5/27/2015
Personal and
Professional Branding
Michele Walfred
University of Delaware
Mid Atlantic Women in Agriculture
May 27, 2015
Your “brand” is your public image
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5/27/2015
Who should care

Corporate employees

Those who work for an organization with strong social media presence

Anyone trying to build or expand their business

Job seekers

College applicants
Types of brands

Personal, non-professional. Your online presence does not reflect your
business, workplace or profession. Discussions on pop culture, sports, politics,
religion, current events, personal life are typical. Real name and user names
common.

Personal, professional. Your real name is linked or mentioned. Your
background, education or where you work is reflected. Common disclaimer,
“Tweets my own.” Made up user names not as common.

Business or organizational presence. Brand logo. “Starbucks,” “Oak Creek
Orchards,” “Valley View Farms”
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For employers, personal brands…

Demonstrate how well networked or “connected” a candidate is. Many
organizations are moving into social media and want staff that have these
skills

Reveal a candidate’s truer nature


How they respond to stress

Party animal = substance abuse issues

Online literacy – use and frequency of expletives

Troublemakers

Good fit for the organization
Lack of online profile can be harmful
A personal brand matters when

One is known or can be identified with a public business or organization.
Retail, corporate, nonprofit, etc.

Online presence is in conflict with organizations publicly stated values, ethics
or code of content

Personal accounts that mention or list place of work
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Who are you on social media?
Professional
Personal

Business

Family

Family, if a family business

Opinions on politics & faith

Values and ethics (faith)

Travel

Community

Community

Product

Pop culture

Website

Transparent

Authentic

Favorite TV shows

Music

Authentic

Candid
Social Media Mistakes Can Adversely
Affect
College Admission – Job Interviews and Hiring
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Sobering statistics


Colleges and Universities

27% use Google +

26% use Facebook

35% found information that negatively impacted prospective students’ applications
Employers

70 % of recruiters denied candidates due to online information

84% of recruiters think online reputations will factor in hiring practices
ALL OF THESE PERCENTAGES ARE INCREASING!!!
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“The 21st-century human is learning that every
action leaves an indelible digital trail. In the years
ahead, many of us will be challenged by what we
are making public in various social forums today.
The fact that one in five applicants disqualify
themselves from an interview because of content
in the social media sphere is a warning to job
seekers and a true indicator of the digital reality
we now live in.” – Eurocom Worldwide (PR firm)
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REALLY?
Likelihood that one of these
“friends” is an employer or fake
account are very high.
Regardless of personal privacy settings,
once it is posted, online content is fair
game and can be shared publicly by
“friends.”
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“It is very hard to erase a social
imprint,” – college counselor

More than one-third of college admissions search for the applicant on social
media (Kaplan)

80% of employers Google job seekers – Susan Joyce, Job-Hunt.org

Would you hire this person?

Only smart thing is she does not use her real or full name or full photo
Freedom of Speech – Censorship
When to draw the line?

Personal Drama

Many people vent on social media

Relationships

Wish to be authentic

Sexual topics

What you say will never go away

Politics

Consider a social nom de plume

Religion
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Advice

Anything connected to your real name keep moderate & professional

Email: crzygurl134@gmail.com vs mwafred@gmail.com

Social media accounts. Twitter, SnapChat, Instagram – more than one. Have a
fun crazy one to talk about concerts, boyfriends, parties, social life. Create a
serious one that is branded to your real name.

Create a blog. Write about serious topics. Your 4-H community service. What
you learned from a project or activity. Content that shows your life in an
every day context that is positive & thoughtful.

Watch the number of Facebook friends. Do you really know them?

Use lists to reduce post visibility

Downplay the drama – relationship problems, feeling blue, gossip, complaining
about job.
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What do you want people to think of
you online?
What defines you?
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Branding
“Branding isn’t just a word to describe how a company markets itself or what a
blogger does to build buzz. It’s a word to describe how people perceive you.
What comes to mind when they hear your name or see your face? How do you
make them feel? How do they speak of you?”
- Rich Jones, HR Generalist, localjobnetwork.com
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Guilty pleasures? Do I Tweet

The Walking Dead? (zombies)

Breaking Bad (drugs), Sons of Anarchy (criminal motorcycle club) etc…

Critique red carpet fashions #Grammys #Oscars #GoldenGlobe

Complain on my favorite pro team’s Facebook page after a loss

Call a politician an idiot, crook or a jerk?

Many people do – and if pop culture is your brand, “Go for it”

I decided to refrain

Use consistent language, style, photos and profile

Career Source

Attire, language matter

Google yourself

Create a personal website or general blog (about.me) and LinkedIN

Responding to comments can boost or hurt your brand

Comments on public Facebook pages are always public, regardless of your privacy
settings
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Posting on Facebook
pages
NEVER PRIVATE!
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Google
What does an Internet Search say about your brand
Make sure you are “signed out”
of Google before doing search
Place your name in quotations if
your name is relatively common
“Linda Johnson” Maryland
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
Personal brand is your public reputation. How we define ourselves in the work
or professional arena, but sharing some personal elements that make us
unique.

Create an email that reflects your personal name.

mwalfred@gmail.com is better than photolady@gmail.com or
socialmediagoddess@yahoo.com

Leave out superlatives like “guru,” “goddess,” “crazy,” DOB,
Just the name,
ma’am!
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Use email signatures
Personal Branding DO’s - BrandYourself.com

Define Your Brand: Take the time to soul search and determine exactly who
you are and what makes up your personal brand. See our 10 steps to define
your unique personal brand for help.

Communicate Your Brand: Make sure you are effectively able to
communicate that brand clearly and concisely. A concise personal bio is
essential for this step. For help with your bio, read our personal branding
guide to writing a professional bio.

Start Building Your Online Presence: You’re being Googled. By employers, by
colleagues and even first dates. Building a basic online presence that can
promote your image and support your personal brand is therefore essential

Become Visible: You want to make sure your branded content is what people
find when they Google your name. This can be a difficult feat unless you are
well versed in search engine optimization.
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Personal Branding DO NOT’s –
BrandYourself.com

Fabricate or Exaggerate: Personal branding is not a means to lie about your
qualifications and doing so will absolutely hurt you in the long run.

Leave Out the PERSONAL Aspect: As much as people want to hear about
your professional accomplishments- they also want to understand your
personality. Don’t be afraid to inject your sense of humor, your hobbies,
interests, etc… the things that make you, you.

Have ANY Inconsistencies: Your core message (as it is outlined in your
personal bio) should be communicated the same in every medium, especially
online. That means using similar wording across all of your online accounts,
the same headshot everywhere and the same avatar.
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What’s a bad profile picture?

Any web cam shot

Mirror selfie

Pictures with pets

Cliché poses

Brand specific attire not
affiliated with YOUR brand
Good profile photo

Doesn’t have to be “corporate”

Not overly busy background

Good lighting

Serious or playful. Never funny (unless your biz is comedy)

Professional headshot or ask a friend to take some casual close ups
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Your personal/professional brand should

Avoid controversy and hot button issues unless they directly relate to your
work or profession

Be consistent in imagery, range of topics, and voice across all platforms

If candid, frank talk is your brand, that’s one thing…

If not, consider an alternate user name
Note: Real name not in use
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In life, not just in social media, do your
“due diligence” Brand Integrity

Think before you send

Consider before you share

Avoid drama

Don’t be gullible

Don’t overreact to the obvious “OMG” moments

Ask what voices are missing in the discussion or topic

Don’t complain to get ahead. Compliment to get ahead

Give credit to others. You will always be seen as gracious and fair
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Questions
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