Brand X - Personal Branding for Social Media

The term personal branding is being flung around a lot as of late. You may even be asking yourself, "what is the difference between branding for business and branding as a person?" No matter your career or calling, you are a brand. Your footprint online is your advertisement for that brand. This doesn't mean you have to completely sterilize your online experience but you should make sure it paints you in the best light.

1) Google Yourself: What comes up first? It's the norm for potential employers (and most people) to Google your full name or email address to see what and who exactly they are dealing with. If you search my name for example you'll see the first entry (after Twitter results) is my website. This is a perfect fit for me and my branding. You can see what I'm up to at the moment. The next link is my LinkedIn profile where you can see what I've done in the past. Links that follow are for various articles, events and sites I've participated in.

After searching decide if you like the results. If you do great; keep doing what you're doing. If you feel you require more of a presence or want to change your current presence read on...

2) Set up a Homebase Online: It can be as simple as a LinkedIn or Facebook profile page or get as in depth as a personal portfolio page; it's up to you. Personally, I have become a fan of Flavors.me. It's simple to set up a clean professional looking site for free or for $20 a year you get more options and statistical information on your site. It's a way to link to all of your Social Links/Sites you want people to see upfront. For me that means my Blog and Twitter. Another great site to do this with is Chi.mp. Also, you should consider buying the URL of some sort of variation of your name (my last name can be tricky so I went with my first name, last initial) and routing your homebase to it. I would suggest setting up a LinkedIn page no matter your level of commitment to Branding yourself as an online resume, you never know what could come of it.

3) Monitor Yourself: Personally a large part of my brand is my life so there isn't much which can be posted about me that can really cause harm. However if you are a face or the face of your company, you may need to monitor things a bit differently. Make sure your Facebook privacy settings are up to date and only sharing what you want. You can read more about how to navigate them via this article. If you use Twitter make sure you are comfortable with everything you tweet showing up in a web search (because it does) or lock your account for an additional layer of security (but don't genuinely count on it, if it's that sensitive send a text). Take a look at what photos/videos are tagged of you on various networks. Also be aware that if you comment on sites using Facebook Connect it can show up in searches as well.

4) Be the Person or the Brand: Or understand what it means to be both. Many people are running businesses by themselves and the first thing I typically tell clients is; personal Branding and Branding for your business are typically two different animals. If you are shooting out personal information on a business account -- stop it. I'm not saying don't inject personality, authenticity or humor into your social branding for your business, but the messages about standing in an epic line or "yum, just had a cupcake" don't really do much to build unless you are a professional line stander or selling cupcakes. Same goes for the reverse; temper the business info in your personal accounts. Not everyone needs to know that you are so over being at work and are purposely making an office supply run last twice the time needed. It's silly and could very well come back to bite you in the ass.

5) Grow and Maintain: Like I said; if you are happy with what you find when you search your name, stay the course of what you were already doing online. If you are working on having new results once you get some sort of Homebase set up, participation is the key to growth. Jump into the LinkedIn questions area and ask or answer a few questions. Find a message board or forum for your field and sign up with your first initial, last name and participate -- be it as someone offering answers or if you are still growing; asking clear straightforward questions. Take a look at your email signature. Does it give a clear way to contact you besides hitting reply on your email? I love the idea of dancing like no one is watching as much as the next person, but it's more important you include a link to your Homebase and a contact number (Google Voice) is fine if you don't want your main number flying around the web) than a clever quote. As an added measure you can add a link to your most recent article, press clipping, accomplishment etc., depending on your field.

Behind the Beast Redux

NYC's finest packed themselves into the Chart Room at the SoHo Grand Hotel to hear hand-picked panelists from the worlds of streetwear, photography, publicity, branding and fitness dish on the fashion industry. Over the years fashion has evolved beyond the pages of glossy magazines and the runway. The fashion industry is more pervasive in the lives of women than ever before.

Panel moderator, Ruby Veridiano-Ching and guest

Panelist and photographer Lynnette Astaire, guest and former LLNY Organizer, Rene Abdo

Behind the Beast NYC was illuminating indeed. The focus was on fashion but it was also an exercise in branding, marketing and perseverance. A brand doesn't develop a following over night. It can take years for a brand to take off and less time for it to crash and burn in this supersaturated environment. New female entrepreneurs can learn a thing or two from streetwear maven, Leah McSweeny. She built Married to the Mob from the ground up; starting in her apartment and expanding to include investors when she felt the time was right and she trusted the people who were going to help her line get made.

Ladies Lotto founder, Natalie Blacker (center) and guests

A rich statement piece compliments the smooth taste of Marani Vodka

Panelists and HighSnobette founders, Samia Grand-Pierre and Lois Sakany

Once you're up and running it's important to maintain a foot hold. “Do your market research, go out into the streets, stay under the radar and have people find you — you want to be the desirable one,” said Farah Malik, Co-Founder & Designer of A Peace Treaty. “And whether it’s yoga, writing, going to museums, develop who you are as a person. Make sure you have something to offer on a deeper level,” urged Lois Sakany and McSweeny. “Build your personal relationships and socialize more. You are never going to succeed sitting at home, so go out and have some fun.”

Guests celebrate an illuminating event with Marani Vodka cocktails

Guest reads the latest issue of fashion, body and beauty magazine, Self

Here’s a list of Ladies Lotto approved resources to help you get ahead:

Accion - Microlending and microfinance source
NY Business Library - Science, industry and business library
HootSuite - Professional Twitter client
Kickstarter - Funding platform for entrepreneurs
Make Mine A Million $ Business - Business competition for women

Behind the Beast gift bag contents

After the panel guests were able to explore their gift bags filled with goodies from Steaz, POP Chips, StrangeCo, Blume, Olay Beauty, LIFEbeat and powerHouse Books. Later guests had the opportunity to mingle with panelists in the Grand Lounge, while enjoying cocktails courtesy of Marani Vodka.

Click here to see more photos from Behind The Beast. Follow Ladies Lotto on Twitter for live event tweets.

Guests in stylish ensembles delight in the taste of Marani Vodka

Still not in it to win it? Join Ladies Lotto now or keep an eye out for membership ambassadors such as Samantha E., and Mary P., at our events.

With reporting by Kristen Dolle

Build Your Brand - 8 Essential Steps

Photo by Jennifer Tzar

Build Your Brand
By Barbara Reinhold

Who makes your favorite shoes or outfits? What beverage calls your name when you need a pick-me-up? Whose movies won't you miss? Whose help do you seek when you want a project done right, at home or at work?

All of these questions involve your reactions to a particular brand -- a collection of assumptions about quality, appeal and reliability that you've made in response to repeated experience with a variety of possible products, people or services. Here's the important thing: Whether you like to think about it or not, right now there are people thinking about your very own brand of whatever you are and do, and they're deciding if they want to make it one of their favorites.

International branding strategist Robin Fisher Roffer, author of Make a Name for Yourself, suggests eight steps to help women develop and project their own brands.


-Eight Essential Steps

1. Identify the primary "product" (service, resource, special ability, etc.) you have to offer others.

2. Identify your core values. What really matters to you?

3. Identify your passions. What things or ideas do you love?

4. Identify your talents. What have you always been recognized for (particularly as a kid)? What do you do better than most other people? What skills do people seem to notice in you?

5. From your hopefully long list of talents and qualities, choose the top five, the ones you do best and enjoy doing the most.

6. Weave the items on all your lists into a statement of your specialty. What are you particularly gifted at delivering?

7. Write a paragraph emphasizing your specialty and your five key talents, weaving in your most important values, passions and skills.

8. Now add a tag line to your brand.


-The Tag Line Tells Your Story

A coach I know who consults by phone -- primarily helping six-figure earners work their way even further up the corporate ladder -- goes by this tag line: "A coach for successful people to help them be even more successful." A senior project manager working in the crossfire between the marketing group and packaging designers at a stressful manufacturing facility has developed this tag line: "An efficient problem solver who understands and enjoys both the creativity of designers and the practicality of marketers." My tag line for my counseling and coaching practice is this: "The permissionary -- a visionary realist to help you discover and manifest your dreams.

A tag line's shorthand helps other people remember a key point about you. At the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts chapter of the NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) breakfast meetings, every member and guest stands up and introduces herself via her tag line, or verbal business card. In this organization, the women remember each other's tag lines as easily as their names, and after each month's meeting, hundreds of ripples go out about each of the women attending and what she has to offer. And it works for entrepreneurs and employees alike.

-Get the Word Out

Once you've worked over your tag line and the other items on the list for a few days or weeks, it's time to take them public with someone you trust. Keeping them secret is a sure way to never act on them.

The road to career disappointment is littered with lists, dreams and goals never shared with anyone. So get your "brand me" musings out into the light of day to solicit support and constructive criticism from someone else. And you could be a brand advisor for that person in return. And it would be even better is you could get four or five women together regularly to encourage and critique each other's branding strategies and activities.

The "Rules" for Women Who Engage in Social Media

Lipsticking guest blogger, Lena West, Chief of Social Media Strategy at xynoMedia recently posted "Rules" of Social Media Engagement for Women. They are:

1. You're not one of the guys nor will you ever be.
2. Use emoticons and exclamation points sparingly.
3. IM'ing at night, is IM'ing at night.
4. Keep your beau to yourself.
5. The women are watching.

For an in-depth explanation of her rules, please visit Lipsticking. http://www.lipsticking.com/2009/04/rules-of-social-media-engagement-for-women.html

Curious to know your thoughts about these. Is she on point or just plain wrong? Would you add or take anything away?

House of Creed

Founded in 1760, the House of Creed certainly has a history of bringing the most exquisite fragrances to the world. They are a truly spectacular heritage brand! From the unique scents to the packaging and everything in between are simply brilliant.