Personal and Business Branding Through Social Media

Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce

September 22, 2009Presented by:Patsy Stewart, Optimized StrategiesJaneson Keeley, JTKWeb

What is social media?

Social media is

a means to generate conversations

Stop thinking campaigns

Start thinking conversations

Translate conversations into Results

Your Social Media Strategy

1. Assess your digital footprint

2. Identify your expectations

3. Define your plan

4. Create your personal/business brand

5. Implement your plan

6. Assess your results

7. Tweak your plan

What is a digital footprint?

Traces left by someone’s activity in a digital environment

Passive – “Data collected about an action without any client activation” (e.g., IP information collected by a web server)

Active – “Created when personal data is released deliberately by the user for the purpose of sharing information about oneself”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint. 20 Aug 2009.

1. Assess your digital footprint

Google yourself – print out the first two pages of results

Identify your competitors – search on your keywords

Google your competitorsIf you’re digitally active, identify

baseline of friends, followers, fans, connections, and web site visitors

2. Identify your expectations

Increase your exposureBuild your business or personal brandBuild brand awarenessIncrease web site / blog trafficIncrease number of customersIncrease revenueImprove customer service

3. Define your plan

Determine your target marketSelect your tools

LinkedInBlogsFacebookTwitter

Determine a schedule of regular activities to engage in for a specified period of time

4. Create your brand

Things to consider:

Your personal or business “personality”The products and services you offerWhat makes you unique

What is a “personal brand”?

The qualities and characteristics that distinguish you from other people

The mental and emotional impression that others have of you, which follows you no matter what company you work for or what position you hold

What is a “business brand”?

The qualities and characteristics that distinguish your business from other businesses

The mental and emotional impression that other people have of your business

What establishes a brand?

PresentationInteractions with othersWhat you leave behind

Your personality

Identify:

Your personal or business “personality” -

what you talk about

Choose:Your username(s)ColorsLogo, photo, avatar

Exercise

What else can convey your personal/business personality?

Your products and services

Identify:

Business products and services you offer

Research:

Keywords commonly used in searches in your industry

Choose:

Keywords to target

Exercise

What keywords describe your business?

What makes you unique?

Identify:

What makes you different from other people/businesses in your field

Choose:Your tagline – keywords Your “hook” – question Your personal “signature”

Exercise

Everybody should have an “elevator pitch”. You want to convert that to a tagline for use in social media.

What is your tagline?

Create your profiles

Mini profile – 160 charactersShort profile – 1-2 paragraphsDetailed profile – your online resumé

Education, employment history, accomplishments, organizations, awards

Be sure to include your keywords!

Interacting with others

Social media is socialHow you interact with others is important

GivingSharingConnectingHelpingBeing positive and respectful

Business vs. personal interactions

Exercise

Examples of positive and negative interactions

Types of interactions

ConnectingInformingEducatingAskingAnsweringPromoting othersPromoting yourself

Exercise

How can you apply these types of interactions to your business?

The impressions you make

Impressions are emotional memoriesBe positiveBe memorableBe consistentBe loyalTurn negative interactions into positive

interactions

5. Implement your plan

Commit to engaging in particular activities at a specified frequency for a given period of time

Put these into your daily schedule

6. Assess your results

In 30-60 days:Google yourself againGoogle your competitorsGet updates on your friends, followers,

fans, connections, and visitorsAssess your business visibilityAssess your business growth, clients,

and revenue

7. Tweak your plan

Evaluate your results and make any changes or enhancements that will get you closer to your goals

Continue doing those things that have proven most effective

What’s next?

In the next seminar we’ll learn to use these tools to develop your digital footprint.

LinkedIn and bloggingFacebook and Twitter

About Our Presenters

Janeson Keeley

Janeson is the owner of JTKWeb, which specializes in website development, search engine optimization, and pay-per-click campaign management. She is also the founder of TweetVA - Virginia's Twitter Directory - at www.tweetva.com.  @janeson59 on twitter

Patsy Stewart

Patsy is the Director of Social Media for Optimized Strategies as well as she manages a recruitment team for Jobzcafe. She is recognized as a thought leader in social media.  She serves as project manager for Optimized Strategies marketing and website development business.@stewartb2b on twitter