Читать книгу Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn - Neal Schaffer - Страница 12

Before going through the process of creating your LinkedIn Brand, let’s first discuss one of the most talked about terms these days: your brand. What exactly is a brand, you ask? In the Preface, I defined my own brand as something which differentiates me from everyone else in the market.

WindMill WISDOM Your brand is something unique that differentiates you from everyone else. It illustrates your unique skills and experiences and describes, or “brands” these attributes in the appropriate fashion. Ideally, your brand will immediately showcase your unique strengths.

Let us start by thinking about brands of products we see at the supermarket. Produce, for the most part, is not branded. What about cereals? Or soups? Or yogurt? You have many different choices when it comes to buying groceries, but many of us buy based upon a “brand” name. This brand name is formed through the following: TV commercials or other media advertisements, the coloring or imagery of the physical package, and the catchy phrases that are sometimes used in the commercial or on the packaging. There are differences in flavors between each product; however, if we are buying a commodity where something very similar exists, we are buying based upon the branding. If we are buying something more expensive than its competitor, we are putting a premium on that brand.

Another good example is the drug store. You can buy Tylenol or Advil, but now it seems that every drug store has their own comparable “generic” drug on the shelf. If you look at the ingredients of the medicine, they are often exactly the same; however, the price is different. As a result, the feelings we experience when we buy one or the other is very different. We consciously and sub-consciously place value in the name brand or in the inexpensiveness of the generic product. Many people will buy the cheaper alternative, but many others will pay more for the brand name.

If you think of yourself as a brand, your brand value is your salary. If you were competing for the same job as someone with a similar skill set, wouldn’t you want to be paid more for your brand? I think your answer is “yes!” That is why branding yourself is so important. Think about it this way: if you are 40 years old, plan to work until you are 60, and are currently making $100,000 a year, your brand is worth a potential $2,000,000 over the lifetime of your career! That is a brand that you want to manage carefully to maximize its value!

WindMill WISDOM Your brand is your most valuable personal asset. Create it carefully, and utilize social media sites like LinkedIn to develop, broadcast, and even potentially monetize it.

So branding is related to social media, social networking, and LinkedIn? Absolutely! There are 40 million other people on LinkedIn. Don’t you want to be thought of as someone unique—someone with a valuable and distinct brand? What happens if you change your headline from “Technology Sales” to “Savvy Technology Sales Executive” or “Global Sales Director” or “Senior Sales Executive” or even “Experienced Sales Executive”? Each one of these headlines will shed a different light upon your skill set; thus, you will be creating a different brand. In some ways, creating your brand is equivalent to carving out your own niche, so you will want to be careful when deciding on one. It is key to utilize LinkedIn to help create your brand; you then support this brand throughout your profile to make a strong impression on anyone who may come across it. Your branding will also make it easier for people to remember you and help you should the need arise.

No matter what experience you have had, there is bound to be someone similar to you out there. By defining your brand and carving out your niche, you will increase your perceived value. When you communicate with others, you will be viewed as someone who is aware of his or her capabilities, making you harder to forget. While reading this book, particularly the next chapter about creating your LinkedIn Brand, think about your own niche market brand and how you can differentiate yourself throughout your profile. Think of yourself as your own small business.

When you start tinkering with the “Status Update” text box, you can really affect the way your LinkedIn Brand is perceived. What do you think of people who write “I am currently looking for a job” versus someone writing “Spoke to a class of MBA students on entrepreneurialism today.” People will feel differently towards your brand based on what you write. It really is that simple.

You will be able to Windmill Network more effectively with others once you develop a strong brand. It will make it easier for others to help you, as they will clearly understand your LinkedIn Objective. They will also remember you more easily. The same goes for others whom you are trying to help as well.

I highly recommend reading Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand, by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson or Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel to supplement the branding knowledge I present.