January 2015 - Amy DeLouise

Who doesn’t want to polish up their brand for the New Year? Here are five issues and strategies to consider for your brand this year.

1. Storytelling Still Matters. As more and more channels and platforms emerge, a compelling story remains the reason users/viewers stage engaged. Whether you are telling a story with info graphics, with photography, with words or with video, make the story Matter.

2. Beware of New Algorithms. Gmail’s new message organization system is having a big impact on brands who drive customer and donor engagement through email campaigns (i.e. pretty much everyone). Be sure your writing and images (that will be pulled up in Highlights) help users decide your content is relevant to their lives.

2. Get Leadership Engaged in Social Media. Gone are the days when the intern writes your tweets. Customers and donors expect to a personalized experience with your brand’s leadership–whether that is blog posts, tweets or photos on Instagram. Let the Thought Leaders in your institution–your C-Suite team and your Board leaders–have human personalities, and authentic voices.

3. Ask Movers and Shakers for Brand Mentions. The tweet is the modern equivalent of getting an autograph, but more useful for your brand. When one of my nonprofit clients gave a facility tour to Justin Bieber (and encouraged him to tweet about it, which he did), they got 10,000 new followers in a matter of hours. Find out if any key personalities, well-connected customers or donors might be willing to give your brand a shout-out.

4. Location-Based Content is Here to Stay. iHookupSocial.com and yikyak are the latest spawn of location-based apps. While their purpose is different than Foursquare, the motivation is the same–users want content that relates to where they are right at this moment. Think about how your brand can deliver this content in new ways for users–(re)think conference and events, sightseeing in a town, touring a college campus, and more.

Amy is a video content director/producer, speaker and author who mainly cares about telling great stories.

Amy gives a workshop on personal branding.

Forget the gym, it’s time to put your personal brand in workout mode! As the economy picks up steam, you might considering a career move. Or, the kids are grown and you’re getting back into the workforce. Or, you’re ready for the next step in your current career track. Whatever the motivation, here are 5 things I found helpful–plus a few updates–when I repositioned my own brand a few years ago.

1. List Your Success Qualities. A resume is more than a boring list of skills. The personal qualities that make you good at what you do are what employers (and clients) look for even more. So whether or not you’re currently in a job you plan to keep on doing, think about what qualities allow you to succeed. Here are some examples: stick-to-it-iveness, loyalty, team-builder, team leader, calm under pressure, strategic thinker, behind-the-scenes organizer, detail person, etc. Put your list together, then define–on a piece of paper, even!–exactly how these qualities can apply to the new job or career path you’re interested in.

2. Develop Personal Examples. When I was an employer, I used the “STAR” method to seek out these qualities in prospective employees, asking them to give me examples of a challenging Situation, what Tasks they determined needed to be accomplished to resolve the situation, what specific Actions they took, and what was the Result or outcome of their actions. As a prospective employee, or someone looking to re-position, you’ll need to show how your qualities can help you–and your employer–succeed. Examples of past performance are a great way to demonstrate your value.

3. Practice a (New) Elevator Pitch. When people ask “what do you do?” make sure you incorporate what you Want to be Doing, not just what you currently do. So, you could answer “I’m a graphic designer specializing in animation, and I’m transitioning from corporate training to broadcast design.” OR “I’m the Executive Manager of a family of six, and I’m putting my organizational ninja skills to work as an educational administrator.” Even if you have not arrived yet, speaking about where you want to be is essential to the re-branding process.

4. Use Your Social Media Voice. Maybe you have a lot of detailed knowledge about a field, so it’s time for a blog to better position yourself as an expert. Or a microblog on Twitter in which you curate other content in your field and post helpful links. Or you want to show off your new business venture, so you should be posting daily pics on Instagram, and reposting via Twitpic and on Facebook. Or create Pinterest page. The key to making your social voice heard is offering content and insights that others find helpful. Social media has leveled the playing field, giving every entrepreneur and employee the same platform as large corporate players and celebs. So use it!

5. Leverage Linked In. Despite being launched before Facebook, and despite new interface upgrades that have made it more user-friendly, Linked In seems like the forgotten step-sister of the social media world. And yet HR professionals say they turn to LI consistently when filling positions. So take some easy steps on this network: build your profile, ask for recommendations, connect to Groups (at a Minimum, your college alumni group and at least one or two industry groups–the one you’re in or the one you want to be in). You can also use the powerful Search tool to find people within your own network who work in the field you want to be in, or even in the very company you are interested in.

And, just because I have one coming up, here’s a bonus tip:

6. Attend Reunions. When people are out of work or re-positioning their careers, often the last thing they want to do is attend a reunion (where everyone asks “What do you do?”). But here is the perfect place to practice your New elevator pitch! And more importantly, reunions give you a place to listen to others about what they do or don’t like about their fields, what qualities make someone successful in that field. So raise a glass with your classmates, who can help you find your way.

The New Year is a time for great new opportunities, and for us all to re-invent ourselves a bit. Go out there and enjoy your personal re-brand. It’s time!

Amy DeLouise is a speaker, brand consultant and multimedia producer who has often had to re-invent herself.