Developing a personal brand is only half the task. How you market and communicate your unique and compelling brand can make or break the best intentions. Here are some tips on How to Market Your Personal Brand.

Schedule Social Media Posts for 15 Minutes Each Morning

In marketing today, it is nearly impossible to build a personal brand without the use of social media. Why? According to The Undercover Recruiter, “Social media tools have the tremendous power to put you in contact with thousands of people.” It’s the best way to communicate with like-minded people across the globe. 

Each morning, take just 15 minutes to schedule tweets and updates on your chosen channels. For marketers, that may be Twitter and LinkedIn, but depending on your target audience, you may find Tumblr and Pinterest are better uses of your time. Automatic scheduling tools, such as HubSpot’s Social Inbox and Buffer, make scheduling quick and efficient.

Additionally, don’t forget to engage with your contacts. Consider posting and responding to relevant LinkedIn group posts and say thank you when someone re-tweets you. While social can be automated, it’s that personal touch that can really make your brand stand out.

Write for Your Company Blog

According to The Guardian, a business blog is one of the most cost-effective and easiest ways to promote a business. It is likely your company already has a blog up and running, and it is probably gaining traction if it is being managed properly. 

Blogging for your business blog once a month—or once a week! - will help get you out there in record time and the backing of a business in the industry certainly doesn’t hurt. Best of all, this can be done on company time so you won’t have to sacrifice evenings or weekends to start building your personal brand. 

Take Time to Keep Up with the Latest Trends

It is obvious talking about timely topics in your social media posts and your blog posts is helpful. 

But when you can lead your client or company in the right direction because you are up to date on Google algorithms or know shoppers referred by Pinterest are 10 percent more likely to make a purchase than visitors who arrive from other social networks, you are going to look good.

This helps your personal brand inside the four walls of your office, but extends beyond that as your colleagues start including you in their thought processes, social updates and strategic meetings. 

So when you have 10 minutes to spare before a meeting or at the end of the day and don’t want to start a new project, start educating yourself about trending marketing topics. Check out sources like Marketing Land, Social Media Examiner and The Next Web. A service like Feedly will keep things quick and easy.  

Write Guest Posts for Relevant Outlets

Sujan Patel writes guest blogs for a number of outlets, including Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company and Inc. While you may not get your byline on one of these publishing mammoths immediately, you can guest blog for targeted websites in your industry. 

Patel admits guest blogging is crucial for branding, as it gets your name in front of your target audience. And, if you provide a link back to your business (which you should do), your company will reap the benefits of your efforts, too. (My team was thrilled with the traffic generated from my guest post here!) That means you can take some of your paid time to work on your blogs for outside sources.

KISSmetrics suggests finding sites that fit the following criteria: the content is focused on your industry or niche, the audience aligns with your topic, the readership is engaged and the site is active on social media.

Content Marketing

This strategy not only opens the door to subscribers, but it also builds credibility. Blogging is not a new concept, and the power of creating content your audience that search engines will love is still an important part of a winning marketing strategy.

The starting point for your articles should begin with a targeted message that reflects the mission of your brand. Your community has questions and needs, and how you respond to these is vital for building relationships. Professional content depends on offering something that is helpful and original, including great images and videos in the mix.

In what ways can your brand attract new visitors with content? Through offering tips, tools, how-to information, to name a few in addition to knowing the desires of your target market.

Blogging for your personal brand is a process cultivated over time, and consists of a combination of quality articles that you can offer to people as a trusted source. Cross promotion on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, and LinkedIn will also help draw more attention.

There are several steps you can take when publishing the ‘sticky’ content for your personal brand.

• Create a consistent pattern – It is important to eliminate any confusion about who your brand represents by publishing content that matches your niche and values. Anything outside of what you are offering could cause your message to fall flat, and not be taken seriously.

• Research topics – Search for ideas that have already been covered in your market, and then create your brand’s own original spin. This could even include a product or service that is unique to your brand, with questions and answers that have not been addressed. This can even provide new ideas for more content later on.

• Create a variety of content – Text articles are great, and images and videos are even better. Readers are especially drawn to infographics, which can easily be created from previously published articles.

• Get a team of writers together – Your brand does not have to create all of these winning ideas alone. Consider tapping into freelance resources or PLR firms to help give your blogging a boost. Just make sure you use PLR for ideas and be sure to re-write the content.

Say Yes to Events

Even if you are shy, do not pass up on the opportunity to meet new people at peer events.  Whether it is a meet up or your local Networking Group event, take advantage! The more people you meet means the more LinkedIn connections you will make, the more Twitter followers, more Facebook followers you will get and more opportunities to be featured will arise.

Personal brands are not built overnight, so be patient. Follow these steps to start experiencing recognition, but more importantly, be authentic and follow your gut. Your diligence will pay off—at the office and on your own time.

References:

http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/top-tips-on-how-content-marketing-can-help-your-personal-brand/

http://blog.hubspot.com/insiders/grow-your-personal-brand