There isn’t much difference between selling your personal brand and selling any other type of product. You need to identify your value proposition, your key market differentiators, your competitive advantage, and package those advantages. As I have said many times, no matter what your profession or professional expertise, when you lose your job you are now in sales. You have to sell yourself, and that includes developing and marketing your personal brand.
This is why we decided to have Neal Schaffer host the next session of Experts Connection, our monthly telesminar series on executive career management. Neal is author of Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn, and an expert in social media marketing. The next Experts Connection session is entitled “Social Media for Small Businesses & Solo Entrepreneurs: How to Level the Playing Field,” and is really aimed at entrepreneurs and business professionals who want to make the most of social media to promote their business. However, the same rules apply for you to promote yourself. If you are looking for work, then you are promoting the business that is you, and your own personal brand. The lessons are universal.
We chose Neal as an expert because of his background and proven expertise. Neal has a pragmatic approach to social networking and marketing that I find refreshing. Social media is still a relatively new phenomenon, and the rules of engagement and metrics for success are still being worked out. Neal’s approach is practical. He doesn’t assume you have to engage everywhere. Rather, he recommends being strategic and selective to help build your brand. He understands how to leverage a blog as a centerpiece to your social media marketing strategy. He also understands how to leverage different platforms such as Wordpress, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, including determining which are right for your strategy. He also understands how to monetize social networking and how to build a gameplan for success, no matter what you are selling.
So listen to the marketing experts. They can help demystify social networking for you and unlock new insights into how to promote your personal brand using new networking channels. Remember, your expertise is just another commodity or product that a potential customer, i.e. your next employer, is looking to exploit to help their bottom line. Understanding how to market that personal brand message using new, more effective techniques like social media will put you ahead of the competition.
