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How to Build Your Personal Brand Online

July 28th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

As a small business owner, I’m always looking for ways to build my brand online. I’m active on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but I decided to explore taking branding further and really connect to potential clients and professionals in my industry.

While doing some research online, I came across a video of Michael Stelzner interviewing Mari Smith on how she leverages her personality to strengthen her brand online.

First, a quick intro to the difference between the terms “brand” and “branding.” Your brand is the experience you want your audience to have when they come in contact with you, while branding is everything you do to get your brand out there.

Here are a few key points from the interview that stood out for me:

The Power of “Brand You”

Personal branding involves using the persona associated with your name to power your brand equity. Social media has amplified our ability to build brand equity by giving us the opportunity to connect with anyone, anywhere. As we join online conversations and communities, we begin to notice that our names become associated with expertise.

Even if you work at a large company, you can still create a personal brand. The best thing about brand equity is that it’s portable – you can take it with you if you ever decide to leave a job and start your own business.

Why Personal Branding Is a Must

According to Mari Smith, personal branding is the way of the future. Many professional relationships today are forged and nurtured online via social media, so it’s the perfect place to let your clients, customers, and peers get to know the real you.

If you need another reason to build an online presence, Smith predicts that those with the most Twitter followers, Facebook friends, etc., will earn the big bucks in the future.

Establishing Your Brand Online

To build Brand You, you should use your name as your Twitter handle and Facebook URL. If your name is already taken, just add a middle initial or an underscore.

Smith recommends making your name your domain for your Facebook fan page rather than for your personal Facebook profile page. If you’ve already used your name for your personal page, Facebook gives you one opportunity to change it. Simply click Account–Username–Change, and move your name over to your fan page.

Whether you’re self-employed or work for a large company, leveraging your brand equity can help you network, attract clients, and get the most out of your professional life. What personality traits or areas of expertise will you use to build your personal brand?

Image by Flickr user Jerry Kirkhart (Creative Commons)

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Tags: brand, Branding, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mari Smith, Marketing, Michael Stelzner, online branding, social media, Social Mediai Examiner, Twitter
Posted in Branding, Marketing | No Comments »

Extend Your .COrporate Footprint with a .CO domain

June 3rd, 2010 :: Steven Fisher

Many of us aspire to be entrepreneurs one day and many of you reading this may be just starting out or veterans at this already. What you all can agree on is that in order to take a company from small to big a critical element is extending its footprint and protecting its brand.

The Corporation Needs Its Brand Protected

We talked in a previous post about how a strong brand starts with a strong name. Of course, one of the first things you do when you start your business is to come up with a name. In the late 1990’s when the web was growing rapidly, people were adding a .com to the end of their company to show how forward thinking and hip it was because they got the “Internet thing”. Over time everyone expected you to have a .com for your top level domain (TLD) extension. However, over the last 15 years many of the .com addresses have been snatched up, there is a new opportunity on the horizon – the .CO domain.

We came across and interesting study on the .CO web site that talked about a study of 600 past and prospective domain registrants. It was performed by Penn, Schoen and Berland, a global market research firm, rand they learned that .CO domains in the second level are:

Easy to remember, simple to use, and easy to understand
More than 75% of respondents associated .CO with ‘company,’ ‘corporation,’ or other commercial endeavors—but .CO is not confined only to these meanings

Simply put, .CO is global, recognizable and credible, and therefore highly desirable in this competitive business environment.

Extend Your Corporate Footprint with a .CO Domain Name

While you might already have your .COM name secured, it important that you extend your corporate footprint to protect your brand and work well in a commercial or business environment. We have mentioned in previous posts that as you grow your company you will need to protect your name and multiple domain extensions is one primary way. It is important to note that as of this writing, if you have a corporate name/brand, the Global Sunrise is still going on but the window is closing fast. By June 10, 2010. During the Sunrise period holders of eligible registered trademarks have the right to apply for the .CO domain name corresponding with their trademark before the registration of domain names opens to the general public.

Take Your .COrporate Footprint from Small to Big with a .CO Domain Name

So are you ready to go from small to big? We encourage you to check out the Network Solutions .CO site more information about submitting your trademark application and the .CO domain name in general.

To support the launch of the .CO domain globally, the site Pitch.CO has a contest asking for your best business idea pitch and you can win $50,000. To find out more, check out the Pitch.CO site.

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Tags: brand, Business, Domain name, Network Solutions, Top-level domain, Trademark
Posted in small business, Technology | No Comments »

Promote Your Business and Brand: BE the Change You Want to See

October 22nd, 2009 :: Erica Knoch

Black Dog Coffee's, Brian Bircher (photo by Aeroka Media Marketing)

Do you have a passion for a certain charitable cause, wished you had more time to help others, but were too busy running your business? Well why not make it your business to give back? Today is the day to be the change you want to see, and hey, it’s a great promotional tool as well!

Include in your business plan a giving mission. Not only will giving back in the name of your business help you work with a purpose, but by doing so, you are marketing your business, raising the bar on your brand reputation and growing a client base. Personally, I would rather do business with a company that gives back, especially to my community.

Here are a few small business examples that might inspire you:

Black Dog Coffee: Brian Bircher is the Roast Master of Black Dog Coffee. Based in Summit Point, WV, he roasts and sells his coffee beans online, in retail establishments, and delivers locally. His passion is helping the Charlestown Rotary Club. This club helps local charities, such as arranging a Day of Caring, as well as help the larger Rotary‘s worldwide mission to end Polio. Also, Brian volunteers with Shannondale & Beyond, an historical and nature preservation entity. By donating his coffee, serving it at fundraising events, and being hands-on in charity projects, he has found purpose. His added bonus: a great reputation and a growing client base. In his social media efforts, he is able to spread word of his works and products, and is currently planning the expansion of his business.

DISH: Last weekend, Doug Vaira just celebrated his first year in business by giving a tour of the local farms from which he purchases his menu ingredients. He is the owner of Dish, a new American bistro in Charlestown, WV. Along with fresh local meats and vegetables in his menu, Doug also sells Mountaineer beer, and brews Black Dog coffee. On October 22nd, he will sponsor a dinner/open mic night that will raise funds for Community Alternatives to Violence. He also volunteers as a soccer coach for a local JCYSL girls team. His customers are loyal, and, besides his tasty menu, much of that is due to his enthusiasm and breathing new life and economic development into his town.

Green Hill Farm: Nick Frobouck’s farm is Located in Sharpsburg, MD, right near the famous Antietam Battlefield. This year he started the Annual Springfest and Fall Festival, both events to showcase great local music, food and small businesses. All money goes to support Loggers and Farmers Inc, a 501c3 organization formed to help in the financial support of families of loggers or farmers where there has been injury or loss of life. In early October, the two-day Fall Festival brought hundreds of folks from the area to see some excellent rock, reggae and blues bands such as Jah Works and the famous Nighthawks.

How you can start:

Find a local charity: Check out Network for Good. You can do a location search by zip code and review the list of local charities to inspire you with ideas on how your business can give back.
Throw recession-era events: Raising money to feed hungry, gather blankets, gift donations, and throwing Pink Slip parties.
Volunteer in your community: Local schools, support local teams, animal shelters…the list is endless.

Tell us how is your business is already giving back. If not, are you planning to soon? Helping your community should be part of your business plan. The benefits of raising your brand, getting new and loyal customers who share your passion, plus free marketing - priceless!

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Tags: black dog coffee, brand, Brian Bircher, business plan, Charity, Dish, Doug Vaira, Erica Knoch, Erica Simanek Knoch, giving, giving back, Green Hill Farm, Jah Works, Marketing, Network for Good, Nick Frobouck, pink slip parties, Rotary, Shannondale & Beyond, small business, The Nighthawks
Posted in Branding, Business Development, Marketing, small business | 10 Comments »