WiseStamp - Email Signatures

Media_httpwwwwisestam_dnbte
I thought this was quite amusing.  Just another clever html email signature tool you might say - but makes it easy for a normal person to put it together.  It can bring in your last tweet and last blog entry - along with some other social media choices - making it easy to spread your brand.   I would imagine businesses would like something like this for their email signature.  If you are an SEO guy - you might wonder why they make your links rel="nofollow" - which tells google not to follow the link - I like all the juice I can get.  Its a browser plugin - so its a snap to install.   The app isnt yet available for IE.  After adding features to your signature - it does the rest.   The signature shows up in your gmail or yahoo email automatically.   Join the party at http://www.wisestamp.com/

Jeffrey Blake
Simplify Organize Finish
Enterprise Architect
Social Business Technologist
650 483-3142
Twitter Latest tweet: Open-Source Facebook Competitor Diaspora to Launch Sept. 15 http://ow.ly/2x7Nz

How can I create a custom URL for my Facebook Page?

You can create a custom url for your own page or for any fan page that you manage. If you haven't already set your personal username already - now is a good time.   A custom url makes it easy for others to find you.  You can print it on your business card or list it in other social networking sites.  Once you set it - it cant be changed - so choose wisely.   I always recommend to use your name if its available.   If you have a common name you will want to capture the name before the other "John Smith" does.  I think of it as part of my brand.  You can do the same for your business fan page too - as long as it has 25 "followers".

The process is simple as long as you know where its done.   Just click on this link below to go the setup page.   Any name you select must be unique across all facebook user - so you will have to check its availability.  If you are managing several fan pages - you will see a link that lets you set them up.

http://www.facebook.com/username

Facebook-username

William Arruda's Personal Branding Predictions

1. Video, Video, Video

Thanks to greater bandwidth, cheaper storage, and a proliferation of products and services that make shooting, storing, viewing, and sharing video easy (Flip video, iPhone 3GS, YouTube, vimeo, blip.tv, vodpod, etc.), video will be king in 2010. Video is ideal because it allows careerists to deliver a complete communication and convey their personality—a critical component of branding.

2. Hiring Process

Companies will be hiring brands rather than employees. They will use social networks and Google to source talent, filter candidates, and validate credentials. "What's your brand?" will become as standard an interview question as "Tell me about yourself."

3. Branded Partners

Often more traditional in their approach to marketing and delivering their services, professional-services firms (accounting, law, consulting, etc.) are going to jump on the "brandwagon" with reckless abandon in 2010. In 2010, personal branding will be integrated into all levels in a firm—from hiring through becoming partner. 

4. For-Credit Courses

Personal branding is a critical part of preparing students for successful careers.

5. Unified Search

We are already seeing many new services, such as addictomatic.com, that combine search results from many different search engines.Those who are building their personal brands will need to use various tools to ensure their visibility is positive and pervasive.

6. Video Search

With the huge growth in video on the Web (see prediction No. 1), we will start to see more sophisticated search capabilities within videos.  Currently, most search tools use titles and meta-tags to evaluate the video content to include in search results. That will change—making video the most powerful tool for brand-building.

7. Increased Efficiency

New services are available to make the process of maintaining your brand online quicker, more efficient, and more integrated. Tools such as KnowEm, HelloTxt, and png.fm help you build your personal brand on the Web in less time and with less effort.

8. Personal SEO

SEO is just as important to people who are looking to build their brands. Of course, most of us cannot afford to have a full-time SEO expert on staff. That's why companies such as QAlias and PeoplePond have sprung up. Their services are great for career-minded professionals—especially those who have a common name or share their name with a celebrity. More such tools will become available and popular  in 2010.

9. Digital Dirt Elimination

As Google results affect more aspects of our lives (getting a job, a loan, a date, etc.), people will engage firms such as ReputationDefender, Defend My Name, and Online Reputation Manager to eliminate digital dirt.

10. Permanent Mindset Shift

The confluence of Web 2.0 technologies and today's economic climate due to the subprime mortgage meltdown has changed the way we think about our careers.As we start to think of ourselves as companies of one, we will be more likely and more comfortable outsourcing activities related to our personal brands—building a management team to help us achieve our professional goals.

via marketingprofs.com

 

Personal Branding is about Fashion

Brandedshirt_3

I recently presented my pitch on personal branding at two lunch time events in Sunnyvale.  On the first occasion I wore tan corduroy pants with the shirt you see above.  And more recently I wore black pants with the same shirt.   I didn't really think too much about it except that I know this is a good color on me.

I started a small buzz when people realized that the business cards I was handing out before the event matched my shirt.  I had several people remark about it to my surprise. I have been dressing up a bit lately since I shifted from being a software architect to being a business development social media evangelist who just happens to be an expert in personal branding.

We should never discount the impact color and style can make with other people.   Color and probably fashion can play an important factor in developing your personal brand.   I like a strong emotional color like orange - because if feels like me - articulate, personable, and warm.   Companies pay huge amounts of money to get their brand colors just right.  In my case my wife Jacquelyn paid a couple of hundred dollars to get my colors done so that she could shop for me.   I learned alot about how to use my eye extension colors in my tie - when going on an interview.   But to tell you the truth - I usually just select things I like - but more often than not it a good color for me too.  

When I want to make an impression about my personality I like wearing things with some color.  In contrast I love grey - but its not the best color to project my enthusiasm or my emotion. 

My wife by the way used to work for Oracle and we always remarked how many employees there wore black.   I always thought that made Oracle more intellectual than emotional.  So I guess if you dont make you living connecting with others - the neutral colors are fine.

Knowing about yourself and the colors you look good in helps promote your brand.  And in my case Ive noticed Im more confident when wearing comfortable but stylish clothing.  And you never want someone to think that your are "Out of Style" Just as its important to stay current in your profession - its important both to have a memorable style while not reminding people of the 70's.

Living at the nexus of Technology, Service, Marketing and Evangelism

Personal Branding - You Are The Fulcrum

Archimedeslever

 

“Give me a place to stand,” said Archimedes, “and I will move the world.”

As you probably know, a fulcrum is the pivot point for a lever. And we know that Archimedes was planning to use a lever to move the world. But a lever by itself is worthless. It needs the fulcrum to actually do the leveraging. You are that fulcrum.

Part of a good brand is being focused on a dream that you want to come true. It is the thing that drives a personal brand. While branding is about creating impressions - it is also about the process of being who we want to become. It is not about what we are. We achieve our goals by being the fulcrum. And to lift the goal we need to place some things on our lever. We leverage ourselves my relying on several things.

  • Get a Mentor - someone who has been there before. They can help you make good career choices and avoid missteps.
  • Build a Team around you - these are a close set of confidants who can help you and you can help them. You are stronger when you have a team.
  • Build a network. Have a big rolodex. I like to use Linkedin. We all know about the six degrees of separation and there are really very few steps between you and anyone on the planet.
  • Use the internet and social networks to communicate your message and to stay in touch.
  • Pay Attention to synchronicity. Carl Jung referred to synchronicity as "meaningful coincidences" Recently I have been cataloging the meaningful coincidences that happen to me. As I begin to focus my brand I have found that more "coincidences" happen to me. Maybe its a spiritual thing - I don't know - I just know to follow the lead.
  • Keep a focus on your goal. For some reason when you align your skills, your dreams, your ego, your energy, your everything - you become a magnet for opportunity.

Living at the nexus of Technology, Service, Marketing and Evangelism @JeffreyBlake.com

Personal Branding - Expertise vs Expert

Octopus

 

I have found that when we talk about ourselves we might say that we have some particular expertise in something and only rarely do we say "I am an expert". This is a personal branding mistake. For example, I might say that I have expertise in Java Software Architecture. But it would be better expressed as saying "I am a Java Software Architecture Expert". 

And another thing, the more you repeat this phrase - the more people will believe it and refer to you as the "Expert".  Saying that you have "expertise" is a commodity statement that is cast away from consciousness faster than you can finish the sentence.  When branding yourself - you must refer to yourself directly - and you must create real impressions in the minds of your audience.

Internal and External Brand Mantras

We have all heard about taglines sometimes called "brand" taglines. A tagline is really an external mantra for your customers to resonate with. Its also important when developing a personal career brand to have an internal mantra. Just like the word "OM" - which is chanted to bring inner calm - we need an internal mantra to guide our career and to give it meaning.


Finding an internal mantra that "fits" is not an easy task. It relies on some deep reflection of your core values and then simplifying them into a single statement. I have found it helpful to catalog my values formally on a piece of paper. It should be an expression that helps you find your way along your career path. For me its about using a combination of skills in my career. I have always felt that I work best when bridging ideas, selling ideas, and uncovering deeper meaning and understanding of things.
photo credit SanDiegoJoey

What is a Personal Brand Tagline

Blue-frog

Taglines aren't just for companies - they are for individuals. A tagline is a very short expression that conveys meaning to your audience. When developing a career we can use these short expressions in conversation or on our business cards to quickly help others understand who and what we are. A good tagline starts a conversation and provides context for everything that follows. Without any further preamble (Just do it), I am going to list some qualities of a good tagline.

Simple - A tagline should be very short - no more than 9 words.

Succinct - A tagline is to the point and not long winded.

Clear - A tagline is immediately understood.

Original - A tagline is not a stale reused expression.

Authentic - A tagline is genuine and conveys real values about you.

Positive - A tagline is best when expressed highlighting the good.

Memorable - A tagline is useless if its forgetable.

Believable - A tagline is credible.

Personal Branding is Outcome Thinking

Getting-things-done

Personal Branding - especially for your career has to do with setting and achieving goals. In essence - getting things done. We are not used to setting our own goals - more often we are buffeted about by forces around us. But branding ourselves in our career is about setting some personal goals and actually accomplishing them. In David Allen's book Getting Things Done he uses a term called "Outcome Thinking". He says "Thinking in a concentrated manner to define desired outcomes is something few people feel they have to do. But in truth, outcome thinking is one of the most effective means available for making wishes a reality". Its probably another topic - but a person who sets and achieves their own goals is a person that people respect - they make an impression - which is one of the main goals of branding. And David reminds us that when we think of the desired outcome first before acting - we can more easily accomplish what we set out to do.

Personal Branding Is Repetition

Jeffrey-panorama

 

Should I say it again? Personal Branding is the effective use of repetition. A curious thing about our brains is that after hearing something over and over - we begin to believe it. So when we set out to get "mind share" one technique is to repeat the message over and over. Let me amend my last statement and say that it is a necessary technique. Hey and guess what happens when you repeat something boring over and over? Your brand (if you call it that at this point) is boring. What you say is as important as the repetition. If you tell everyone you are an expert at something over and over and over - in person, on the phone, on your business card, in your email signature - then after a while people will peg you as an expert.

The 2009 Edelman Trust Report suggests that 60% of people need to hear a message three times before they believe it.  So if you are positioning yourself as an expert by writing articles and making presentations - its imperitive that your listeners hear it repeatedly.

(As a caveat to this post - some might consider repetition as an aspect of marketing not branding.   This might be true.   I tend to think of branding as a process that results in a brand.   Im saying that repeated sightings of your brand reinforces it in the minds of your customers - and just saying you are an expert doesnt make it so.    However,  repetition doesnt always need facts to be effective - just look at some beer commercials during a football game.)