Uncategorized Archives - Page 5 of 7

Budgeting for Your Personal Brand

Posted On 10.23.17, In Uncategorized, by client

It’s that time of the year when individuals and organizations are thinking of ways to use their remaining 2017 marketing and PR budget, plan for 2018, or both. When thinking of these funds, your personal brand or those of your employees or clients should be at the top of your priority list.

Many individuals and organizations are beginning to understand that investing in personal brand is a vital cost of doing business. Like office supplies and coffee, budgeting for the tools and resources needed to create and grow brands should be a set line item.

For those still struggling with why this is vital and/or how to make it work for their budget, I offer some food for thought.

Why have one when you can have many?

Why have only one marketing stream when you can have many? The more people on your team who are building their brands and, by extension, your company’s brand, the more opportunities you have to distribute content and connect with your audience.

It’s happening so stop ignoring it.

Your employees and/or clients are online daily posting content about you and their work. Why not get out in front of it and provide them with tools and resources to be more effective?

Quality writing and graphic design matters.

If you or your staff are sharing information about the company or their work, you should care about the quality of the writing and graphic design used. Just like with any other marketing, how social media posts read and appear is a reflection of your company. Time and attention should be paid to ensuring these posts look their best.

You don’t need the kitchen sink.

You and/or your staff may not need a full strategic plan or fancy new design software to create and grow your brands. All you may need is a training or brainstorming session with a brand expert to help get everyone on the right track. A day-long or half-day brand training session is a great way to connect as a team and share content ideas.

Don’t have a strategy today? Better have one tomorrow.

If a comprehensive personal brand strategic plan is not in the works for 2017, it is vital that it be included in your plans for 2018. For your personal brand to truly be effective, a strategy should be developed to assess and provide a blueprint for how you will capture all paid, earned, owned, and shared media opportunities at your disposal.

In an ever-increasing media market, knowing how to effectively articulate your narrative and differentiators will truly make a difference to your bottom line. Investing in yourself and your staff or clients is no longer just a “feel good” initiative. Personal branding is proving to be one of the most effective marketing tactics an individual or business can deploy to reach their target audience.

Thoughts Are Not Your Own

Posted On 10.09.17, In Uncategorized, by client

With so much outrageous news making headlines lately, it’s only natural that many of us take to our social media platforms to air our frustrations or express our opinions. Believe me, I know it’s hard to resist social media’s allure of immediate gratification. I mean, just ask our President!

We fool ourselves into believing that non-legally binding statements such “views expressed are my own” give carte blanche to say whatever we want. But the fact is these self-proclaimed social disclaimers won’t save you when questionable posts conflict with your company’s policy or culture.

In a nutshell, if any of your conduct—both online and off—is deemed harmful to your company’s brand or reputation, it has the right to show you the door. Your views? Still your own. Your job? Not so much.

Take time to read your company’s social media policy and be clear regarding its expectations. If your organization does not have a social media policy, they’re long overdue for creating one. But an absence of one does not mean that you may not be suspended or fired for questionable posts.

The potential of getting fired is a pretty major reason to think before you tweet. A secondary cause for pause is the potential harm your posts may have on your personal brand.

Your friends, colleagues, even your boss might be okay with your posts today, but these people are not the only audiences you’ll have for the rest of your life. So much of what we post is intended for today, but it won’t be gone tomorrow. Social media is forever. Before you post think about how future employers, clients, or even romantic partners might feel about something you write in the heat of the moment.

It’s vital that we self-police our words and actions online. The brand we create on the internet might be the only impression we get to make on others, so take care and give plenty of consideration before providing your two-cents to the weighty issues of the day.

We’re All Toothpaste

Posted On 08.09.17, In Uncategorized, by client

Over the past several weeks there has been conflicting information regarding whether personal brand building is relevant to professional services professionals.

Forbes Magazine recently released an article outlining the PR Trends for 2018. The very first trend mentioned was personal branding. According to the article, companies will be looking beyond the C-Suite, encouraging and assisting the brand creation and management of their rank-and-file employees. This shift comes from companies seeing the benefit of having multiple marketing streams that lead back to the company mission.

Conversely, in a June 2017 interview with renowned Wharton psychology professor and best-selling author Adam Grant, Sheryl Sandberg discussed why the personal branding craze is overblown. In short, she feels that people are not products and should not consume their days with packaging themselves like toothpaste or bottled water. Instead, she stressed “having a voice” and “being authentic.”

With this conflicting information, what are you to think?

If you follow me on social media, you likely have a pretty good idea which argument I support. I believe creating and growing your brand is vital to raising your overall visibility. Furthermore, a favorable brand has been proven to help you get a better job, earn more money, and be viewed as a thought leader in your industry.

In addition, investing in your own personal brand or your employees’ has been shown to increase overall job satisfaction and higher retention rates. It has also been shown to increase overall staff creativity, improve career-pathing and self-awareness, and develop higher levels of peer collaboration.

I respect Ms. Sandberg greatly, but I believe she missed the mark. Building one’s brand and being authentic are not mutually exclusive. In fact, some of the most beloved personal brands were built by those who were being true to themselves.

I agree with Ms. Sandberg that we shouldn’t view ourselves as “packaged goods.” However, the strategy and process of getting one’s picture taken for magazines and public appearances isn’t any different than the packaging for toothpaste.

The reality is that in the online world we are continually marketing ourselves to potential employers, contacts, and even romantic partners. How we package ourselves and tell our story online is sometimes the only impression we get to make on others.

It’s important for everyone, regardless of career path, to understand what personal branding means and learn to either manage it for themselves or seek the resources of a professional to handle it on their behalf.

If you’d like to learn how to manage your personal brand yourself, join me on Thursday, September 14 at 5:00 pm in Alexandria, VA for my “Personal Brand Bootcamp.” Register today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/personal-brand-bootcamp-tickets-36812930466

Summertime is the perfect time for your personal brand

Posted On 07.17.17, In Uncategorized, by client

Summertime. The glorious three months of the year where our lives get a little slower and a whole lot more enjoyable. We all take a moment to breathe and can actually hear ourselves think.

So, naturally this is the perfect time to create a strategy for your personal brand! Not so much? Well, hear me out. You’re likely already thinking about the tasks I outlined before. Now is just the time to move from thought to strategy to action. Laying by the pool or being the passenger on a long car trip are the perfect time to be thinking through how you’d like to tackle your brand strategy for the fall and winter.

Below are a few simple steps to get you on the right track.

Develop a one year plan

Why just one year? Your brand needs to be constantly evolving, so focusing one year at a time gives you a manageable timeframe in which to work. Envisioning where would you like to be in your career, life, or both a year from now is the vital first step in developing your personal brand strategic plan.

For those who already know a major shift is coming, i.e. Career change, going back to school, taking a sabbatical, moving, etc., you may want to only plan six months in advance as this new experience may shift where you’d like your brand to go.

Revisit your personas

Who are you? Or at least who do you want people to think you are? And why should they believe that you are these things? In order to be most effective, your personas and your plans need to be in sync.

For example, let’s say you’re about to retire after 10 successful seasons playing a professional sport. You’ve decided to launch a tech company. Problem is you have neither a business nor an engineering degree or background. You have an idea and access to those who can assist you, but you still need to be established as an influencer in this industry. While not impossible, this just means that there is much work to do to educate your audiences as to why they should believe that you are a thought leader in this industry.

Create effective content

When you have a goal in mind you are less likely to create “junk” content. Junk content is usually filler creative, i.e. images, video, blog posts, that doesn’t provide any value to your target audience and/or your designated goal. Whether you’re sharing and/or commenting on content created by others or your own original content, you want to make sure that it fulfills your plan and personas. Otherwise you’re just creating noise which will ultimately turn your audiences off.

Not every single post is going to be a home run.

But if you plan out your content on a calendar or even a Word Doc you are more likely to be creating posts that are useful, entertaining, and/or more personalized to your audience. Also, if you stay focused on your analytics you’ll begin to see a pattern of what is working for you and what isn’t.

Start developing discipline

With less on your plate during the summer you’ll be more successful developing the daily discipline brand building requires. Your ability to post consistently and engage regularly is truly the secret sauce to brand growth, so take the time now to develop positive habits before you’re once again bogged down by the hustle and bustle of fall and winter.

Your personal brand is being created for you via social media and your in-person presence, so you might as well place yourself in the driver’s seat. Use these remaining lazy summer days to decide how you are going to take control. Need help getting starter or getting organized? Give me a call.

Are you ready to focus on your brand?

Posted On 06.11.17, In Uncategorized, by client

By now, especially if you follow me, you’ve heard a lot about personal branding. You’ve likely even seen others making an attempt to define their brand and raise their overall visibility. What likely is still unclear is what goes on behind the scenes and how much work is (or isn’t) involved regarding personal brand building.

Allow me to remove the mystery right away – it takes a lot of work and dedication. Sorry to be a buzz kill, but a great brand doesn’t just magically appear. It’s created through strategic planning and consistent deployment of content. Even if you hire someone like me to manage it for you, you still need to be present in the process and willing to collaborate and provide timely feedback.

The good news is if you’re willing to dedicate yourself to the process, it will all become second nature very quickly.

Below are a few tips so you know what to expect should you want to set out on a brand building journey.

Be prepared for real talk

Building your brand requires that you are honest with yourself regarding who you are (or aren’t) and the influence you have (or don’t). Having this “come to Jesus” with yourself will allow you to maintain realistic expectations throughout the building and execution process. Even the best marketing takes time for adoption, so you need to remain patient and realistic throughout the process.

Strategy, Strategy, Strategy

Even if you are a super star athlete or a TV personality, you need to have a strategy regarding where you brand is now and where you want it to go. You wouldn’t build a house without a blue print. Building your personal brand is no different. Who are you? Who are you trying to reach? And why would these audiences listen? These are all questions that are explored during a strategy session. Strategy is so important I’ve written an entire blog on it, click here to read it.

Understand the costs

Brand building, even if you do it yourself, is not entirely free from out-of-pocket costs. Let’s break down costs between hiring a professional and DIY:

If you decide to hire a professional to create and/or grow your brand, the overall cost can vary according to the vendor and what it is you’ve agreed that they would do, i.e. draft a strategy, create messaging, create a content calendar, create original content, manage your social media accounts, etc. My preferred arrangement is a monthly retainer so the client and I can refrain from the counting hours game and can just stay focused on the plan. My retainer will often include hard costs to me that come as a result of the project so that I don’t need to go back to client for additional funds.

If you plan to a self-manage your brand be sure to research and access tools that will make your life easier, i.e. editing apps, graphic design apps, publishing platforms, etc. Click here for an article that has done the heavy lifting for you. Apps and platforms can range from free to rather expensive, and more doesn’t always mean better so shop around. Other hard costs you need to keep in mind could be for building a website, purchasing images and/or video, or hiring a photographer for a photoshoot.

Focus on engagement

As you begin to execute your brand, be sure to focus on engagement levels rather than followers. You can have thousands of followers, but if none of them are liking and sharing what you post, you might as well not be there at all. Tailoring your brand message to the audience and platform so that you receive optimal engagement should remain your focus. Followers will always gravitate to interesting/unique/useful/entertaining content.

Stay focused on your journey

No two brand journeys are the same. Your journey and your destination are not the same as anyone else’s, so don’t get wrapped up in what others are or aren’t doing with their brand. If you see someone doing something you’d like to emulate and it makes sense for you, by all means do it. Remember that executing your personal brand via social media is like having a publicist on steroids, so don’t think you are lesser or not meeting your objectives just because you perceive someone in your lane doing something amazing. It could all be smoke and mirrors. Stay focused on the strategy you created and you will see positive results.

If you’re ready to move forward, I applaud you. Investing in yourself by elevating your brand will be one of the best professional decisions you’ll ever make. If you set out to do it alone and it becomes too overwhelming, give me a call. If you already know you don’t want to take on this task, give me a call. If you’re not sure, give me a call. I think it’s very clear what the next step should be. Good luck!

Remaining World Class: How athletes can proactively transition their personal brand into retirement

Posted On 06.05.17, In Uncategorized, by client

I know I’m not the first person (or will be the last) to congratulate you on a successful career. Your many years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice now affords you the right to peacefully ride off into the sunset.

What I don’t need to remind you is that you’re still young with many more opportunities still ahead of you. Before you completely transition away from your playing days, allow me to share with you some personal branding tips that will help you prolong your celebrity status.

Extending your celebrity is about more than just ego. As I’m sure you know, 80 percent of your earnings will likely come from 20 percent of your career. Establishing a strong personal branding during your playing days will allow you to maintain your celebrity status when you’re in the private sector—and help provide greater visibility and likely more income.

First, let me clear up that not all is lost if you have long since retired and are now deciding to tend to your personal brand. You know what it means to hustle and I can help get you up to speed.

Second, if you’re thinking to yourself, “I am years from retirement, I don’t need to be thinking about this.” You’re wrong. Now is the perfect time for you to begin thinking about this. A longer runway always allows for a smoother takeoff, so five to 10 years before you plan to retire is an optimal period to transition your brand from superstar athlete to superstar (fill in the blank).

Below is a step-by-step guide I use to help my clients transition their brand.

Find your (new) passion

You’ve spent so much time focusing on sports that you’ve likely haven’t had much time to sit and ponder what could be next. So where to begin? Start by thinking about what you’re passionate about or are interested in. Take meetings with successful people in those industries and find out what makes sense for you. Don’t get overwhelmed with the idea that this next career move must take you all the way to your grave. There’s always more time to pivot, but you should at least select a destination post-sports to focus your brand.

If at all possible, start working on or in your new industry prior to the end of your playing career. Take an internship or job shadow in the off season so that you can truly get your feet wet in this new industry. While on the job, capture and document your experience as that content will become helpful later on.

Update your message

Once you feel like you have a post-sports destination in mind, now comes the time to start crafting your message. For so long your narrative has been “(Insert name) the athlete…” Now you need to redraft your narrative to include your new endeavors—and develop simple but powerful language that lends credibility as to why your audiences should believe that you are—or will be—a thought leader in this new industry.

Introduce new content to your current brand

Once you’ve identified your new venture, have a little knowledge under your belt, and have updated your message, it’s time to start integrating the “new you” content in with your existing brand. If you’re still playing, you’ll want to introduce content slowly so as not to confuse your audience

The content created for your new role should not try to oversell your abilities or influence in this new space. Be authentic and allow yourself to talk the talk and walk the walk. Create content pieces like blogs, video, articles, and social media posts that differentiate you from your peers and demonstrate why you’re passionate about your new endeavor. But most importantly, show that you’ve done your homework and are educated about and engaged in your new career.

Transitioning from your life as a professional player to that of a coach, business person, philanthropist, etc. will be one of the biggest transitions—emotionally and financially—that you make in your career. If it all seems too overwhelming to think about on your own then seek the guidance of a professional to walk you through it. (I’ll be glad to help.) There’s too much earning potential on the line to simply hope it all works out.

Personal Branding Tips for Graduates

Posted On 05.21.17, In Uncategorized, by client

Congratulations on recently graduating! Whether it was with honors or you just barely squeaked by, this is a major milestone in your life and you should take a moment to feel the pride.

Okay, moment’s over. Time to get to work!

Social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram are just as vital to your job search success as your resume and cover letter. Many employers like me look at your social media accounts even before reading through your resume or scheduling an interview. This new-ish hiring tactic puts you the applicant in a wonderful position to craft your personal brand in a way that’s not only authentic but also effective.

Below are some #realtalk tips to ensure that that you own your personal brand and it resonates with your new employer and colleagues.

Own your narrative. You’ve likely been on social media since middle school, but have you ever stopped and thought about what personas you are projecting and if they truly tell the story of who you are? Probably not, but that’s okay. Let’s address it now. Powerful brands know what they are trying to do – where they’ve been and where they are going. When you draft your narrative draft with purpose. Tell an engaging story that articulates your personas and differentiates you from your peers. Don’t just list-off facts. Draw in the reader and educate them not just about where you’ve been but where you intend to go.

If writing is not your forte don’t hesitate to ask a friend, parent, teacher, or professional to assist you. This piece of the personal brand puzzle is far too important to make a half-hearted attempt.

Own your name. If you have not already created a LinkedIn account, now is the time. It should reflect the narrative you’ve created and effectively show your abilities and accomplishments.

If you’re comfortable doing so, I would recommend establishing your own webpage with your name as the URL. Doing so allows you to creatively present yourself to stand out. Creating your own webpage also allows for better search engine optimization (SEO) and provides you with a home for any content, i.e. videos, blog posts, images, you develop down the road. Click here for an article to help you get started.

Update your email address. Please don’t make a potential employer email you at “bigboiballer32.” Take a moment to establish an email address that’s easy to type, relatively close to your name, and looks appropriate on a resume.

Update your voicemail message. Keep the message simple. For example, “Hi you’ve reached (name), I am unable to come to the phone. Please leave your name and number. I will call you back as soon as possible.”

Understand the power of an image. Bright, shiny, professional-looking faces get hired. Whether your profile is public or private, update all headshots to an appropriate image that makes you look polished, authentic, and ready for any professional opportunity. No more group shots with friends or images of you at parties or tailgates. You’ll likely get only one opportunity to show a potential employer that you’re a quality hire, so use an image that clearly shows your face, and you smiling and appropriately dressed.

Control your content. Not all social media posts disappear, so before applying for jobs run an audit of your personal brand and untag or remove any images or posts that you feel a future employer might deem inappropriate. Click here for a great article about online reputation repair.

Be matchy-matchy. Remember my advice regarding your narrative from above? All that info must match what is on your cover letter and resume. Consistently and effectively telling the same story will help establish and grow your brand. Also, contacting all your info help drive home the point that you are detail-orientated.

Network like crazy. Trust me, career success is truly about who you know. Anyone you meet has the potential to help you down the road, so don’t just focus on what a new contact can do for you today. That said, being too aggressive in your networking has some drawbacks to your personal brand. Click here for a great read about how to network without becoming obnoxious.

One additional piece of advice I would like to add: Never assume someone is going to assist you, connect with you, and/or provide you with their contacts, especially if you’ve just met or have never met this person. As you will learn, professional contacts are a sort of currency and most successful people do not use them liberally. Always start a relationship with the understanding that you must build trust and earn the right to use this person’s network.

Have a :30 pitch. Know how to effectively and (most importantly) efficiently tell your brand story. This skill will become invaluable when you’re networking and interviewing. Practice your pitch with a parent, teacher, or mentor and have them provide you with feedback about your verbal and non-verbal skills. Delivering your brand pitch with confidence will open more doors for you than you can imagine.

Once you land the job…

Update and be thinking ahead. Once you land your first job, make sure to update your LinkedIn and/or personal webpage with your professional info. Connect with others in your industry and begin thinking how you might be a thought leader in this space.

Understand everyone is watching. As you become more successful and visible, understand that your peers and competitors will be looking at your social media. This requires you to be ever vigilant about maintaining your personal narrative and ensuring that your social media pages are relevant and appropriate.

Listen to feedback. Everyone you meet in the professional world will have an opinion about who you are and what you ought to be. Listen to this feedback and process what is told to you as your in-person behavior is part of your personal brand as well. If you’re found to be difficult to work with in the real world, then all your online branding efforts will be for nothing.

My best wishes for your continued growth and success. If you ever need advice, contact me at frances@yourfirestarter.com.

Personal Branding Tips for the Undrafted

Posted On 04.29.17, In Uncategorized, by client

This year’s NFL draft has come and gone. While you may have gone undrafted, you know this isn’t the end of the road. There are many more avenues to pursue before you hang up your cleats. Please remember, though, that the average pro football career is around four years, so you must get as much out of your time as you can.

I can’t help you with your playing skills, but allow me to give you a few personal branding tips that will set you up for short and long-term career success regardless of where you land.

Suppose you’re picked up as an undrafted free agent or receive an invitation to a rookie minicamp tryout. In that case, you’ll want to tackle (pun totally intended) these tips right away. It’s essential to get your personal brand in working order so you can focus on what’s most important: securing a spot on the team!

Refrain from any negative talk. In this period of frustration and disappointment, it’s natural to want to air your grievances. This does you no good. Teams are potentially still considering you, so keeping a positive mindset and refrain from any negative statements about yourself or anyone else via social media or in interviews.

Double down on your narrative. Keep creating content while you wait for the phone to ring. Document your training. Document your fan interactions. Document your community engagement activities. Keep showing teams that you will not just be an asset to them on the field but a stellar steward in the community.

Keep connecting and engaging. Continue to grow your fan base by connecting with followers. Also, engage them further by “liking” and replying to their positive and supportive comments.

Ask for help. Your focus needs to be on honing your craft, but your personal brand is important too. If managing it becomes too much to handle, don’t hesitate to ask a trusted person or hire someone like me to assist you.

As you’re aware, the better you manage your brand, the more likely you’re able to earn more off the field and make a smoother transition once you’re playing days are officially over.

I wish you the best of luck in your journey. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me at frances@yourfirestarter.com.

Spring Clean Your Personal Brand

Posted On 04.25.17, In Uncategorized, by client

Your garage, yard, and closet are not the only things that could use a little spring cleaning. Your personal brand should be another item on your to do list.

During the hustle and bustle of the winter months your personal brand likely suffered a little neglect. Below are a few tips to ensure that your personal brand is looking and performing at its best heading into the summer and fall months.

Do a quick Google search. You’ve likely Googled yourself for fun, but there is an actual practicality to this self-research. One quick and easy way to get an idea of your online reputation is to enter your name into Google or another search engine. If your name isn’t as unusual as mine, try adding your employer, home town, organizations where you’re active, or other extra information into the search. Click here for what to do should you find something unflattering.

Make sure your message and image are consistent. The average American adult is active on at least two social media platforms. If you’re trying to elevate your brand, make sure your messaging and image are consistent across all platforms. Consistency and repetition will allow for great brand adoption by your followers.

Get rid of non-followers. Fake fans or followers interfere with the accuracy of your social media analytics. Social media metrics such as engagement and conversion, for example, are dependent on follower/fan interaction. If yours are fakes or following you without any engagement, you’ll have a hard time analyzing the effectiveness of your content. There are several free and low-cost tools out there to assist you with the task of removing those who need to go.

Revisit your content calendar. It never hurts to revisit your content calendar to ensure that what you’re about to create and post is still relevant. The best content is either unique, immediately useful, entertaining, or evokes action. Before posting, take a quick scan online to ensure that your content is as original as you can possibly make it.

When it comes to the upkeep of your personal brand, being organized and consistent is always best. If needed, place reminders on your calendar at the end of each quarter to remind you it’s time to spruce things up.

Budgeting for Your Personal Brand

In today’s online world your personal brand is being developed with or without your participation. Get in the driver’s seat and learn how to create and grow your most valuable professional asset: your brand.

Attendees will also learn:

This session is ideal for anyone who: