Personal branding is great—but at the end of the day, nobody gets in to business because they want to establish themselves as a celebrity expert, or become memorable, or anything else along those lines.

The vast majority of business owners are in business for one simple reason: to make money!
And therefore, for personal branding to be a valuable pursuit, it must result in increased income.
Good news: it does. We wouldn’t be in business if it didn’t. Personal branding, properly integrated into your marketing plan, will result in more sales, better client retention, and ultimately, more income.

How can you effectively leverage your personal brand into your “big picture” marketing plan? Below are three steps:

1) Integrate your mass-media exposure into your direct marketing channels. At the Celebrity Branding Agency, one of the services we provide to our clients is helping them get exposure on TV and through major newspapers and magazines. But as you probably realize, appearing on a local TV affiliate may be great for your credibility, but it typically won’t result in a flood of phone calls—because only a tiny, tiny percentage of the TV audience are target customers. However, when you ARE marketing to your target customers (through your website, direct mailers, or whatever channel you may be using), incorporating your TV exposure into your pitch sends your credibility through the roof and gives you a much better chance to close the deal.

2) Tie your personal brand in to your website. Many websites these days have a “generic” feel to them. They may look great and have great content—but they often feel anonymous. This is a real problem, because one of the primary challenges of selling online is overcoming the cynicism that many online shoppers have developed. Incorporating your personal brand into your website gives it a personal appeal and makes your visitors much more likely to trust you and your business.

3) Create “raving fans” of your brand. Chances are, you know someone who is a devoted fan of Apple products. They own an iPad, an iPhone, and iMac—you name it, if it’s Apple, they own it. And they can’t stop talking about it! This is an extreme example of a raving fan—and it’s impossible to overstate the value of creating such fans of your brand. Raving fans generate authentic word of mouth referrals—and as a business owner, you know how valuable those are! If you can tie exceptional customer service and “WOW” moments into your brand, you’ll see your word of mouth referrals skyrocket.

At the end of the day, the key to bringing in more business and locking out the competition is to create a powerful and distinct personal brand for yourself—and then to leverage it effectively throughout your marketing presence. To learn more about creating and leveraging a powerful personal brand, please get in touch with us today!

For a business owner who has begun to develop his or her personal brand, with moderate success, there often comes a point at which they think “what’s next?” Typically, a personal brand is built in steps—first may be entering the world of social media, or simply focusing more on building relationships with clients and prospects. If you are in that situation, looking for strategies to take your brand to the next level, this article is for you. Below are four steps to help you create a dominant personal brand:

1) Write and publish a book. These days, it is hard to be considered an expert without writing a book. Conversely, being able to add “author” to your credentials provides an injection of credibility—even if few people read your book! Publishing a book discussing your industry and highlighting your expertise immediately takes your personal brand to a new height. And while the process of writing a book and having it published may seem daunting, it can actually be a simple process—enjoyable, even! If you’re interested, contact me and I’ll help you get started!

2) Seek out speaking opportunities. To further enhance your credibility and gain additional exposure, look for opportunities to speak on topics relating to your industry. Whether it is trade associations, conferences, or networking events, take as many opportunities to speak as you can. I understand that public speaking may seem intimidating—but trust me, after you’ve done it once or twice, you’ll start to enjoy it.

3) Appear on TV & radio broadcasts. Nothing screams “expert” like appearing on TV and the radio! And while you can’t simply walk to your local media outlet and ask them to let you on the air, it’s not as difficult as you may think to appear on these platforms. I’d be glad to tell you more about this process. Not only is a TV or radio appearance a great credibility booster—but it also introduces you to a large audience that likely has never heard of you. It’s a win-win situation!

4) Create a comprehensive internet presence that establishes your credibility. These days, most people who are looking for professional service conduct a Google search before doing anything else. If a prospective client searches for your name on Google, what will they find? Will they find a professional website with plenty of valuable content? Will they find a confusing mess of information and an unprofessional site? Will they find nothing at all? If you don’t have a great website, it may not matter how well-established you are as an expert in your field. Don’t take that chance—make sure that you have an internet presence that reflects your expertise!

These four steps, if properly executed, can help you create a personal brand that allows you to dominate your market. However, remember to stay consistent and true to the core of your brand. If you’d like help planning and executing any of these strategies, contact me today! (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact)

In my last article, we began examining the critical elements that make up a successful branding campaign. While no two branding campaigns are exactly the same, the reality is that virtually no branding campaign will succeed if it is lacking in any of these elements. Previously, we discussed the first three components: a branding campaign must boost credibility, increase visibility, and have a strong appeal to the selected target market. Today we are going to discuss the final three elements that must be present in a personal branding campaign if it is to be successful:

A strong personal branding campaign must brand the individual as an expert in his or her industry. Think about the last time you had to choose a doctor, a tax accountant, a lawyer, a financial advisor, or some other service provider. If your choice was between three average professionals and one recognized expert, which would you choose? For most people, the answer is obvious—whenever possible, we prefer to do business with experts. Your personal branding campaign must brand YOU as a recognized expert in your industry. Consider the legendary small business consultant Michael Gerber, the author of E-Myth. He didn’t settle for writing a bestseller—he parlayed that success into a personal branding blitz that includes radio shows, television appearances, speaking gigs, and much more. He is an unquestioned expert in his field—largely because he has been proactive in branding himself that way. For many business owners, the world of social media is a fantastic place to begin branding yourself as an expert—in fact, recent statistics show that out of every six minutes spent online, one of them is spent on a social network. It’s a rapidly growing audience—get your message out there!

An engaging personal branding campaign incorporates personality. There is more to personal branding than making an individual into a highly visible and credible expert. In addition, it is important to create a memorable brand. It doesn’t do much good to be considered an expert if everyone you meet forgets about you the very next day, does it? To address this challenge, a well-crafted personal branding campaign incorporates the individual’s personality into the brand that is being built. This can be done by focusing on your hobbies, your favorite sports teams, or your sense of humor, to name a few. The idea is to let your audience get to know your personality as well as your business acumen—so that you remain in the forefront of their mind long after you’ve met. A great example of this is Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban. There are 29 other owners in the NBA, but none with anywhere close to the name recognition as Cuban. What makes him different? He hasn’t been afraid to express his personality in the public square.

An effective personal branding campaign stays consistent. This is an area in which many branding campaigns go off track. Remember that the goal of any branding campaign is shape the way an individual, product, or company is perceived by their audience. And while the first impression you make goes a long way towards establishing your brand, it takes consistent repetition to firmly establish any brand. If you are always changing up your brand, before long you won’t stand for anything. Once you have identified the brand you are seeking to build, it’s crucial that you stay consistent. Keep hammering your message home—and before long, your audience will perceive you exactly the way you want them to!

There are plenty of tactics to choose from when it comes to creating a personal branding campaign. But whatever route you decide to take, make sure that your campaign accomplishes these six critical goals!

Personal branding is all about differentiating yourself from the competition by positioning yourself as an expert in your field. But there is another goal that must be considered, as well. Your personal brand must be memorable. It doesn’t do you much good to be considered the most skilled dentist in your town if people forget your name thirty seconds later. We’ve focused recently on building the credibility and expert status that are so important to a powerful brand—so today we are going to examine strategies by which you can ensure that your personal brand is memorable.

1) Focus your brand on a small number of attributes. In order to make your brand stand out, it is important that it is tightly focused. You can’t brand yourself as a marketing guru, a financial expert, and a great doctor all at once. Now, perhaps you are an overachiever and DO have expertise in a wide variety of fields. That’s great—but your personal brand still needs to be focused on a small number of attributes. You can’t be an expert at everything—otherwise, you end up standing for nothing. And that’s a sure way to be forgotten.

2) Highlight the value that you and your business provide to your target customers. As you are constructing your brand, make sure to highlight the values that have the greatest value to your market. As an accountant, for instance, emphasize relevant traits such as your experience and your excellent eye for details. When you give your target audience a reason to remember you, they are much more likely to do so. Everyone has needs, and by positioning yourself and your business as the best solution for those needs, you can ensure that you’ll come to mind as soon as the need arises.

3) Be a leader—not a follower. Too many business owners fall in line with the rest of their industry. As a result, every business in the industry looks the same. Whether you’re a doctor, a dentist, a CPA, or a retirement expert, don’t settle for the status quo. We’re not just talking about marketing, either—if you have an innovative idea for your products or services, pursue it. Become a leader, not a follower—and you’ll be the name that stands out in the minds of your audience.

4) Incorporate your personality. It is easy to ignore personal brands that seem artificial and contrived. Nowadays, we are extremely cynical—so it is important that your brand feels authentic. The best way to do this is to actually make it authentic! Incorporate your sense of humor, your love of sports, your hobbies, and your personal life. Make your brand feel authentic, and you don’t have to worry about being written off as just another salesman.

It is not enough to build a brand that positions you as an expert in your industry if nobody can remember your name! Is your personal brand memorable? If not, these four steps will help you fix this problem in a hurry!

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1789411/keys-to-personal-branding-success-part-one

What does it take to execute a successful personal branding campaign? As you can probably guess, that answer is long and fairly complicated. However, while there are too many details to discuss in this space, there are several important concepts which are essential to any personal branding effort. Today, we are going to focus on three key elements—stay tuned later this month for part two, which will feature three more essential elements.

A successful personal branding campaign builds credibility. The idea behind our personal branding strategy is to help business owners establish themselves as celebrity experts within their market. No, we aren’t trying to make them into international superstars like Justin Bieber or Johnny Depp. We are trying to make them experts within their market. For instance, we would help a real estate agent in Atlanta become THE sought-after, well-known real estate guru in that market. The first step in accomplishing this goal is to build credibility for the business owner—and there are many ways to accomplish this. We encourage (and help) our clients to write and publish a book. We help our clients appear on local TV broadcasts, and we help them publish work in such prestigious newspapers as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. We encourage our clients to speak publically on topics related to their areas of expertise. Establishing credibility is a critical first step in building a strong and dynamic personal brand.

A successful personal branding campaign boosts visibility. The strongest personal brand in the world won’t do you any good if nobody sees you. It’s not enough to position yourself as a celebrity expert—you need to develop an audience! We help our clients accomplish this through a variety of media channels, as mentioned above. We also help them to build a dynamic website—and to attract targeted traffic. We teach our clients effective social media strategies and help them to build relationships with target customers within their market.

A successful personal branding campaign has a strong appeal to your target market. If your personal brand is going to lead to business growth (and really, why else would you be interested in branding?), it’s essential that it is finely tuned to appeal to your market. Your brand should reflect your personality and your skill set, but everything should be filtered through the question “does this appeal to my target customers?” What qualities do your customers value? Is it a sense of humor? Is it a non-stop, relentless work ethic? Is it your ability to take complicated issues and turn them into black and white, common sense terms that make sense? Tailor your personal brand to attract your target customers, and bringing in new business will be easier than ever before.

As discussed above, there are many elements that go into a successful branding campaign. But every strong branding campaign will boost credibility, increase visibility, and appeals to its target market. Stay tuned later this month for more keys to creating personal branding campaigns that really work.

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1782941/personal-branding-secrets-dont-go-with-the-flow

The goal of every personal branding campaign is to help the individual stand out amidst the competition. If you are a financial advisor, we want to help you become the premier financial advisor in your market—the go-to guru. If you are a dentist, we want you to become a local celebrity—the clear choice for any patient who wants the best treatment. So how do we accomplish this? A personal branding campaign has many elements, of course, but they are all focused on helping business owners stand out. In other words, we don’t want you to go with the flow. Below are several tips to help you stand out from the competition:

1) Make your personality part of your personal brand. There are plenty of competitors that offer similar products or services to yours. But none of them, not one single person, has your personality. So harness it! Make your personality a visible part of your brand—whether that means showcasing your sarcastic sense of humor or your impressive attention to detail. Your blog and your social media accounts are great platforms for this type of expression—and of course, in face-to-face conversations you should do your best to express your personality to everyone you meet.

2) Don’t hide your hobbies. When I tell clients to make their hobbies part of their brand, I often hear things like “but why would anyone care that I collect coins?” And yes, they are right—a potential customer is unlikely to become a client solely because of your hobby. But that isn’t the point—the point is that by sharing your hobbies, you give prospects an extra bit of information about yourself. And every bit of differentiation you can provide makes it easier for you to stand out in the minds of your prospects and customers. The point of sharing your hobbies isn’t directly to attract more business—the point is to make you and your business memorable for everyone you come into contact with. Ultimately, that memorability will lead to more business!

3) Don’t be afraid to stir the pot. Many business owners are so afraid of making a mistake when it comes to branding and marketing that they end up with a vanilla brand that looks just like everyone else’s. And while it is generally important not to offend anybody, don’t be afraid to push the envelope. If you can perform a service better than anyone else in your market, say so! If you have ideas that may shake up your industry, don’t hold back. And if you have opinions that may raise eyebrows, share them! Just make sure that you are staying true to your values and to the brand you are trying to build.

When it comes to personal branding, standing out from the crowd is always the goal. We have covered three great ways to do this—if you would like further information or if you would like help building a strong and distinctive brand, please contact me (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact) today!

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1778400/personal-branding-have-you-identified-your-niche

If you are at a shooting range, what comes first: aiming your gun or pulling the trigger? For your safety and that of everyone nearby, I hope that aiming is the first step! While this is an obvious concept when it comes to shooting a gun or throwing darts, it’s an often overlooked step in many branding campaigns. An effective personal branding campaign starts by asking one question: who are your target customers? Once this question has been answered, a plan can be constructed to most effectively reach these customers. Often referred to as “finding your niche”, the process of identifying your target market is an all-important first step in any marketing and branding campaign. Below are several questions to ask in order to identify your ideal target market:

1) To which customers will your products and services most appeal? Most businesses have a wide range of potential customers—and many business owners make the mistake of pursuing all of them. The problem with that approach, from a personal branding standpoint, is that a strong brand can’t appeal to every single potential customer. Instead, it is important to identify your “bread and butter” customers, who will make up the core of your business—even if these customers don’t currently represent a majority of your total business. Once you have identified these customers, customize your brand for maximum appeal.

2) What attributes distinguish your business from the competition? In order to effectively position yourself within your marketplace, it is important to identify the traits that separate your business from everyone else. What does your business offer that no one else in your market can? Answering this question will enable you to emphasize your unique value proposition while constructing your personal brand.

3) What common frustrations or needs do your services or products address? How does your business solve a problem or find a solution for your customers? In particular, do you solve problems that nobody else can? These solutions should be an integral part of your personal brand. Along the same lines, try asking your customers what they appreciate the most about your business. Make their answers a focus of your branding and marketing campaigns.

4) How much competition are you facing? Finally, before settling on a target market and crafting a brand to reach that market, ask yourself the all-important question: how much competition will you be facing? If you can help it, avoid entering a hotly-contested market—because you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. On the other hand, if a less competitive niche isn’t available, don’t surrender. Instead, focus on differentiating yourself from the competition in your market. You can succeed in a market, no matter how competitive it is, if you can find a way to provide more value than anyone else—and if you can communicate this value proposition to your market.

If you haven’t yet identified your target market, take a few moments right now to do so. Without a clearly defined niche, your personal brand won’t be effective. Feel free to contact me for more help in this area!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1774215/personal-branding-101

We have been taking an in-depth look at a variety of personal branding strategies over the past several months. Today we are going to take a step back and review the basics of personal branding.

The idea is simple. Personal branding seeks to shape the way an individual is perceived by his or her audience, whoever that audience may be. That typically includes seeking to brand oneself as an expert in a particular field. It should also include efforts to make the individual stand out from the crowd—this is often done by highlighting hobbies or unique talents.

The first step is defining your brand. This means sitting down and setting your goals—how do you want to be perceived? Obviously the answer to this question depends on the market you are targeting. It doesn’t do a marketing guru any good to brand himself as an accounting prodigy. If you provide support services to restaurants, for example, you’ll want your brand to be relevant to restaurant owners and managers. At this phase it is also important to identify your points of differentiation—how can you separate yourself from the competition? There may be plenty of marketers out there—but how many are there that specialize specifically in marketing for small accounting firms?

Once you have identified your area of expertise, you next need to figure out how to make your brand memorable. This can often be done by highlighting aspects of your personality—maybe you have a great sense of humor, or are a passionate sports fan. Highlight a trait or an ability that will help your brand stick in the mind of your audience.

Now that you have identified the brand you are seeking to build, the next step is creating and implementing a plan. There are nearly infinite choices when it comes to tactics for building a strong brand, including media campaigns, networking, and your social media presence. Carefully evaluate your options and settle on the approach that will best suit your brand.

The final, ongoing stage consists of review and adjustment. After you launch your campaign, regularly assess the effectiveness of your efforts. Be aware of your market—many people fail to pay enough attention to their market and end up building a brand that doesn’t resonate with their market the way they expected it to. At this point, you are like a pilot guiding his plane in for a landing. As the wind and other factors change, you need to make tiny adjustments to keep your brand on track. Don’t overreact—simply make the necessary adjustments as you grow your brand.

Personal branding is not a difficult concept to grasp. Basically, you want to be known as an expert in your area of expertise, and you want to stand out in the minds of your audience. Accomplishing that goal takes understanding of your market, your target customers, and of effective tactics for building your brand. And it takes commitment. If you’d like more information on personal branding, feel free to get in touch with me today!

This blog was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1769746/celebrity-branding-what-if-im-not-special

As I tell my clients over and over, your personal branding campaign should be primarily centered on the goal of branding yourself as a celebrity within your market. The key phrase here is “within your market.” You don’t need to become the next Hollywood superstar, you just need to become the go-to guy in your field, within your market. And as you know if you’ve been paying attention, that involves branding yourself both as an expert and as an interesting individual. Why interesting? Because it’s not good enough simply to be considered good at what you do; you also need to be memorable. You need to stick in the minds of potential clients, so that when they need your services, you are the first person they think of. For some clients I’ve spoken to, this seems to present a problem. “There’s simply nothing memorable about me,” they say. If you identify with that notion, pay attention, because today I’m going to show you that anyone can brand themselves as an expert and a celebrity if they are willing to commit 100% to that goal.

A common misperception about celebrities, whether in the entertainment industry, in business, or in sports, is that they are generally superior to the rest of the population. Many people perceive celebrities as not only talented, but also smart, good looking, ambitious, funny, and so on. The truth, in most cases, is that celebrities are just like the rest of the population, with some minor differences that make all the difference. The average NFL player is extremely good at football, but that’s probably the only thing separating him from the rest of the population. Warren Buffet is extremely gifted when it comes to finance. Justin Bieber is a great musician. Do you see what I am getting at here? Becoming a celebrity doesn’t mean transforming into a totally different person. It means getting extremely good at one thing. That sounds much less intimidating, right?

Of course, getting good at something doesn’t help you if nobody knows about it. And that is where celebrity branding comes into play. Let’s walk through the process together. Who are you, and what are you good at? What gifts, skills, or knowledge sets you apart from the competition? The answers to those questions point us to the essence of your personal brand. Whether you’re a forensic accountant or a beauty consultant, your brand should position you as an expert in your field, and it should reflect the specialized skills or knowledge that your competition doesn’t have, or doesn’t communicate.

The next ingredient to an effective personal brand is memorability. What will make you stick in the minds of potential customers? To answer this question, step away from your business qualifications for a second and think about your personality. What makes you unique? Your hobbies? Your sense of humor? Your passion for music, movies, or sports? Identify two or three personality traits that make you unique, and you’ve identified the “personal” part of your personal brand.

Branding yourself as a celebrity sounds intimidating. But as we’ve seen, it is something that most business owners can accomplish if they are serious about it. Do you have an area of business expertise? Do you have hobbies, passions, or interesting personality traits? That’s all it takes. With commitment, hard work, and the right guidance, you can become a celebrity within your market.

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1767796/common-personal-branding-mistakes-to-avoid

The internet and modern technology means that, in 2011, we humans have more information at our fingertips than any other civilization, ever. This is an incredible privilege—but unfortunately, we also have to be careful, because there is as often as much bad information out there as there is good. Whether it is bad information or simply a lack of knowledge, there are certain mistakes I see repeated over and over when it comes to personal branding. Today we’re going to take a look at several common personal branding mistakes… are you making any of these?

1) Inconsistency. Building a powerful brand requires a strong focus on the precise brand you are seeking to create. It is essential that you zero in on your brand—and then keep hammering it home. You can’t be an expert financial planner one week and an eye-opening marketing consultant the next week. Either of those identities could make for a powerful brand—but if you are bouncing back and forth, you are not going to stand for anything.

2) Lack of focus. Don’t be vague. Whatever your profession is, I’m willing to bet there are plenty of people who more or less do what you do. Simply being another generic face will not get you noticed. You need to own your niche within your market—and to do this, you need to focus like a laser on that niche. You aren’t a lawyer—you are an expert legal advisor for emerging non-profit organizations, for instance.

3) Lack of benefit. The core of your personal brand can’t be what you do… the core of your brand must be what you provide to your customers. Do you see the difference? Shoppers don’t buy paper towels because they love paper towels… they buy them because they want to clean up spills! Apple does a fantastic job with this concept. Have you ever seen an Apple commercial focused primarily on the technical specifications of their products? No—because they focus on the convenience, the power, the “coolness” of their products. It’s not what you do, it is the benefit you provide to your customers!

4) Lack of originality. Branding is all about differentiation. I work with my clients to help them stand out from their competitors. Of course, they can’t do this without an element of uniqueness. Your brand must reflect you as a person as well as your professional identity—what makes you unique? Do you have any hobbies? Are you a huge fan of a certain TV show? Are you an obsessive sports fan? Make these traits a part of your brand! The goal is to make your brand unique and memorable—and to do this requires mixing in elements of your personality.

Are you consistent in your branding efforts? Are you focused on your niche? Is your brand about benefits? Is it original? If so, congratulations—you are well ahead of many others. If not, you still have plenty of time to make corrections! Don’t make these common mistakes.

This article was originally posted and featured on FastCompany.com. The original post can be found here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1765056/personal-branding-what-can-we-learn-from-lebron

Even if you are not a sports fan, it is highly likely that you have heard the buzz surrounding LeBron James as the NBA playoffs wrapped up earlier this month. He has been a dominant topic of conversation for several months now–and not for the reasons that he would prefer. In case you haven’t heard, he made headlines last summer when he announced that he was leaving his previous team in Cleveland and heading to Miami to join the Heat. Unfortunately for him, after making his announcement and in the months to follow, he was transformed from a likeable and talented player in the public’s eye to Public Enemy Number One. Where did he go wrong, and what can we learn from his mistakes as they relate to personal branding?

1) Don’t always deliver bad news in public. If your press release or announcement can hurt or embarrass someone, the wise thing is to take the high road and not call attention to it yourself. Last summer, rather than informing the Cleveland Cavaliers that he would not be returning to their team, he went on live TV to publicly announce the decision. Cleveland’s management was humiliated and their fans were heartbroken. Simply by handling his announcement more tactfully, LeBron may have spared himself national scorn. This principle is very relevant to business as well–whether it is laying off an employee or ending a business relationship, always do your best to spare the other party embarrassment. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also keeps you from looking bad in public.

2) Don’t appear arrogant. LeBron James has been a star since high school, and has good reason to be confident. Unfortunately, thrust into the national spotlight after his decision to join Miami, his confidence began to look like arrogance. In a preseason rally he predicted multiple championships and stated that winning games would be “easy.” The fact that he refers to himself as “King James” doesn’t exactly scream humility, either. In America, we appreciate confidence and we love to watch talented individuals work, in sports or in business, but arrogance rubs us the wrong way. You want to be seen as an expert in your field, but there is a fine line and when you cross over from confidence to arrogant, you will lose more than you gain. You want to be considered humble, open, and teachable.

3) Don’t let others define you. Perhaps the biggest single mistake LeBron made was letting the media and his critics define his brand. After his announcement on live TV that he was leaving Cleveland, LeBron could have immediately apologized for embarrassing Cleveland. After he predicted multiple championships, he could have made a statement explaining that he was excited and got carried away. Instead, he largely remained silent–allowing his critics to portray him as arrogant and out of touch. This happens often with media that control your sound bites. If what is being conveyed isn’t accurate, be quick to correct it.

4) Surround yourself with talented advisors and confidants. A major factor in the fall from grace that LeBron experienced over the last year appears to be his lack of good advice. While experienced PR professionals could have stopped LeBron before it was too late, he prefers to surround himself with personal friends and family members. There’s nothing wrong with involving friends and family in important decisions, of course, but it’s essential to seek out experienced professionals before making big decisions–in any line of work.

In the scheme of things, LeBron James will be just fine. He’s incredibly talented, not to mention wealthy. However, the level of public criticism he received this year had to take a painful toll on him. While very few of us will ever command his level of attention, we can all learn from his mistakes and apply them to our own branding efforts.

Most businesses today have some sort of Facebook presence, and with good reason. Facebook is an incredibly popular social platform and is picking up thousands of new users each day. Unfortunately, it seems that many business owners don’t know how to truly engage this massive audience—many business people I have spoken to have created a page for their business, but don’t know where to go from there. I have some good news for you today—creating a strong Facebook presence is easier than you may think. In fact, your objective essentially boils down to a single concept: seek to create a community of users united by their common interest in your business—and make your community fun.
How can you make your presence fun? Here are some ideas:

1) Be creative. When you are posting something to your wall, don’t write in the same way that you would if you were preparing an annual report. The vast majority of Facebook users aren’t interested in boring, stuffy information—but if you make it funny, exciting, or outside-the-box, your audience will be much more receptive.

2) Offer special Facebook-only deals. Saving money is fun. Offer short term deals or discounts on your page (i.e. “10% discount on all products exclusively for our Facebook fans. Enter promo code ABCXYZ when you’re checking out.) This strategy can be a great way to boost sales—but even if most of your fans don’t make a purchase, you can bet that you will have their attention going forward. If you can make it clear that your Facebook presence can be a valuable money-saving resource for your fans, they’ll be much more interested in everything you have to say.

3) Look to build community. This is an area where many businesses get it wrong. Your Facebook presence isn’t a soapbox for you to lecture from. You can approach it that way, but your audience will quickly tune you out. The real value of your Facebook page is the interaction between you and your audience. So do your best to engage them. Ask for feedback on products. Start conversations that may not even be about your business. Comment on the activities of your fans. Don’t make it all about you—if one of your fans or friends has a question or needs advice, share your input.

4) Be active. Even if you are creative, work to build community, and offer great deals to your Facebook fans—you won’t accomplish much if you aren’t regularly active. Posting twice a month simply isn’t enough to build a real connection with your audience. Remember, most of them are on Facebook for hours each day… so make an effort to participate frequently.

If you can make your Facebook presence fun and valuable, you won’t have any problems attracting an audience. The vast majority of Facebook users aren’t looking for a sales pitch and aren’t interested in boring company data. They are interested in interacting with others, having a good time, and getting great deals. Make your presence fun—and the rest will take care of itself.

What is the difference between a generalist and a specialist, and why does that difference matter in your personal branding efforts? As you will see, the difference between branding yourself as a specialist instead of a generalist can literally be the difference between the success and failure of your business.

A generalist, quite simply, is somebody that is good at many things. In the context of our discussion, a generalist would be a professional with many specialties. For instance, a lawyer whose practice areas include criminal law, family law, business law, and tax law is a classic generalist. Another example would be a financial planner who dabbles in retirement planning, business consulting, tax services, and investments.

A specialist, on the other hand, is focused on a core specialty. An personal income tax advisor, a Volkswagen mechanic, a divorce attorney—these are specialists.

Which is better for business purposes? Many people think that it is best to be a generalist—because then you can attract a wider range of clients. The lawyer we used in our first example could bring in all sorts of business—those facing criminal charges, businesses, individuals pursuing divorce. On the other hand, our specialist lawyer would only attract those considering divorce. Clearly, it’s better to appeal to many people than to appeal to only a few, right?

Wrong.

It’s better to do one thing, and to do it well, than to dabble in a wide variety of services. To understand why this is the case, put yourself in a customer’s shoes. Let’s say you need to speak to a retirement planner. You have two choices—planner A is a generalist. He does a bit of everything, from corporate consulting to tax preparation. Planner B is a specialist who works exclusively with retirees and those planning for retirement. Everything else being equal, which planner will you choose? Clearly planner B, right? Because he is an expert in precisely the service that you need, whereas planner A juggles so many different services that he cannot possibly be as knowledgeable when it comes to retirement planning.

What does this mean for your branding efforts? It means you need to zero in on your core services and eliminate everything else. (Note: this doesn’t mean you can’t ever do work outside of your area of expertise—it just means those additional services should not be part of your brand.) Branding yourself as a “business consultant” is too broad. Instead, brand yourself as a marketing consultant for small law firms, or a management consultant for large construction firms. The key is to specialize—and then to become known as the expert in your specific specialty. When you do this, your target customers will be naturally attracted to you. You will not have to go door-to-door looking for any type of work you can get—you’ll have customers knocking on your door looking for the expertise that only you can provide.

As you are working on your personal branding plan, never forget the importance of establishing yourself as a specialist, not a generalist. With time, you will find that it is easier to attract business than you ever would have imagined. Resist the urge to be a jack-of-all-trades… brand yourself as a specialist.

If you own a business and employ others, it’s important that your staff buy in to your personal branding efforts. If not, you run the risk that your team will undercut your branding efforts. On the other hand, once you explain your brand and your strategy for building it, your staff will play an active role in strengthening your brand. Today we’re going to cover critical ways in which your employees can help you build your brand.

1) By believing. First and foremost, effective branding is about conveying a certain “feeling” to customers and others that interact with your business. This feeling is intangible—there is no way for your team to express it unless they understand and buy in to your concept. Two great examples of this belief in action are the employees at Walt Disney World and at the Apple store. At Disney, nearly every employee you encounter will be smiling, energetic, positive—and willing to do whatever he or she can to make your visit more magical. Meanwhile, the staff at an Apple store is virtually guaranteed to be passionate believers in their products. Apple customer associates are genuinely excited about what they are selling, because they’ve bought into the premise that Apple is truly making lives better one customer at a time.

2) By working your logo and branding identity into everything. Your accountant is sending an invoice to a client? It better be branded! Shipping a package to a customer? Same thing—there had better be a logo on the package. Why? Because branding is all about repetition. Every chance you have to get your logo in front of a customer or a prospect is a chance you need to take. If you run a large organization, it’s impossible for you to personally inspect every correspondence that goes out—so make sure your team knows the drill.

3) By answering the phone properly. This may seem trivial, but in many cases the first contact someone has with your business will be over the phone. That means whoever answers the phone is creating the first impression for your business—which will go a long way in conveying your brand effectively or not. Your name (or your company’s name) should always be in the greeting, and whoever answers should speak clearly and cheerfully. Even details like the type of music playing while a caller is placed on hold must be considered—and remember, the goal is to convey your brand at every opportunity.

If you hope to build a strong personal brand, it’s important that every member of your team understands what that brand is and how they are to contribute. Branding be done intellectually—you can’t simply tell a customer what your brand stands for. Your brand is essentially a reflection of how your customers see your company—and in many cases, your staff will do more to shape their perception than you do. So make sure you have the whole team on board!

I’ve spoken to many businessmen and women over the years on the topic of personal branding. And I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard some variation of the following statement: “I understand that personal branding is important—but I just don’t have any room in my budget.” My aim today is to blow that excuse out of the water once and for all. The truth is that you don’t have to spend huge sums of money to create an effective personal brand. In fact, some of the most effective branding tools today are available for use completely free of charge. Below are some excellent tools and strategies to help you build your brand without busting your budget:

1) Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The emergence of social media over the last ten years or so has completely reshaped our culture. And it’s completely revolutionized the world of personal branding. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn each have a different audience—but each is an ideal platform for building your personal brand. And best of all, all three services are totally free. If you haven’t entered the world of social media, don’t delay any longer. And if you are engaged in the world of social media but haven’t figured out how to leverage your presence to build your brand, I’ve covered these platforms in depth in previous blogs and articles.

2) YouTube. Twenty years ago, the notion of recording a video and quickly reaching a global audience would have been considered absurd. Now that technology is common—and cheap. And that means that you have the ability to be seen and heard by a vast audience—what better platform for branding could you dream of? If you’re not sure what you’d talk about, think about your area of expertise. What can you share that many people don’t know? If you’re a tax accountant, create a video series discussing the impact of a new law. Make it as interesting as you can and throw in some humor if possible—and voila, you’ve created a powerful branding tool. While it’s not a necessity, it is wise to invest in some quality recording equipment if possible.

3) Make yourself available to the media. This may sound farfetched—but you’d be surprised at how often reporters need insight from an expert in some field or another. Organizations like HARO (Help a Reporter Out: http://www.helpareporter.com/) exist to connect experts in their field to media sources. Getting quoted in a story or on television will provide an incredible boost in your branding efforts—and once again it won’t cost a time.

4) Rethink the way you and your staff answer the phone. How many phone calls does your office receive each day? Each and every call represents a golden opportunity to build your brand—and the first impression you leave is critical. A cheerful greeting that includes your name and your company name has a bigger impact that you may think.

From cutting edge technology such as social media all the way down to old-fashioned telephone etiquette, the bottom line is that you have an opportunity to build your personal brand every time you interact with the outside world. You don’t have to spend a fortune—you just have to make personal branding a priority.

In an ideal world, each of our personal brands would consistently grow as time passes. In reality, it’s easy to lose track of our branding efforts, or even to see them grow in an undesired direction. This can happen as a result of simply being busy—let’s face it, none of us have time to get everything done every single day. It can also be a result of choosing poor branding strategy that you later come to regret. In any case, today we’re going to discuss strategies for refocusing or rejuvenating your personal brand. If you’ve been neglecting your branding efforts, pay attention!

1) Take stock of your brand. What does your brand stand for? How active have you been in terms of broadcasting it? Are you happy with your brand? Are you exposing your brand to a wide enough audience? The main goal here is to determine your course of action—do you need to redefine your brand, or do you simply need to get it out there more effectively?

2) If your brand has been damaged, begin by addressing the damage. Has your personal brand taken a hit? Whether it’s online complaints about you or your business or negative PR as a result of a failed initiative or poor performance, ignoring the criticism is rarely a wise course of action. Instead take responsibility for your mistakes, take the appropriate corrective actions, and move on. If you don’t address negativity, it will continue to hang over your head and will threaten your future branding efforts.

3) Refocus. It’s not uncommon to see a personal brand drift off course. Keeping a brand focused requires conscious effort, and many people slip up from time to time. The most common problem is drifting from being an expert in your field towards being a “jack of all trades.” As you know, you can’t be everything to everyone. Focus your branding on what you do best, not simply on whatever comes to mind.

4) Look for lost opportunities. Once you’ve gotten your brand refocused to your satisfaction, it’s time to make sure that you are taking every opportunity to get your brand out there. Is your website up to date and consistent with your brand? Are you including links to your blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account in your email signature? When your office answers the phone, are they cheerful, helpful, and pleasant? Are your invoices and other communications with clients branded with your logo and your colors? Each of these instances represent a valuable opportunity to expose your target market to your brand—make sure you’re taking advantage of them.

Branding is an ongoing effort. This is good news for anybody who has ever let their brand get away from them—because it means that it is never too late to get back on track. So be honest and evaluate your efforts… and if you know you aren’t doing as well as you should be, commit to getting back on top of your personal brand starting today!

What does your personal brand represent? When coworkers, potential clients, or customers see your name, what do they think of? Hopefully you’ve identified the brand you want to project by now—if you haven’t, browse through my blog entries and articles to get a crash course. Today, I want to give you tips for ensuring that your brand is unique—in other words, that your personal branding helps differentiate you amongst your peers and competitors:

1) Take a survey. Step one is identifying the current state of your brand. Find five coworkers or friends and ask them to write down the top three words that come to mind when they think of you. Once they’ve finished, look over the results. The words they have chosen should give you a pretty good idea of how people perceive you. What do the results say? Are the traits they’ve identified generic and boring, or are they unique and interesting? Now that you have an idea of what your brand stands for, you can begin working to strengthen it.

2) Identify traits that make you unique—but also valuable. For many people, the hardest part of building their personal brand is determining what that brand should consist of. It’s important that it be unique and somewhat memorable, but it’s also important that your brand sends the right message. The challenge is identifying memorable characteristics that also add value to your brand. This might seem challenging, but it’s not. Why should potential customers choose to do business with you? What do you have that very few others can match? Answer these questions and you’ve identified the core of your personal brand.

3) Use your personality. Your brand can be more than your work experience or your education. Your sense of humor, your ability to focus, or your superior communication skills can be a valuable component of your personal brand. This requires an effort on your part, however— it doesn’t happen automatically. Whether that means inserting some humor into blog entries or making a point to seek out public speaking opportunities, emphasizing the skills that set you apart from the competition will make your brand stand out. What makes you unique?

Your personal brand is what you make it. If you’re content with being just another generic consultant, or lawyer, or whatever you do, so be it. But if you want to build a brand that truly allows you to stand out from the crowd, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Start by identifying the current state of your personal brand. Then identify traits or attributes that set you apart from the competition while also adding value to your brand. Once you’ve done this, it’s simply a matter of repetition and exposure. Take every opportunity to build your brand—including your business card, your social media presence, your blog, and the rest of your public persona. If you’re willing to put in the work, you will reap the benefits!

I had the opportunity to attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month. It’s always an exciting event, but it’s more than that—it’s an opportunity to see some of the most powerful and effective personal branders up close and personal. Most celebrities are talented individuals, sure, but talent alone doesn’t get you nominated for a Grammy. So what’s the secret? There’s no exact recipe, but personal branding plays a huge role. So today we’re going to examine the personal branding strategy of an up-and-coming international icon—Justin Bieber. You may not be a performer, but if you are serious about your personal branding efforts you will find something of value in his approach. Below are several of his strengths that are particularly impressive:

1. Consistency. Justin Bieber is nothing if not consistent. His appearance, his clothing, his mannerisms—he’s the same guy day in and day out. Bieber reinforces his brand across a huge range of platforms, ranging from televisions to social media, and he does a remarkable job of staying true to his brand.

2. Social media. Yes, Justin Bieber uses Twitter effectively. Then again, so does every other celebrity and entertainer out there. But Bieber has gotten more mileage out of social media than just about anybody, ever. Without YouTube, Bieber might still be sitting on his couch in Ontario, Canada. At a young age, Justin’s mother began recording his performances and posting them on YouTube—which is where a talent scout stumbled upon them. The agent quickly set up a meeting, at the rest is history.

3. Cross branding. Bieber made a point of associating himself with other stars early in his career, including such notable celebrities as Kim Kardashian and Usher. By doing so, not only did Justin expose himself to their considerable fan bases, but he gave himself an additional boost in credibility. At this point in his career, Bieber does not need “help” from anyone else, but it wasn’t that long ago that the general public was unsure if they should take this teen sensation seriously. The fact that other celebrities respected his talent was a critical boost to his brand.

4. Appeal to his target market. This is the most important point to be made here. Justin Bieber‘s personal brand has been carefully crafted to appeal to his most passionate supporters—namely, teens and young women. His appeal cuts across all demographics, but Bieber’s persona has been perfected to the point that it’s hard to find a teen girl who isn’t head-over-heels for him. By positioning himself as the ideal “product” for his target market, Bieber was able to create such a sensation that the rest of society was forced to take note. The lesson here is simple but critically important: give your target market what they want, and the rest will take care of itself.

Justin Bieber is a talented performer, but that’s not why he’s an icon even among other celebrities. More than anything else, Bieber and his managers have branded him perfectly. We may not have the charm or the vocal ability, but Justin Bieber’s branding success should be an inspiration and a lesson to all of us.

How many different business cards do you have in your wallet or near your desk right now? Twenty? Fifty? One hundred and fifty? Whatever the amount, you can understand my point. Most businesspeople are inundated with business cards. The challenge becomes, from a personal branding standpoint, how do you make your cards stand out from the rest? You need to think outside the box for this one—but it’s a challenge because you really can’t stray too far from the accepted standards for a business card. After all, your cards still need to be able to fit in wallets, purses, rolodexes, etc. Below are some of my favorite suggestions to help your cards stand out in a sea of business cards.

1) Size your business card irregularly. The standard size of a business card is 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches tall. As I mentioned earlier, you can’t stray far from this standard, but there is some room for flexibility. In particular, slightly reducing either the height or the width (but not both) of your card is a great way to make it stand out from the pack without going too far.

2) Consider laying your card out vertically. Most business cards have a horizontal layout. Designing yours to be read vertically changes the feel of your business card.

3) Altering the shape of your business card. Stepping away from the standard rectangular shape of most cards can be a great way to stand out. Even a simple effect like rounding the corners can make a dramatic difference. If you’re brave, a circular shape or an industry-specific shape can be a great route to go.

4) Use creative materials. The texture and feel of your business card is important. Simply by using top-of-the-line paper and dyes, you can help your card stand out amongst the lower quality competition. Or if you want to go further, consider using plastic or some other material. Designing your card to double as a refrigerator magnet is another good idea, and the possibility that it will end up on a fridge instead of in the trash is a major bonus!

As you can see, there are a variety of options when it comes to differentiating your business cards from the competition. It is important to remember, however, that your card needs to send the right message about you and your company. Thinking outside the box is great, but make sure you stay true to who you are and what you do. A tax accountant, for instance, probably wants to stay away from a card shaped and colored like a tropical fish—though such a card might be a great idea for a travel agent.

Oftentimes, your business card is the only connection that a potential client or customer may have to you. If that’s the case, the benefits of having a memorable card are obvious. Take a few moments and look at your card. Does it need to be improved? If so, the tips above should get your creative wheels turning.

As we’ve discussed in the past, Twitter is a powerful tool for anybody looking to build their personal brand. It’s a simple, user friendly service with vast potential. If you haven’t jumped in yet, it’s time to take the plunge! In recent months I’ve answered many questions from clients and colleagues who are beginning to get involved, and today I am going to share some of my favorite tips for using Twitter to build your personal brand.

1) Put thought into your profile picture. What type of brand are you seeking to establish? If you wish to appear professional and businesslike, make sure the picture you use reinforces that image. On the other hand, if you’re going for a casual, laid-back vibe, don’t choose a picture of yourself in a suit and tie. Your facial expression is important too—try to find a picture that makes you look friendly and engaging.

2) Consider an application such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Cotweet to help you manage your account. As we’ve discussed in the past, it’s important to have a regular presence on Twitter. A single tweet three times each week is simply not going to have much of an impact. At the same time, when you have a busy schedule it can be tough to tweet several times each day. That’s where an application like Hoobsuite or Tweetdeck can really help out—they allow you to schedule tweets in advance. Spend 30 minutes scheduling tweets in advance, and you won’t have to worry about it on a daily basis.

3) Promote your Twitter presence. Make sure you have links to your Twitter page on your email signature, your website, and anywhere else it’s appropriate. The more followers you have, the more impact you’ll have with each tweet.

4) Add value to your tweets. Why should anybody pay attention to your tweets? If you don’t give your followers a reason to pay attention, they won’t. Share interesting, relevant links. Make recommendations. Answer questions that other people have been asking. By providing value to your followers, you ensure that they will continue to pay attention.

5) Strive to build relationships. At the core, Twitter is about relationships. The best way to utilize it effectively to build your brand is to develop relationships with your followers. Not sure how to start? Begin by retweeting a post of somebody you follow, or compliment them on a job well done. Twitter users love to be noticed—simply showing interest on somebody else’s profile is a great way to lay the foundation for a strong relationship.

6) Pay attention to trends. Twitter has a great feature that allows you to see which topics are popular currently. Keep an eye on these trends (the list is located on your Home page), and if you have something to say about a topic that is currently trending, do so! It’s a great way to pick up more followers—and more importantly, it keeps you plugged in to the always interesting world of Twitter.

Twitter is a powerful tool—how many other platforms are there that allow you to potentially reach millions of people instantly, and for no cost? Make sure you are using it as effectively as possible! These tips should get you going in the right direction.

Personal branding has been a hot topic of discussion lately, and with good reason. It’s gained mainstream acceptance to the point that most professionals are at least aware of the basics. However, there still seems to be a misconception out there that personal branding is important for executives, business owners and celebrities—but not for everybody else. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Personal branding is an essential tool for all of us—entry-level employees all the way to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Effective personal branding will enhance your value to your employer, can increase your chances of promotion, and will position you as an expert in your line of work. And personal branding doesn’t have to be difficult—in fact, the tactics we’ll cover today can be done without walking away from your computer.

Think about your current job—when do you expect to be offered a promotion or a new opportunity? What is HR or management waiting for? In many cases, they’re waiting until they feel you have the necessary experience, or until you’ve developed sufficient expertise, or until you’ve shown the proper level of dedication to your job and your company. Now, strong personal branding won’t by itself accomplish any of these goals—but used effectively, your personal brand can showcase your talents, your knowledge, and your dedication to the outside world.

The first step is to determine the central components to the personal brand you want to build. When management hears your name, what do they think of? Are you young and energetic? Wise, experienced, and a proven winner? What about your expertise and your level of passion… do you love your job? Are you constantly soaking in knowledge, whether at work or at home? Are you up to speed with current developments and events that have an impact on your job? And what is your personality like? Are you laid back, calm and collected under pressure? Or perhaps you’re passionate, driven and determined to succeed in your every endeavor. Once you’ve identified two or three traits that you want to emphasize, you can begin building your brand.

The first step for professional personal branding should be LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a networking site that allows you to essentially display an in-depth resume and portfolio. You’ll want to upload a current version of your resume, as well as provide the additional information to display on your profile. Remember, as you are completing your profile, the personal brand that you are trying to build. Make sure that the information you are listing doesn’t take away from this brand. Every element of your profile, from your picture to your ‘specialties’, should enhance your brand. Once you’re happy with your profile, you can begin ‘connecting’ with colleagues, management, clients and others.

Twitter is another great online tool for professional personal branding. It’s important to remember, though Twitter is much more casual than LinkedIn, that your goal is still to build your personal brand. Make sure you choose an appropriate profile picture and write a professional-sounding blurb about yourself. Before you tweet anything, ask yourself “what would management think if they saw this?” Great tweet ideas include links to breaking news that impacts your job and your company, thoughts and insights relating to your areas of expertise, and personal thoughts or opinions that further advance your personal brand.

Social networks such as LinkedIn and Twitter are powerful tools for building your personal brand. Used wisely, they can emphasize your best qualities to the outside world—enhancing your chances of promotion, increasing your value to your employer, and positioning yourself as a true expert in your field.

There are many ways to build (or tear down) your personal brand. We’ve covered many of them in depth, so today we’re going to focus on less obvious opportunities to build your personal brand. Remember that every interaction you have either build your brand or weakens it—so ignore these opportunities and your own peril!

1) Your email signature. How many emails do you send each day? 10? 30? 100? Though writing emails has become a mundane part of the day for many of us, each email sent represents an opportunity to build your personal brand. That’s because your email signature is an incredibly valuable branding opportunity. Along with your name and contact information, your email signature is a great place to insert a quote or word of wisdom. With just the slightest bit of technical savvy you can insert a picture of yourself or a logo. And you can advertise your social media presence by providing a link to your Twitter profile, Facebook page or LinkedIn profile. But the best part of a branded email signature is the repetition. If you can create a signature that truly conveys your personal brand, it will be broadcast countless times every single day. Clients that you correspond with regularly will see it often enough that it will sink and create, in their minds, the perception of you that you want them to have. It doesn’t get any better than that from a branding standpoint!

2) Phone conversations. Conversations on the telephone, whether they’re business related or not, are another great opportunity to build your personal brand. It starts with your greeting— a good greeting will make you sound cheerful, welcoming and professional. Conversely, it’s easy to come off as cold, irritable or unprofessional without even realizing it. From now on, pay attention to how you answer your phone! Casual small talk is another opportunity to build your brand by projecting your personality. What are you saying about yourself when you’re talking about the weather, or the stock market, or the local sports team? Are you optimistic? Witty? Cynical? Negative? Whether you know it or not, the person on the other end of the phone is subconsciously shifting their perception of you based on what you say and how you say it. This is particularly true of contacts who haven’t met you in person.

3) Your wardrobe. Have you thought about how your clothing impacts your personal branding? Do you dress appropriately for the brand you’re trying to project? Oftentimes the clothes you wear define the first impression you make while meeting somebody face to face. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy a $700 suit—it just means that the way you dress should be consistent with the brand image you are trying to create. Think about color as well—are there certain colors you’d like to be associated with? If so, wear them often!

As you can see, building your personal brand is an ongoing process. To create a powerful brand, you need to pay attention to the less obvious branding opportunities in addition to the more obvious opportunities. Doing a great job in the three areas we covered above will help you establish your personal brand in the minds of your customers, colleagues, friends and contacts.

We’ve talked about the importance of Twitter for personal branding in depth.  Today, I’m going to share three success stories—companies and individuals that have used Twitter to effectively build their brand.

1) Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh. Zappos was a very early adapter of Twitter, and as a result has built a very strong presence.  CEO Tony Hsieh, in particular, has used his twitter account (http://twitter.com/zappos) to infuse his personality into his business.  Contrary to the approach that many businesspeople take with Twitter, Hsieh isn’t hesitant to tweet about personal thoughts, opinions and activities that may have nothing to do with his business.  Rather than approaching Twitter as a giant billboard to advertise for Zappos, Hsieh uses it primarily to express his personality and connect with his followers.  When he does tweet about his business, he doesn’t make a sales pitch.  Rather, he shares interesting background details with his followers, or invites them to suggest improvements to various facets of his company.  As a result, followers stay engaged because Hsieh isn’t simply trying to sell them products.  In the long term, this results in customers with a strong connection to both Zappos and Tony Hsieh—and that is personal branding at its best. 

2) Comcast’s Bill Gerth. Comcast was another early adapter of Twitter, but they took a very different approach than Zappos.  In order to counter the perception that they were out of touch with their subscribers, Comcast created a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/comcastcares) specifically to help out frustrated customers.  In order to add personality to the account, Comcast assigned employee Bill Gerth to be the face of the operation.  This allowed followers to develop a personal connection—subtly countering the notion that Comcast is a large, bureaucratic, inhuman corporation.  Their customer service team uses the page to assist customers that are having issues— technical, billing, or others.  A glance at their page reveals a steady stream of correspondence with customers, immediately conveying that Comcast is dedicated to satisfying their customers.  Their Twitter presence serves two purposes—first, it’s an efficient way to provide customer support; and second, it presents Comcast as a customer centered company that truly cares. 

3)Southwest’s Christi Day. Southwest has been on Twitter since 2007 and has built a dynamic presence.  Run by employee Christi Day, Southwest uses their profile (http://twitter.com/SouthwestAir) for a variety of functions, but all have brand-building as their central purpose.  Common tweets include correspondence with travelers experiencing problems (a tweet earlier this week to a delayed flier read “I’m so sorry for the delay tonight. Hopefully we’ll get everyone outta there soon, hang in there!”) as well as announcements, information and contests.  This month, Southwest is holding a “12 days of LUV” contest in which they are offering 12 $1,000 Southwest gift cards to contest winners.  The contest asks followers to participate in various challenges, such as dressing their pet festively for the holidays.  Participants send pictures, and the winner is announced via Twitter.  These interactions paint a picture of Southwest as an engaged, fun-loving and customer oriented airline—branding at its finest.

You may not own a Fortune-500 company, but there is nothing stopping you from building a strong personal brand through Twitter.  The companies we covered above found great approaches that work for them—what will your approach be?

If you pay attention to the world of sports, you’ve no doubt heard plenty about Michael Vick’s record setting performance last Monday night. Vick, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, had an incredible game while becoming the only player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes and run for two more in the first half of a game. Headlines across the nation paid tribute to his incredible performance—starkly contrasting the headlines that ran in 2007, when Vick was arrested for animal cruelty and other charges. I’ve spoken to many individuals who have been on the receiving end of negative publicity because of their own or other’s mistakes. In many cases, they feel hopeless and are ready to give up. Michael Vick’s story is a great illustration of the reality that it is never too late to begin recuperating your brand and overcoming mistakes. While Vick still has many detractors and a long way to go to make us all forget about his crimes, the fact that he is back in the public eye, making millions of dollars playing in the NFL, is amazing. So how has he begun restoring his brand, and what lessons can we take from it?

1) Take responsibility for your mistakes. Own up, apologize if necessary, do what you have to do to make it right—and move on. In Vick’s case this meant prison time… for most people, this may mean an apology to a customer, employer or boss. If a client complains about your products publically online, for instance, don’t ignore it. Instead, engage the unhappy customer and offer to work with him or her to make it right. Not only might you win the customer back, you’ll also have turned the negative publicity into a positive. Without your response, potential customers that saw your unhappy client’s complaint might have been frightened away. By responding, you’ve ensured that even if potential clients do see a complaint about you, they will also see how hard you’ve worked to make it right.

2) Address the issues that caused the problem. For Vick, this meant finding a new circle of friends. For others, it may mean being careful about what they post and say on Twitter and Facebook, or it may mean terminating or retraining an employee. The bottom line is that you need to fix the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again. In general, people are willing to forgive and forget about a mistake. But repeating the same mistake over and over will make it very hard to recover.

3) Remember that nearly everything you do contributes to your brand. You may not think that how you answer your phone is important—but it often forms the first impression that somebody has of you. When you’re trying to recuperate your image, every interaction with a customer, colleague, boss or employee is important. Think about how you dress, what you say, and how you say it. Are you sending the right message?

4) Give them something else to talk about. Last Monday night, Mike Vick changed his public perception by performing at an incredible level. You may not be an NFL quarterback, but you are capable of exceptional performance in your field, whatever that may be. Do what it takes to impress those around you with your skill, determination, knowledge or whatever assets you possess.

Dealing with negative publicity or a bad reputation can be depressing. It’s a horrible feeling to see your name or your company’s name associated with negativity. But it is never too late to turn your reputation around. The steps we’ve discussed above will get you started in the right direction.

In just a few short years, Twitter has become a household name. If you had told me five years ago that I would spend my time “tweeting” I would have thought you were crazy. Today, most people are aware of the power of Twitter for networking, website promotion and communicating… but have you thought about the impact Twitter could have on your personal brand? Twitter is ideally designed for personal branding—users have the ability to choose a color scheme, upload a picture, and send messages to an unlimited number of followers. The casual feel of the site gives users the freedom to incorporate their sense of humor and personal interests into their tweets—an opportunity that doesn’t exist with many other forms of communication. However, don’t let the simplicity fool you… as with all branding efforts, effective personal branding through Twitter requires a well-conceived plan. Below are five tips to get you started:

1) Put some thought into your layout. You don’t have to design a masterpiece, but you should spend some time on your Twitter layout to make sure it is consistent with your personal brand. Perhaps most importantly, choose a picture that shows you at your best. If you’re like most people, you’re a bit shy about using your picture in public—but resist the urge to use a company logo or some other image. When it comes to the colors of your profile, try to use the same colors as you have on your website, blog or other branding materials.

2) Engage experts in your field. Follow experts in your field and look for opportunities to contribute to their conversations. If they reply to you, you can bet that many of their followers will follow you. This is a great way to gain more followers—and it’s a great way to gain credibility in your field of work.

3) Self promotion should be subtle. Many experts suggest that no more than 20% of your tweets should be self promotion. More than that may make you look like a spammer—and that is not the brand any of us want to convey! In addition, even when you are promoting your blog posts, web site or special deals, make sure that you choose your words carefully. Twitter is not a place for an in-depth sales pitch.

4) Tweet once a day at minimum. If you’re tweeting less than once a day, you’re not going to connect with your followers. You need to build relationships in order to convey your brand—and that takes more than two tweets per week.

5) Be yourself. Don’t be stiff and boring. Display your sense of humor. Share some opinions. You don’t want to be overly controversial, obviously, but an interesting opinion is a great way to catch the attention of your followers.

Twitter provides a unique opportunity to engage your friends, clients and potential clients. Before diving in, make sure that you’ve identified your personal brand. Each action that you take should reflect that brand. Keep the guidelines we’ve covered above in mind, and you’ll be well on the way to projecting your personal brand through Twitter.

Roman emperors used their own personal branding technique when they minted coins with their faces on them. By doing so, they made their subjects aware of who was in charge and this, in theory, avoided any messy rebellions.

People in advertising have known this for a while, and that is why faces are so prominent in visual advertising.

The face is one of the most used visual tools in advertising campaigns. It is used in all types of visual media. Faces are found in newspapers, magazines, and authors very often have their photos on the inside back cover of books. Television is all about people’s faces. Even online, people are recognizing the power that comes from having an image of themselves online.
The reasoning behind this is simple. People are hardwired to recognize faces, so it makes sense to use faces in ads. They direct the audience’s attention towards what the ad is trying to sell. People read other people’s emotions through the expressions on their faces, and through this often perceive certain things about the person behind the face.

People’s penchant for faces is also one of the primary reasons Facebook overtook all other social sites and now dominates that market. Sure, the other sites allowed you to post your face, but the “Face” in Facebook made it seem like the thing to do.

The same is true in other, older industries.

New real estate agents are taught to have business cards with photos of their faces on them. Though a potential client may only have met the agent for a few minutes before receiving the card, seeing the real estate agent’s face subconsciously allows any potential client to “know” with whom they are doing business.

People like to know the people with whom they do business, so having your face on a business card or, even better, a website and social media sites, will help people become more open to doing business with you. If someone knows your face, they think they know you.

In reality, they do not know the intricacies of your personality, your likes and dislikes, or what your favorite color might be, but by making your face part of your personal brand you are helping potential customers get to know you. If they get a chance to meet you in person, they will likely treat you like someone they have known for some time, rather than someone that they have barely met.

This simple personal branding tip can create business from places you least expect. Imagine getting an e-mail or phone call or someone popping into your place of business and greeting you by name, just because they saw your photo on your website. This is happening more frequently in today’s business world, and it is all due to people adding their face, and the personality behind it, to their brand.

This personal branding stuff is not really a new thing. Since the early days of advertising, faces of people have graced the packaging products, and businesses grew from the sheer force of the personalities of those who started them. Look at Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Tiger Woods, Richard Branson, Michael Jackson, and a whole host of others who have used their personas to create or enhance a brand.

All of them built their businesses and brands around who they were. Sure, all of those mentioned above had their talents. Michael Jackson had a brilliant singing voice. Tiger Woods has a knack for golf. And Gates, Buffett, and Branson certainly had more than their fair share of business acumen.

But who and what grew their careers and businesses? They did. And it was not just because they had talent. People liked and trusted that they would do the things they said they would, and all things being equal, people tend to buy products or services from people they like and trust. That is one of the most important reasons behind celebrity endorsements for many big companies.

What is new about personal branding today is that now anyone can do it with relative ease and with little expense. Social media has leveled the playing field, allowing small business owners, wannabe musicians and artists, filmmakers, job seekers, and others to stand out from the herd.

It has helped consumers become more responsible about the companies with which they choose to do businesses. It has helped launch new celebrity careers. It has promoted businesses that start with little or no advertising budget. And it can help you.

Whether using your personal brand to launch a career or strategically place your start up business, personal branding using social media is as important a development as television was to advertising and marketing in the 1950s. In fact, it is even more important!

This is because social media allows people to easily carry on conversations with other people, including and especially potential customers, something which television tends not to do so well. Social media has become a means to connect people with common interests from around the world. People in business are finding it is an important way to connect consumers with their products or services. The Internet has become ever more social, and with the number of online communities growing exponentially, knowing where you fit into it is essential to developing your personal brand.

For social media to truly work when developing your brand, it is necessary to look at what makes you stand out from the crowd. You need to look at yourself and what you do, and how you are different from your competition.

It is a good idea to ask yourself questions from a potential customer’s perspective:

• What makes you better and more capable?
• What makes you a good person with whom to do business?
• Why should people do business with you rather than with someone else?

Once you know the answers to these questions it will help you create your brand position and focus your marketing message to a particular target.

Someone asked me the other day what exactly “personal branding” meant. It took me aback for a second, because I had been doing what many others often do – I assumed that they knew what I knew. It reminded me that not everyone is focused on personal branding like I am – and likewise with your business. Sometimes going back to the basics is more valuable than nuance. One of the basics of personal branding is simply telling your story.

Your business’ brand is the aspect of your business that makes you unique to your competitors. And personal branding is building that brand around the most unique element of your business – YOU!

One of the hardest things for people to do when focusing on creating a personal brand is opening themselves up to others and letting your market see who you are – the good and the bad! Most of us fear rejection until we come to realize that we will never please everyone. Once we understand this and focus on the people that accept us as we are, we will be able to help more people in the long run. The more open you are, the stronger you’re relationship will be with your customer. They will trust you more and be more willing to do business with you and recommend you to others.

The best way to begin to “open yourself up” to your market is to tell your story. Why do you do what you do? Just like a new relationship, your story is the building blocks of who you are and in turn, what you have to offer that is unique. Being able to convey this message effectively could be the catalyst to building a solid personal brand.

In my book, “Celebrity Branding You!” I pose three questions to ask yourself when creating your personal brand. First, “What do people talk to you about or compliment you on?” This is important because it makes you think about the best way that you can help others. It may sound simple, but knowing what you do best is key to building your brand.

Next, “How do you communicate with others?” In the book I say that, in business, you are always on stage. Knowing how you come across to people in your actions and your words (and sometimes your body language) is extremely important. If you aren’t conveying to others how you want to be branded, then others will do it for you. Take time to think about how you may be portraying yourself to others. Try to picture yourself through their eyes. Is it the same picture that you’re trying to portray?

Finally, “What is Your Elevator Speech?” The elevator speech is what you would tell someone in an elevator if they asked about what you do. I think everyone probably has this information nailed down – but are you conveying this information in the right way? Try to take a moment to think about your answer. Is your answer something that will make that person think about you in the future? Does your answer provide the possibility of value to that person? Think about an answer that you can give that sets you apart from their preconceived notions of your profession. Don’t let them pigeonhole you. Give them something that’s hard to forget.

Being able to tell your story effectively will be key to setting your personal brand apart from others. Be yourself and seek those who like you for who you are. Be honest and open – let people understand who you are and where you’re coming from. In the end, your clients will trust you more – and be more willing to let you help them when they need your expertise.

One of the most important building blocks of creating and cultivating your personal brand is to have credibility in the eyes of your clients and prospective clients. Over the years, I have found that the most common reason that entrepreneurs and small businesspeople are reluctant to shine the spotlight on themselves is their own perceived lack of credibility.

A common misconception is that one must have as many degrees and years of formal education as possible to build credibility. This simply isn’t true. As my business partner Nick Nanton and I point out in our book “Celebrity Branding You!” some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs have had little or no formal education. What they had was an idea and the skills to make that idea valuable to the masses.

In the book, we point out three ways that you can build credibility as a celebrity expert in your field. These three things are just a few of the things you can do to showcase your knowledge and personality – and strengthen your personal branding strategy.

Write A Book

On the surface, this seems like an overwhelming task for most people, but when you break it down, writing a book related to your specific area of expertise is really one of the most effective ways to build your personal brand and increase your credibility in your field.

Providing your customers and others within your field a tangible, lasting imprint of your knowledge is a great way to become a reference to others when looking for information about your field of expertise. If you know you’re stuff (and I assume you do!) then write it down for others to see what you have to offer.

If sitting down to write a book seems daunting, then start with special reports, blogs and articles on your website. After a while, you’ll see that you have many pieces to the puzzle already in place. Tie it all together, and you’ve got yourself a book!

Testimonials

I’ve always said that there’s nothing better than a great testimonial from a client to build your personal brand. It’s one thing to tell everyone that you will do this for them and do that for them – but when you can point to others who have come to you for a service and have been more than satisfied, your credibility is instantly increased. Not only have you proven that you will do what you say you’ll do for someone, but that your service is valuable enough for someone to recommend you.

Building a database of testimonials is also fairly simple to do. If you are providing a quality product, then your customers will, in most cases, be more than willing to give you a testimonial if you ask. Keep a list of quotes from your clients on your website or newsletter for others to easily access. I suggest using video and audio testimonials when possible, especially for your website. These testimonials help create a personal connection between your current clients and your prospective clients.

Publish A Newsletter

Publishing a weekly or monthly newsletter or e-zine (an online version) is a great way to stay connected with your client base and reinforce your personal brand with them. A successful personal branding strategy allows your customers to stay involved with you on a regular basis – much like a friend. Whether they need your services right away or in several months, keeping you and your brand in their mind is key to having repeat business.

If possible, I suggest sending a monthly e-zine and a printed version of your newsletter. People tend to process information differently. Some respond better to a something tangible in their hands, while others prefer to do everything online. Cover your bases!

These are just a few ways to help build your personal brand and credibility in your field of expertise. Try to engage your clients as much as possible. Show them why you should be their first choice when they need your services – and then deliver!

Sometimes it’s imperative that we take a step back and try to view our business or personal brand to see if we are adhering to some of the basics of personal branding.

In a recent blog post for FastCompany.com, my business partner and I wrote about “forgetting what you know.” Our basic premise was that we as business owners and entrepreneurs can sometimes devalue the things we know, simply because we know them. We forget to understand that what makes our expertise valuable, is that not everyone knows what we know! It’s what makes us each unique. We each have certain talents and knowledge that others seek out.

It’s our personal achievements and talents that form the basis of our personal brand. Personal branding is simply a way of building and maintaining our reputation within our field of expertise. We all strive to be the “go-to” expert in our field, but it takes a solid reputation, an exceptional product or service and a marketing strategy that bolsters your reputation – or personal brand – to do this effectively.

Below are three basic steps to bolstering your personal brand. Regardless of whether you’ve been in business for years, or if you are just starting out – it’s important to always be aware of your brand.

Identify Your Personal Brand – This may sound simplistic, but it’s the most important part of growing and marketing your business. What is the first thing that people think of when they hear your name or business name? Great customer service? Great insights on one topic or another? Cutting edge? Traditional? Pinpoint this trait and focus on it – grow your business around it.

Think about it – if you don’t know in what areas you excel, how will anyone else know?

Take the time to identify the traits of your personality that you want people to notice. What aspect of your business will set you apart from your competition? Take your strengths and market yourself around what you do best.

Stay on Message – There’s nothing much worse for your business than causing confusion to your client base. Once you have identified the image that you want to portray, do everything you can to showcase that image.

For example, if you are a musician that excels in country music and have built a fan base of country music lovers, would you release a hard rock album? 99 percent of the time that would be a disaster. Your fans (or your customers) have chosen you for a reason. Why test their loyalty? Give them what they have come to expect from you – what initially attracted them to you in the first place.

Control Your Media – This is somewhat an extension of the last point. In order to build a successful and respected brand, you must be able to take control of your brand message. The best way to do this is to do everything you can to make sure that you send a clear message in all forms of media – preferably your own media sources. This especially becomes more and more important as your business grows and there are more people directly involved with you and your brand.

I recently wrote a blog about LeBron James and how he had complete control over almost every aspect of his free agency decision this past summer. If you recall, LeBron purchased a full hour of television time on ESPN to announce his decision to play for the Miami Heat. He had complete say over what questions would be asked, which sponsors would participate, etc. LeBron took control of one of the biggest sports news events of 2010, and was able to guide the next step of his career the way that preserved his personal brand.

All of us may not have the star power of LeBron James, but we can take his example and apply it to our business. From social media to traditional marketing, there are numerous media outlets at our disposal. Use them to shape and display your personal brand!

As a small business owner or entrepreneur, the ability to find new ways to market yourself and develop your personal brand, can be the catalyst to unlimited success.

About 2 years ago, I became a proud grandfather! Other than the obvious joys that this brings into my life, I have also been reintroduced to one of America’s national treasures: Sesame Street. Yes, Sesame Street.

This American children’s television series premiered on November 10, 1969 and is still a daily fixture in homes all across the country. Sesame Street is one of the longest running children’s programs in television history. I can remember my girls watching this show when they were young, and now my granddaughter finds the show completely amusing!

Why am I writing about Sesame Street today? Because we can all learn a valuable lesson about personal branding from this quintessential American brand.

How has Sesame Street lasted so long? Two main reasons come to mind. First, their content – educating young children through a quickly paced fun format – is top notch and something that most parents welcome into their home. The producers of this show have created a formula that works – it educates effectively while successfully keeping the attention of the young ones. If you’ve ever tried to hold the attention of 3-year-old for more than 15 minutes, then you know why this is such a big deal!

The second reason that this brand has been able to enjoy incredible longevity is through its creative and unique characters. Much like Disney, Sesame Street has developed their brand through the use of fun and interesting personalities. In the seventies and eighties, it was hard to find anything involving Sesame Street that didn’t feature the loveable character Big Bird. From movies to lunchboxes, Big Bird was the superstar of children’s television.

Then something (or someone) interesting happened. Elmo.

In the last 15 years or so, Elmo, the little red 3½-year-old Muppet who often refers to himself in the third person, has become the new face of Sesame Street. Big Bird has not gone away – but he is no longer the focus. You would now be hard pressed to find any promotional materials or product line for Sesame Street that doesn’t have Elmo’s smiling face in the forefront. Elmo has starred in two full-length motion pictures and has appeared on The West Wing, Emeril Live and The View, among many others. He’s an international superstar!

There’s nothing wrong with Big Bird, of course. He is still one of the main characters on the show. But Elmo has clearly become the new focus of the show. The core purpose and theme of the show (and their brand) has not changed at all – it has merely shifted focus.

So what can we learn about personal branding from this change in focus?

Sesame Street is a business just like any of ours. Even when we think that we have developed the perfect personal brand, there may always be an opportunity to change the focus of that brand. I’m not advocating changing the things that have made your business brand a success, just finding a way to re-focus your brand to a new audience that will not alienate those who have come to trust and respect your brand the way it is.

Is your personal brand built on being wholesome? Traditional or cutting edge? Is your brand and reputation built on customer service? Reliability?

These things do not need to change (and shouldn’t for that matter.) These traits are ones that will be relevant to generation after generation. However, the next time you are thinking about how your personal brand can last for generations, think about what each generation finds the most appealing.

Try to think of ways you can re-focus your personal brand that appeals to the new generation – without sacrificing the traits that made your brand the success that it is!

by J. W. Dicks, Esq. & Nick Nanton, Esq.

Akira Mori, president and chief executive officer of Mori Trust Company, Limited, said, “Past success stories are generally not applicable to new situations. We must continually reinvent ourselves, responding to changing times with innovative new business models.”

Nothing could ring truer in this New Economy where seemingly every attempt to draw on past success strategies is met with less than stellar performances. The reason for that result is that economic change, while appearing to be the same, is always based on a different set of circumstances than ever before; the flaw is to assume “a recession is a recession just like the last one” and that the results are the same each time. They are not.

Our current economic crisis is the modern-day economic equivalent of the “perfect storm” in which multiple disparate factors collide to create something different, something unexpected, something that doesn’t react very well to the old traditional forms of economic stimulus.

The reason for the slow recovery of the economy is because we are not just seeing an economic crisis, we are seeing a fundamental shift in the nature of how business works; and the recovery, when it happens, will not come from the same old stimulus methods but instead will sprout from a more fundamental change of the very nature of business growth. For the economy to return to a healthy status and for business to resume the mode of successful commerce, the consumer must be listened to and catered to like never before. Today’s consumers are no longer bound by the offerings of their neighborhood store. What the consumer wants may be thousands of miles away but must be deliverable tomorrow on the buyer’s doorstep without the frustration or cost of time and travel.

Jack Welch, chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981-2001, faced facts when he said, “The Internet is the Viagra of big business.” Just like that, the guy who increased GE’s market value from $14 billion to more than $410 billion—and was named “Manager of the Century” by Fortune in 1999—recognized that where he had taken GE in the past was no longer the route for the future.

The reality is, the Internet has changed the fundamental nature of competition and doing business. And although it has teased us for many years with its false promises and failed attempts at success, including its own industry meltdown and economic crash, that fall was just the foundation being laid for what has emerged in what now seems like the blink of an eye. New ways of building and delivering online products and services have emerged and, whether you know it or not, instantly your competition has increased exponentially. Your established competitors are now joined by new companies, fresh innovations and ideas, and ever-improving processes and products.

This is the real crisis that faces most businesses today, and unfortunately most haven’t even realized it yet. Instead of trying to rapidly adapt, they are desperately clinging to old ways of running a business that won’t work in the New Economy. And it isn’t event the issue of bricks and mortar that was the center of cocktail discussions prior to the dot-com crash; it is a case of “best practices” for the industry or sector you are in.

For example, if you are in the haircut business, bricks and mortar will still prevail because you need to physically go to a location to get the service performed. But if there is any opportunity for you to do your business or service in the virtual world, the preference for most consumers will be towards that—unless they can somehow otherwise be enticed by an element of experience or entertainment.

When it comes to reaching consumers today, it’s clear that you can’t just go on doing “same old, same old” and hope for the best.

The wired world is a universe in constant flux. Bill Gates once called the new Internet era “an environment of constant change” and, more incisively, “punctuated chaos.” As all financial players are digitally connected, any downturn or upturn in a major market creates overnight reverberations in other markets. The digital world is demanding that companies react to change, but the good news is that it includes the tools they can use to stay ahead of the curve. The key is connecting your business strategy with a streamlined response.

So how is business to survive? By understanding the fact that as business climates change, the methods of marketing for those businesses are also “upside down” and in need of change if success is what you are after. Where, normally, you would think global economies would mean larger markets, in reality, for small companies, entrepreneurs, and professionals, the opposite is true because they simply do not have the economic firepower to try and reach everyone or satisfy everybody. In fact, the media has become so fractured it is almost impossible to reach the masses.

Therefore, to be successful in the New Economy, you must think in terms of specialties or niches within broad markets where you can be a difference maker. In fact, the more narrow your focus, the more power you can yield within that niche; and based on this fact, your financial leverage can be multiplied.

A Change of Focus

Instead of the reliance on mass media, your focus needs to be on “targeted media.” Businesses haven’t stopped using traditional media to get the word out, and indeed, it’s often an effective launch point for an ad campaign if you can control the cost and monitor your return on investment (ROI). Clearly, however, the gulf between traditional advertising and online advertising has widened over the past few years as audiences fragment and the Web grows to provide a new media approach.

Mass media of the last century offered a relatively simple structure, with large audiences congregated at a few outlets for a few kinds of programs. But the Internet provides seemingly infinite choices, and it appears difficult to capture the attention of an individual user when that person has split him or herself among a number of destinations for very brief periods of time. One of the biggest challenges for marketers is understanding this self-fragmentation and how to overcome it.

Reaching the individual who is your target customer first requires your understanding of who your target consumer is, and then your application of market segmentation, the process of pulling apart the entire market as a whole and separating it into manageable, disparate units based on demographics. The market segmentation process includes:

1. Determining the characteristics of your target market, then separating these segments in the market based on these characteristics.

2. Analyzing whether the market segments are large enough to support your product or service. If not, you must return to step one (or review its product to see if it’s viable).

3. Once you’ve chosen a target market that has the size to produce your needed sales levels, you can develop your marketing strategy to target that specific market. Your focus is smaller, but you are reaching the specific buyers you want.

After creating this group of prospects, you must develop your market’s buying metrics to learn how many prospects it takes to produce a sale, what your conversion ratio is, and how that affects your bottom line.

Shotgun vs. Specialists

So how does this apply to today’s online realities? In the past, advertisers had only one choice—they took the shotgun approach, scattered themselves to every mass media outlet they could afford, and hoped a percentage of those people might pay attention. It was about trying to be all things to all people. It was spending money on local newspaper ads, cable television spots, etc., and hoping potential customers would catch a glimpse of them as they turned the page.

It’s the equivalent of the long-ago era of the general practitioner whom everyone would go to no matter what his or her medical condition. Just as patients now go to specialists who can help them treat their specific injuries and illnesses, consumers have become selective about where they go to get their goods and services. Online it looks something like this: health conscious individuals who might have subscribed to a general magazine on health are now signing up for blogs, newsletters, podcasts, user groups, e-mail lists, membership sites, and more to address their exercise regimen, a preventative medicine program that suits their lifestyle, their specific heart condition, their type of diabetes, etc. More and more people are taking advantage of outlets with increasingly specialized information.

With so much out there floating around and vying for consumer attention, today’s savvy marketers are likewise getting more specific in order to forge a competitive advantage. They’re identifying who their potential customers are, cultivating these relationships, and in many cases even charging them for the privileges of membership. Let’s say you have a dance studio in town that offers salsa lessons. In the past, you’d put a medium-size print ad in the local paper, maybe shoot a local TV commercial, and hope for the best. Now, you can create a sizzling, colorful Web site with step-by-step instructions and high-energy videos of those lessons that “students” can pay an online subscription fee to see. Seeing is believing. Even if folks never step into your studio for the real deal, you get them to subscribe to your service to learn how to dance from home.

It can work the same in the sports world. If you give golf lessons in real life, you have to hope people see those local classified ads, right? But if you give golf lessons online and charge a fee to help your students’ progress, you’ve taken the world in your hands without paying any attention to geographical boundaries. You can now teach at any level you want, whether that market exists in your locale or not! Someone might buy an issue of Car and Driver for five bucks, but fans who want to go behind the scenes and into the pits of NASCAR can probably find a better outlet, which they’re willing to pay more for, to really get them into the action and on the inside of the sport they are ravenous fans of. The list of industries and examples goes on and on!

A lot of these opportunities lend themselves to a virtual delivery with cutting-edge technologies, but some of this ongoing flow of information extends to tangible media as well. There has been a resurgence, for example, of paper newsletters and, although still virtual, teleseminars as well, neither of which are considered new technology. Most of these models of selling information, or ideas, offer the basics for free up front, but if they want what you’ve got to offer, and you promise to go deeper, they’ll be happy to pay for the privilege of regular updates and insider opportunities.

The key to setting the world (or at least your bank account and profit margins) on fire in this world of new media is niche-ing down your market to create value in the people you’ve niched into. By building your audience, you build your value, and that in turn increases your roster of consumers who will be willing to pay top dollar for the incredible things you offer. Remember—the power is all in the presentation to the right audience.

So, when thinking about growing your business during the current economic shift, think big; but then make sure you think small with regards to what niche you can ultimately serve to prosper the most. After you figure that out, if you take the time to determine the best format or combination of formats to deliver your products and services to your audience, you will find a formula that is wildly profitable!

By J.W. Dicks Esq., & Nick Nanton Esq.

I (Nick) was sitting in a sushi bar in Los Angeles, thousands of miles away from my hometown of Orlando, FL. Having found a table, I asked the waiter to assemble my usual selections which included one order of Maguro, one order of Yellowtail, and one Steamed Shrimp, Cucumber and Cream cheese roll with a drizzle of eel sauce (the Nick Roll, as my friends have come to call it), and then I began to do what I do most of the time when I’m alone – I took out my iPhone to occupy myself.

I checked emails, read and posted a few tweets, and checked my newsfeed on Facebook to see what my friends were up to. I also engaged in a newer activity, “checking in” via geotargeted apps and games like Loopt and Foursquare (If you don’t know what these are, you should! Just Google them!). This particular meal was during a period of time several months ago, before Foursquare had been brought to the iPhone, so I checked-in via Loopt. Much to my surprise, I noticed that a friend that I went to law school with and who also lives in Orlando, had also checked in on Loopt and was just a few miles away from me in Los Angeles. I immediately sent him a text to say ‘hi!’ and to tell him I was just a few miles away. This prompted us to try and coordinate a chance to meet; the meeting would be for the sake of novelty, if nothing else.

This occurrence prompted us to take stock of what many of us do to bide our time (check-in, tweet, post on Facebook), and how it was not only becoming second nature, but what that means for the way we are going to conduct business in the future. Based on these hyper-connected, entertaining, and informative ways of passing information from person to person, we are really leaving behind a trail of everything we’ve ever done, everywhere we’ve ever gone, every opinion we’ve ever had, and, thanks to some less than scrupulous folks who tend to overshare and take pictures with their phones, everything we’ve ever eaten. You might be wondering where this trend is headed and what it all means.

Well, in the context of “The New Economy”, this trail is essentially a “Personal Brand Map”. It’s a record of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, all mapped out in chronological order, from which anyone in our networks (or increasingly, even someone who we haven’t allowed in our networks yet) can review and form an opinion about us.

In the New Economy, some might say that our Personal Brands are increasingly important. We’d go further, saying they’re all we’ve got left.

Think about it. The internet and technology have brought about the following changes:

• Removed the barriers of information flow, allowing us to find anything we want, anytime we want it.

• Made transparency a way of life, allowing the general public to piece together a story even if you aren’t telling it yourself – you can’t hide most things anymore even if you wanted to!

• Leveled the playing field by giving everyone on Earth an instant platform to publish anything you can think of, including thoughts, muses, obsessions, hobbies, photos, videos, business ideas, invitations to social events, collaborative efforts, and more.

We’ve seen this technology bring about the rise of the Personal Brand, while we have simultaneously witnessed the downfall of the institutions that we grew up believing in. This is a total game changer.

We’ve seen the banking industry fail us through credit crises and mortgage meltdowns. We’ve seen over-inflated real estate prices which are due, in large part, to the previous bottleneck on real-time information flow. In the past, we’d have to wait for all the data from real estate sales to drip down from title companies and city and county records in order to get a gauge on what was happening. Even worse, we might have to go to a physical location to view the records. Now you can find that all online, from anywhere in the world, with the click of a mouse. Simply revolutionary!

We’ve witnessed many a corporate meltdown due to lowered barriers to entry. For instance, it is now a very acceptable practice for any business person to schedule a meeting at a Panera Bread or Starbucks location. No formal office is needed, just a place to meet. We’ve also seen the increase in shared spaces replacing the more traditional executive suites and even some less traditional solutions like existing businesses renting out offices that aren’t being used to new businesses. We have seen increased international competition from countries like China and India, who are in a venerable race to bring their high-talent, low-cost human capital to America, with no plane tickets needed, using nothing but Skype and email. And, finally, we’ve witnessed those willing to compete and incur lower overhead in order to gain market share that previously would have seemed untouchable. This accumulation of corporate meltdowns has left many unemployed and without the pensions, retirements, or the security we always thought would be there.

This is a major shake up. In spite of the fact that many are calling it a “lost decade” (2000-2009), we instead look back and see a time of painful discovery and major shifts in the way information is shared, received, and processed. No longer do we look to journalists in last Friday’s newspaper to determine what movies we want to watch or what restaurants we should try out; rather, we look to social networks to see what our friends think and where they are right now.

There has been a shift of power. Power is now at our fingertips – in the hands of the many, not in the hands of the few.

So, how do all of these powerful cultural and economic shifts affect you? You, as an individual, have become your own brand, whether you like it or not. You can control your brand to your own advantage or you can let your personal brand be run by others who comment on what you are doing. In fact, whether you choose to document your life and your business or not, chances are someone around you is going to document it for you. You don’t have to post photos of yourself on Facebook or videos of yourself on YouTube for such photos and videos to end up there. You don’t have to post your thoughts on a particular concept or issue online, for them to end up on Twitter, as those around you are doing it for you whether you like it or not. So, the real choice you need to make (before someone does it for you), is to control your personal brand.

The good news is, if you learn how to effectively control your brand, you can also control your life in ways that were never before possible.

Think about it this way: in the past, if you were a superstar employee, you still got paid what your employer thought you were worth. Now, you can take your brand as a superstar employee to the internet, sharing your knowledge and building a following of people who are interested in your ideas and the projects you are working on. You can become an “internal evangelist” and a thought leader for your industry – all while working for someone else. This buzz about you in turn raises your profile and credibility, which then gives rise to the notion that no longer will you be an employee with limited options. You will now be a free agent operating no differently than the sports stars who are able to offer their skill(s) to the highest bidder.

This new ‘free agent’ marketplace is already occurring in limited scope through the use of social media sites like LinkedIn that are dedicated to connecting people for business, as well as through sites like Facebook that allow you to share text, video, audio, and even create custom apps to let people know what you do. Not to mention, we are just now in the early stages of internet platforms and tools to make those kinds of connections work to your advantage. The future will give rise to more of what one of our clients, Chuck Boyce, calls the “Independent Executive”. This label applies to someone who takes their knowledge from previous employment and sets out to create their own destiny, lifestyle, and income on their own terms. This philosophy takes personal branding to the next level, because it is not just important for the professional or the entrepreneur, but it is now very important for employees who are happy to work in someone else’s environment but who want to be recognized, both financially and emotionally, for their very real contributions.

In the past, an unhappy employee had limited choices:

• Do nothing but complain (with increasing disgruntlement)
• Quit and go look for a new job (which has no guarantee of being any different)
• Beg the boss for a change in circumstances (power, money, responsibility) without having any real say in the process

Now, in the new “Branded Economy”, you are all allowed to play the role you want in building your brand and building your value. If you don’t take control, you will risk becoming irrelevant and relegated to the position of a cog in someone else’s wheel. You will be at the mercy of a third party whose self-interest will always outweigh your own – just like the players in the sitcom The Office and the comic strip “Dilbert”.

Now that the game has changed, what will you do to control your own destiny? As we have gotten known for telling our clients, we’ll now tell you the same: You have the choice, to Brand or Die!

By: Nick Nanton, Esq. & J.W. Dicks, Esq.

I entered the huge chain bookstore, hoping my guilty expression wouldn’t give me away. Then I furtively disappeared between two large shelves of books in the back, making sure no store employees were looking at me.

I eyed the area around me one more time – no one in sight.

And then I pulled the brand new copy of my latest book out from under my jacket…headed to the nearest open cashier…smiled to myself as she scanned the book’s ISBN bar…and I paid $21.95 for a book. A book I already owned.

My name is Nick Nanton…and I am a reverse shoplifter.

Why am I committing a crime against myself? I’ll explain a little later…but first, I want to tell you that this may be one of the most controversial chapters in this book… And not because I’m moving around in bookstores in a clandestine manner.

It’s because I’m about to advocate something that I believe delivers one of the biggest ROIs of anything out there today. But it’s also something that many people regard as being as dead as the dodo.

What am I talking about?

Well, I’m talking about what you’re reading right this minute.

A book.

A book can be an amazing platform for your business – it’s got prestige, it’s got impact and, most importantly, you can market yourself and your business through it in a ‘whole bunch’ of different ways. Because, to be honest, it doesn’t do you any good to write a book and then just put it on your shelf next to that dusty dictionary. It only makes a huge difference when you use your book proactively to expand your circle of influence, build your reputation and impress current and prospective clients.

Look at the super-successful people who put out books on a regular basis – people like Donald Trump. He doesn’t need to write books to prove himself any more – he can make as much money doing a couple of speeches here and there. No, he – and mega-motivational stars like Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield – create books for the above reasons. It’s not about getting paid for the book – it’s about growing their brands.

Just look at what happens when “the Donald” writes a book. Suddenly you see him everywhere – Larry King, Fox News, even The View. It gives him a whole new set of talking points and a reason to put himself out there. He knows that the ROI on a book is unlimited – as long as you realize it’s not just a book, it’s a gigantic marketing tool. That’s why it’s something I advise all my clients to do.

I’m going to detail in this chapter just how you can make your book go to work for you in a variety of ways. First of all, let’s talk about the book itself.

MAKING YOUR BOOK HAPPEN

The first thing you should do is be realistic. You’re probably not creating a New York Times Bestseller here – that’s not even what you’re really after. You make money from having a book – not from book sales. This is meant as a marketing tool to sell yourself and your business. Put your book together with that in mind.

As with any marketing tool, you want your book to be an attention-getter. That starts with the title – finding a way to put the concept of the book in a short, ‘punchy’ and powerful statement that taps into something people want to know.

Simple is very important. Has there ever been a better title than “The Secret?” Well, there haven’t been many better-selling titles, anyway. At the same time, it’s a gutsy title – because without the multi-million ad campaign for the book, its generic title could have left it lost in the shuffle. Since you’re mostly going to be sharing this book with clients and prospects, and not trying to sell it to the general public to a great extent, you can get away with that kind of approach.

Of course, you’re thinking, the title is the easy part – what about the content? Well, that might be easier than you think as well. Do you give seminars or create instructional materials? Have you given speeches about your business? That’s content – content you had to think about and structure accordingly. By getting these materials transcribed, you could already have the bare bones of your book content.

What happens next depends on your available time and your level of confidence. Let’s start with time – most entrepreneurs and business people just don’t have enough hours in the day to run their businesses and their lives, let alone try to write a book. It’s time-consuming and requires a lot of thought. Many who try it simply give up and don’t finish.

Then there’s the confidence factor – you may be intimidated by the thought of even trying to write a book. Most people don’t even like to write a short blog – and then there are those wouldn’t be ‘caught dead’ even trying to put together the 140 characters or less that go into a “tweet.”

That’s why most business people will use a ghostwriter to get their book down on paper. You can find excellent ghostwriters on Elance.com (where they’ll bid for the chance to work on your book), or you can ask business associates if they’ve worked with someone they like and trust.

It’s easy to work with a ghostwriter – you either give them the kind of transcripts we talked about earlier or you can talk through the main points of the book with them. The important thing is to end up with something that you can feel good about. If you’re going to use a book as a marketing platform, you want to make sure it’s professional, informational, and represents you and your business in the best possible light.

THE THREE STAGES OF MARKETING YOUR BOOK

Once you have your book finished and published, it’s time to really go to work. You can maximize your marketing punch not only when your book is published, but also before and after. Again, authoring a book is impressive – so make the most of it!

1) MAKE PRE-LAUNCH A PRIORITY

You definitely want people to know your book is coming out in advance. Begin by creating a website about the book before it comes out – offer a free portion of the book (a “sneak peek”) through an ‘opt-in’ box that will allow you to capture leads. You can even feature a “countdown” to the publication date and time to generate more excitement.

When the website is up, put out a press release announcing you’ve got a publishing deal, making sure you have links back to your website. Syndicate the press release and post it on all the social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Also consider doing a podcast by having a friend interview you about the book and put it up for download on iTunes.

2) GENERATE PUBLICATION PUBLICITY

Once your book is published, you can now use it to your advantage to get booked just like Donald Trump does. You probably won’t make it to “Larry King Live,” but you have a ‘good shot’ at some local air time at the very least.

Next, send out copies of your book to local radio and TV stations, as well as print publications, and offer to be interviewed. Also put in a listing in Radio-TV Interview Report (find out more at RITR.com) to make yourself available for national interviews. You can also mail copies to your top clients, send them out to get yourself booked for speaking engagements at business and civic events, and host a book signing event at a local book store.

You can also continue to produce podcasts for distribution through iTunes with a theme of something like …“Beyond the Book,” offering additional/updated information and conversation about topics you cover in the book.

And remember my “reverse shoplifting” at the beginning of this chapter? Here’s why you should consider taking a copy of your book into a bookstore – and buying it there!
As long as your book has a legitimate ISBN number and is available from a major distributor, two things we always do for our clients’ books, the bookstore clerk will simply scan the book’s barcode, a price will come up and you can purchase it, even though the store never stocked it in the first place. Best of all, the bookstore’s computer system will register that somebody bought your book and that they’re now out of stock – meaning they just might order more copies of your book to sell on their own!

3) CREATE A LONG AFTERLIFE

Now that you’re an author, it should become an important part of your professional profile. Make sure it’s added to your official bio and possibly even put the name of the book in your email signature for a limited time.

You can also break down a chapter and make it into a free ‘special report’, available on your website through an ‘opt-in’ box. Other chapters can be turned into online articles that you can syndicate, or you can rework the material into speeches or seminar material for your personal or recorded appearances.

Your office should also reflect your author status. Put a framed copy of the cover of your book on the wall in your reception area or office – it’s easy to do through canvaspop.com. Also, leave copies of your book on the coffee table in your office with “Take Me” stickers on the front. You should also donate copies to the local libraries in your area. Make sure your contact information is contained in these copies – either put a business card in the book, or have your info stamped on the back page.

At our Celebrity Branding Agency®, we take this process through another, very powerful step. We’ve created a foolproof way to make our authors’ books best-sellers in certain Amazon categories. We then honor them by placing them in our National Academy of Best-Selling Authors™ – and send out another round of press releases noting their honor and best-selling status, which opens up a whole world of marketing opportunities for the same book.

They say print is dead, but, thanks to Kindle, iPad and other electronic devices, it’s not really. It’s just migrated to LCD screens. The fact is that nothing conveys authority and credibility more than having a published book with your name on it. Publishing a book and marketing it correctly puts you and your business up more than ‘a few notches’ against the competition – and isn’t that what it’s all about?

And, best of all….reverse shoplifting is NOT against the law!