Next Level Branding: Easy Ways to Improve Your Online Presence and Personal Brand Daily
Branding
In its essence, branding is the art of creating an image for something or someone (be it a product or a person) in the eyes of the people who interact with it in some way. In today's digital world, however, it's much more than just some random actions taken every now and then.
Everyone is a brand today, it's just that people don't realize it most of the time. Anything you do online becomes part of your overall strategy and affects how others see you. If you do it unconsciously, then you aren't really looking to build a name for yourself, improve your online presence or run a profitable business. Because if you did have these objectives, you'd be takings focused steps every single day.
Luckily, it's never too late to start developing a positive image about yourself in the digital world. Even if you're not sure where you want this to take you, chances are you'll form some connections, build an audience, create a portfolio and gain experience and knowledge of the market.
These concepts go beyond marketing yourself and the niche you are carving on the Steem platform and can be applied to your overall digital persona.
Improve Your Personal Brand Daily
Here are easy daily actions you can take that will get you closer to improving your personal brand and seeing the success you desire:
Have your own website - that's the best place to start
You need it because it will be your online home, and you'll have full control over it. Go with WordPress, a self-hosted version, and get a domain with your name. Better yet, you can wait for the Steem / Wordpress integration! Depending on your budget, you can hire a developer and a designer, or you can learn the basics of this open source platform and explore the countless possibilities that Wordpress (and soon, Steem, too!) offers in terms of themes, plugins, widgets and more.
Dedicate More Time to Your About Page
That's where people will go to learn more about you and your work. Make it professional - include your CV and important details like work samples, but also add a personal touch. Tell your story in an engaging way. Be authentic. People respect that.
Blog!
Whatever field you're in, writing your own articles will help you build a name for yourself. You don't need to have any special skills, although copywriting always comes in handy. Just share what you think about recent events in your industry, write practical blog posts on what mistakes you've made in the past and how you got back on your feet, and encourage people to be their best.
Be social
Have a profile on multiple social media platforms. Put some thought in creating the accounts: what username to use so that you can be found by the right people, what bio or description to write so that you can stand out, what content you'll be sharing and how often so that others will click it and comment, etc. Also, reach out to anyone that seems interesting, who shares your posts, whose updates grabbed your attention or who is an influencer in your niche. Networking is a never-ending process. You can never know where your next job lead or potential partner or customer will come from.
Every email and post matters
Whenever you're writing something, don't just do it on autopilot. Even if it's a quick email, be polite. When it's more important though, remember to follow up. Sometimes, people are too busy and forget to get back to you.
Photos
Take some professional photos and add them to social media and your About and portfolio page. People will take you more seriously this way.
Do work for free and gather testimonials
Word of mouth is key these days with so much competition and low quality freelancers out there. Do what you do on the side first and be okay with doing it for free for some time. People will appreciate it, will become fans of your work, and will then tell their friends about you. What's more, you'll gain experience, become known in the field and will ask for testimonials and referrals in return. That's priceless.
So that's how you can take personal branding to the next level. What will you do today to improve your online presence?
(images courtesy of Unsplash)
I can't see how Steem has much of a future when boring posts like this earn so much money. It's very disheartening for people writing original content.
I agree. Self-help articles without actual substance seems to be the norm. However, who should we blame? The guy who found a goldmine or the ones who upvote it ?
Well it's a systemic problem, that would require some sort of solution on a systemic level. I still find it hard to wrap my head around the Steem ecosystem after lots of reading. And of course it's a new platform so it's probably inevitable that problems arise. But hopefully with that new solutions come about. There have been solutions proposed. I guess it's a matter of testing them out.
How can you talk about personal branding when you created this account 14 hours ago. You haven't shared any of your personality here. You haven't shared any personal information, no photos, no stories, no nothing.
This is a thin article that looks like it was outsourced. I'm worried that Steemit will be full of 'entrepreneurs' who create new accounts, post a few articles from a writer on Upwork - then cash in $$$$... while the people who contribute and add value to this community are ignored.
If you're reading this please downvote - at least until @joblessnomore gives verification - as these large posts detract from the reward pool for other mere mortals.
So you're saying this is like Facebook, and I have to give "verification" and my personal identity before I can participate at all? I thought people in the crypto community were all about privacy, freedom, and the free market.
Branding is a rather popular buzz word and sure gets around. You seem to have done your homework that way too: Good for you, good for us. Thanks for the dedication and professional work, namaste :)
@joblessnomore you are so right people are the walking advertisments :)
Just like Apple, which is a branding company if you think about it!
Wow! I didn't even know there would be a Steemit Wordpress integration! Yes! Excellent article.
What do you suggest for writers and creators who prefer "their" privacy and not personally brand themselves? I have done both ghostwriting and freelance writing through the years under different pen names, I find it much harder to create a mass following this way.
I have steemit to be a great place for writers like myself, to be honest. Although I haven't had any huge success on most of my posts here yet, I see the potential.
Yup, didn't expect a reply or any kind of interaction from the author.
Hey, you only gave me one hour to reply! I went to sleep after I posted and I'm sorry, but I am busy and will not necessarily always have the time to respond right away.
If you don't want to give your name and personal ID, I recommend that you still have a website and social media around your pen name. Make sure you are focused and your style is consistent and recognizable. Create some professional images (or commission some) that don't reveal who you are, but can be used to create a consistent look across different platforms. Contact potential employers as an anonymous freelancer and get testimonials that you can at least show to other employers.
I'm new to Steemit and the question you bring up is relevant to me too. I thought this could be a good place to write anonymously. Why not stick to one pen name and try to build a following, or have a pen name for each topic or area you write about?
Kool, if I find the time I'll do all those things.
Have accounts been hacked?
The upvotes for this post look almost identical to the upvotes from https://steemit.com/entrepreneurship/@joblessnomore/the-power-of-outsourcing-why-it-matters-and-where-to-start
They look too identical to be legit.
Maybe they saw both my articles at the same time. Maybe these people have multiple accounts. That's possible, right? Who are you, the Steemit police?
(comic by Wumo)
We are left to wonder how @joblessnomore has such a following and high reputation when ironically he/she seems to have only joined the community less than 24 hours ago, has followed no one, and has no introductory post. I took back my vote.
Or are we just jealous of a lucky blog post? Is an introductory post mandatory here? Do I HAVE to follow people before I get my first followers?
still wondering... but no, jealousy serves no purpose, nether does flagging that's why I didn't flag your post @joblessnomore. Now I'm also wondering why you would flag my comment? It was a harmless question I thought, and not abusive.