Social Media: Your Ultimate Tool for Building a Powerful Personal Brand
By: Hebé Lugo Nazario
Twenty years ago, if you wanted to be recognized, your needed money, influence, connections and power. If you wanted to reach a large group of friends or spread a message, you had to call people one by one, invest in an event, go door to door, rent a booth, hand out flyers, or put up posters, among many other efforts. The work required to gain exposure was far greater than it is today. While both eras have their value in their own context, today the opportunities to generate influence and gain recognition are greater and more accessible to everyone.
I see on social media that everyone who participates has their own multimedia company at the click of a button. We carry our «company» wherever we go on our phones, acting as reporters, artists, and anchor commentators to deliver the messages we want, in the way that suits us best. It’s easy to use, fast, and interconnected with multiple types of audiences—something for every taste.
Whether we realize it or not, every message we post on social media is a message we launch publicly and openly into the universe, accessible to everyone. With each message, we are, piece by piece, building the image and perception others have of us. That perception becomes our personal brand. When we write and share photos and videos on social media, we are telling the world about our choice of language, our level of knowledge on the topics addressed, our tastes, preferences, and aspirations. We’re sharing our attitudes and values.
In the publication The Work of Art Is Me, Volume 1: A Strategy for My Personal Brand, I invite you to reflect on how you’re using social media and the influence it has on the perception others have of you. Simply asking yourself: If my social media were a magazine, a newspaper, or a TV program, what section would it be? is a way to self-assess the message you’re putting out there about yourself.
It’s important to understand the message we are most frequently transmitting on our social media because, even without realizing it, we are communicating who we are. I recommend that you always aim to highlight your best qualities, values, and attributes—those things that make you unique. For the process of developing your message, I invite you to visit our page and spend time completing the personal branding guides in detail.
Whether we like it or not, social media will help others decipher who we are and assign us a “label.” The question is whether the label they see is the one you want. When used correctly, this label can help you achieve your goals and objectives, both personally and professionally.
- Have a Clear Vision of Your Future and What You Need to Get There: Your vision of the future is what you want to achieve in life, both personally and professionally. Each of us is unique, and while our aspirations may seem similar to those of others, they are what make us special. Having a clear aspiration helps you identify what to communicate and what to avoid if you want to use social media as a springboard to reach your goals. A clear, well-communicated message will help you achieve your goals more easily, opening doors to the right people at the right time.
- Identify the Right People to Speak to and Their Language: Know your audience—not just those who follow you today but also the kind of people you want to have in your network in the future. Research their interests and who else they follow. Understanding your current and future audience as well as you know a friend will help you connect by talking about things that interest them, making them feel identified with you. Someone who feels connected to you can become an advocate for your personal brand.
- Find Points of Reference: Explore the pages of people you admire or identify with to see how they communicate on social media and what topics resonate with you. Include in your research individuals who speak to the same audience as you or have already achieved what you aspire to accomplish.
- Make a List of Topics and Traits That Distinguish You: List things that are authentic to you and appealing to your audience. While it’s fine to draw inspiration from others, you don’t want your social media to feel like a copy of someone else. A list of topics that reflect who you truly are will help you connect with your authentic self and define how you wish to be perceived. For example, if you love traveling, you can inspire others to do the same through your travel experiences. Even if this might seem like a common topic, you will share it from your unique perspective.
- Identify Your Own Style for Creating Content: One of the wonders of social media is the ability to be creative with your words and the way you share your thoughts. Define how you want to communicate—are you better at writing, or do you feel more comfortable expressing yourself through photography? Create a list of hashtags, themes, and mediums that you enjoy using, and stick to them until they become a signature style that people recognize as uniquely yours.
- Build a Strong Personal Brand by Creating Your Story
Visualize the story you want others to tell about you, and anchor yourself in that vision to craft a message that is both impactful and consistent. Above all, be genuine—just as you want the impression you leave on others to be authentic and lasting.
Remember, social media can either help or block or delay your building for your personal brands that moves you forward and helps you achieve your short, medium, and long term life goals. In this new world of overexposure, it’s essential to have a strategy aligned with your expectations so that social media becomes your strongest ally.
