Great chat this week and we explored the concept of personal branding – fact or fiction!
Q1: What R latest gr8test tools U’ve found 4 branding online?
McCourtRealtor: Q1: My blog’s been the best for me – not a new thing. My Facebook business profile is new + I think is gr8 venue 4 community #brandchat
aliciafalcone: #brandchat What is the definition of “branding online” Communicating the brand?
wvpmc: in alpha testing: blog-rating community from @scribnia #brandchat
aliciafalcone: communication of brand o/l &/or using sm for extending o/l brand presence #brandchat
craigritchie: Q1: Latest/Greatest Tools 4 Branding? I bristle at this question — strategy comes before tools, otherwise you are wasting time. #brandchat
pmarckworth: Q1 I have a minimal presence on LinkedIn & have dipped my toe into Facebook, but I’m pretty new to online branding. #brandchat
brandingexpert: Tools to raise awareness online are not branding tools. They’re advertising tools. #brandchat
DrFernKazlow: Visibility from twitter chats & answering questions at linkedin help showcase expertise & monetize brand of myself & my clients #brandchat
craigritchie: Best examples are where brands are using the tools that are established; rarely “latest and greatest.” #brandchat
neilmckenzphoto: Q1: I found my blog to be a great tool for branding. Allows me to go further in depth about my philosophy about photog. #BRANDCHAT
VitreousHumor: Branding is branding, regardless of the medium. It is how well one communicates or utilizes the medium that matters #brandchat
craigritchie So, once strategy IS in place. What have U found new + helpful out there (of course, depending on strategy) #brandchat
dslatter: Q1.Its not really about the tools; everything needs to be in sync with your brand message & image #brandchat
employerbrander: the collective of individual voices shape a company/product/service’s brand – 1 way advertising no longer has trust #brandchat
VitreousHumor: @brandchat I think many are starting to get hung up on tools and forgetting fundamentals. There are no magic bullets #brandchat
JasonCBlais: @brandchat thoughts on this sequence: define what you are, identify your target audience, develop you’re message, deliver #brandchat
McCourtRealtor: @brandchat I’m looking it as sharing from collective wisdom + giving heads up. Not a debate about strategy or not #brandchat
JasonCBlais: @brandchat I get that analogy. I don’t disagree, just saying you have to account for delivery within strategy #brandchat
Q2: Some say personal brand do not exists. Some say they do. Let’s have a lively AND FRIENDLY debate about the subject.
jemcgrew: Q2: What are we qualifying as personal brand? Oprah? #brandchat
DavidSpinks: Personal branding absolutely exists…and its so important. Helped me get a job/create amazing connections. #brandchat
wvpmc: Q2 Personal brands – absolutely – not just celebs, important for those who position themselves as thought leaders #brandchat
DavidSpinks: @brandingexpert well isn’t your ultimate goal with personal branding to achieve a higher level of awareness? #brandchat
hiteshmehta: Branding is branding, regardless of medium. It’s how well one communicates or utilizes the medium that matters #brandchat RT @DrFernKazlow
employerbrander: RT @andrewmueller If you’re a corp Radian6 provides gr8 sentiment & mention monitoring tools, using reveals opportunity 2 engage #brandchat
craigritchie: @brandingexpert We are, though, at a point where “online marketing” is much more than just awareness tactics. #brandchat
VitreousHumor: @brandchat on Q2, I think the point of social media is the personal brand. Examples are Guy Kawasaki or Jason Calacanis #brandchat
jemcgrew: RT @wvpmc: Q2 Personal brands – absolutely – not just celebs, important for those who position themselves as thought leaders #brandchat
andrewmueller: @DavidSpinks not the ultimate goal would be to give your audience a gut feeling of who you are and the value you can bring 2 them #brandchat
jemcgrew: Q2: Personally (har har) I think personal brands do exist…for years @PatMcGrew has been know for her thought leadership #brandchat
aliciafalcone: Agree that personal brand exists if individual (not just celeb) wants to think about themselves as such. #brandchat
DrFernKazlow: @aliciafalcone Advertising is a conveyance of your brand – so dual has a dual function. #brandchat
dslatter: Q2 for those of us running small biz’s then our personal brand is THE most important thing that defines us #brandchat
wvpmc: @brandingexpert @DavidSpinks more than awareness – also info, preference, purchase- depends on where UR in sales funnel #brandchat
aliciafalcone: Values and differentiation as much as thought leadership (TL) make up PB. TL really a strategy for communications #brandchat
DrFernKazlow: @andrewmueller Agree – not it’s not just about awareness but abt being “the fix” for their problem. #brandchat
brandingexpert: @craigritchie Online marketing is a mix of discipline. Raising awareness is not included in branding. #brandchat
andrewmueller: @brandingexpert branding is making sure everyone and every product at every touchpoint provides the “right” experience #brandchat
neilmckenzphoto: Q2: @brandingexpert Does a professional(lawyer..) or one person company have a “personal brand?” #BRANDCHAT
wvpmc: Branding defines your uniqueness – that intersection between what you deliver well + consistently,+ what ppl value, will pay 4 #brandchat
brandingexpert: IMHO, “personal branding” is a myth purveying false hopes by the uninformed to the uninformed. #brandchat
pmarckworth: RT @dslatter: Q2 for those of us running small biz’s then our personal brand is THE most important thing that defines us #brandchat
GetResults: UR personal brand is all the extensions/manifestations of your sustainable identity. Forging it is key. #brandchat
GetResults: Q2. We all have a brand – It’s how we’re known, picked off the shelf, as it were, chosen. #brandchat
MeasureCP: A professional always has a brand, as does a company. Can b tied together, altho you prob want to appear larger than 1 person co.#brandchat
DavidSpinks: @brandingexpert I would disagree, respectfully of course. An individual can create a strong professional personal brand. #brandchat
mariaelenaduron: #brandchat I even think Personal Branding exists 4 large retailers. The company is not only store front it’s the clerk I interact w/daily
andrewmueller: @brandingexpert that is very old school thinking that is just wrong! one falls into this trap when believe they control the brand #brandchat
brandingexpert: Identity is who you are. Brand is why they should care who you are. #brandchat
aliciafalcone: @brandingexpert rspctflly, disagree, think PB can be a way to think about managing career #brandchat
Brad42Fish: #brandchat Some people do honestly have crafted brands, but most don’t. But yes, we all have a brand.
MeasureCP: CEO of zappos. Has own personal brand, & corporate brand. He’s played on his personal brand very well 2 develop co brand #brandchat
Mikimel: Everything is branded. By default or by design. The brands only purpose is to create differentiation and emotional preference. #brandchat
McCourtRealtor: @brandingexpert I don’t agree. How do us separate a solo attorney from their practice? They R product , their smarts + style #brandchat
dslatter: Q2 even large corps have personal brands, they are called employees- especially important are those on the fronline #brandchat
aliciafalcone: if so, why not individuals?@brandingexpert: Identity is who you are. Brand is why they should care who you are. #brandchat
Brad42Fish: @McCourtRealtor #brandchat Don’t let your personal brand get in the way of your company’s brand. It can limit the success of your company.
DavidSpinks: Pers Brand can be very natural and human. It’s establishing yourself in your career & industry in order to be trusted/recognized. #brandchat
brandingexpert: IMHO, “Personal branding” is just a shallow, masturbatory exercise that undermines the true essence of what branding is and does. #brandchat
mariaelenaduron: #brandchat True @mccourtrealtor. If dentist’s brand is he’s gentle dentist + he sells his practice to another dentist where’s the brand?
wvpmc: Personal Brand can be contextual – in your biz vs in your personal life, which may encompass other qualities, aspects of identity #brandchat
BrandAide: Personal Branding is another name for reputation management. #brandchat
brandingexpert: @McCourtRealtor A “personal brand” doesn’t help you against a larger competitor; it does just the opposite #brandchat
Mikimel: Marketers are trying hard to make brands behave like people with values+personalities…Now people are trying to behave as brands #brandchat
andrewmueller: @brandingexpert You will develop a personal brand regardless of whether you are aware, it is a result of interaction w/ audience #brandchat
lisahanockjasie: Yup. Branding’s where it’s at. Build brand-loyal customers-evangelists. RT @brandingexpert: Brand is why they should care… #brandchat
GetResults: @BrandAide that’s certainly one way of looking at it. People buy from those they like, respectd = reputation, not from snakes #brandchat
Brad42Fish: #brandchat Your company’s brand is the cumulative result of all interactions your audience has with/about your organization/product/service.
meghanmbiro: @employerbrander Clearly finding the right balance for people + business. People define + shape business. #brandchat
aliciafalcone: @BrandAide Think Personal Brand is more proactive, strategic process vs. reactive nature of reputation management #brandchat
hemeon: Branding is persuading emotions. #brandchat
GetResults: @aliciafalcone I don’t look at rep mgmnt as reactive, at all, needs to be coordianted with biz and other efforts for total #brandchat
Brad42Fish: #brandchat The real question is whether or not a personal brand is important or valuable to your business success.
DrFernKazlow: IMHO much of personal brand dispute is semantic & confusion abt essential aspect of biz branding- how U want 2 b perceived #brandchat
aliciafalcone: a brand is the stories your customer’s tell about you. Hopefully, same stories you tell about yourself. #brandchat
pmarckworth: personal branding comes back to brand promise and fulfilling that promise which translates into preference. #brandchat
Brad42Fish: @McCourtRealtor #brandchat If the company brand is tied too closely to the personal brand, company can’t succeed beyond the person.
richmeyer: Getting dollars for branding is becoming harder as many question the ROI of branding initiatives #brandchat
MeasureCP: @Brad42Fish #brandchat: Failed banks CEO’s are prob. having a hard time finding work bc of comp brand their affected personal brand and vv
andrewmueller: @Brad42Fish Understanding what you just said is a gift,it enables u2 understand the customer dev process + make the right choices #brandchat
tmonhollon: @aliciafalcone But with personal branding, where does the line start? PB usually begins with you creating and sharing your story. #brandchat
Matt_uVizz: Why not let your customers build the brand? Their stories about your service and product define you #brandchat
employerbrander: If you’re interested in branding in any way, shape or form, I would suggest following @Brad42Fish & tune into #brandchat
andrewmueller: @Brad42Fish True, and creating a strong complimetary personal brand w/i context of the company is extremely beneficial in/out #brandchat
wvpmc: @Matt_uVizz your customers ARE building your brand – SM gives you the opportunity to stay in sync and make course corrections #brandchat
Mikimel: With the emerging social media there’s a huge need for people to differentiate+create preference. Branding is a valid tool. #brandchat
andrewmueller: @brad42fish, you use “cumulative” in your def of brand I prefer “gut feeling” cumulative impies it is somewhat static #brandchat
Matt_uVizz: Isn’t your brand your reputation? You can’t build that. You earn it. #brandchat
andrewmueller: When enough customers arrive at the same gut feeling about your product, service or company, you can be said to have “brand” #brandchat
Mikimel: Branding as a discipline and methodology can apply to individual professionals just as as well as it works for businesses. #brandchat
andrewmueller: That last statement holds true for personal brand, it is achieved by consistent values of the person interacting w/ the audience #brandchat
brandchat: @tmonhollon Yes, @danschawbel works 4 EMC + has his own strong personal brand as an author. Lends credibility 2 his co. position #brandchat
Brad42Fish: @andrewmueller #brandchat I agree with “gut feeling” cumulative just points to fact that everything impacts brand, not just mktg.
craigritchie: “Hopefully?” Hoping is the opposite of branding. #brandchat
andrewmueller: @Brad42Fish absolutely true beyond a shadow of a doubt! every interaction at every touchpoint affects the “brand” #brandchat
wvpmc: @Brad42Fish if your mrktg is not in sync with the way you actually do biz your branding attempts will be confusing #brandchat
Brad42Fish: @Matt_uVizz #brandchat In fact, your customers do define your brand. Your job is to give them the right tools/info/exp with which to do it.
gelbendorf: personal brand… what are your brand assets? what is the capsule? Are’nt we confusing brand and reputation? #brandchat
andrewmueller: @wvpmc not only confusing, they will fail to achieve your desired outcome #brandchat
pmarckworth: @tmonhollon Done well it’s an asset. If your personal brand makes you a competitor, you probably won’t stay at the company. #brandchat
wvpmc: In some regards, product branding is easier because product is static – PB is constantly evolving, need to monitor critical #brandchat
andrewmueller: @gelbendorf not at all, the capsule is corporate id, this used 2b synonomous w/brand but disregards the influence of the customer #brandchat
craigritchie: Q4: Is #brandchat becoming a Jets v Sharks dance-fight over the definition of “Branding,” “Identity” and “Reputation?” Time to pick a side.
jodinechase: Brands are about business, not people, even if it’s a one-person business. #brandchat (via @brandingexpert)
SirHendrix: Personal Branding is another name for reputation management. #brandchat (via @BrandAide)
Brad42Fish: #brandchat Thought: Is an organization’s brand in some ways made up of the personal brands of all its employees and customers?
Q3: Do you have a favorite niche generating process? (discussed during DIYMKT chat + would like to add more resources + thoughts 2 that discussion)!
Pitches, Plug, C2A etc.
DavidSpinks: Good chat…will be back. Plug: @Sribnia went public today after 5 months in development. Go review your fav bloggers/authors! #brandchat
MrGoogleAlerts: New blog post. Reputation monitoring with Google Alerts for a brand manager http://bit.ly/5wy2d (expand) #brandchat #reputation
neilmckenzphoto: Thanks Brandchatters. Plug: Working on being the most well known people photographer in CO, one click at a time. See you next wk. #BRANDCHAT
DrFernKazlow: Power Connecting maximizes & monetizes your biz, brand, and SM – call or dm for info or strategy session! #brandchat
#brandchat 