Your Personal Brand - What's Your Story?

We all have a story to share. We check off credentials on our resumes, social media bios and give our elevator speeches at meetings. As a business owner, what's your personal brand and even more importantly, what's your story? Personal branding is basically the way you (the person) market yourself to the world. It's also been called "self-packaging." 

Look at the personal brand of Tiger Woods. He's one of the best examples of how a personal brand can go down the tubes quickly (especially when that personal brand is tainted in the public eye). I can't think of one person on this planet who doesn't know the name Tiger Woods. Tiger equals pro billion dollar successful golfer which then turned into Tiger Woods, cheating husband and target of all celebrity gossip columnists. Wheras the tabloid gossip around Tiger's infidelities has simmered down, his brand definitely took a hit (especially on his wallet).

Your personal brand is what and how other people perceive you - and it's unavoidable! The labels and perceptions (whether true or false) people associate with you become tied to your personal brand. That's why it's important to tell your story before someone else tells their "version" of your story.

What Does Your External Brand Look Like to the World?

Your external brand is the "image" you project to the world - whether online or offline. 

Let's say Mrs. Mary Jones is a stay-at-home mom who raised kids for 20 years and created her company and products/services to help other busy moms make their lives easier. This "image" is portrayed on her website via her bio, website copy/design, etc.

Then we have another website - Ms. Jane Smith Off the Street who also sells similar products. What's Jane Smith's story? What makes HER an expert when it comes to child-related products? Jane Smith doesn't have a bio on her website and I don't know anything about her. Given that information, I'm buying my products from Mrs. Mary Jones based on the story I read and based on her experiences and expertise as a mom. 

So...do you have a story? Are you sharing it with your customers and clients? How does everyone else "see" you and your company? What are their perceptions? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Media & Publicity - 4 Press Release Alternatives

 

Peter Shankman, public relations guru who created HARO, has declared that the press release will be dead in 36 months.  According to former journalist Tom Foremski, a press release is created by a committee, edited by lawyers, and then sent out at great expense to reach the digital and physical trash bins of thousands of journalists.

Foremski goes on to say that press releases often start with a “tremendous amount of top-spin and pat-on-the-back phrases and meaningless quotes.” What’s the point of using a press release if it’s just an outdated piece of fluff?

So going back to what Peter Shankman predicted…is the press release really dead and should we ditch it altogether? With social media, it is not always mandatory to send out a press release. I still write and send out press releases for my clients, but it’s not the ONLY publicity tool I use in my “buzz-icist” arsenal.

Consider using these 4 press release alternatives:

#1 Blogger Briefing – If a social media release is the progression of press releases, then a blogger briefing is the “new” press conference. The concept is simple - when you have news to share, organize a conference call or video meeting with potentially interested bloggers

#2 Social Media Release – This is the most basic and obvious next step in the “evolution” of the press release. There has been hot debate whether social media releases really work, but they are obviously being used for a reason. Think of a social media release as an entirely “virtual” press kit - complete with links, videos, photos, and you can even integrate social media sites. If you are interested in creating social media releases, look into Pitchengine.

#3 Twitter “Chat” Tour – Twitter has an entire chat system with its own schedule filled with diverse topics. A “chat” tour involves making an appearance at different chats to promote news and your business/brand.

#4 Virtual Scavenger Hunt – Everyone has a website these days. An effective way of driving traffic to your site is by offering incentives. Hosting a virtual scavenger hunt on your site is a creative tool to drive visitors to your site. Virtual scavenger hunts also engage your target audience so they dive right into your site’s content.

I tend to agree with Peter Shankman that yes, the press release is on its way out. Social media is slowly replacing the press release with more effective, innovative publicity channels. There will always be the die-hard publicists who will stand by the traditional press release, but just remember you have more alternatives to choose from thanks to social media.

Need more online publicity ideas? Check out these inexpensive PR tools.