GET OUT THERE AND BRAND YOURSELF!

I am SOO excited to share with you how I am developing my brand! It all started a couple of months ago as I was sitting around, thinking about what I want to do for the rest of my life. I don’t want to be like everyone else, I wanted to take control of my life and decide my future.


In my first post, I will share with you the steps I have taken to launch my brand. Let’s get right to it!

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BUILD YOUR BRAND:

1-   CREATE YOUR BRAND: Develop an online name (aka “handle”) for yourself that is unique and that reflects an aspect of your personality. In the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, authenticity trumps like-ability. Make sure that your new handle is used uniformly throughout your social media networks, that way you are creating a consistent brand that is searchable across all the available platforms.

2-   MAKE IT EASY FOR OTHERS TO CONNECT THROUGH CONSISTENT BRANDING: Register with ALL of the social media sites that you can. You want to CONNECT with people and grow your following across all the platforms. In a nutshell, you have to go where your followers are.

3-   REGISTER A DOMAIN NAME: In addition to plugging into social media sites, register your new handle as a domain name. I used GoDaddy.com, as they are an excellent and reliable domain registration site with an excellent reputation for providing consistent service.

4-   KODAK MOMENT: Dress your best and have your picture taken. This is so important. Have a current picture of you, so that your followers know what you look like. A high-resolution photo, showing you off, dressed to the nines will convey to your followers and network that you are a professional, that you care about your brand and that you are your brand. Look the part!!

5-   CONTENT DEVELOPMENT: Develop a content calendar and stick to it. Once you have devised a theme for your brand, start planning posts. My good friend and mentor Sebastian Rusk, Miami’s Official Creator of Buzz via SocialBuzzTV.com advised me to use HootSuite to deliver content across the multiple social platforms. This makes it easier to push one message and also allows you to plan your postings for specific times.

6-   Network, Connect and Interact: Once you have established the above, you have to start talking about it! Start with your inner circle, these folks will be your biggest supporters. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for a shout out. You simply cannot just connect with people and then try to sell them your widgets and/or services. Once you connect with people, it is so important to be REAL and CARE about your followers. Answer every questions and interact with them. People love to have a direct connection and the interaction. When a follower responds to your post or mentions you, interact with them, give them the value added benefit of you. ALSO, don’t be a wallflower, get out there and meet new friends and future clients in person.

7-  LIVE THE LIFE YOU HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED: You have to believe in yourself. This point cannot be understated. You can follow the blueprint above to the tee, but if you don’t believe that you are bringing value to your network, that you are leaving a mark, that what you do matters, YOU WILL FAIL! Don’t be afraid to reach out to your trusted friends, family, whoever and ask them for feedback.  It’s important to believe in yourself, but it is equally as important to vet your ideas.

READING:

One aim of my website is to provide you, not only with my thoughts and opinions on how YOU CAN STAND OUT TOO, but also to share the resources that I have found. I read like a maniac because if you aren’t learning everyday, you are falling behind and the competition will eat you alive.

Below are links to articles/websites/books I’ve recently read/reading:

Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion- by Gary Vaynerchuk

Need a pep talk? Need to be reassured that YOU can do this? Check out Jairek Robbins blog, son of renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins.

Get your creative juices flowing, mosey on over to Mashable.com and read this article about a few Sassy Brands and get your engines running…It’s time to get your brand going!

I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t mention Miami’s Master of Social Buzz, the one and only Sebastian Rusk…check him out also at  SebRusk.com, where you will learn how to maximize your brand, grow and crush the competition! It’s money well spent and you get access to the maestro himself.