This week has been Fascinating with lots of emphasis on online reputation and reputation management. There is actually a lot to this and much more to consider than just being careful with what pictures end up on Facebook or MySpace. Essentially, I really enjoy the concept of thinking of myself as my own Inc. or better yet a cheeseburger!
Okay – why cheeseburger? Well – I used to model and do commercial auditions when I lived in LA and that was too uncomfortable for this laid-back Austin girl. The joke that I would have with both my “in the biz” and engineering peers was that I was a cheeseburger and just trying to be the best cheeseburger for Inc.(s) like Toys R Us and (insert your favorite beer here). Auditions are like really short interviews (generally 15 minutes for round 1 if you are lucky) with the odds of actually getting a gig against you. So you can easily psych yourself out of the job just while waiting over an hour in a room of people who sort of look like you. However, the professional actors are working. Therefore, all those successful commercial actors actually understand personal branding better than most professionals that I have met. Jane Doe – actress with the fabulous smile – has to work really hard at convincing the client that she is better than Janet – who also has a fabulous smile for that toothpaste commercial. Toothpaste Inc. has to decide who is better Jane or Janet and it may just come down to that “je ne sais pa” quality that made them feel a little better about hiring her.
So, what does the short vignette has to do with networking in Austin? Well, lots. You are constantly meeting new people and making judgments about them with how they present themselves in the room. Are they friendly, needy, smelly, warm, happy? Do you actually want to talk to the person? These are some of the subconscious thoughts that go through my head anyway. I recommend listening to people like Thom Singer (@thomsinger) on getting great tips to enhance your personal networking skills.
However, it is actually interesting now that we have to consider both our personal appearance and also are online appearance. Do we have LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter profiles? Do we blog? Do we have a personal website? Now, we have to not only worry if our outfit matches when we go out in public but now manage what connections we’ve made online, which forums we participate in, our tweets, and make sure that we don’t have any embarrassing photos on Facebook. While I’m not the expert, I do enjoy all the resources to determine what is being said online about me. Thank you, Google! The best tip for the newbie that I have found is the Online Reputation Monitoring Beginner’s Guide and can apply some of the information to monitoring yourself as well as your products and services. Also an oldie but a goodie is to reread the Fast Company magazine article: The Brand Called You. They give some really good advice on what it takes to be your own brand and to be the CEO of Me Inc.
Currently, I'm also taking a self study course in internet marketing - Thank you, Vicki Flaugher (@SmartWoman)! Vicki is part of Product Camp and it has been a lot of fun working with her on the venue committee.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Comments
Social networking sites and using them for B2B communication is the new SEO; website design is no longer the only consideration.
I think you've done a great job with the site; it is very visually interesting. And I especially like your comparison of yourself to a cheeseburger! Keep up the good work.
Very interesting post. Thanks for the great information. :)
Post new comment