Online Brand Management

[Karen Swim]

Social media is hot and businesses are using it to engage customers and ignite viral marketing. The trend makes managing your online identity an essential component to your overall branding strategy. Comments posted to forums, blog posts, profile pages on FaceBook, LinkedIn and even your social bookmarks contribute to how your brand is viewed.

It is worthwhile to give consideration to what you write, text, type, endorse, rate and photograph before hitting the enter key on your keyboard. Your rant against Britney Spears could end up in a google search that is viewed by a potential customer.

Inflammatory posts or discussions are not the only problem. Your online brand should ideally attract your target customer. As such all communications should be treated as marketing messages. Do your profiles, yahoo answers, discussion posts, etc accurately reflect the type of business you are to your ideal customer?

We have all become quite comfortable with cyber conversations but we must not grow lax in diligently managing our image and minding our manners at all times.

Karen D. Swim
Words For Hire

[Grace Shell-Stone]

And besides, being eccentric is really cool when you own it! Haven't some of our most favorite wealthiest friends been eccentrics?

[adam fiveson]

Snicker... hee hee.... yep, I'm a charmer.

~A

[Karen Swim]

Ah but some of the outspoken people lack your charm dear Adam. ;-)

[adam fiveson]

LOL... if ONLY I could get that kind of coverage I'd not only get drunk at the party but I'd get naked there too and probably dance on the table.

I do understand what you're saying and I agree that there are some segments of the business world that truly need to heed your warning. (I resist restraint... because it's in my nature to do so)

I am blissfully immune to the issue (thank God) as designers are supposed to be those guys who are wearing the tie die t-shirts and Birkenstocks in the room full of blue suits.

As P.T. Barnum said, "You can say anything you want about me, just make sure you spell my name right!"

I think that there is some truth to this... too. At least if you are in a particularly eccentric or saturated field and you want to stand out among the droves of hacks which also inhabit the marketplace.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard "oh my sister is a web designer too" and how many times I've wanted to reach across the table and smack the certainty that "anyone" can be a writer or an artist off the face of my potential client. So far I have restrained myself from actual assault but I have come close I'll admit.

Instead I must stand out... and stand firm.

Yes, I'm that nutball designer who does an amazing job which couldn't possibly be handled by someone who isn't somewhat psychotic.

Who cares what he thinks about Britt?

That's the goal anyway.

Two days ago I was hired by a client... a big client.

They began the "price" portion of the conversation by telling me how great the exposure would be for me if I worked on this project with them and that I should consider this before giving them a price.

My answer was simple... "Please don't take offense to this but if I needed the exposure I'd get from working with you then I wouldn't be the right guy for this job, it would make me a failure at what I do and have been doing for 22 years... My job is to give YOU exposure. If I get press from this project great, but I do QUITE WELL without your publicity".

My job is to make them successful... not the other way around.

That was all that needed to be said. They signed up and we are now working on their project.

It takes a certain amount of ... ummmm, er..... brass ones.... to take this tone I admit.

But nothing in the world succeeds like success, and I'd take that to the bank.

~A

[Karen Swim]

Adam and this is a great point. I am a big believer in authentic marketing but just as we advise people not to get drunk at the Corporate Christmas party we want to exercise the same restraint with our cyber communications. It's too easy to stick your foot in your mouth these days and have it become the youtube video of the day. ;-)

[adam fiveson]

VERY good point Karen.

I think that I've had a ton of clents google me over the years and I've had clients mention elements of my past or posts I've written that I'm not PARTICULARLY proud of.

That said, I think that people hire a person like me... sometimes because of my outspoken nature. Most of my clients prefer honesty and candor over diplomacy.

My online brand includes all of me, warts and all.

Best,

Adam

[Karen Swim]

ROFL! Or just create a separate identity for the "fun" stuff. ;-)

[Grace Shell-Stone]

Uh oh, Karen. I guess we better clean it up a little then.