I hosted a Blab to encourage business owners and personal branders to share their elevator pitch. During this networking event, I had the fortune to meet with people who are authentically trying to enhance the world in which we live in. Now, that’s RAW BRANDED®!
*The video was removed since Blab shut down its operations.
With social media platforms and live streaming on the rapid rise, all business owners and personal brands, need to be prepared to properly make that sell—introduce yourself via an elevator pitch. In case you missed it, discover how these savvy entrepreneurs introduce their brands.
I always say, “If you’re not branding yourself, others will brand you for you.” This is especially essential when attempting to control your reputation. In this article, I outline 7 reputation management tips to help you steer your brand’s image and also cite two cases of unfortunate, bad reputation management. It’s crisis communications at its best!
There are tons of websites and social media platforms dedicated to celebrating, assessing, and rating brands. While you can’t please everyone, what’s a brand (personal or biz related) to do if people start trashing you? The negative comments can come in the form of a disgruntled employee, unsatisfied customer, or just about anyone. It may be your inkling to ignore them, but guess what? You can’t and definitely shouldn’t, or you may face a situation that will grow in epic proportions. Your best bet is to be proactive, if feasible. Relax. Read. Relate. Release! Here’s whatcha do:
Take note of what you find and the rankings of this information. You should be aware of what people are saying about you in the cyber world. While I often believe that other people’s opinions of you is none of your business, you still need to know whether people are overtly trashing you and actively shaping other people’s perception of your image. Heaven forbids if this information ranks higher than your website and social media spaces! Don’t let this negativity become people’s first impression of you.
If you can start a blog, please do so. It’s not only a way to establish yourself as a thought-leader, but it also serves as a platform to iron out the faulty details and share your side of the story in the event that push comes to shove (watch how I creatively butcher this phrase in my video!). Use your blog as an instrument to inform people if something has been recalled or needs clarification, but also make sure to spread this news on your social networks in case your blog isn’t frequented as often as desired.
Secure your brand’s name on platforms that you plan on using or anticipate growing. It is best practices to secure your name on all platforms, but I realize that this may not be realistic for most people. At the very least, lock it down where your audience will flock for information. This will enable you to avoid the fictitious version of you Tweeting, Instagramming, Scoping, Blabbing, etc. information that conflicts with your brand’s image. Hurry, no, run to your social media platform (after reading this article and subscribing 🙂 ) and secure your brand’s profile name!
Remember that YouTube is currently the #2 biggest search engine that’s out there. If people are searching for a topic that you cover, you want your information (via video) to pop up in the search results thanks to YouTube. Do at least one introductory video, so you set the tone and make your official introduction to your audience. If there is a crisis, you can use YouTube to shape and control the messaging.
Get an expert who can speak on your behalf and craft the message on your blog, YouTube/social media platforms, live stream, press releases, etc. Your expert should be able to dry your tears and hold your hand as you navigate through these muddy waters.
It may take a village to control the damage. Your team should help you to shape your messaging in ways that will address your audience’s, particularly your disgruntled audience’s, needs. It’s perfectly okay if you need the pros to handle your damage control.
This one should really be first and foremost, since you should use it throughout your reputation management efforts. Don’t lie about a situation or deny your audience’s feelings about you, your services, or your product. People will discover the truth and will look at you differently. You may even lose your fans. If you messed up, this is the perfect time to fess up. It’s easier said than done, but it’ll save you heartaches and pain in the long run. Plus people really appreciate and are forgiving of those who sincerely (keyword sincerely) apologize for their faults. Be RAW BRANDED® and authentic in your apology.
Once again, in my video, I note two examples of unfortunately handled PR crises. Please listen and learn from these stories. Once again, no one is perfect. The best we can do is be preventive and learn from others. Most importantly, be authentic in who we are and in our relations with others. Be RAW BRANDED®!
Calling all introverts! Calling all introverts! Despite misconceptions, there is power in being an introvert. Let me briefly breakdown psychologist Carl G. Jung’s definition of introvertism and extrovertism and explain how you can utilize your personality trait for brand building.
First things first—we are not shy! For us introverts, we’re in a constant state of energy maintenance. We need to balance the conservation and use of our energy, so our brand reflects our best selves. We’re the reflective folks who rely on our inner monologue to navigate the world. This compass is contrasted by the ones used by our extroverted/ extroverted friends, who need constant conversations and stimulation to help shape and make sense of the world. They gain understanding from actions taken outside of the self, unlike us introverts, who need to think before we do.
For us introverts, too much stimulation creates stress, which is why many of us are phobic of small talk. However in this extroverted world, we can’t let others miss the power of our introverted brand. Don’t let others mistake our poker face aka deep thinking demeanor for being withdrawn. Instead, we need to communicate our strengths to our beloved extroverts. Bottom line: People are different, and that’s okay! Let’s leverage this to make magic happen.
If you’re a “look before you leaper,” take note of these overall tips for your personal and business branding:
If you’re thinking about broadcasting your brand through streaming video or public speaking, have no fear! This may not be the most comfortable space for you, but here are five tips to help your brand to shine.
I break down these five tips in my video (above). If you need more details on defining introvertism, I recommend the following books (below are affiliated links):
by Susan Cain – This is a good, recent read which easily defines introvertism and its strengths.If you’re still unsure of what category you fall under (and yes, it is possible to overlap), take Psychology Today‘s Extroversion Introversion Test. You can also check out the Myers Briggs’ Personality Type Indicator, which was created by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Briggs, based on the theories of psychologist Carl G. Jung and includes 16 personality types. This will give you some insight into your personality traits.
FYI—I am an INFJ aka “the advocate or counselor,” which is perhaps why I enjoy helping others to leverage their strengths.
What’s your personality type? Your trait may inform ideal ways to manage your business or personal brand. Chime in below or follow me on Twitter, Periscope, and Instagram at @reneewalkerraw.
For tips on live streaming, join my Facebook Live course.
In this follow-up video, I continue to explain the importance of your brand’s story. You’ll find a couple of actionable tips that can help you to begin crafting your story. This one requires a bit of reflection on yourself and your audience, as you search for connectors between the two. Use the standard story arc to identify your struggles and highlights then market, market, market your authentic, raw brand!
