Branding is usually associated with big businesses, companies and products. But have you considered that you represent your own personal brand?

Chances are you have already created a digital footprint through interacting on social media, posting on forums and uploading images to apps like Instagram.

Have you thought about your online activity as a permanent representation of what you believe in and stand for? Your brand represents who you are as a person and what you want to achieve in your career. 

Everything you write, create or publish on the internet will stay with you, and that's why it's so important to understand the personal brand you portray.

"The question is no longer IF you have a personal brand, but if you choose to guide and cultivate the brand or to let it be defined on your behalf"  - Shama Hyder , Forbes

Have you ever Googled yourself? Try it and see what comes up. The first time I did this three years ago I was shocked to find a list of swimming carnival results from when I was seven. Although I’m sure my swim records won’t reflect on how capable I am in my future career, it’s a shock to know this information exists for everyone to see.  A close friend of mine Googled herself for a university assignment and found a modelling portfolio from when she was a child, which she thought had been long deleted by an ex-agent. Not only was finding her portfolio a shock,  she then had to present her findings to her tutorial class. That’s the thing about the internet and our generation, nothing is ever ‘deleted’ and every version of  ‘you’ you portray can be cached on the internet.  How prepared are you for your friends, parents, future partners and potential employees to see everything you've ever done online?

CHALLENGE: Google yourself, how many results do you get? How many are you embarrassed about?  What photos come up under image results? 
 

So why should you build your creative brand?

+ Industry recognition

+ Generates targeted Google results

+ Better career opportunities

+ Networking opportunities

+ More contacts/clients who actively associate with your brand 
 

So, what can you to do improve your personal, creative brand? 
 

Audit yourself online 
 

Now that you've Googled yourself  - How would you describe the person who appears? How would you like to appear?

You could make two of every social media account but Mark Zuckerberg himself said “two identities for yourself is an example of a lack in integrity...the level of transparency the world has now won’t support having two identifies for one person”. Meaning that our lives have evolved so much online that hiding one or creating two versions of you is virtually impossible. 

You alone are the gatekeeper to what you consume and produce on social media. Think consciously about whether sharing your opinions on topics outside of your expertise is something you are willing to risk putting out into cyberspace. It may come back to reflect negatively on you in the future. 

Don’t troll. It is very, very hard to take something back once it has been said on the internet. As you grow and mature in your creative career you may develop new opinion and perspectives. It will become very hard to portray this to your customers if a younger, less accomplished you commented on controversial issues.  

Decide what your core values are

All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.

- Tom Peters, Fast Company

Values determine what people think of you. Are you a comedian in everything you do? Are you witty and revolutionary? Or are you a traditionalist?  Reflect this in what you say and participate in online. Remember, sometimes it’s what you choose to omit that is more important than sharing an opinion on every topic. Communicate openly about you - you are permanently under construction. You need people to recognise your work, your skills and resonate with your art.

Analyse your idols 

Last week I loaned Like a Virgin by Sir Richard Branson from my local library.  I played the audio CD while I was editing and while my mind could focus on both activities. Continually choose to consume media produced by your idols. Follow them on Twitter, look at their websites, look at their marketing campaigns and giveaways. Then do what they did, but better!

Change your privacy settings

+ Change your Facebook security settings

+ View  your Facebook profile as “public” and see what comes up

+ Change your tagged settings so you get a chance to approve tags before they appear linked to your profile

+ Never post your address, and be very careful about geo-tagging your home address in photos and ‘check ins’

+ Be careful about posting specific dates that you are on holidays as people can use it as an opportunity to break into your house. (Again, check how private your posts actually are).

+ If you absolutely need to install a game (guilty as charged) and it asks to post to your wall, make sure you set the publish posts to ‘only me’ that way you won’t be spamming your contacts

+ If you’re looking for jobs, I also recommend you go through your profile in depth, look at your albums, trawl your history and cull, edit and re-vamp your page. 

Brand You

Whether you see an unusual or common name as a blessing or curse you now have the control to brand yourself. If you have a common name you could add your middle initial or go with your first and middle name/s. The most important aspect of branding you is consistency, so make sure you follow through with you name on all social platforms and press.

You too are a brand. Whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not.

- Marc Eckō

You’re a creative entrepreneur. Get creative in as many ways as you can.

+ Create a marketing campaign 

+ Set an email footer that reflects your brand

+ Have your phone voice mail reflect your brand (tone and message)

+ Create Unique Business Cards 

+ Get professional head shots 

+ Pay someone to write your bio: We don't tend to write freely and clearly about ourselves.

+ Long Term – Your online life is as permanent as a Tattoo, your brand might be around longer than your own lifespan, keep it fresh and up to date

Your online life, permanent as a Tattoo by Juan Enriquez 

Have a purpose for everything you share

Your brand develops as you do, but you need to be deliberate about what choices you make from here on in. 

"Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business — in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your “blind” date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto."

- Tim Ferriss

Associate with strong, reputable brands

Who you choose to work for and intern for matters. Your future employers will hire you over someone else if they recognise that you've worked for a brand with strong, reputable values and notable work ethic. Align yourself with businesses, start ups and people that reflect your own personal values.

Create new content

Your internet footprint is permanent, but fear not! You can always create new content to push older posts onto the second page of Google (the depths of the internet). 

Great ways to create new content and push down negative search results are:
 

+ Create a blog and write often

+ Start an online portfolio

+ Start a YouTube channel

+ Start an Etsy store

+ Make a LinkedIn profile

+ Create a Twitter account

+ Create a Google Plus Profile

+ Ask Google for removal 

+  Work hard and keep at it and you’ll eventually create an online brand you are proud to call your own. 

Extension - 

If you have completed the aforementioned points you could look into:

+ Purchasing your own name as a domain 

+ Register your business name with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission 

Good personal and creative branding is an invaluable investment. 

How are you building your personal brand? Do you have any of your own strategies to share?