June and July at Jugnoo is all about Building Online Success Through Personal Branding.
In fact, watch this space for a soon to be released Ebook on the subject!
While the phrase “Online Personal Branding” can seem a bit abstract, it’s well known that people remember certain mathematical concepts and abstract ideas better when they are presented through simulations and/or storytelling.
So gather around children, for a very personal story about online personal branding.
My Story
I left a 20 year career in television a few years back and transitioned into this brave new world of social media and social media marketing.
My grandfather was in Radio and TV – in fact, if he hadn’t been, I wouldn’t be here today. He moved his young family from Baltimore, Maryland to the tiny town of Moncton, N.B. to help kick start the industry there. And that’s where my mom met my dad, and the rest is history.
But I digress. 
I’ve never been one to take the traditional route to anywhere, and my career was no different. Genetic influences notwithstanding, I sort of ‘fell into’ television at a very young age.
The problem was, I didn’t know what I was best at, what intrigued and excited me, or where I wanted to end up eventually. Consequently I bounced around at the CBC for a number of years, dipping my toe into casting movies and Children’s TV before finally finding my niche as a producer.
No clear map to the future, a bit of a la-di-da attitude, and ‘just winging it’ is a long, straight road to wasted time, inefficiencies and a confused outward facing identity for any brand.
Proactive Not Reactive
Fast forward 20 years, and my career was chugging along tickety boo. I had built up years of seniority, five weeks of holidays and many valuable contacts. But I wasn’t happy. In fact, I was miserable.
Stagnation set in, along with frustration, and a distinct – and personally very unsettling – lack of motivation. Hindsight being what it is, I realize now that I had no clear “personal brand” when I was working in TV.
And that left me struggling, unproductive and quite lost. I was letting life just happen around me – to me – instead of being proactive and creating my own future and success.
Your brand has been around awhile and you are comfortable resting on your laurels. But times have changed.
You are now facing more competition than ever before. The online world is crowded and noisy and you are not standing out. There is no growth. Sales are down. Web site hits are non-existent. People really aren’t that into you any longer – and you’re definitely not that into them!
A Personal Brand Needs A Strategy
So, I left a relatively stable job (as much as any job is stable) and took a great leap into the unknown.
I knew that I wanted to focus on writing, editorial and content and I set about determining and creating my own personal brand. I finally had focus – and I didn’t lack for personality – but there were many hurdles to overcome.
People didn’t know me from Adam. I needed to convince people that years of writing and editing, as well as creating audience responsive content were valuable transferable skills.
And I needed to overcome some biases about the CBC, which carries a general (unfounded) reputation of employing clock watching, less than productive staffers.
Brands, just like people, are living breathing things – and they need a strategy.
La-di-da does not cut it in the online marketing space. They need to know what direction they are heading, what they actually do that is unique or provides value for clients or customers, and where they want to be in the next five or ten years.
They also need to create a distinct outward facing personality that is open and honest, and isn’t afraid to speak to the negative as well as the positive
Aim For Honesty And Build Trust
Long story short, I dedicated time each day to listening and engaging with people online. I was the brand, and I made sure people got to know the real me in a very human way.
I broke down who I was and who I wasn’t, and set about ‘living’ that each and every day.
I began blogging and sharing my thoughts and ideas with my friends on Twitter. They (eventually) began to share my blog posts with their communities. And that built trust.
Slowly but surely my community began to grow. Business connections were made. Friendships were cultivated. I met friends of friends. I was careful to manage my online reputation – if a mistake was made, apologies were duly issued but the momentum didn’t stop.
Determine who you are and why you’re special. Dedicate time to listen and engage. Be real and honest. Build trust. Share yourself with your customers and the wider community. Own up to errors and mistakes. And be a human being online.
And Success!
In the long run, I cultivated and grew a healthy online community – but not just a bunch of followers and follows. This community is full of people who have broadened my world; influenced, supported and educated me; and would have my back in a heartbeat.
All of my hard work paid off and my online personal branding strategy ended with success – heck, I’m now working for Jugnoo!
Hopefully those of you new to the social space, who might be a tad overwhelmed by the hows and whys behind building a strong online personal brand, will remember my story, and find the concept a little less daunting. Body or brand – the key steps remain the same.
Thoughts? Comments? Share them below!
Related articles
- Do your words reflect your personal brand? (christopherspenn.com)
- Why Personal Branding Is So Misunderstood (rohitbhargava.com)
- Mastering The Uncomfortable Art Of Personal Branding (fastcompany.com)
About Lindsay Bell
I have *so* been there – only I called it my pre-mid-life crisis. But you’re absolutely right (at least from my experience): Online or off, “La-di-da does not cut it.” I can always tell when I’ve lost focus. It takes a lot of hard work to figure out who you are, and it’s something I think most of us are working through; I always appreciate learning how others are managing the process. Thanks for sharing your story!
@amysept Thanks Amy! I’ve had so many “mid-life crisis” I’ve lost count! LOL I have a tendency to “get comfortable’ and not push harder in my life – I realize now how self-defeating that is. It still doesn’t come naturally to me, but being self-aware is half the battle. I don’t think you ever stop learning, about yourself and about the world around you. I hope to be “figuring myself out” until the day I die! LOL Cheers, LB
@belllindsay I used to tell people I was still “figuring out what I want to do when I grow up”. Nothing takes the wind out of that line than starting your own business. No excuses left, just have to do it
@amysept @belllindsay Yes! I’ve used the exact same phrase! You’re both right… and I’ve just got to screw my courage to the sticking place and get on with it. When I was stressing big time many years ago as I left school, a very smart friend told me: don’t worry about what you’ll do… do something, and then you can do something else. Little steps!
@mcahalane @amysept Exactly! I am *very much* a ‘big picture’ worrier – which can sometimes paralyse you with fear. Love the idea of just starting with little steps – forward motion begets more forward motion! LOL
As someone contemplating changes, this really resonated with me today. It’s a little scary, but it’s good to read of someone who did it well!
@mcahalane My dad always says “A change is as good as a rest” – I never got it really until recently. And he’s absolutely right! As usual though, with parents, it was more of a “do as I say not as I DO” kinda thing – he was in the same job (air traffic control) his entire life. My family thought I was 100% bonkers when I left the CBC – and there were a few major, scary bumps along this journey where I even doubted my decision – but I got over the bumps, and knew in my heart of hearts it was the right choice. Good luck with whatever path you choose – and take it from me, we can all handle a lot more than we give ourselves credit for! Go for it!!
Lindsay, I think you and I have travelled on similar roads. During my early days, I was quite happy to be a cog in the wheel. I didn’t really make a difference but that wasn’t what I wanted to do. In my mature years, suddenly it became necessary to do something great and influence change that I would be proud of. When I finally made the move, I never looked back and have not regretted my decision. (Now my mother would have a different opinion). I am making my own mark in this world and that is something to be proud of.
@hessiej I think you and I have the same mother! LOL Very true Hessie, I hate to pull the “age” card (though I joke about it a lot), but maturity and some life experience really goes a long way towards helping one see more clearly. Suddenly, ‘just getting by’ doesn’t feel as satisfying anymore, right? So glad to be at Jugnoo and the best part about it is having met (and being able to *learn from*) YOU! Cheers!
I am a fan of taking a trip down the road not taken.
@TheJackB I don’t like change. But I’m getting more and more comfortable with it the more roads I travel.
Very interesting article. Changes are always scaring because they make us to go out of our comfort, and safe, zone. But when where you are is not anymore the right place to be then going out is the only way to go. Water is good when it’s moving and possibly sparkling, if it remains stale it becomes a poison.
@Andrea T.H.W. Sparkling water. Love that. Great image Andrea.
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a blog post where “la-di-da attitude” and “tickety boo” were both used. Nicely done with the insights and pointers, Lindsay.
@JaySDaughtry Ha! Thanks for the read and the share Jay; it’s great to meet a fellow word lover!
Cheers, LB
and sometimes that la-di-da-attitude is just fine while you DO find your groove. I don’t disagree, I just think sometimes we can’t put too much pressure on ourselves to be on a track. Heck, I waited tables for 10 years after college until I figured out what I wanted to do. Sometimes we need that winding path to find our way.
LOVE your story. I think you fell into the perfect spot. I always equate you with storytelling. You do a great job of being that brand.
@Lisa Gerber Oh, I totally agree Lisa, but I think there’s a big difference between “finding yourself” i.e. enjoying life for a bit after college before jumping into the big bad world, and being *lost*, just floating along in your career with no focus or strategy – which is what *I* was doing. And again, I only realized this after the fact. I never take the direct route to anything in my life, and never have, and probably never will! LOL It drives me batty at times, but I’ll never change. That said, having something of a plan certainly helped me figure out and become what I wanted to be. Also, thanks for the kind words!!
Depending on the day, sometimes I’m thrilled to be the cog in someone else’s machine and other times, I wouldn’t give up my clients and my self-employment for the world. It’s always been a struggle, but my online presence has always been about communicating and networking first and brand identity somewhat second. I’ve always lived out my time online happily jumping between personal and professional sides, and just using the filters available to me. There’s always some small degree of self-editing, but I’m pretty WYSIWYG.
@jasonkonopinski Yeah, I totally get what you’re saying here Jason. Having known you for awhile now, I can say wholeheartedly that you have 100% created an online presence that matches your offline – or “real” – you! That’s key. I’m also WYSIWYG – but it took me years to feel that comfortable in my own skin to be that way. And I would be lying if I said there weren’t days when I think “Oh, I shouldn’t have said/done that!!” – but I’m just me. Take it or leave it.
xox LB