Personal Branding Campaigns - Who's Your Audience?

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.