ERE Webinar: Best Practices in Social Media and Employment Branding

In May, I was honored to deliver an ERE Media webinar sponsored by Jobvite on best practices in social media and employment branding with Prudential Financial’s Brett Underhill. Listen to the recorded webinar with our PowerPoint slides for free here: http://ow.ly/ovKFD.

Thank you to ERE, Jobvite, and Brett Underhill for making this employer brand and social media webinar a success.

The Best Conference You've Never Heard Of

It is less than one month away until the 2013 Summer Brand Camp in Dallas, TX. This is a conference that I must attend each year and here's why:

1. Genuine support for attendees
The pay-it-forward passion that you feel the moment you arrive at Brand Summer Camp is inspirational. The conference hosts and alumni proactively make each attendee feel welcome.

2. Gain insight into real-world solutions
At previous Summer Brand Camps, I learned from executives who shared how they overcame personal hardships to reach their professional goals. You connect with leaders and attendees in a transparent and non-judgemental way that isn't offered at other events.

3. Unique speakers and sessions
The restaurant, retail, and healthcare industry's biggest stars and brands lead sessions that are filled with success stories, actionable items, and data. Check out this year's agenda: http://www.summerbrandcamp.com/agenda.

4. Memories that last a lifetime
The memories and friendships that I made at Summer Brand Camp have helped me through difficult times all year 'round.

To attend Summer Brand Camp, you must be a Restaurant, C-store, Retail or Healthcare operator. If you have any questions, email Melissa Papaleo at melissa.papaleo@prbbi.com. Hope to see you there!

Infographic: What Your Brand Colors Say About Your Business

Your Personal Brand - Niche or Noise?

One of my favorite things about SXSW is seeing some of the most influential web celebrities in person. I can tell them how they have inspired me and start building a genuine relationship. Each online mentor has their own distinctive characteristics, perspective and success story that sets them apart from others.

You were also given strengths and attributes that make you special. There are many opportunities for experts of all hobbies and interests. Instead of trying to be something that you are not, be the best you that you can be. Find your voice and start speaking to your niche audience.

In my SXSW core conversation with Robyn Cobb, we discussed how to shine a light on others to increase your brand. I challenged the attendees to have brand sacrifice (thanks to Jerry S. Wilson). Look at your last ten tweets, blog posts or Facebook status updates. Do they reflect who you are? Are they valuable to your desired audience or is it just noise?

Are You a Social Media One Hit Wonder?

In the world of social media, there are several rock stars that continue to inspire me.  Those social media legends continue to resonate above the constant stream of social media noise.

This is a list of the different types of social media musicians that we encounter online. Keep in mind that each type is a generalization. Reflect on your social media career to determine which category you may fit in.

One Hit Wonder
One of your blog posts was featured on Digg. The spike in traffic to your website was mind-numbing. During that week, you had a 300% increase in subscriptions to your blog. Many conferences and events booked you as a featured speaker. However, a few months later, you found it hard to come up with new ideas and your blog has gone stale. Your start-up idea didn’t get the funding it needed and now you have become a recluse. You’ll be featured this year at SXSW on a "Where Are They Now?" panel. You had what it took to produce a hit and there’s still time for a comeback.

Karaoke Singer
The best form of flattery is imitation. By only retweeting consistently what other thought leaders say, you rarely come up with your own opinions. You lurk within the social networks, play it safe and haven’t developed a platform of your own yet. Instead of realizing your own goals, you may be unknowingly supporting someone else’s dreams. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, find your voice and express your own signature style.

Unsigned Talent
You have fresh and creative thoughts. Unfortunately, you can’t seem to attract the right fans to your message collectively at the right time. You are a starving social media musician on a corner near the entrance to a subway station. The video you uploaded to YouTube didn’t go viral as planned.  You have a handful of followers who are often removed by Twitter for suspicious activity. Find your true niche and determine what you are willing to sacrifice to find success. You dream of winning a Social Media American Idol contest. It may be time to get a manager (aka a mentor) to help you start moving in the right direction.

Boy Band
You work on a team and appeal to a specific audience who adores you. Even though this path may have a shelf life, you and your colleagues are currently reaping all of the rewards. There is strength in numbers. Your organization's reputation is larger than your individual brand.  You enjoy the VIP treatment, even though most people don’t know your full name. Make sure that you have an exit strategy to reinvent yourself as a solo artist, just in case.

Rock Star
You have thousands of followers who enjoy all of your tweets and comment frequently at your blog. For the past few years, you have worked hard consistently and persistently to build your unique brand. You have written a few books and are currently on a world tour. Fans and groupies attend events that you speak at to learn from you. You give back to your community and help others reach their goals in your industry. You have many projects that you are passionate about in the works. Continue to ask questions, stay innovative and engage in several one-on-one conversations. Congrats and keep up the good work!

All social media musicians must take the time to reflect. Revise your professional goals, learn from your failures and determine the social media legacy you wish to leave behind. Although the past affects all of us, you can create new opportunities and success for yourself.

Now You're In Control of Your LinkedIn Profile

According to Aaron Bronzan on the official LinkedIn blog:
"Starting today, we bring you the ability to reorder the sections on your LinkedIn profile via drag-and-drop. This enhancement, one of the more highly-requested features from our users, gives you the ability to highlight the skills, expertise, and/or experiences that make you stand out.

Your profile is an important part of your online professional identity. At LinkedIn we’d like to provide you with all the tools you need to build and maintain a profile that can showcase your unique professional value. Now you’re in complete control over your professional brand."

Here is a quick demo of how it works:

"The ability to reorder the sections on your profile is just the first of a huge number of enhancements that are coming to your LinkedIn profile in the upcoming months. And, as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions about how LinkedIn can help you to represent, manage, and share your professional identity."

Thanks to my friend, Jennifer McClure, for breaking this news via Twitter.

Stop Trying to Please Everyone

At the SITE SE Ignite Innovation Conference, we were honored to hear the Keynote Speaker, Jerry S. Wilson, board elected Senior Vice-President, who serves as the Chief Customer and Commercial Officer of The Coca-Cola Company. He is also the co-author of the book, Managing Brand YOU.

Jerry's presentation renewed the audience's passion for maintaining our own individual brands. Sacrifice potential clients to stay true to your internal compass and values. If you try to be all things to everyone; you will ultimately fail. Jerry asked, “Does MTV care if Grandma hates them? No. They love it and the more, the better results that they have with their target audience [teens].”

Jerry also challenged us to unleash the power of our own unique brands. Jerry recommended having more fun, taking more risks, not mimicking others and doing work on your own terms. Do you have loyal clients or a whole bunch of people who just think about you?

You Are What Google Says You Are

When I first read the phrase above, it truly upset me. This isn't fair. I was born and raised in a small town in Iowa with a strong sense of community. Your reputation and values determine one's professional worth. It is comforting to go home where everybody knows your name, just like in the sitcom, "Cheers".

Online you are judged by what is found when someone views your social media footprint by googling your name or your brand. The good news is that we have the ability to contribute and influence what is indexed by Google.

If you are interested in growing your professional network and reach, first analyze your current social media impact, digital strategy and areas for improvement.  It all starts with a goal and a Google search.