Tomorrow's News, Tomorrow's Journalists

TNTJ December: Building a Brand in Three Easy Steps

Have you ever watched a late-night infomercial for some completely inane product – say, a hard-boiled egg slicer – and thought to yourself, “That’s useless… But why do I want it?”

It’s all about the pitch.

Whether or not a product is genuinely suitable or worthwhile to the customer, any good salesperson will tell you that marketing is about making a connection before closing the deal.

Selling your personal product is no different, and making that connection is now more important than ever for journalists as our focus shifts to an online world.

Thus, I present to you three easy steps for building an online brand and successfully marketing yourself – your product – in the year to come.

Step 1: Engage in a Community

At its core, the Web is about communication and, more specifically, communities. Engaging in group conversations is where this technology excels, and to be successful you must excel at taking advantage of that.

Are you on Twitter? Do you belong to any blog rings? What about special interest social networks?

If not, you’re already way behind since participating in conversations relevant to journalism is the best way to get noticed. Figure out how to best manage your involvement with services like these and elbow your way into some groups at the party.

Step 2: Practice Consistency

Having solid talking points is a key to successful salesmanship, and marketing yourself is no different. If you’re not consistent with your message, potential employers or collaborators will not know what to make of you.

Think about these questions: What is your goal? What are your most valuable skills? What do you want to affect?

Consider these things and develop a plan for presenting yourself consistently, whether you’re answering interview questions or tying Web sites together visually. In marketing, consistency is key.

Step 3: Exercise Control

You and only you are in charge of your brand, and that is important to remember on the Web since everybody is on the same playing field. Competition can be fierce, so carefully considering strategy is a valuable use of time.

First of all, do you own your name as a domain? How do you fare in the “Google test?” Is your content search engine optimized? Where is your preferred username taken?

If your answers to any of these questions are not up to par, you risk suffering huge setbacks in establishing, building and/or maintaining your online brand. You’ve got work to do.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

“It’s that easy?”

Building an online brand must not be difficult, but existing as an online brand is not a “set it and forget it” deal (unlike some infomercial products). Selling yourself requires a continued commitment and attention to what’s happening around you.

Being a journalist, though, you shouldn’t have any problem with those requirements. You’ve gathered the information – now do some synthesizing and go build yourself a successful online brand.

Be sure to let us know about your efforts, too!