

via conversationagent.com

I thought this was a lovely set of words to describe social branding.

Personal Branding Is Made To Stick

Like any branding - its about marketing and the ability to be memorable. Its unfortunate that most of us are terrible at making impressions. The good news is that there is a simple recipe which you can use to improve. I simply cant recommend the book Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath enough. You gotta read the whole book to get the whole picture - or at least start reading their columns in Fast Company. These two brothers provide some simple guidelines that can be remembered by the acronym SUCCES(S).

Simple - Keep your message short, tight and to the point
Unexpected - Say something unusual but poignant to keep attention
Concrete - Give me some vivid details to make it real
Credible - Give me some facts and statistics
Emotional - Tell me whats in it for me
Stories - Stories help people understand and move them to action

Six Best Business Books to Read for Your Career in 2010

1. "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," by Daniel Pink ($26.95) -- Pink makes the case that there's much more to motivation than money -- autonomy, improvement and a deeper sense of purpose push people more strongly.

Drawing on scientific research, Pink profiles companies and entrepreneurs who are taking a nontraditional approach to lighting fires under their workers.

2. "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?," by Seth Godin ($25.95, released January 26) -- The title is pretty explanatory in the latest from Godin, a powerhouse marketer/author known for books like "Purple Cow" and "Tribes." Godin argues that the best and most coveted employees connect coworkers, catalyze deals and see opportunities that others don't. He also tries to lay out a roadmap for how to become such an uber-pro. If Godin's advice for building a personal brand is as popular as his material on corporate brands and customer demographics, "Linchpin" will be well-received.

3. "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard," by Chip Heath and Dan Heath ($26.00, released February 16) -- Weaving psychology and sociology through a number of anecdotes, the Heaths show that some of the most transformative managers follow a pattern of change. They argue that the trick to making things happen quickly on a large scale is to sync emotional thinking with rationale thinking. That sounds wishy-washy, but neither of these guys are on the New-Age circuit. Chip Heath is a business professor at Stanford University and Dan is a consultant at The Aspen Institute.

4. "Louder Than Words: Take Your Career from Average to Exceptional with the Hidden Power of Nonverbal Intelligence," by Joe Navarro ($24.99, released February 16) -- In poker, reading an opponent's gestures, or "tells," can make all the difference. The same is true in an office, according to Navarro. He breaks down body language, bad habits and behavioral ticks as essential to understanding what is really going on in a company, a business meeting or even a phone call. Navarro also advises how to use these intangible forces to get ahead on the job.

5. "The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue EXCELLENCE," by Thomas J. Peters ($24.99, released March 9) -- Peters, most known for his 1982 "In Search of Excellence," cranks out some more counterintuitive management advice in his latest offering -- encouraging bosses to cherish "weirdness," focus on common sense and step away from their computers. We're wondering if writing "excellence" in capital letters is one of the 163 suggestions.

6. "Rework," by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson ($22.00, released March 9) -- Dubbed as "inspirational" and a "mini manifesto," "Rework" comprises hundreds of simple rules for success. The little tome also plays the counterintuitive card heavily with advice ranging from "fire the workaholics" to "planning is guessing." More detailed descriptions have been scarce, but "Rework" has career counselors gushing.

via fins.com

Simplify Organize Finish

I am the 20 lb hammer of designing and communicating. I understand technology and software design to the core. My tagline is “Simplify, Organize, and Finish” because I am able to orchestrate and deliver complete solutions.

Personal Branding Is the New Black

 

A few years ago personal branding was more of a curiosity for individuals.  Now we cant read a magazine without hearing about personal branding.  I think in some ways branding  yourself was considered vain.    The "corporate man culture" had not died out.  I think those days are gone.  Just as women rely on having a black dress in the closet - professionals need to have some sort of personal branding going on - or they will seem out of it.   Well I have to admit that many unemployed people I meet dont have any idea what Im talking about.  Where once a well articulated resume was enough to land a job - now you must differentiate yourself and constantly deliver value.   Right now if you are looking for a job and you dont have your "black dress" - no one is going to invite you to the ball.  

Personal branding is now something everyone must have in their career "wardrobe" - it has become the staple for professional success. I for one am relieved that the expectations are so high.   We can no longer just be cogs in the machinery where somebody else takes care of us.  It was nice - now I feel like an adult and in full control of my life - and its not vanity but invention - its re-establishing my identity in an all too over-populated world where I am responsible for my own promotion.   But I also feel comfortable and confident - knowing I can always pull out my black dress (slacks) to wear to the party.

Personal Branding - I am the Singularity

The number one rule of personal branding is to be unique - possibly the best in the world as Seth Godin suggests in his book The Dip. This is not as hard as it might seem - it just takes a bit of self reflection to find the things that differentiate yourself from the rest of the commodities out there in the world. Its a bit about finding your own personality and being ok with it - because being yourself and having a special point of view sometimes makes you at odds with the lemmings. When you find your own inner strength and creativity you will find that it also results in a great amount of magnetism that will draw energy and people toward you like a black hole.