Get Ready for Your Digital Close-up
Crosby Noricks
Establishing your personal brand online and carving out a niche for yourself through social media may not be quite as dire asthat early exodus to gold country, but it’s important to take a step back and think strategically about your goals, approach and how to effectively express your individuality and unique talents online.
It’s said that we make up our minds about how we feel about someone in seven seconds, and it’s arguably less in the chaotic wonderland of the Internet. Your profile image, along with the colors you use, voice and tone are your first impression online and as such, should be treated with care. Consider the following as it relates to your blog, Facebook page or Twitter account.
A picture’s worth…more than a thousand testimonials
It goes without saying that potential employers will do a search about you, and smart ones will do an image search, so keep anything you wouldn’t be thrilled to have your granddaughter find 40 years from now off the Internet! Too late? Remove everything you can and add captions and alt tags to all the images you can and over time, watch as those start showing up first.
Show your face
People want to see you, not your pet duck, adorable baby or rockin’ company logo —especially on sites like Twitter where you are obviously a person talking to other people. Most of the time, give fans and followers the close up and save the full body shots, artistic shots of your eyes/feet, or vacation photos for your personal, private pages. (and lock those security settings down tight!)
Find your look
In a world of mostly static images and text, you want to stand out. Unless you are a stodgy old lawyer who never cracks a smile,put away your tired headshots, fold up your crisp white t-shirts and find an outfit that speaks to who you are. Play around with your expression, laugh, smirk, wink —find the look that looks like you and use that. If you can’t afford a professional, ask a creative friend or learn how to use your self-timer and fake it ’til you make it, baby!
In addition to the photos you use, think about what you want your personal brand to feel like. Is it fun and funky, calm and serene? If your personal brand was a store —what would the store feel like? What colors, scents, fabrics and textures would there be? Are you grapefruit and glitter or tulips and tulle?
Keep it together
As legions of fans follow you across the Internet, give them a cohesive, branded experience. Use the same or similar photos, design elements and tone. Let anyone who stumbles upon your page know instantly that it’s you and not an imitation!
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