Personal branding campaigns consist of different elements that develop the various ways the world experiences you and your expertise, from speaking engagements to video blogs, trade show panels to media interviews. Documents written on your behalf, however, quite often reach the largest audience and have a corresponding impact. Due to the internet, they also remain available over time.
In addition, written content produced on your behalf provides you with the opportunity to say exactly what you want to say without interpretation or filtering by someone who may not view your topic in the same context as you do. Used well, written content is one of the best ways to establish and maintain your credibility as an Industry Expert.
When developing a range of content as part of a personal branding campaign--from articles and white papers to case studies, blog postings and tweets--it's important to keep in mind that your writing must appeal to several audiences.
First and foremost are your customers, current as well as potential. Reading your take on current industry happenings will assure your current customers that they have made the right choice while you reach out to as yet untapped customers who might also benefit from your products or services.
A second audience segment is that of industry analysts. Your goal here is to show analysts that you are both knowledgeable and articulate. Industry reports often include several quotes, and being quoted by an analyst in a report immediately brands you as an Industry Expert, not a bad label to sport.
A third audience is the media, because being interviewed for an industry trend article will also boost both your profile and your credibility to current and potential customers alike. Remember that as technologies continue to develop at breakneck speed, the press is under great pressure to stay knowledgeable. In my experience, editors are always grateful to learn of someone who can help keep them up with new advances.
In short, written content is a formidable personal branding tool that also enables you to control your message.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Personal Branding Campaigns-Goals
An effective personal branding campaign benefits executives in several ways.
Most obviously, an effective campaign will increase your profile within your industry (or industries). That means a higher profile with prospective customers who will come to see you as an executive with effective solutions. Reaching out to potential customers via a blog that addresses industry trends, for example, and their concerns in particular, is often the beginning of a long-term relationship.
More than just dispensing technical wisdom and establishing your credibility as an industry figure, trend articles and a blog can give your audience a snapshot of the person you are, and convey a sense of the experience of doing business with you. Showing a bit of your personality will instill added confidence that you're someone with whom they would like to do business.
The importance of a high profile within the industry also explains why so many medium to large-sized businesses support personal branding campaigns on behalf of their key executives--they know that such efforts also raise the company's profile in the marketplace and reinforce confidence in the company's own image.
An effective personal branding campaign is also a way to position you, within your area of expertise, as an industry source to the media. And a turn of phrase that cleverly sums up a particular situation will ensure that the press will brand you an industry expert and keep knocking on your door to get your comments on current industry happenings. Here's a great example of a Big Picture quote by an industry insider that found such resonance with the press:
"Derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction." (Financier Warren Buffet)
Granted, Buffet is one of the most successful men in the world, but there are many successful businessmen who don't get quoted either because they haven't reached out to the press or because they have nothing of significance to say. Buffet, however, was able to define the conversation around the causes of the recent recession that rocked the world's economy.
Another reason that personal branding campaigns are part of the New Normal is, as John Kotter has observed, "We live in a world where 'business as usual' IS change." It's no longer enough to demonstrate past accomplishments. The companies you need to reach all want to know how you will lead the change.
Most obviously, an effective campaign will increase your profile within your industry (or industries). That means a higher profile with prospective customers who will come to see you as an executive with effective solutions. Reaching out to potential customers via a blog that addresses industry trends, for example, and their concerns in particular, is often the beginning of a long-term relationship.
More than just dispensing technical wisdom and establishing your credibility as an industry figure, trend articles and a blog can give your audience a snapshot of the person you are, and convey a sense of the experience of doing business with you. Showing a bit of your personality will instill added confidence that you're someone with whom they would like to do business.
The importance of a high profile within the industry also explains why so many medium to large-sized businesses support personal branding campaigns on behalf of their key executives--they know that such efforts also raise the company's profile in the marketplace and reinforce confidence in the company's own image.
An effective personal branding campaign is also a way to position you, within your area of expertise, as an industry source to the media. And a turn of phrase that cleverly sums up a particular situation will ensure that the press will brand you an industry expert and keep knocking on your door to get your comments on current industry happenings. Here's a great example of a Big Picture quote by an industry insider that found such resonance with the press:
"Derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction." (Financier Warren Buffet)
Granted, Buffet is one of the most successful men in the world, but there are many successful businessmen who don't get quoted either because they haven't reached out to the press or because they have nothing of significance to say. Buffet, however, was able to define the conversation around the causes of the recent recession that rocked the world's economy.
Another reason that personal branding campaigns are part of the New Normal is, as John Kotter has observed, "We live in a world where 'business as usual' IS change." It's no longer enough to demonstrate past accomplishments. The companies you need to reach all want to know how you will lead the change.
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