First of all, stop rolling your eyes at the very mention of 'personal branding'. The fact is, we all have it and it's up to us if we choose to develop it and weaponise it or ignore it. I liken it to mental health which we all have and it's our choice if we want to strengthen it, so that we can be our best selves or not. And you have probably been doing things along the course of your life's journey towards your personal brand and not even realised it like, pimping up your resume, attending industry events that involve networking, delivering a presentation to clients or colleagues or taking a nice head shot. Yes - this is all personal branding activity so why not embrace it and make it epic as opposed to fight it?
Right, now that we've got you in the 'I'm ready to do this' mindset, here are the 6 top reasons why you should be using social media for personal branding:
1. It's FREE 🤗
Can't argue with that right? Social media platforms are completely free to use. There are no subscriptions, no memberships, no sign up costs or monthly fees. You have access and reach to multiple audiences, individuals and networks across numerous online platforms completely free. Think on that for a second. There are no barriers to entry and it costs nothing to optimise and maximise your online presence and visibility using these digital tools.
2. You Control The Narrative ✍🏽
You own the right and space to control what is being said about you online on your social media platforms. How do you want to be perceived? What do you want to be known for? What do you like? What do you not like? What do you do? What have you done? What experience, expertise and value do you bring to the table? Social media gives you the opportunity and power to cultivate your online persona however you want it to be. Wouldn't you rather be in charge of what others are thinking or saying about you instead of the world wide web randomly doing that for you? You can use social media to clearly define who you are, what you do and how you bring value to employers, to clients and your colleagues. Things don't always come up in conversation but if your key messages and associated relevant content are consistently published online, endless opportunities could come your way so take advantage of it and use it with purpose and intent.
3. It's Powerful 🔥
Over 55% of the world's population is on social media and this continues to grow every second. The data doesn't lie. If you want to market yourself, connect and grow your network then you need to not just be on social media, you need to be ACTIVE on social media. Presence is not enough. What will set you apart is consistently showing up with relevant valuable content. There are strong and engaged communities and networks that have been built with the people in them never having even met. It gives you global reach and the opportunity to positively impact someone else on the other side of the planet - how cool is that?
4. It Lets The Creative Juices Flow 💃🏽
We might not all be born creatives but social media definitely helps us deliver messages in creative ways if we choose to learn and use them. Platforms like TikTok could become a fantastic micro-learning platform for you to deliver your experience and expertise in a specific field creatively. Instagram has a plethora of features like Stories, Reels and IGTV to connect you directly to your community and give you a variety of options to create authentic content that is unique to you. The possibilities are endless and there are so many inspirational content creators online that you can learn from to better your own craft and brand.
5. Thought Leadership Engine 🗣
Social media platforms are a fantastic way for you to build thought leadership in specific areas of your expertise and passions publicly and visibly. There are many topics and niches out there and they might be general but social media allows you to create authentic content on these topics and within these niches from your perspective. It gives you the power to become the 'specialist' and democratises sharing knowledge and expertise. It lets you be 'found' through keyword search and it lets others discover individuals like yourself who are within the same niche/s and topics of interest.
6. Bring Offline Online 👩🏽💻
Social media lets you bring your offline experiences online. You can share your insights from relevant activities and allows you to bridge the offline world and online world. It allows you to maintain consistency of your 'brand' overall. Some might meet you in real life and then check out your socials and vice verse. If your online activity and content is very different to your offline activity, that can create a disconnect. But if it's consistent then it only serves to support further your offline endeavours and supercharge your personal brand!
Social media can be a powerful ally when it comes to personal branding so understanding how to use it as a tool is what will make the difference and most impact. Don't spend time scrolling, invest the time in creating valuable relevant content and controlling your online narrative and presence 🔥
If you found this blog valuable, please do come find me on Instagram where I create content to optimise and maximise online awareness, engagement and growth through the use of social media and content. Bonus if you're an event professional and are up for some fantastic eventprof memes 😉 Just hit this @hothospitalitye to follow me and be part of my online community!
xoxo Your Social Media Hype Girl
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