Brand Yourself OnlineEstablish a personal brand online to leverage success in your journalism career

Dave Senneruddsennerud@gmail.comwww.davesennerud.com

A Branding Experiment•For which soft drink would you reach?

Brand or Generic?

•Which do you prefer?

Brand or Generic?

•Which would an editor/employer prefer?

What is a brand?

•To give a product a distinctive identity.

Qualities of a brand•World’s fastest production sedan•556 HP with a supercharged V8•0-60 MPH in 3.9 seconds•Cadillac: The Mark of Leadership•Other qualities shown in video?

• If you were to write an ad about yourself, what would you say?

What is your brand?

•It’s not a dirty word.

•It’s definitely better than generic.

•OWN YOUR BRAND

•If you don’t, others have control.

Leave a digital footprint

DigiDave says:•When we say “brand,”

what it really means is to live parts of your life online.▫Be findable▫Show your personality▫Be yourself

A job market in chaos•A recent article in Fast

Company says that because of technology and globalization, it’s becoming harder to predict future.

•Era of long careers is dead.

•Avg. job tenure: 4.4 years

You need to tell your story

•“We don’t have jobs; we have opportunities.”

- Seth Godin

Before you begin …

•You must have a quality product to succeed.

1. Find out who you are

•What is it that makes you unique AND valuable?

▫Personality▫Aptitudes▫Talents▫Skills▫Knowledge▫Interests▫Experience

2. Find your niche

•Identify a relevant topic you can own•Position yourself as an expert.•Can have multiple niches.

3. Do your research

•Be informed about news relevant to your niche.

•Find influential people in your niche.•Own your niche.

4. Establish a searchable identity•Use your real name.•Decide on one form of it.•Use one avatar or image.•Be consistent across sites.•Own your domain name.•Show your work.•Participate in the conversation.

5. Create a personal branding toolkit

•Foster a Twitter identity•Join social networks.•Join a professional

network.•Create a blog.•Develop an online

portfolio.•Explore other tools.

Tool 1: Twitter

•Helps establish your expertise.•Helps to find valuable contacts.•Send well-crafted #tweets with #keywords

and #hashtags to increase visibility.•Sharing is caring.• It’s (mostly) not about you.

Tool 2: Social networks•Facebook, Google Plus•Best to separate personal

and professional.•Check your privacy settings.•Write on others’ walls.•Share journalistic content.•What does it say about you?•New networks, too.

Tool 3: LinkedIn

•It’s not just about who YOU know – it’s about who they know and who knows you.

•Add sites and social media links.•Write recs, get recs.•Join groups.•Check jobs.•Update regularly.•Stay in touch.

Tool 4: A blog

•Blogs help establish your expertise.•Shows initiative, talent and passion.•Have something to say.

Blog platforms

•Wordpress•Blogger•Weebly•Squarespace•Others?

Tool 5: Your online portfolio•The Web is an online talent pool.•Establishes your “home base” online.•Provide a landing page that tells who you

are.• In addition to printed resume and cover

letter.•Should have resume (PDF, too).•Show off your best work (multimedia).•Own your domain name.•Mark Luckie, Meranda Watling, Nick Trost

Tool 6. Network

•It’s not quid pro quo; it’s “giver’s gain.”•Open avenues of communication online.•Participate in online chats - #wjchat,

#journchat•Helps build trust.•Seek input and advice.•Relationships = Opportunity

Tool 7. Other tools

•Email signature•Klout•Google Alerts•Online Business Cards

Set up an action plan•Small steps lead to

success.• It takes time.•Don’t hard sell.•Set up a daily task

sheet with goals.•Find 5 new people

to connect with every day online.