Bring Clarity To Your Brand

The word networking conjures up so many thoughts and words. What do you want on or off-line networking to do for you? Is it just about collecting business cards or adding a connection on LinkedIn with little or no purposeful follow-up. In today's information overload world it seems like business people and careerists know they need to add to their profile and connect but the purpose of all of it seems quite cloudy. We know we need to run but we don't possess a clear destination, a purpose for our running. How do you want to be perceived on the different networking mediums? Does this matter that much to you or are you a mild observer or a light or non-participant on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the like? What's the purpose of it all, all this networking blather? Ironically the great advice on networking remains clear to me - focus matters not numbers. Why are you networking and adding connections to your life because all of it requires a lot of energy, follow-up and follow through if done right.

Unfortunately the problem with LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and any other "social media" platform is that it adds more stress to your work-life and can dilute your mission focus.

To power up more effective networking for jobs, career advancement or anything career or business so-called social media should be viewed as a vehicle to advance your professional interests and your personal mission as it represents your overall brand. If you treat the media you are on professionally it allows you to present a nearly unlimited landscape to build your brand and at the same time tarnish it. Because the information about social media tips, techniques and advice comes so rapidly now via video, audio and through all the sites we are on it means most of us need some kind of distillery mechanism to find out what’s important and what’s not important. The key? Find someone who can guide you through the maze of personal branding choices to make the right decisions for you. How important is this to do?

If you don't really possess a go to market mindset about your personal brand on and offline you can end up looking confused, sloppy and non-organized. Projecting an image like this does not usually help you create confidence in those to work with you, do business with you or associate with you.

"Does anyone really notice anything I do on LinkedIn or other social platforms," a client recently asked me. "I am doing things but I don't see the ROI of keeping up postings on LinkedIn or sharing on a couple of other mediums. I think I should just stay silent and back off. All of this seems distracting and doing something for the sake of doing it." I thought he nailed it. Exactly right. But somehow professionals in or out of career transition seem compelled to keep up with the waves of information hitting the beach with nearly no purpose. They do this by posting on LinkedIn, sharing "something" on Facebook and following people on Twitter. Why? Well everyone seems to be doing it I guess is the thought process. "It must help me," another client recently said, "somehow." Who wants to build their brand with the thought process of somehow? I don't. You shouldn't either.

Most people want the social shares and interaction that it brings on these mediums. So many people don’t see the business behind it as much as they should. These social engines are simply multi-billion dollar business tools that can help or harm your career power and your brand.

My advice? Stop wasting time and determine, with advice from good counsel, including that of a great career coach or career strategist what is productive and what is a waste of time online and in your networking.

Here are five ideas to power up your personal and business brand on what I call professional media which is my term for what the world calls social media:

1. Share Less and Listen More - Turn On Your Listening Power – use Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn and other “social” media to follow companies, information and issues related to your target industry. Find information, people, groups, events, ideas and activities central to your career and brand purpose. Turn down the temptation to share. Listen more and share less; this is good networking advice in person also! Then discern very good reasons to engage and add connections that will have mutual benefit.

2. Focus Your Personal to Your PR – you are your own PR machine on LinkedIn and really any “social media” regardless of whether you work for a company, own your own business or just use it to stay connected. Find a career coach, a proven brand smart group of friends and colleagues who will guide you through whether or not you need to write articles, post or comment online – personally or professionally. Will it advance your career or detract? Do not assume you know. Now the risks go higher with postings of pictures and video on platforms like LinkedIn. Be sure your personal PR campaign completely aligns with your personal brand goals and for those working for a company does not go beyond what your employer might likely want to see from you.

3. Online Behavior Matters – assume everyone watches everything you do on every platform, even Snapchat or any other place where your comments might be seen. I know your snaps (if you even Snapchat) supposedly disappear but assume they don't. No matter what teach your kids and you should learn if you have not learned the hard way to not share anything you wouldn’t want to be in the public. You do not have any privacy online, even if you think you are private on sites like Facebook or you sent an email to someone. Assume everybody can see your photos, your activity and your posts, even your emails. That's the world we live in so don't share anything you wouldn't want others to see. Your intended audience might not play within the same sandbox and respect your privacy. Assume someone won't.

4. Social Media Is Professional Media – I will say it again. Treat social media as only a professional should. Only share parts of your brand or personal that enhance your career, volunteer or outward goals. Slow down or be completely intentional about the personal sharing. Make sure it is authentic. People vent and they love talking about politics, people, news and events in 2018 but is that going to enhance your business relationships or detract from those relationships? I hear you – my advice may takes the fun out of these platforms. It’s still good advice folks even if you don’t like it.

5. Build a Specific, Personal Brand Plan – in career transition we work with clients on many areas of their career. We get to work on a disciplined approach to their personal and professional brands because their career is at stake and there are deadlines. But the advice goes for most of us online. Go into the usage of these online so-called social media platforms with a written plan and one that you can stick to for a long time. This seems counterintuitive and it is but it will save you time, energy, embarrassment and more. This should happen whether you are happy with your job or not. Your personal brand carries with you regardless of your career or financial status. Protect it. Build it. Find out how it will be and should be perceived. Give it the life and attention it deserves.

Use time to build a calendar and online discipline to create a plan of action during your career search, your brand building and the dissemination of information through posts, videos, articles and pictures. NEVER stop networking and sharing with a clear purpose and more importantly build relationships that can last and amplify your brand, your personal and combined work-life mission goals. Stop wasting time on following the masses, sharing to share because you think you have to and participating in the information overload society. Find your way and your voice in the cacophony of information overload. Distill your brand with discipline and a purpose in everything you do and every communication you have as you build and maintain your network, your brand, on and off line.