One of the very first things you learn as a Guerrilla Marketing is that EVERY contact with your customers and prospects is marketing. Each and every point of contact - from the way you answer your phone to your e-mail signature to your website to those goofy photos you posted on Facebook - makes up your personal brand. All of it! If you don't believe me, just Google yourself and see what you've put "out there." (You can be sure that everyone else who is considering working with you is already Googling you!)
Okay, now as soon as you pull those not-so-flattering New Year's Eve party photos down off of Facebook or Flickr, take inventory of your personal brand to ensure that you're sending the right marketing message. How are you putting yourself out there? Is your marketing consistent? Is it intentional? Is it professional? Is there continuity in all of your marketing materials?
If you're a copywriter and your e-mails are riddled with typos because you were just "zipping off a casual note," what kind of message does that send? If you're starting up a business but your e-mail address is still "Schmoopie102," who's going to take you seriously as an entrepreneur?
In the age of viral videos and social marketing, we've got to be more vigilant than ever about how we brand ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world. Obviously, this applies to our print materials, business cards, products and packaging. But it also goes for the way we act, communicate and conduct ourselves. (Jamie Lynn Spears, are you listening? So much for your "Britney's sweet, squeaky-clean little sister" brand!)
You've got to guard your personal brand like you're in a casino with hundreds of cameras trained on you. Think back to that scene in the remake of "Oceans 11" with Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. Casino mogul Terry Benedict gets caught on camera betraying Tess and he loses her, because - in the casino - "someone's always watching." Same is true on the wonderful world wide web, so mind your brand!
Keep in mind that anything you say or do - or post for that matter - can and will be used against you at some point down the road. (So much for my potential presidential bid!) Unlike Vegas, what happens Online doesn't just stay online - it could show up just about anywhere, at anytime!
So guard your personal brand closely, and think twice before you post those goofy photos on Facebook!
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Lou Bortone is an author and entrepreneur with extensive experience in marketing, branding and promotion. Today, Lou helps entrepreneurs and solo professionals navigate their online businesses with services such as copywriting, video production and creative services. Visit his websites and blogs at
http://www.LouBortone.com .
