Personal Branding through Social Networks
Apr 14
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.
Image from The Talent Buzz
If you’re the type who’s more private, then make sure to tweak all the settings of your social networks so that only your friends will be able to see information about you. However, if you’re more of a public figure and an extrovert, then why not take it a step further? Why not use your Facebook account to build your personal brand? You never know when the next person checking your profile is a prospective employer, business partner, or maybe even a potential romantic relationship.
You maybe asking yourself that it’s impossible that your Friendster or Facebook might affect your career. However, did you know that several companies, both local and multinational, actually use google for background checks? If you try typing your name on google, I’m sure some of the hits you will get will come from blogs you author as well as social networks that you’ve joined.
So how do you build your personal brand through social networks? First thing is you have to determine WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL BRAND. Are you Michelle the Reporter? Or maybe Marc the ICT Expert? How about Desiree the Model? Envision and internalize what you want to become and plot out how you can enhance your personal image through your online representations. There’s so much forms of content you can upload on social networks. All you have to do is to organize and sort what you want to actually upload.
Let me give you simple and basic suggestions to get you started.
1. Double check your profile information – Make sure that all the information you’ve posted, especially on work experience, education, and other achievements are properly documented and accurate. Try to highlight the things that will improve your image to the person viewing your profile page.
2. Take away scandalous pictures – How many celebrities have fallen to the victim of scandalous photos and videos? Don’t be like them. Take out all the pictures in our albums that are “incriminating”. There’s nothing wrong with showing a little skin, but too much of anything is dangerous to your health, haha. Well, that maybe a good thing if you’re trying to be a model 
If that’s the case then your photos should be fashion and glamor shots.
On a personal note, let me just share that I’ve had two friends already who were discovered and became commercial models because talent managers found their pictures on Facebook and Multiply.
3. Speak, Look, and Be Respectable – In line with number 1 and 2, just make sure than anything you post is respectable and builds your image more in a positive light, regardless if it’s pictures, videos, or notes. For example, if you’re gunning for a job or consultancy gig that involves politics, then it’s high time you whipped out those photos you’ve had with Senators, Congressmen, and other notable figures.
If you’re really serious into tapping the online space to get a job, then I suggest you sign up for Linkedin. In the past 3 years that I’ve been a member, I’ve received more than 10 job offers already, some of which coming from the UK and Singapore. A lot of headhunters (even local) prowl Linkedin for prospective recruits.
Since we’re already on the topic, feel free to add me on Facebook! Hahaha! Click here to go to my account.
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Hi Wauks,
Thank you for the exposure
You pretty much covered the basics.
In addition to what you shared, people should choose the social media that could best benefit him/her. For example, headhunters got hold of my profile at LinkedIn. My LinkedIn profile points to my blog, and from there they come to know more of me and my work. They were able to download also a copy of my short CV.
Part of Personal Branding is to have a strong online presence, they can achieve this by having their own domain. Like santos.ph, it’s my brand.
Thanks Sonnie! I was thinking of featuring you in this blog more with this topic in mind. Maybe we can do a video interview so you can tell the story of how you landed the AVP position through your blog! That would be a really good testimony to the power of New Media and Personal Branding.
Cheers!