Personal Branding Considerations

When you are branding yourself online through social media or other digital channels – there are a number of considerations you should think about when posting content, pictures, videos and so on.

Fact is that using social media channels to create your personal brand and online identity can be very effective, but we want to make sure we go about this in the right way.

Consider the following aspects when posting content online:

1. If I publish a piece of content now, who will see it now – and who will see it in a years time?

2. How will I feel about this particular piece of content in a years time? Am I making a silly/hasty decision now to be posting it online?

3. Am I showing off my skills and experience, or am I just showing my opinion?

4. Am I over promoting myself?

5. Have you done a personal audit on your currently online brand/ identity?

6. For my particular industry, what is my general reputation with other industry professionals?

7. With pictures and videos I post online, are these appropriate for all audience types?

Considering social media is used so heavily amongst Gen X, Y (and Z), many of us at some point may have posted inappropriate content online. If you are a business professional and the internet is your workplace a slight mistake could cost you your reputation.

If you post certain content to your Facebook profile, will it stay there? Do you have the right privacy settings?

Are you ReTweeting appropriate content on Twitter? Is my Flickr album presenting a professional image?

The first place people will look you up online is probably on LinkedIn, is your profile optimised?

There are a number of questions we need to ask ourselves to maintain our professional identity, are you doing enough?