How To Create a Brand YOU Out of Your Social Media? The display picture is the face of brand YOU and so it deserves a share of your attention

What if I ask you to search for your own name on Google?

How will you react to the results?

Before I go on, I want you to realise and acknowledge that most of these links will redirect the user to your social media channels.

Now, imagine one of your potential employees, investors or customers searches for your name. They are performing this drill to know you before they enter a deal with you!

Are you okay with what they will get to know about you from each of your social media accounts?

If not, this is where you need to rethink and revamp your strategy because your social media stand for brand YOU.

And if you are grinning over the fact that you are socially inactive online, this is an alarming tone for you as well!

Kindly realise that I am not asking you to completely shut off or end sharing your personal life on your accounts. All I am trying to point is the need to know the DOs and DON'Ts.

It is for you to decide if you want your potential investor or customer to find your rants or see the professional side of yours? Finally, this leads us to an important point, "HOW to regulate your social media to market the brand YOU?

Here are #7 things that will help you lift the game of your personal branding:

1. Know How You Want To Be Known!

Before you even start, you need to finalise the direction of this journey. Let us compare it with the new product you are about to launch in the market. You acquaint yourselves with the basic know-how and then hit the market with it. Similarly, before launching yourself right on social media, you should know how you want to be known!

2. Involve Yourself in Social Media Conversations

The success of your product is determined by the number of active users it has engaged. While working on the creation of brand YOU, you need to focus on engaging users in productive conversations. Do not just participate in the threads of your knowledge and interest but also initiate few yourselves from your account. Do realise that there will be low engagement initially but over the span of time, you will gain the momentum.

3. Join LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn groups are the best way to expand your domain if you are looking for personal branding. Such groups have a huge potential and incorporate many industry professionals. You can utilise such groups to push your agenda in a creative manner.

4. Focus on Value Edition

This activity of branding yourself is more about how much you give than you consume. If you return the worth of time to the people, you are already leading the game. The content you share or update must be engaging the user in a productive conversation and add value to their personality. At the same time, do not fall prey to the addictive social media algorithms. Your focus should always be on the agenda set in the point 1.

5. The Display Picture

There has been a huge focus on creating the first impression and trust me, your display picture has the potential to leave your first impression. This image is the face of brand YOU and this is why it deserves a share of your attention. Chose your display smartly and if possible, pick the same image for all your social media platforms.

6. Do Not Spam

I have already pointed out the importance of adding value and if you indulge in spamming, you are losing a major share of it. Spamming the feed from your start-up's updates or just sharing the posts from your company's page will do no good to you! Technically, such actions are depreciated by the Facebook's algorithm. It hampers the reach as well as the engagement.

7. How Often Do You Write?

Ask this question to yourself! Blogging your views is one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience and convey your vision. As an entrepreneur or a founder, it is always an added bonus to convey your thoughts on different topics.

This covers the major attempts you need to make to strengthen the brand YOU.

So, when are you starting?