As the internet continues to grow and its offerings become more robust, so do your options for presenting your personal brand!
Whether you dig on traditional social media platforms, fixed images that decorate your life and express your point of view, or new transmedia initiatives that combine real life moments that define you with games you love through outlets like Twitter and Facebook, how you present yourself in the digital landscape is as unique as you are!
If you’re not on Facebook by now, all the choices they offer may seem daunting. Fear not! This is actually the mark of versatility and for those of us who have been using it for years, the choices are a clear sign of growth and evolution as the platform has offered more and better services, phasing out old junky ones and becoming the international epitome of “Me! Online.”
You can design your landing page to reflect your personal brand, enrich your Friends’ perceptions with photo albums, “Like” things you care about, “Share” things you find interesting, and generally create and continue the building of a robust personal brand!
“Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.” If you haven’t tried yet, you’d be surprised what wisdom you can impart, such as that little gem from Henry Ford, and what you can accomplish with 140 characters or less! Building a personal brand one tweet at a time is a great way to introduce your thoughts, deeds, and philosophies to the world through a digital space.
With a customizable background and a unique system called hashtagging that allows you to relate your content with other groups tweeting about a hot topic you’ve got in common, defining and sharing a personal brand on this platform is an exercise in content-rich brevity that’s perfect for those who may struggle with writing long excerpts!
Your Desktop
Though an oldie, it’s still a goodie. What you see every day along with most of your co-workers says a lot about who you are and how you’d like others to perceive you. Many professionals on the go carry laptops and if you’re working with clients from your computer, what you’ve got on your desktop can really impact their impression of you.
Most people know the horrifying result of a goofy coworker, twisted friend, or sassy significant other that decides to make an unknown change to your desktop image when you’re not looking - because it definitely reflects on you and may create some serious misalignment from your intended personal brand! Choose something that fits you and the image of yourself you want to be remembered by.
Website
The ultimate creation. Your very own virtual set to put on the branding show of a lifetime. Your website offers you the ability to make every minute decision you never knew you’d have to and is thus far the most powerful personal branding platform the digital world has ever seen. You can design a website or have it designed for you, depending on your level of skill and commitment, to present the most precise personal branding experience you can give to others.
From the visual design to the navigation, the images and gadgets you incorporate, and the language you use to express your point of view, your mission, and your goals, if you’ve got a great brand, you’ve got to get yourself a great website!
Twitter Image Sources
These pictoral powerhouses, such as Twitpic and Yfrog, offer Twitter users the ability to quickly and easily upload photos and videos from life and post them on Twitter, enabling you to build your personal brand on a digital platform simply by sharing images of meaningful moments, items, and people from your life that make your experience of the world uniquely yours.
Avatars
If you’ve ever spent a lot of time picking your musician’s clothes on Rock Band or choosing the hairdos on your Second Life characters, you have felt the need to use a digital gaming platform to design a personal brand. Regardless of whether or not your characters resemble you in real life, building a brand for yourself within a gaming platform can personalize your experience while presenting other players with a fascinating new character.
There are other great new options for sharing your gaming experience through digital platforms, and the savvy interaction (such as inviting your Facebook friends and Twitter followers to play interactive games like Words with Friends) enriches your personal brand, too!
Whatever platform you find that works for you, it’s all about personalizing your experience and the experience you want your friends/followers/audience/clients to have - so build your brand out there and get down to the business of sharing your life!
