Build Your BrandMake A Name For Yourself Through Effective CommunicationBy Nathan Young & Joe Barnes

What is your Brand?

REPUTATIONIMAGE

What is Brand Building?

A strategic plan of action to shift your brand toward a specific goal.

“

”

Why Build Your Brand?

There is a huge shift going on right now in the business world.

Why Build Your Brand?

There is a huge shift going on right now in the business world.

Why Build Your Brand?

There is a huge shift going on right now in the business world.

Why Build Your Brand?

There is a huge shift going on right now in the business world.

Why Build Your Brand?

Businesses are transforming and need help making the transformation.

You can be that help. But…

There’s extreme competitionfor jobs.

And social media is exploding!

Why Build Your Brand?

COULD BRAND MUST BRAND

These two factors shift the importance of personal branding.

Positioning

Who are you?

Two big questions:1. How are you perceived?2. How do you want to be perceived?

What is your brand?

Authentic Distinctive Relative Consistent

01 02 03 04• No smoke and mirrors.• Your brand is your

strengths elevated and your weaknesses offset.

• If it doesn’t feel true, it won’t ring true.

• No copycat-ing.• Your brand is perceptually

different from everyone else’s.

• Be different or risk being ignored.

• You are not an island.• Your brand will be

compared to the brands of others. Does your brand sell you over everyone else?

• Communicate not just why you are good, but why you are better than others.

• Don’t flip-flop.• The more consistent your

brand is over time, the stronger it becomes.

• Growth is good. Shifts are good. Change is good. Inconsistency is bad.

• Does your story read well?

Define Your Value

Rational Value

Emotional Value

True Value

SWOT Analysis

O T

S WSTRENGTHS: •What are you great at?

WEAKNESSES: •Where do you need improvement?

OPPORTUNITIES:•What are the things you’d like to be great at?

THREATS: •What are the things going on in the world that

threaten your relevance?

Identify Your Target Audience

• Who Do You Want to Reach?• What Makes Your Target Come to You?

Value Proposition

• Communicate your specific value to the specific organization.

• Take stock of what you’ve been particularly effective at. Then take stock of what the company/client has been struggling with.

Identify Your Competitors

• Who are you up against?• Ask around. Get information about

what certifications, work experience, and personal projects successful people in your field hold, and set goals to get yourself upto par.• If you know a large number of

applicants will share a common trait use that information to differentiate yourself.

We are all unique little snowflakes

But we exist in a blizzard of unique snow flakes

Differentiation is how you stand out in the storm

Positioning Statement

• Target Audience (For…)• Problem Statement (Who need…)• Category (I am…)• Value Prop (Who Provides…)• Competitive Differentiation (Unlike [key competitors], I…)

Messaging

The Million Dollar Question

How do you prove it?

The Million Dollar Question

• Work experience is the best way.• While working a job, keep track of your major accomplishments• Rule of Thumb: If what you did created a measureable effect, that’s a major

accomplishment.

• No work experience? No problem.• Volunteer or do pro-bono.• Look to your school and personal activities for non-traditional examples.

Elevator Pitches

• What I Do / What I Want To Do• Context• Evidence

Positioning lines

If you were being introduced on a news program, how would you want to be introduced?

Examples:•Creative Strategist•Leading Environmental Activist•Social Media Evangelist

Resume Language

• Avoid Job Description, Be Results Oriented • EG Responsible for managing office inventory vs Established program to

reduce paper waste resulting in a estimated cost savings of $10,000 per year

• Detail results, but leave room for questions.• EG Developed a return shipping program the lowered company costs by 20%

• Companies bolded, titles secondary

Channels

One Truth

The Most Important Place to Brand is in the Real World

Networking vs Social Networking

• Network but don’t social network• You have a good group of allies to call on, but miss out on opportunities for

others to recognize connections quickly and easily online.

• Social network but don’t network• Big number of LinkedIn contacts makes you look good, but if you never talk to

them, why would they want to do you a favor when you need it?

On Business Cards

• If you have a job, carry your business cards around• If you don’t have a job, make your

own business card

Social Media

The Big Three for Professionalism

• Showcasing• Networking• Searching• Sharing

• Broadcasting• Following• Trending• Sharing

• Authoring• Centralizing• Optimizing• Sharing

Rules for Social Media

• Be careful what you post.• Know and use privacy settings.• Only connect with people you know.• Clean up you personal accounts. • Keep your personal accounts personal.

LinkedIn In Depth

• Use your brand!• Headline = Positioning Line• Description = Positioning statement

• Join groups that fit your brand• Follow industry leaders and companies you are interested in.• Eliminate inconsistencies between LinkedIn and your resume• Highlight accomplishments• Make it easy to contact you

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Nathan Young

Nathan Young is a creative strategist and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. A former IT professional, Nathan is a firm believer in the power of digital, but believes the most successful brands are not the ones who measure the most data, but the ones who tell the best stories.

Nathan specializes in emerging media & consumer insight, and has consulted with many large companies including Microsoft, Expedia & AXS.com.

Pitchily.com

/nathanayoung

@notnathan

Joe Barnes

Joseph W. Barnes is a highly sought-after social/digital media strategist, conference/keynote speaker and trainer, and consults with teams and executives on major strategic communications, public relations and marketing initiatives. His clients have ranged from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, non-profits and leading government agencies.

He has provided consulting/training to over 80 organizations nationwide and is known for his marketing results and accomplishments.

Digital3000.net

/joebarnesseattle

@joebarnes