AGVOICE | 'Me-Branding' in Social Media - Why and How!

Social media is the flavour of modern times. One can do practically a lot of things by the stroke of a key.  One can write, comment or pass judgment, on any subject under the sun, from salt-to-software, without any one else hindering or editing that so-called self-proclaimed journey.

Any  man can date coveted ladies and coveted jobs.  Any girl can try finding her suitor without being stalked physically. Everyone can use the coverage of social media and thereby can amplify ‘self’ visibility and ‘self’ marketability in abundance.

And, for all these, one can  completely swear by Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Quora, LinkedIn and the advantages such  platforms offer  for any or every campaign for  “Me-branding”.  And, why should one not me-Brand one’s self when studies such as, Jobvite survey, Ma Foi Randstad Workmonitor and as well as other surveys  are referring to the fact that Social Media has become a hot pursuit destination for hunting talent and recruitment as well as  even hunting for life partners. Two most important things in human life. Who am I to not use this opportunity to market and brand myself!

I am sure, when you go to any Social Media site you definitely find that all of us are speaking at the top of our voices using all kinds of messaging and communication tricks to catch attention and enhance our ‘profiles’. I feel anyone worth the salt should go out and get the Me-Branding traction by using Social Media immediately. Moreover, it is not surprising that I find many of my friends from various spheres of life and life-stages fallen prey to this temptation, like me.

While it is nice to be able to boast about the sheer number of connections I have on LinkedIn or the number of friends in Facebook, or for that matter, how may Tweets I have made on Twitter. However, the fact remains that I do not know where to stop or draw the line. Do I know how to keep my personal brand from going acerbic?

If we are to go by the Social Media Gurus such as, Shama Kabani, Lida Citroen, Dan Schawbel and personalities like them, we need to follow at least the five simple rules if we want our “Me-brand” to stand out in Social Media clutter intelligently and command respect from our TA. It is more relevant when we are looking to build a profile of our own.

Post or Tweet when have something original or really meaningful to say ( re-tweeting others opinion is good once in a while but not always) – Recently an influential Headhunter told me that he has in the near past turned–off and deleted a number of contacts from his LinkedIn and Facebook lists because those people practically posted compulsively at very short intervals. According to him a better way and an intelligent process will be to post or tweet when there is something original and meaningful to say. When a headhunter looks at probable candidates he or she looks for original and creative thinking or expert views and not for copycat ideas and unbridled impulsiveness.

Be consistent in messaging – If I were to follow what Shama Kabani said in The Zen of Social Media Marketing (BenBella Books, 2010) then I should be sure that my  blogs, posts, comments  or tweets send clear, consistent and unique messages. Never plagiarize. Never misquote. Never lie or distort in your social media communication. It is very easy to check-out the credibility of you and your messages in social media today. Oh. One more thought. Re-cycle good ideas , thoughts and posts with proper credit to the original writer and contributor.

Add meaning to all conversations and try not to hijack them – Ambush Marketing is a very good tactic for a very rare and privilege occasion. It would lose the sheen if used often. In that case one can be termed as a trouble maker. A better idea would be to find own niche and try to be a specialist on certain subjects and prove it, so that your audience respects your views. You elevate yourself when you change your stance from a negative spin to a positive dialogue and include everyone around you in the conversation.

Not to encourage negativity – I should not unnecessarily criticize people or ideas I do not agree with only because there is no one to stop me generally in the Social Media or play the role of an umpire or an arbitrator. I should not take advantage of such situation. It is the question of self-censoring and displaying restraint. That is maturity. I might have a point of view so is the other person. Be positive. I should behave like a team player. Think of conventional media, do you think one can get away with any kind of unruly behaviour in that media space?

Quality counts and not quantity (if I am not very original) – One should not be a compulsive Social Media junkie. Though I should maintain a regular presence in Social Media but I should not be under any kind of pressure to post every day, every hour and on every topic. I will be thinly spread. A better plan could be to write or post or comment or tweet only when I have something meaningful to say and not to flatter my ego by seeing myself on Social Media every minute. It might also portray that I have nothing much to do otherwise. Surely by such action I will only dilute my “Me-brand” instead of enhancing it. | By Devasis Chattopadhyay

About the author:

Devasis Chattopadhyay is a senior Vice Presidnt in Adfactors PR. Opinions expressed here, in this column, are his personal and does not in any way reflecthe opinions of Adfactors PR.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not reflect in any way of Adgully

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