So, you ask, is there a way to use social media so that job offers and other opportunities make their way to you?
Or perhaps more strategically put:
“how can I use Social Media to build my personal micro-brand?”
Due to popular demand from a number of blog readers, we are going to be tackling this topic over the next few posts.
But before we begin…
First off, it is worth repeating some of the fundamental assumptions of social media. If you can’t accept these, your micro-brand will not grow. (Or it might, but that’s in spite of you, not because of you!)
These are:
- The single most important asset you can have from a customer, client, or member of your network is their attention
- Once you have their attention, you must earn (and continue to re-earn their permission)
- Branding is a compilation of activities. It takes time, patience, and cultivation. There are no one-hit wonders in branding.
Now, let’s dig down into each of these briefly so we’re all on the same page.
Attention
One of the most influential social scientists of the 20th century, Herbert Simon, remarked that “a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”
What does that mean for you?
Well, it means that anyone with whom you are trying to communicate is bombarded by a bevy of alternatives that are, most likely, more interesting, more exciting, or just different.
So, if you can’t grab and keep my attention, you are going to have a really, really, (did I say really?) difficult time getting me into your network or getting me to become a valued member of your network.
Now, you can grab my attention with cheap tricks and gimmicks or you can earn my attention by delivering something remarkable; Something that is high value, interesting and entertaining!! (death to bad presentations!).
You can show me that you are someone worth paying attention to. You are someone who “gets” whatever it is you “get” and you aren’t going to clutter up my life with a ton of noise and not a lot of signal. That’s a buzzword way of saying too much BS and not a whole lot of substance.
Earn my attention because you deserve it, not because you are outrageous.
Permission
Diana “friended” me on Facebook, which was fine. I accept requests all the time from people I don’t know. But, soon thereafter, I started to receive a TON of invites from her to group events in which I had no interest.
I gave her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she was a newbie.
But the invites continued.
I was peeved. She didn’t ask me what I was interested in. She didn’t know me. I felt like I was getting spammed. She certainly didn’t have my permission to send all of this stuff to me.
Just like the telemarketer who calls you unsolicited (even though you are on the FCC Do-Not-Call list), you are interrupted and annoyed.
My bank has permission to email me when a deposit hits my account. Diana didn’t have that right, until she asked for it (which she didn’t).
And neither do you.
Just because you have my email address, doesn’t mean you can send me a message that I don’t want.
Well, you can, but it won’t help you.
Marketers (sorry, good marketers) have a saying “don’t confuse activity with results.” You can email me, but I will ignore it. I will add you to my junk mail filter. I will consciously never talk to your firm. Or, worse, I’ll blog about how annoying you are.
In building relationships, the same rule applies.
Ask your contacts what type of relationship they want.
For example, I have a quarterly email update that I send, but when I add someone to my contacts list, I say, “hey, here’s what you can expect from me. You can opt-out any time, of course. Is it ok if I include you in my updates?”
I ask for permission first. That’s the only way I can stay relevant.
As for Diana? I de-friended her. No permission, no relevancy, no opportunity to converse for her. She’s not a member of my network.
Personal Branding
If you are just starting out, you’re not going to like this part.
Building your brand online (and offline) just takes time.
It also takes rhythm and process.
You need to prepare to invest in your brand and your relationships for a long-haul pay-off.
Many people go to networking events and expect that something magical will happen there.
Some don’t even bring business cards (I’ve never understood that one).
It doesn’t.
You get a card. You follow up. You go out for coffee. You forward emails of interest. You cultivate.
Just like a garden.
Then, somewhere down the road, the email comes back, “hey, I’ve got an opportunity for you.”
Two books to read here. Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
and Never Eat Alone
What’s Next?
Now that we have the baseline assumptions, let’s talk about what you need to do to really build out your brand.
On to Step 1: Define Your Personal Brand