April 17th, 2012
Back to the Future: Advice for Those Who Hate the Whole Personal Branding Thing
By Carol Cole-Frowe
By Carol Cole-Frowe
There’s so much advice out there these days about personal branding, also known as “Keeping Your Name Out There.”
You know what I’m talking about. You need to Facebook, Linked In, Google Plus, Pinterest, ad nauseum. Who has time for all that? I’m lucky if I can keep up with Facebook and play the occasional Words With Friends game with Alec Baldwin. Maybe update my website every other month if I’m lucky.
I get exhausted thinking about keeping up with all the social media sites, especially if you’re working crazy freelance hours and trying to have a decent family life. And when you’re freelancing – trying to humor a few beloved pro bonos who think you can write their newsletter in no time flat? Every freelancer I know gets pitched at least once a month for pro bono. I don’t know about you, but I like to get paid when I write — except for when I don’t — and I prefer to choose those things, not have them choose me.
My advice is if you want to put yourself out there with the least amount of effort, I’d advise that you do these few things. First, I know what you’re saying. Gosh, Carol, I’ve never heard “get a website” before. But humor me for a minute. Here’s a couple of reasons you need these tools, and I’m just betting you don’t have one or you wouldn’t be reading this. In order of importance:
- A Website is like leaving around a brochure about your wonderful self. It’s static, just sitting there working for you, and waiting for some lovely editor who’s interesting in reading your work. And then if it’s good, it will sell you while you’re napping. You can make one easily with GoDaddy.com, FatCow.com or several other good hosting sites. I’m reasonably technologically challenged and I used FatCow and Drag and Drop Builder to build my website-work-in-progress at carolcolefrowe.com. And tracking my stats, I know a bunch of folks check it out. Categories to consider: About Me or Bio, Portfolio, Photography, Buzz, Blog, Contact Me. If I can do it, you can do it. Bare minimum — get a website.
- List Yourself in the SPJ Freelancer Directory. It works. In fact, I got a stringing job for the New York Daily News only yesterday from the Freelancer Directory that will pay my Society of Professional Journalists memberships for several years to come. List your new website on it.
- Get Professional Business Cards. There are several sites on the web where you can get inexpensive business cards, like VistaPrint. Even better, see if you can trade out your favorite graphic designer some writing for their website for their talents on your’s. Or save up and get a really special individualized card. Make sure you note that you’re a SPJ member and your brand-spankin’-new website, mobile and fax if you have one.
- Blog. I hear the collective groan from here. You don’t have to blog about stuff about your job (unless your boss makes you.) Write about what you love, like hiking or recycling or gardening. Make it a habit to post at least once a week, then post the link on Facebook and Twitter (see below.) When I started seriously blogging at the first of this year about my gastric sleeve surgery and offering compatible recipes, I thought I was writing to myself for awhile, especially since I’m a newbie and still learning. Then all of a sudden I have thousands of visitors who’ve found me from several dozen countries including Russia, Brazil, India, Germany and Australia, and I was the most shocked person out there blogging. Then I monetized it and I’m actually making money writing a blog. Building it is easy and self-explanatory on WordPress or Blogger. Once again, pictures or graphics are key to keeping interest.
- Suck It Up and Get on Facebook, minimum, even if you just use it to occasionally promote something your particularly interested in or your latest freelance article, book or blog. I’ve gotten freelancing jobs from people who wanted to find me and couldn’t figure out any other way than messaging me on Facebook. 160 million users? Not a bad potential audience. I recommend posting pictures, they’re the best point-of-entry into any article and that hasn’t changed. Folks love to look at pictures.
- Twitter. I used to hate Twitter until I got the hang of it. It’s all in the hashtags, which is putting a number sign aka “#” in front of your key word, and you can find anything, complain about anything, reach out for any info, all in 140 characters. When I recently complained about an airline on Twitter, I got a personal letter apologizing for their “glitch.” Do I need to tell you to post pictures?
That’s the bare minimum for “Those Who Hate the Whole Personal Branding Thing.” Now go out and do it. In order.
What are your ideas for personal branding and marketing without sitting all day in front of your laptop?
Carol Cole-Frowe is a full-time independent journalist, based in Oklahoma and North Texas, and vice president of the Oklahoma Pro Chapter of SPJ. Her website is carolcolefrowe.com. Reach her on Twitter at @carolcolefrowe.
Tags: Alec Baldwin, facebook, freelance, GoDaddy, linkedin, New York Daily News, personal branding, Pinterest, SPJ
May 19th, 2012 at 9:03 am
I also have read about this topic extensively in the last copule of months. To expand a portfolio, a designer is often recommended to volunteer work for a choice non profit. Unfortunately, I have seen such design requests moved to Crowdsourced sites as well. Increased output to choose from and a PR buzz.A local nonprofit I support, was looking for a new logo. Unfortunately they chose a contest with a contest site. After giving it a long thought I joined in. The contest drew 500 designs also fueled by submissions from local supporters like me. I won the contest but I am not proud. I can put the logo in my portfolio and the name of the organization creates a buzz, but some people think I am the “contest designer”. I am seriously concerned about the glut of crowdsourcing.Contest sites highly advertise and try to feel hip in the height of social media. It is not the local grocer or tiny startup anymore who uses these sites for designs. More desirable clients read the news as well and strive to join in. I have seen well known companies, such as the GAP, Unilever or Barilla. A contest is used as part of social media to make a brand known. In cases such as the GAP, the contest sourced logo was not even used.Expect more of this to come in the future. Young designers who participate will not learn how to work directly with clients and may consider this a normal way to work. The idea that design is a cheap thing to get, is spreading. I can only tell designers to “not participate”.The lowballed contest prices, that are nowhere near a living wage in the US, will later get you when you are trying to quote your real prices for follow up orders.I suggest legislation to make contest sites to pay the income taxes for every completed design, as most likely none of the contest designers abroad will declare their income to the IRS here.