By Ken Myers
In today’s world, everyone uses social media. Grandparents are actively using Facebook accounts, businesses are constantly updating their Twitter page, and aspiring writers are using Tumblr to publish their poetry, keeping social media in play all of the time. Even the White House has a Tumblr page!
Because of its prevalence, social media has become a great way for individuals to help create a brand for themselves within the industry they work in or the community they’re a part of. But how do you go about branding yourself with social media?
You Need a Slogan
First things first, you need a slogan or motto. Your slogan shouldn’t just be a cheesy tagline, though. It should be a catchy phrase that easily sums up your personal beliefs or abilities. This motto will become more than just a tagline; it’s going to become the basis of your brand and will be how people remember you.
When you post things on Twitter, Tumblr, etc., you want to be able to use your motto as a tag. It will catch people’s attention, and the words in the tag will show up in the searches people conduct on the social media sites you’re affiliated with.
Without a motto, you’re behind the curve.
You Need to Be Forthright
Creating a brand for yourself also means that you have to be forthright with your ideas and beliefs. This isn’t the time to keep your thoughts private or to be fake. It’s a time to be true to yourself.
Being open and genuine about your beliefs and ideas will cause the public to take notice. In today’s world, being forthright and honest scores you big points in the social media world. That’s not to say that everyone will love what you have to say, but, as they say, any press is good press.
You Should Build a Following
Your honesty will help bring people in, but you’ll still need to work to build a following. This is not the typical customer base that most businesses think of, though. You don’t need a customer base as much as you need people to think you’re doing the right thing. This gets your posts reblogged and reposted very quickly and spreads your name throughout the Internet.
Good ideas go a long way in social media. Just one good post can skyrocket the amount of followers you have overnight, catapulting your online success.
You Need to Be Generous
Regardless of the type of business or industry you’re in, you need to reward the people who follow you on social media. The more rewards there are, the more reposts and reblogs you will get. For instance, if you produce a certain product, consider holding a contest with a prize. If you are a musician or entertainer, offer up free tickets or recordings on occasion. If you’re a writer, give teasers to your stories, or even offer a free story or poem from time to time.
Give people the chance to get very engaged with your work. Yes, they want to talk to you and interact with you online, but the chance to win something cool will entice your followers to spread the word about you to their own followers.
Regardless of how you go about branding yourself on social media, it’s important to consider one very important question: How are you going to reach the most people?
By being yourself, having a motto that works as a tag in your posts, being honest and drawing people in by being generous, you’ll have a brand that stands for what you believe in all over the internet before you know it.
That’s something that can be very powerful in the digital age.
