Your No. 1 Brand – Yourself

 Personal Branding – what is it, really?

Do you just plaster yourself with labels, run through the streets and bombard everyone with your verbal (or online) screams of “follow me!” Do you actually create your own brand? Are you now the new product that people should consider utilizing? Do you need personal slogans and logos so people don’t forget Jim Bob?

(By the way, Jim Bob will be a recurring character throughout these blogs. He’s one of my favorites.)

According to Wikipedia, personal branding suggests the idea that success is a result of self-packaging. Actually, the term may have originate from one of Tom Peters’ articles in 1997, The Brand Called You.

In the article, Peters discusses the evolving environment of branding and media, specifically that practically every company and organization is trying to “brand itself” into the public’s memory. This is achieved through logos, slogans and various mediums. Peters suggests that individuals take advantage of this new perspective and “brand themselves.” He suggests individuals evaluate what they have to offer that’s unique from others and develop those skills. I find the following comment especially interesting.

The good news — and it is largely good news — is that everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark.

Is it still personal branding if everyone can stand out? That sounds illogical to me. If everyone is standing out, then no one is standing out. However, I do agree with Peters that all have opportunities to be a brand worthy of remark. Each of us have something special to offer to others and should be willing to share that part of ourselves with them.

For more information about personal branding, you also might want to check out http://personalbrandingblog.com/.

Any thoughts? How do YOU approach personal branding?

Make it Tiki with a Wiki

In JB #4520, good new-fashioned Social Media, we talked about Wikis.

If you’re like me, you think you know enough about Wikis to give the silent-Ahh-yes-you’re exactly-right nod but not enough to actually say much outside of that nod.  Perhaps Wikis have something to do with that tiny site known as Wikipedia or the Wet Paint site my PR group used a couple years ago. Hmm…

Wikis are great sources to manage group projects and improve communication. Now I wonder why the heck I didn’t consider using them sooner, especially now that it’s the last semester of my senior year!

What is a Wiki?

Who should use Wikis?

People who

A) Are managing group projects and events.

B) Need to communicate with everyone but want better interaction than conference calls and mass e-mails.

C) Want an archive of information that is open to each member of the group to change as necessary.

Case-in-Point

I’m mentally kicking myself for not using a Wiki as we were plannning the OSU JB Communications Networking Expo. Throughout the planning process we struggled to find a medium that would work.

Facebook: Created a group to post information on discussion boards, the wall and message the team.

Positives  – We knew what everyone on the team looked like from profile pictures. Otherwise it was mostly…

Negatives – Members typically didn’t post any information on the discussion board, it didn’t offer an avenue for all team members to update each other and members rarely communicated progress.

Basic e-mail: As the chair, I regularly sent e-mail updates about meetings, team assignments and progress.

Positives – Team members were well informed about what was going on and a few maintained regular communication that way.

Negatives – Didn’t provide an avenue for group discussion, not all team members responded and updated group on progress, information primarily came from one source and information wasn’t archived in one central location for group access.

See why I have scuff marks from frustration?

Thank goodness I learned more about Wikis now – instead of years later! Also, this site has been really helpful for my many, I’m-not-raising-my-hand questions.

What about you? Anything that you’ve considered (or have) used Wikis for?

Blogging Beginnings

Now that we’re nearing the end of March, I’ve decided to finally be more topic-consistent with my posts, or at least attempt to have a “flow” among these thoughts. (Then Bill changed our assignment, so geez… what a waste!)

Of course, figuring out what to write about consistently and interestingly isn’t easy. So many interesting things are out there to ponder in a blog. How do you figure out what to write about?

As a good journalist, I turned to the ultimate source for information about blogging, the Web. It’s incredible how many books, articles and discussions have been developed about blogging.

How do you write effectively? Is one appropriate for you? What is the best way to manage a blog? How do you choose a topic? What are typical blogging manners? The list continues as readers search for more information.

I found several well-developed and helpful blogging related articles (all on blogs!), which are listed at the bottom. However, I really wasn’t surprised at most of the information. Why?

Blogging requires a few basic elements -

• Efficient & interesting writing.
• Topics & issues that matter to your public.
• Transparency & ethical conduct.

Blogging is a relatively new medium, so do blogging gurus exist or are they simply effective writers? Hmm… that may be up for discussion another time.

In the meantime, check out these sites about blogging tips and guides. Perhaps they’ll help you find your ultimate blogging self.

How to Choose a Niche for Your Blog

Daily Blog Tips

Blogging Tips (From a fellow WordPress-er!)

Blogging Truths

Blogging Guide

Twitter isn’t just social

Last Tuesday, multimedia OPUBCO editor Mike Koehler visited OSU on a mission to help JB 4520 learn the increasingly viability of social media. He highlighted what an important role that online video and Twitter played during Oklahoma’s recent ice storms and tornadoes.

During the ice storms, his media team utilized videos and Twitter to inform people of the changing (and possibly dangerous) weather conditions. A team drove around Oklahoma City with a video to continuously show the road conditions, which was also open to chat and Twitter.  They started the Twitter feed #okice, which was OPUBCO’s first attempt to use Twitter for weather information.

Mike said his team was a bit surprised at how quickly and easily citizens got involved in the communication process. People contributed information regarding school closings, road conditions and severe weather sightings. However, he also said that the most common comments were safety concerns of the team on the road. People really wanted to help others in the most efficient way available.

What does this mean? We can utilize social media not only to update the public on current events, but also on crises and problems for which people need immediate information. Twitter is not just a “how ya doin’” or news article feed, it’s also a way to connect people with rapidly changing information and help connect them with each other. How cool is that?

Social media serves as more than just day-to-day updates or references to more information – it also can be used for of-the-moment, vital information. Our class observed that when we waited out the tornado weather together. Twitter and other social media kept us informed.

It’s nice to know that social media isn’t entirely “social,” it may become a vital information source.

Meet My New Pal, Social Media

I’m still getting the hang of being SM happy. It’s really kind of fun (who knew being social was good?)!

I’m really excited about our JB student-oriented site, www.sociallyorange.org. A lot of great things might happen from this group! We have our own living-learning lab online, pretty sweet stuff.

Goal: Take over JB school with sociallyorange.

: )

Post Smart Online

As college students, when we post information online we often forget that everyone can see what we say, not just our friends or just those in our network. Easily forgotten audiences:

• Family members (Mom, Grandma, Uncle Bill… if they’ve figured out social media yet)
• Potential employers/supervisors, etc.
• Current employers/supervisors, etc.
• Business contacts
• Leaders in your industry
• Random people in Tahiti

While we’re happily telling our friends how wasted we were the night before, revealing tragic soul-searching thoughts and declaring any slams against others – everyone else in the list above (and then some) can see these thoughts.

Though we may not have reached the point of being popular via social media, others do know  (or can find out very quickly) what we’re doing or thinking if they do a little searching. A couple examples of unappealing posts (as on Twitter):

Jim Bob is feeling cruddy because his girlfriend just broke up with him and smashed his heart (and his world) to pieces.

Pistol Pete is proud of his cowboys for smashing those sorry, cowardly Sooners to pieces last night. Good riddance!

Barri Rafferty wrote a particularly interesting piece about this subject in his article, Engaging online knows no limits. In his article, he offers a few pointers for bloggers and social media-ites everywhere to remember. These include:

• The private is becoming public.
• Context still matters.
• Remember there are 360 degrees of communication.
• The stakes are higher than ever.
• We’re all accountable.

Check out his article for a more detailed and explanatory analysis of posting wisely. Before you visit the site, brainstorm a few not-so-professional posts and… don’t post them. Unless, you’d like to shake up your site’s hits, which after all, might serve your purpose more than being “appropriate.”

Twitter isn’t a Big Scary Bird

I’ve visted Twitter at least 8 times this weekend, and I’m downright proud of myself.

Initially, I wasn’t excited about joining all these social media networks. In fact, I groaned every time I joined one.

I’ve focused mostly on Twitter and WordPress out of the social media networks that we’ve joined, perhaps because they were the easiest ones to work with (and remember to check).

Twitter has been a great resource for publicizing my blog and keeping up with the news. I think I’d like it better if Twitter would text to my phone. But my phone doesn’t receive texts… at all.

Oh well, I guess it’s one less thing to figure out.

How about you? Enjoying your social media experiences so far?

SM: Directions Needed

How “connected” are you? Are you writing on walls through Facebook and Myspace? Tweeting to all your friends? Posting blogs on the latest news?

Last week I discovered at least 50 social media networks that served all sorts of needs and audiences. Some included video status updates, wine communities, Web site searches and integrated networking.

I joined at least 8 of these networks, and groaned each time I clicked “confirm.”

Why?

So many different options, profiles and networks to maintain and develop seems exhausting. I’d rather work with one “home base” SM network and stay there. The new, overwhelming, experience will be worth it, I’m sure… well, I hope so.

Another problem is how little patience and understanding I have of SM. I’m still trying to figure out how to follow blogs, delete an e-mail account (which is 8 years old, by the way), and change profile pictures. It’s even more aggravating because I’m part of the techie-college generation… the group who is supposed to know about this kind of stuff.

Goal this semester: Conquer social media.

Does anyone else have this problem with social media? Any suggestions for change?