Only a decade or so ago, it was the responsibility of corporate workers to develop their personal brand in the workplace, at conferences, and through networking meetings. For high-achievers and those with ambitious goals, personal brand development happened in person. But now, with the rise of LinkedIn, online portfolios, and content marketing trends, we’re seeing personal brands being built across a range of platforms on the internet. As such, if you’re interested in competing for attention and admiration in the online space, this article outlines some of the ways that you can develop your personal brand online.
Build a Website
Having your very own domain name and your very own website is impressive. It shows that you’re dedicated to your career, that you have essential digital skills, and that you’re able to share a number of your assets in the online space. But building a website can be difficult – and may require you to take a course, or watch several YouTube tutorials, to get the hang of the likes of Wix and WordPress. Once you’re comfortable with these platforms, reserve yourself an URL similar to your name and occupation, and begin building your website portfolio.
Attract Attention
A website is a barren place when no one visits it. You might have one or two visitors from time to time, as people Google search your name and scroll through the results pages – but you won’t attract the kind of attention that you’re looking for online. You’ll only manage to do this by using smart SEO tricks – the strategies that’ll have your website finish high up on Google’s search results. To do this, look to organizations like SEO agency Birmingham for advice and help in building out your digital marketing strategy, which will help you capture more attention across the world wide web.
Social Media
As many corporate executives have discovered to their peril, social media can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, this is where you’ll be able to network at your most casual and personable, sharing updates from your life that you’ve curated for the public to view. On the other hand, these are places where unhelpful stories and photos from your past can emerge to embarrass you professionally. Your best bet is to enhance the privacy settings on your social media and keep the networking and personal brand building to LinkedIn – the professional social network.
YouTube Videos
Finally, no one operating as a businessperson in the modern era can neglect to notice that YouTube video is the new medium through which most information is transmitted. From how-to videos through to press releases from governments across the world, this is now how people connect. As such, you should consider developing a YouTube channel, where you’ll be able to share your knowledge, wisdom, and creativity with those who are interested in your brand, and what you have to say. Try it out today to see if you could be the next viral businessperson on YouTube. It is relatively low cost with minimal equipment to start a YouTube channel.
Personal brand development is incredibly important for your career, and this article shows how you can build that brand online as well as in person.