[...]... portfolio, you want you social network presence to be diversified Fill out the profiles on these networks as if they were a resume, though with a bit more personality (unless part of your personal branding is to be cold and professional, in which case you ll want to give that vibe instead) Take care in the photos you upload, the messages you write on other people’s walls, and the sites you link to Think... intuitive interface (read: easy to use), pleasing aesthetics (read: not too minimal, not too over the top, unless those are part of your personal branding) , and practical delivery of your content (read: don’t make the user work too hard to get to what you want them to see/read/watch) Second, make sure your content clearly represents your personal brand If you are going for the responsible, clean-cut, business-like... and a whole host of other crowds you probably don’t want to be The good crowds may already exist (so you can ease your way in, ninja-like) or they may not (in which case you ll need to build your own, DIY-style) Either way, having the support of the right crowd (or two)(or three) is important in the development of your personal brand The first crowd you will want to find or build is your core support... as close on a personal level as your first crowd, but they know your business inside and out, and you know theirs You all lean against each other, but also maintain certain barriers, keeping the relationship mostly professional in nature; if your core crowd invites you to birthday parties, this crowd invites you to lunch meetings It’s important to have this group to back you up when you need a recommendation,... place to meet with a perspective client who wants the side of their building painted You ask to meet up with this client to discuss what the project entails at your favorite coffee shop down the street You know the place well, so you pick the table that will have the least noise pollution and foot traffic As you sit and casually get acquainted with the potential client, the barista asks you about another... inspire others just by existing, and they are able to find pleasure in even the simplest and most tedious tasks, so long as they bring them closer to their goals Starting to see how these all tie together? The fourth? Be helpful Individuals who are willing to help other people, even if there is no guaranteed compensation or exchange for the effort, generally come out on top You can call it karma if you. .. knitting colorful mittens in your spare time? Set up an e-commerce page to sell your creations! Started to Tweet or post to your del.icio.us page religiously? Add a widget to your sidebar that streams your web activity to your site The sky is the limit, so long as you are willing to invest the time and/or money to make your website a useful and interesting location for others to visit Real Life Believe... you don’t back out, tell absolutely EVERYONE about what you are doing Give specifics Tell them about the class and the book you had to buy and why you want to learn that skill set and where it will lead The more people you tell, the more people there are holding you accountable and making sure you follow through And so, if you drop the class or stop pursuing that path, they will be asking why and you. .. have someone else do it for you) The letter or card is important, too: it should be on your personal stationery (which should match the rest of your branding) Make sure there is a purpose to the correspondence The purpose can be something simple, like thanking them for their time or business, or to congratulate them on a recent success If there is no obvious purpose to the letter, however, it will... still maintains the sophistication of the suit) There will be more on how to dress for your brand in a later section Your Skill Set No matter how great your branding is, at some point you will need to have a skill (or ideally, several) In fact, a big part of building your brand is dependent on your current and future skill sets, how you develop them, and how you use them once you ve got them A skill set . Should You Start Branding Yourself? Why Do You Need a Personal Brand? Things You Need to Know How This E-Book is Organized A Quick Overview of Branding The Self -Branding Process Taking Stock of Your. Brand Labeling Theory Your Skill Set Your Evolution The Company You Keep Balancing Your Personal Life and Professional Life The Events You Attend Your Worldview Your Attitude Developing Your Personal. Fortunately, once you get into the habit, it’s something that can t seamlessly into your life without having to keep it at the forefront of your mind. You will denitely need to take stock of and