Personal Branding Mistake #5: YOU'RE NOT PROACTIVE

Updating and tweaking your branding is not an annual event. It is a continuous process that accounts for shifts in your business and prospect targets. Don’t fall behind competition! 

Social media should never be passive. Updating your profile with captivating content keeps your audience engaged and maintains your brand’s relevance. Regularly posting about current events, news and original content strengthens your brand presence. Posts and shares with your network inspires and facilitates dialogue and engagement. It’s not enough to have a profile and news feed. There are a lot of lurkers out there – people who have an online profile but don’t do anything or engage in any meaningful way. 81% of LinkedIn users belong to at least one group and there are more than 200 conversations happening each minute across LinkedIn groups, so get involved! You have to work it. A proactive approach helps you stay ahead of the curve and your peers. 

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Personal Branding Mistake #7: YOU'RE NOT A PURPLE COW

Are you standing out in the crowd? Do you know where you rank in LinkedIn searches? Do you have a personal brand that sets you apart from competitors?

Cows are boring. They are all look alike and do the same things. Be a purple cow, have a distinctive brand promise and stand out from the crowd. A personal brand that says why you are different and better is key to your success. Capitalize on your brand’s uniqueness by posting interesting, relevant and innovative content that will capture your audience and set your brand apart. Be exceptional - be a purple cow. Don’t be like the rest of your peers. It’s boring, and do you really want to be boring? 

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Personal Branding Mistake #9: YOU'RE TOO PERSONAL!

New business prospects want to know about YOU, not your kids, your dog and your extended family. Being professional is important, and finding a balance between professional and personal is even more important.

Professionals often struggle with the fine line between personal and professional content for social media. Posting personal information on your professional social media platforms is not a good idea and at times totally inappropriate. Your professional audience wants to know about your brand and its value, not about your new puppy. Keep your content professional, consistent and always supporting your brand promise. While it’s okay to share your opinion, steer clear of topics that could be too controversial, like politics. Being too personal on your professional social media pages may have a negative impact on your branding. Keep professional content separate from personal and you’ll be good to go.

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Personal Branding Mistake #12: TOO MANY POSTS

You are focusing on quantity not quality posts. One quality lead is worth 100 leads that do not have much hope.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in personal branding is posting too much content. There’s tremendous pressure to be constantly visible in your ever changing social media feed. The volume of posts will depend on the specific platform. LinkedIn for instance is a low volume/high value platform. Twitter is a high volume/low value platform. Our instinct is to just post, post, post. It’s not about the quantity of your posts; it’s about the quality of your posts. Quality content is what makes your brand stand out. Engage your audience and attract new relationships and new opportunities with great content. 

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Personal Branding Mistake #15: WEAK NETWORK

You need like-minded people in your social network that can help you achieve your business goals. Say yes to invites and get out there and find them! 

What is the point in having hundreds of connections on social media if they are not aligned with your brand and its value?  76% of LinkedIn members' primary use of the platform is for networking with other professionals. You want a network of like-minded people who share similar knowledge, experience and goals. Maintaining a network of these individuals gives you a great advantage over your peers. Sharing advice, ideas and content with your network benefits both your brand and theirs. Actively pursue these relationships by accepting invitations and initiating meaningful communication. Like-minded connections make social media work for you. 

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Personal Branding Mistake #16: NOT KEEPING IN TOUCH

A good social network with lots of dialogue can set you apart from the competition. Reach out to professionals around you and make your personal branding message louder.

Developing and maintaining a strong relationship with your network is good for you and good for your connections. Engaging with your audience is essential to building a sustainable brand. 71% of your viewers who interact with you are likely to recommend you to others. Communicating with your network on a consistent basis strengthens your brand. The most effective form of communication is brand promise driven dialogue. Share your content and provide feedback to others. Make it personal as often as you can. Get ahead of your peers by regularly keeping in touch with your network. 

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Personal Branding Mistake #25: WHY SO SERIOUS?

Your profile picture and background should look professional, but try to have a little fun while you’re at it!

75 of the Fortune 100 companies use LinkedIn as an important part of their corporate hiring solutions. Companies are looking for solid citizens but pay more attention when your portrait breaks through the boredom barrier. Don’t do a deer in the headlights portrait or OMG no portrait at all. Turns out 65% of your audience are visual learners so engage them with stimulating imagery! Social platforms achieve 94% more total views with compelling images. Keep it professional but keep it engaging.

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Personal Branding Mistake #34: FIRST THINGS FIRST: YOUR HEADLINE

Your professional headline is a critical piece of your profile. A proper headline determines how you’ll be categorized in a search and how you’ll be perceived by other users.

A strong LinkedIn headline and summary is important. A headline’s optimal number of words is 6 and a summary of 40+ words makes you more likely to turn up in search. Your headline should deliver your brand promise in a compelling way and use strong keywords for search engine recognition. Your picture and brand story work together to support your headline to further engage your profile viewers. Headlines matter on LinkedIn in the same way they matter in a successful advertising campaign.

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Personal Branding Mistake #35: DON'T MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

Keeping your eyes open is important on any social platform. Check out profiles of professionals you admire, see what works and what doesn’t, then update your profile.

Looking to peer professional profiles is a great way to pinpoint best business practices that will benefit your brand. The average time spent on LinkedIn is 17 minutes so make sure the time spent on your profile counts. Eliminate practices that have proven ineffective for others and implement the ones that have helped build strong personal brands. 74% of all Internet traffic in 2017 will use video as a medium so consider creating, posting and sharing video content on your pages. Keep your eyes open for great personal brand profiles to learn how to improve yours!

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Personal Branding Mistake #43: YOU NEED A DIGITAL MAKEOVER

You spend money on a new suit and a haircut for an interview, so why not for your digital appearance too? Prospective clients and employees will check you out online before they ever meet you in person. Is your online presence up to par? 

Your social media profiles generally rank in the top five Google search results for your first and last name, so make sure your profiles are complete and represent your brand. Did you know that 80% of companies use social media for recruitment? Hiring managers frequently refer to a candidate’s LinkedIn network for blind references, so include people in your network that will say good things to say about you. 

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