In a world where online presence is becoming a must, the elements that define or represent you on the Internet need to be carefully worked out if you are to flourish professionally. It’s not just a question of self-esteem, but above all of the image you’ll give or want to give following a search on your surname.
Because let’s face it, everybody Googles everybody! Let’s take an in-depth look at this phenomenon and see what the best approaches are for optimizing your personal branding and managing your digital identity.
Why is personal branding essential?
Personal branding is about building and communicating your personal brand image to differentiate yourself and make an impression. Here are just a few of the many benefits of effective personal branding:
- Stand out from the competition: good branding will allow you to position yourself as an expert in your field. Everyone wants to work with the best!
- Attract new opportunities: by being perceived as an opinion leader, you’ll be approached more often for partnerships, conferences or collaborations.
- Negotiate better conditions: if you’re recognized for your expertise, you’ll find it easier to get a promotion, a pay rise or a position of responsibility.
- Build customer and partner loyalty: your personality and values will win them over, and they’ll want to work with you for the long term.
- Having “rich people problems”: it’s silly, but when you have more demands, more opportunities and more activities, you’re going to have to make choices about your time, your income or your work/life balance. Some people don’t like having to make choices, and this is very often the case with introverts.
Personal branding is an asset for “extroverted” people, as they have plenty to say about their expertise, hobbies, culture, and so on. The most complicated and costly e-reputation projects are for people who don’t want to talk about themselves or appear on media related to their company.
What is digital identity and why is it crucial?
Digital identity encompasses all the data available online about a person, whether personal, professional or public. It is the result of your own actions (publications, comments) as well as those of others (mentions, references, photos, etc.).
In a world where the majority of recruiters check your e-reputation before your first job interview, it’s vital to create a consistent and positive digital identity:
- A rewarding digital identity: to show the best of yourself through your social profiles, website and press releases, remember to highlight your skills, achievements and values.
- A homogeneous digital identity: make sure that all the elements that make up your digital image are consistent and faithfully reflect your real personality.
- A controlled digital identity: regularly monitor what’s being said about you on the Internet, and take steps to deal with negative or inaccurate information.
How to develop an effective personal branding strategy?
1. Identify your objectives and determine your target
To build a tailor-made personal brand, start by determining your professional aspirations and the audience they are aimed at.
2. Define your value proposition
Clarify what differentiates you from others and what you can bring to your target: this could be special knowledge, rare know-how or unique experience.
3. Developing your speech and visual layout
Develop a compelling message to express your value proposition, and choose visual elements (logo, colors, typography) to support this message and create a strong visual identity.
4. Create your communication materials
To promote your personal branding, develop various media, such as a website, blog, LinkedIn account, portfolio or press release.
5. Implement your social networking strategy
Social media are a great way to get your brand out there, but not all are suitable for every situation. It’s important to carefully study the demographics and expectations of each platform before publishing your content there.
How do you manage your digital identity?
1. Know and monitor your online presence
Use monitoring tools such as Google Alerts to be informed when results related to your name or pseudonym appear. Search engines dedicated to social networks, such as Social Mention, can also be useful.
2. Control your publications and those of others
Always think about the message you want to convey before publishing content on your digital platforms. As far as possible, avoid polemical or controversial messages. And don’t leave behind old publications that could damage your current image.
3. Optimize your social profiles and website
To improve the image you project online, it’s essential to have a complete, consistent and up-to-date profile on every social network where you’re present. Regular updating of your website or blog is also essential.
4. Cultivate your e-reputation
Your e-reputation is precious and can change rapidly. To preserve and improve it, work on the quality of all the elements that make up your digital identity: your published content, your interactions with Internet users, your contact details and all the other elements of your online communication.
Retailers, B2B or B2C companies, organisations, do you want to improve your digital visibility and reputation?