How to Build a Personal Brand with Social Media (And Why It's Important)

HOW TO BUILD A PERSONAL BRAND USING SOCIAL MEDIA (AND WHY IT’S

IMPORTANT)

05.09.12

MY PERSONAL BRANDING JOURNEY

• 11.17.08: David Meerman Scott publishes a blog post, “Downsized? Fired? Here are the new rules of finding a job”

• 12.11.08: I’m laid off from my job.

• 12.11.08: I attend my first tweetup. It was in Menlo Park, CA.

• 12.12.08: I launch my blog, “It’s All Virtual.” My first post is titled, “2009: The Year We Go Virtual.”

“You have to stop thinking like an advertiser of a product and start thinking like a publisher of information.”

MY PERSONAL BRANDING JOURNEY

• 01.05.09: I start a new job.

• 03.04.09: I published my 50th blog posting. The topic? IBM’s use of Second Life.

• 10.13.10: I published a book, “Generate Sales Leads With Virtual Events.”

• 12.12.10: I made my first book sale via Twitter.

Book published via FastPencil, http://www.fastpencil.com//

WHY IT’S A GREAT TIME

“If you build it, they will come.”*

The emergence of the social web means that individuals can become publishers, web celebrities, news sources and brands.

* - As long as the field is well groomed and maintained.

HOW TO APPLY TO YOUR EVENTS

Gain Experience With:

TwitterBloggingContent MarketingCommunity Management

PERSONAL BRAND: BENEFITS

• Possession• Annuity• Authority• Attention• Focus

Your Personal Brand Can Define…

an.nu.i.ty [noun]: a specified income payable at stated intervals

IT’S A BRAND NEW WORLD

“I’m wearing all my favorite brands, brands, brands, brands.”

-- Taio Cruz, “Dynamite”

GUIDELINES

Identify your passion and be authentic.

My first blog, started in 2006, covered baseball. It was called “Hot Stove Yanks.”

If your passion is food…• Twitter• Food blog• “Secondary

blogging”• Yelp Elite Squad• Local newspaper

PERSONAL BRANDING TIPS

1. Define your target audience.2. Decide where to invest your time.3. Be useful.4. Engage and interact.5. Use the same profile photo

everywhere.6. Promote others before yourself.7. Adjust and adapt.

For further details, read my blog post here.

ATTRACTING ATTENTION TO YOUR EVENTS

1. Define your target audience (attendee personas).

2. Understand their needs.3. Develop web content & event content

to meet those needs.4. Publish content year-round.5. Build and manage online communities

around your event.

Blog Post: What The NFL Can Teach You About Virtual Events (http://allvirtual.me/2012/04/20/what-the-nfl-can-teach-you-about-virtual-events/)

HANDS-ON DEMO

• Consolidate your presence.• Be everywhere (my goal).• Share your thoughts and ideas. Everywhere.• Interact and respond to others.• Find the right balance (of your time)

Related: How I Curate (and Share) Content on Twitter.

Q&A

Send me feedback on Twitter: @dshiao