I had some free time tonight so I decided to sign-up for an account over at Formspring. It’s basically a website which allows people to ask and answer questions anonymously. I already configured it so that the questions that I answer will appear on my Facebook and Twitter account (technology is fun). If you have anything you want to ask me, please go ahead and ask away in my Formspring profile. Since we’re on the topic though let me share with you a personal branding blunder that I made with Formspring. Each time a good online social platform goes up, I’ll make it a point to reserve...

I gave a talk on how to leverage the internet for success to Ateneo students during AISEC’s seminar last Saturday morning. One of the points that I stressed on was that the internet has radically changed the communication and networking. Young people often tend to take the internet for granted because they grew up with it. Because of this they fail to see how powerful Facebook can become if used properly. I believe that every generation has a different set of opportunities and advantages. The internet is the advantage of our generation – people who are in their 20’s and early...

Carmina Topacio is the next rising Filipina online star. She made waves on Youtube after she started uploading videos of her doing covers of various pop songs. Her cover of Eraserhead’s Magasin now has almost 200,000 views. Here’s a stellar example of how someone can literally be famous by leveraging social media and the internet. I really wouldn’t be surprised if she starts to get offers for commercials and maybe even acting especially since the major networks have online monitoring teams in place already for things like this. Here’s one of her videos: Other than Youtube,...

In the latest episode of Smallville (S908), Clark Kent’s alter-ego’s online identity is stolen by a bunch of kids who are big fans. They make Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter accounts for the “Blur” and they’ve even made a blog for him. Since the Blur didn’t really have his own social media accounts, the people actually believed that the ones the kids made were official and they all started to follow the various accounts. This is a really good example of why people should seriously consider managing their own social media accounts. It doesn’t take a genius...

Paul Pena, one of my contacts in Facebook, mentioned a term that I won’t forget. We were discussing Personal Branding when he said “You 2.0“. It pretty much sums up what personal branding is in terms of the online space and I wanted to tackle that a bit in this post. One of the questions I often get asked is if I know all the people who are following me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook or Twitter. My answer is obvious – of course I don’t know them. I probably personally know less than half. Why then to I keep adding and adding? Because I believe that everyone...

One question that always pops up during my talks and forums is if people should buy their own domains in lieu of using free blogging/website platforms. I’ve answered it in probably a dozen ways already but it was only when I was giving a Blogging 101 Seminar at Victory Greenhills when I think I hit home with the most logical answer. If you think about it, it’s really simple. How many people do you think have the same name as you in this world? Probably hundreds, thousands, or even millions right? How many of them do you think are planning on buying the domain name of their (your) name? When...

Social Networks, by definition is not really a private tool. That’s why I find it a bit weird when people are angry when the information they put up on their sites spreads around. Anyway, here’s a reason for you to make sure that your social networks are updated and “clean”. Apparently the trend now in the US (and this will probably happen here as well soon) is that HR Managers check out the social networks (blogs, facebook, friendster, etc.) of prospective hires and this usually has an effect on their decision to hire or not. In fact, nearly half of employers use this tactic...

Did you guys know that a lot of companies include “googling” your name during background checks? The last thing you want to come out on Google are negative comments or reviews about you because it can actually affect your chances of closing a deal or getting a job. What’s key is to make sure that you have your best foot forward in the first few slots of the search page. That’s one of the goals of the Google Profile application. I recently made my own profile and I’m waiting for it to pop up on the search pages. A quick briefer on Google Profile after the break.

Remember what HR Expert Sonnie Santos said in his interview about Personal Branding? One of his key points was to make use of LinkedIn, a social network that’s mostly used by corporate headhunters and recruiters. I just wanted to share with everyone that LinkedIn is really effective, and I recently got several inquiries. Note that I’m not saying that I’m leaving my current job, I’m just stating that LinkedIn has gotten me a lot of offers and interviews. Details after the break.

Diwa De Leon is an award-winning composer, musician, cosplayer, and blogger. Each time I think if Personal Branding and marketing yourself, Diwa is really one of the first people that come to my mind. Using the internet, this guy has exponentially grown his business as a composer. He’s done work for ABS-CBN, GMA 7, and several other big names. Through personal branding, e-mail marketing, and sheer perseverance, Diwa has grown in his craft and has made his life better.

Kel Fabie is a professional host, magician, and mentalist. He used to be on radio but decided to go full time with his passion for magic last year. What’s amazing about his story is that he really relied on social media to generate opportunities for his craft and this resulted to him without having to work a 9AM-5PM job for one whole year. Through Multiply, Kel was able to get around 5-6 jobs per month, some of which were performances for celebrities and politicians. Watch the interview after the break. I also summarized his talking points for those who have slow internet connection and can’t...

I’ve been talking about Personal Branding and Value Blogging but now I would like to stop with the theory and start showing you examples. I’ve had the chance to meet several wonderful people who I believe personify personal branding.These individuals were also gracious enough to allow me to interview them on video and I’ll be sharing the interviews in the coming days. The reason why they’re admirable is that they were successful in using Social Media to build their Personal Brand, which resulted to their success in their respective professions. They’re self-employed...

This next blogger that I’m going to feature is one of my “corporate mentors”. I read his blog a lot, especially way back when he was really focused on giving career tips. Sonnie Santos has been blogging for 3 years now, and he has more than 15 years experience in HR. He currently serves as an AVP for one of the most prestigious car companies here in the Philippines. Sonnie is also the inspiration behind the Value Blogger type which I discussed in the 4 Types of Bloggers article. He’s also a fellow Christian and I really enjoy having talks with him about world views and life...

I was reading the blog of my good friend and fellow blogger Sonnie and in one of his posts he talks about the importance of managing your personal brand – especially through the various social networking channels like Facebook. Sonnie has worked in the Human Resources field for over 15 years so I think he has more than enough credentials to be talking about how to manage your career. As a marketing professional, I can’t help but agree with Sonnie 100%. Whenever you put yourself out there for public scrutiny, you are literally promoting yourself and building your own brand.