Social Media: A Better Way to Approach "Branding" Yourself
In this post, I am going to suggest a model to you that will hopefully help you to see social media branding in a different perspective and even more hopefully, allow yourself to feel happier on steemit and thrive on this platform.
I've read a lot of posts in the past couple months suggestive of "branding" yourself here on steemit so your audience knows what to expect, etc. Blah de blah blah. Now, I can see some merit in the concept. The tone of your writing and the way you convey yourself (your online persona) should not change, otherwise you come across as disingenuous, unsure of yourself, or wishy - washy. No one wants that.
My issue with "branding" is that Steemians don't need to feel like they have to fit into a specific "category " to be successful here. There are some Steemians that do, and you will see them rarely if ever deviate from that area (i.e. homesteading, technology, crypto trends.... etc.) That is perfectly fine and acceptable, particularly when the individual happens to excel in said area. However, it is not the only way. When I read certain posts, I feel like some are getting way too caught up on this. You do not have to be just one thing on steemit!!
(PS. I want to reinforce if you are a blogger of a specific topic only that is awesome. Most likely, you will be able to impart some great knowledge!!)
But, honestly, at times when I read about social media branding I think, what am I, a pair of levi jeans??
No, I'm not!! I'm me!! There's not another person on the face of this planet exactly like me. Or you! We are all unique.
So, getting to the meat and potatoes here, what's a better way to think of branding yourself? Below, I will list out five key characteristics and you will see that they do not have to all lead back to one centralized topic.
Identity - as I said above, your online persona shouldn't change. Example- your behaviours/mannerisms on one platform should not present wildly different from those on another.
Attributes - when you see a Steemian you follow avatar pop up on your screen, what comes to mind as far as personality? Are they empathetic, witty, quirky, analytical? Something should come to mind...
Vision - what's important to this person when it comes down to each and every blog they publish? To me, I see two main categories here on steemit presenting themselves at the moment: 1) genuine people interested in the long term investment of time onto a platform that has unrealized value/ those that have no interest in adding anything remotely resembling rubbish on here. 2) the exact opposite of that. The get rich quickers. The voting cliques. The BS you can smell from a mile away....
Values - related to vision. You should get at least a general idea of an individual's values - belief system, ideologies, morality, etc...
Trust - you should never for a second scratch your head and wonder, wait was this @chelsea88 who wrote this? You should come to trust the Steemians of whom you invest your time into following. There shouldn't be dichotomies spotted, or wildly differing writing styles or mannerisms.
To wrap things up, you can use the model I presented above, which is actually a business model, as sort of a guide if you feel you're floundering on steemit. What you have to say or blog about should never feel forced or like it is a chore. It should just flow. If not, blog about a different topic. Your readers will be able to tell if you were having a "hard time" blogging about a specific topic. If you're having a creative block, brainstorm, come back to it later.
Hope this is helpful! Would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment if so inclined!
Image source 1: http://www.the-standard.org/life/branding-becomes-new-popular-body-art-trend/article_c854fdc2-0594-5302-93ff-cf6019c2a062.html
Image source 2: https://giphy.com/search/head-shaking
Image source 3: google image
Image source 4: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/personal-brands-how-go-enhancing-your-brand-milton-carrasco
Image source 5: http://www.dinardaily.net/t53947-adminbill-color-code-defined-how-to-hack-your-own-poop
I'd just put it simply: be true to yourself (for which one has to know oneself). I think you can have a wide range of interests, as long as your true interest is showing. For example, I only posted one crypto related article, and even that was not so great. Why? Because I'm clearly not that passionate and knowledgeable about it as other things.
Nice to "see" you again @stortebeker. Yup, I agree! My interests are so variable.... from fitness, art, health and wellness, psychology, nature, cats, photography, etc. So it is hard to brand myself to one specific area. Hope you're doing well
Glad to see you on Steemit Dreamit. I'll swing by your blogs later to see whatcha been up to :)
Yeah, I haven't been anywhere, just everywhere a little bit. :-) But there are so many levels of "following" somebody, as you probably know. I still need to establish a sort of regular routine, don't want to do everything at the same time, nor spread myself too thin. But you know what? It was such a nice surprise to be greeted with my own post by someone on steemit dreamit. :-) That definitely seems like a cool place.
@stortebeker Yeah i feel you. I need to establish a routine also. Its easier when the dreemians (we shall call them) post on the page easier for me to keep track on peoples posts lol
Well, I already like it. It's nice to find more interesting post to curate, and give myself more exposure. Comments and replies will develop organically, and draw us even closer. So thanx for providing this venue for it.
Yep that's the whole point the promotion of organic followings. :)
super awesome article thank you:)
Glad it could help you:)
I definitely think it's important to have a clear idea of how you present yourself to the world. But I don't believe that that means you have narrow your focus to a one dimensional string of posts that start to blend together after a while. And I totally agree with trying to keep the same style of writing while trying to cover a wider variety subject (which is what I like to do). Sometimes the hardest part is figuring out what to write about.
A very helpful post😊
Yeah, in so far as what you write about, I currently have two topics on my horizon. One heavy, one not. Neither one I am yet in the mood to actually write about, but I will. If I write about it when my mind isnt fully wrapped it (mood wise) you can forget it. As I said, shouldn't feel forced
Yes, yes, and yes! When the values, principles, mission, intent - whatever you want to call it - comes through without it feeling like it was forced, then there is a connection. And when that connection gives me insight about the human condition that helps me to be more than I am, even if just a little bit, I have found a friend at some level.
Yes, it's all about being your authentic self, that's how you really make those connections at the friendship level. Nice to see you @thymewisper, hope all is well!
A real cowboy....!! Your cows need to distinguish who their master is, that's why you need to do that.
Did you read the whole post?
I'm talking about the first image...!! It's to much read for me. Sorry. only read picture and short posts.
I Just read it and I love it