Me 2.0 and blogging your brand (especially if you are in your 20s)

I'm now in my 40s. Thinking back to when I was in my 20s, what I recall about personal branding was basically this: Don't get noticeably drunk in public, carry business cards at all times (this was pre-Twitter after all), and wear a suit and tie to work (my first few jobs were on Wall Street).

Man oh man, has personal branding come a long way!

Especially for those of you who are now in your 20s, personal branding is more important than ever. Of course, the tools of personal branding on the Web make things much different than when I was scribbling my 140 characters on the back of a business card.

Brand authenticity and its communication through social media are two of the hottest ideas in business today. In his new book Me 2.0 which officially releases today, my friend Dan Schawbel shows exactly why these important trends apply to the brand called 'you,' and why you need to pay attention to how you market yourself to others. I wish I had access to a book like this when I was in my 20s!

Dan also released a free ebook called Blogging your Brand, which I recommend to anyone who is doing online personal branding (even if you’re not in your 20s).

Besides being a personal branding guru, Dan also works at EMC.

I'm intrigued by what Dan has learned about being a go-getting twenty-something in a large organization. Dan and I have discussed this several times in the past, but this time, I wanted to capture the conversation to share with you:

DMScott: Dan, you're a young person making a big difference at a large corporation. But I hear from so many people in their 20s who tell me that they find it really tough to get noticed. What advice do you have?

Dan Schawbel: "Most people my age are afraid to take risks, we're given the same traditional advice in college that is not as applicable anymore and don't embrace their age in the first place. Being young has a lot of advantages, namely the fact that you have the least amount of responsibilities, the most amount of choices and time to make a lot of mistakes. The sooner young professionals start holding themselves accountable for their career, the better off they will be. In my new book, Me 2.0, the major theme is this idea of "commanding your career," where you take charge, instead of relying on your company, parents or teachers to guide you (although mentorship is important).

Social technologies have enabled us, regardless of age, to position ourselves so that we can get paid for doing something we're passionate about. In order to get noticed, you have to be known for something. To do that, you have to select a niche that aligns both your passion with expertise. Then start actively contributing content, either video or text, over a period of time on that niche topic, while joining social networks and constantly marketing yourself by commenting on blogs."

DMScott: Many large companies ban employees from using social media sites like YouTube and Facebook at work. What would you say to an employee who works for a company that bans social media? And what would you say to the bosses?

Dan Schawbel: "Social media in the workplace is inevitable, especially because 80 million millennials are already communicating with each other using these tools. Large companies, and I know you agree with this, will cease to exist in the future, unless they embrace and encourage these tools today. Many companies have already implemented social networks for their employees, such as my company, EMC, and other large technology companies with global workforces.

It's really hard to tell an employee to quit their job right now because their company bans social media (economic reasons), but I would recommend that they start "exploring other opportunities" or network with other professionals, regardless. How managers behave directly impacts the experience younger workers have with their company. If managers don't allow social networks, then it's very conflicting and young employees will start to lose enthusiasm for working in that corporate environment and leave sooner rather than later."

DMScott: How do you define personal branding and why is it important?

Dan Schawbel: "Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. Each and every one of us has a brand because we are constantly being judged based on first impressions. Also, we are forced to sell our ideas and unique abilities to all stakeholders inside a company or as an entrepreneur. Personal branding is critical in a world filled with clutter, competition and ambiguity. To be a brand means to use similar branding strategies that corporations and products use to create an experience - a friendship - with an audience. People trust people, and will therefore be more inclined to purchase your product or hire you based on their relationship with you or what they hear about you."

DMScott: Can personal brands lend to the success of companies?

Dan Schawbel: "The necessity for personal brands will always increase, as marketing budgets decrease (in this recession) and the need to spread messages through social media accelerates. Social media is free at the cost of your time and employees with strong personal brands and networks can help you market your ideas, products, service and even executives easily and effectively. It can also create a viral effect. By hiring someone who is already a major influencer in your industry, you're gaining that credibility, following and platform. In return, personal branding must be encouraged and rewarded because it takes a lot of time, energy and care. Personal brands own their reputation, and that reputation is transferable between companies. Companies can use that reputation to close deals, reach the press and become a stronger brand."

DMScott: Thanks Dan. Good luck with the new book!

Comments

[Heather K. Margolis]

Wow, the eBook is incredibly helpful. Having just started my own blog and consulting services I have a long to-do list. Thanks for the post!

[Emily Sheetz]

Thanks for this post. I am exactly who this post and this book are talking to. I am a twentysomething who has tapped into creating an online presence in order to enrich my real world presence. It is working famously. I highly encourage anyone in my shoes to do exactly (carefully!) what this book is saying. It is uber impressive to potential employers to see that I am on the front lines of innovation. In a lot of ways, blogs/twitter/facebook are the new, holistic resume.

[Sam Amsterdam]

I am a twenty-something public relations consultant with a knack for prescribing applications to the corporate sector on strategic integration in to emerging markets. A book like this looks truly worthwhile with regard to getting my presence known, increase my blog (www.corporateforeignpolicy.com, by the way) readership and position my networking strategy. Look forward to checking it out!

[Jun Loayza]

David, I read your book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, during the Fall of 2007. Man did it change my life!

You are the reason I started a blog and have been able to build such a strong name for myself in my community.

Best of all, I remember sending you an email right after I finished reading your book, and you emailed me exactly 3 hours after I had sent it. Thank you so much for that.

I want to share the exclusive video interview I did with Dan Schawbel with you and your readers. You can check out the video interview here http://bit.ly/G7dG

Thanks David. I hope you and your readers benefit immensely.

- Jun Loayza

[Tobias Singer]

Thanks for this great interview! "Me 2.0" is one of the books I'm genuinely excited about. I'm also in my 20s and even though I learned a lot about branding at university, the idea of "personal branding" has never been a topic. It is fascinating how branding rules apply to our personal brands as well.

There is only one thing in the interview I don't agree with: I don't think large companies that don't embrace social media will cease to exist. I'd certainly appreciate if they did, but I don't believe it's going to happen. The reason for that is very simple: There are quite a few big companies that do such a bad job at branding and marketing, but still get by pretty well. As much as I hate to say it, there are some other factors that keep these companies alive.

Don't get me wrong, I really think it's important for companies to enable their employees to use social media tools and I hope more companies will do it in the future.

[Amelia]

What about people who don't want to share every minute detail of their personal life? For example my sister is a primary school teacher and had a friend request from a child's parent - this compromised her position in the school. I agree social media is good for some people but it can't be for everyone.

[Tom]

Great point about the increasing importance of personal branding. In the future I believe we will see a shift from brand message to those behind the brand message. By that I mean, you look at the influence of Steve Jobs (apple), his word is the brand. These superstars will begin to emerge in other corporations as the individual is given more freedom and opportunity to be an individual.

[Candace]

I'm way beyond my 20's but found Dan's e-book to be extremely helpful. I'm the director of marketing for a real estate company and his e-book is a must-read for all of our agents who are thinking about or currently blogging. Thanks for sharing.

[Sally Martin]

Hi David:

I found your blog post and the advice from Dan to be very helpful! I am a student at Clemson University and am in a Public Relations Class. We have learned about the phenomenon of blogging and the many benefits if done properly. I have created a blog (for class and personal) but am still seeking to discover my place/niche in the "blog world"- I feel this might be the most difficult part, especially for students, as we are still trying to find our voice. Also, starting to build a personal brand right now, in my 20's, is very valuable advice.

I have subscribed to your blog and will share this with classmates. Also, I plan to order Dan's book, Me 2.0, and can't wait to read it!

Sally Martin
sallym@clemson.edu

[Tony Faustino]

David: Thank you for this very helpful interview with Dan Schwabel and his new book, Me 2.0. I downloaded his eBook and and plan on re-reading it again because it was filled w/ many great insights(like your eBooks, New Rules of Marketing & PR, and World Wide Rave).

I've purchased Me 2.0 from Amazon and can't wait to till it hits my mailbox. I am a 43 year-old marketing professional (still gamefully employed - knock on wood), and the reason yours and Dan's work clearly resonates with me is in how you both demonstrate that we all have the opportunity to leverage Web 2.0 and "re-brand" or "reinvent" ourselves as thought leaders or subject matter experts.

My sincere thanks and safe travels while you're in New Zealand.

[Common Japanese words]

This is something that should be covered in college, with at least an entire course devoted to it.

[Jeannie]

Hi David,

I'm in the middle of reading Me 2.0, and will definitely check out the eBook. While I'm not in my 20s, I think there's something in Me 2.0 for everyone!