Kick start your social brand by sharing your story
Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. Read the last blog to learn how to make connections and build your network.
You’ve updated your profile and you’ve made some more connections to enhance your network. Now it’s time to tell your story and shape your brand. LinkedIn is your digital business card – so how can you communicate your value and make a memorable impression across social media channels?
- How do you want to be perceived on social media? Do you want to be known as a reliable source of information on a certain topic, an expert in a particular field, a thought leader for your company, a proponent for your profession, or are you someone new to your career or field who can offer insights and advice? There are many different perspectives from which you can begin to brand yourself.
Try asking yourself some of these questions to find topics that feel right for you.
- What do you enjoy reading about?
- What are you passionate about and interested in?
- What do other people tell you that you are good at?
- How long have you been interested in this topic and will it last?
- Create a content strategy. This is not as hard as it sounds. It’s important to figure out what you want to focus on that will help you achieve the brand you want. Start by outlining some content ideas for social that support the brand you are creating and will be valuable to the audience you are trying to build. The key is to post a variety and be more generous than selfish.
When sharing content consider these ideas:
- Visual content stands out. Have you ever heard the phrase, “people hear what they see”? Most articles you share will pull over the image along with it. Some of the most popular and engaging posts on social media are your own photos with authentic content. Photos and videos get the most attention. Challenge yourself to think of ways to tell your story through pictures. But check out your company’s social media rules before you start taking photos at work and at work events.
- Be human. Be yourself. Let your personality shine through. Emotions are contagious. Remember that people are not usually impressed by titles, network size, years of experience, big words and professional speak, or name dropping. What grabs attention is kindness, generosity, humility, optimism, integrity, and trust.
“When I’m writing posts for social media about my field of work, I ask myself “how would I describe this concept to my 10-year-old?” This exercise helps me balance the desire to be credible and professional with the need to be clear and compelling.”
Beth H., Communications Manager
Set a goal!
Take a few minutes to outline focus areas for what types of content you will write and share. This will help keep your story, and brand, consistent and easier to manage.
Remember, the content you write and share is your voice on social. Branding yourself doesn’t happen overnight. But once you try a few of the suggestions above, your audience will grow and perception will become reality. We’ll talk about staying engaged in Part 4 of our series.
For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are looking for additional tips to create a content marketing strategy for yourself check out Neil Patel’s helpful blog.
