You, Inc., 7 Things to Think About Branding

There is a company called, You, Inc.  You are the CEO of You, Inc.  And, here is the scary part,

Guess who the brand manager is?

Whether you are looking for a new job or looking for that promotion to the dream gig you have always wanted, either way, someone is checking out your brand.  

Recruiters and hiring managers are not afforded a lot of time to get to know you. They are putting together a puzzle with the various pieces they find where they can find them.  Reference checks and interviews are the essential tools used by them to make placement and promotion decisions.  And they Google you, too.  What you can find out about someone in five minutes time on Google is surprising.  So whether or not you like it, you have a Google profile.  This is part of You, Inc.'s brand. 

So like any smart marketing professional you should manage your brand.  The thing to remember is there are lots of things that go into making a brand.

1. How does the digital world see you?  Google yourself and see what is out there to find.  If there is some not-so-good stuff, you really cannot hide it but you can surround it with tons of good stuff.  What does your Facebook page look like?  What pictures are you posting?  What pictures are others posting of you?  Yes, back in the day that college trip to Mexico was fun but do you really want your next boss to know how many tequila shots you can do at Senor Frogs?

• What does your LinkedIn profile say about you?  This is your digital business card and resume all rolled into one.  When your next boss looks at your profile, is she getting the message you want her to get?

2. What is your You, Inc. logo?  What avatar do show the world in your LinkedIn, twitter, Facebook pages?  I am amazed at how many strange pictures I see on LinkedIn pages.  The "breakup" pictures are my favorite.  You know the ones were we see you with the shoulder of someone behind you who was cut out of the pic.  My second favorite is pics with the pets.  Don't do it.  

You don't have to hire a professional photographer (it wouldn't hurt).  I have seen many selfies I thought were excellent, professional pictures.  

3. What does your email signature look like?  Is it professional looking?  Does it have all your contact info?  

Or do you have pretty ponies prancing around just beneath your name which is bookend with violets?  If you are the king of scrap-booking, this is okay.  

But if you are a CPA, not so much.  How about your email address? You cannot believe some of the crazy email addresses we have been given by our candidates.  I guess some of these would be okay if you were in the porn industry but most of us are not. 

4. What is your expertise? Show what you know by writing, posting, blogging, and sharing.  Show what you know by associating with groups that portray You, Inc. in the light you want.  Show your expertise in discussion forums on-line or participation in local professional organizations.  You can also share what you know by volunteering to help non-profit organizations who need your expertise. This increases you social capital, you make great contacts, it makes you feel good, and you help others who need it.    

5. Do you have fans?  Are they willing to speak out for you?  Are they willing to post something positive about you on your LinkedIn profile?  Are they willing to shout out your praises to Facebook, Twitter, Yelp?  These shout outs count toward your SEC (search engine optimization).  A good brand high on a search page is GOLD.  

6. What do you look like in the community?   What do people see when they see you at a restaurant?  I am not giving sartorial advice here.  But I am asking if the image you want to portray to the world is what you are actually portraying at all times.  For example: Are you shopping at Wal-Mart in your jammies and rubber flip flops?  What if your next boss from the accounting firm you always wanted to work for was standing in line behind you at the checkout?  Is this the image would you want to present?  Oh, it happens.  

"Don't dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want."  

What kind of job do you get in jammies and rubber flip flops?  

7. Does You, Inc. have a business card.  Even in this digital age business cards still rule.  They are what I call "boundary objects".  

• Boundary objects are physical things we can hold in our hands that bridge the information gap between us.

• Boundary objects are samples of what is to come.
• Boundary objects continue to exists even after the encounter between the two parties has expired.
• Boundary objects continue to convey information into the future over and over again. 

Business cards are excellent boundary objects.  

Your business card is a tiny sampling of who you are.  Carry them with you and pass them out.  It's a trail of bread crumbs in the forest for people to find you later.  Because you never know who you will be standing next to at Wal-Mart. 

If you don't have a business card from your employer, design and get one printed for yourself. And even if you do have an employer business card, you might want to have a You, Inc. business card too that conveys a specific message about you.     

Define your brand rather than allowing the world to define your brand.  To do that you must know who you want to be.  So do this. Write out a brand statement about You, Inc.  It does not have to be long.  List bullets points, facts, images, emotions you would like for the rest of the world to see and understand about you.  Once you do that, start thinking about ways you can convey these things via social media, personal dress, digital foot print, business cards, etc.  Anyway and every way humans communicate with each other is a way for you to brand yourself. 

While writing your brand statement, keep in mind the three Cs of branding:

          Be Clear

          Be Consistent

          Be Constant

Now, go forth and do good.