Effective Social Media Branding Techniques for Personal and Corporate Success

Note: This post was first published on November 22, 2010.

Social media is transforming the world in ways many have never imagined. We see new connections forming out of seemingly thin air. With more profile integration than ever before, it’s crucial to understand how to manage your digital personality.

Branding isn’t just for corporations; it applies to individuals as well. It feels great to build an online presence. Using tools like Twitter, Facebook, and Google, it’s easy to develop a digital representation of yourself. This is invaluable when meeting new people and showcasing your talents to the world.

In this article, I’ll cover some guidelines for building the core of your social media presence. There are many applications to choose from, and it’s exciting to watch your profile pages mature over time.

The Benefits of Social Media

The most notable benefit is the vast market share. Social networking websites contain the largest number of connections and command the most attention from their users. Adding a presence in this sea of data is a fantastic way to meet interesting new people and be seen by many others.

A significant segment of users is hooked into the mobile market. The number of people accessing Facebook and Twitter from mobile phones has risen drastically over the past few years. This group is typically young, energetic, and passionate about these services.

The benefits of using social media will vary for each person. The real-life connections we can build by networking with others hold immense potential. The world is a lot smaller than it was a century ago, and this system continues to tighten with each passing month.

Leveraging Facebook

Known as “the social network,” Facebook has seen remarkable growth, recently surpassing 500 million users. It’s a great platform to brand yourself if you want to stay in touch with close contacts.

Those not looking to join a global network should consider other platforms. Most young and middle-aged people in industrialized areas have a Facebook account and regularly update their friends.

If you value staying connected with friends from high school, college, or work, Facebook is an excellent network to start with. It provides easy access to sharing photos and personal interests. You can also share your email and phone number with select contacts. Facebook offers instant messaging, a feature not widely found elsewhere.

Facebook Connect allows for seamless integration with other websites, letting you register and create accounts without filling out forms. By accepting the connection, your profiles are bound together, eliminating the need to remember multiple passwords.

Tweeting for Engagement

Twitter is a powerful network for socializing. Many prominent figures run active Twitter accounts. Unlike Facebook’s one-to-one network, Twitter offers open access to information by default.

Twitter allows for straightforward branding. All you need is a name, bio, and a defining avatar. Following 100-200+ accounts can reveal the real benefits of the Twitterverse. Conversations and news happen in real-time and can be shared instantly.

Twitter also enables mini-celebrity status. By creating an account and gaining followers, your name can grow rapidly. You can @reply to some of your favorite people, starting chains of conversations that can lead to anything. It’s an open connection to the largest community in the world!

Exploring Social News

Websites like Digg and Reddit offer news like never before. Stories can go viral quickly, attracting a mass audience of internet-savvy young adults.

Since Digg’s v4 release, the community has seen significant changes, with many users switching to Reddit. It’s worth creating accounts on both platforms as they offer unique opportunities.

Competing Online Platforms

Digg’s model focuses on marketing and sharing articles, with a new system resembling Twitter’s followers/following structure. Adding influential users to your network and voting on their stories can build trust and a powerful brand.

Reddit, on the other hand, is built around various news topics. Users can subscribe to unique categories called “sub-reddits,” covering diverse interests like finance, cooking, and fitness. If a sub-reddit doesn’t exist, any user can create one and become its moderator.

Reddit operates on a democratic system where only the most popular news rises to the top. While branding potential is lower due to semi-lackluster profile pages, the amount of valuable content flowing through the site daily more than compensates for it. Spend a few days exploring the site to see how it compares to Digg.

StumbleUpon: A Curiosity-Driven Network

StumbleUpon, now experiencing significant growth, offers a database of millions of tagged URLs, including blog articles, images, videos, and more. By creating a Stumble account and selecting your interests, the algorithm will show you targeted pages.

The community is powered by a few heavy users and a minor sub-power user base to submit new content. As you stumble and review more posts, new community members will discover and subscribe to your profile.

With more subscribers, you can share articles with all or select few. Those with the most subscribers see significant traffic increases and command substantial marketing power, making branding essential.

Completing profile traits such as name, bio, and contact details gives a sense of connectivity to visitors who may subscribe. A custom avatar is always a good idea. Matching your avatars across other profiles like Digg or Twitter can create a cohesive branding scheme.

Writing and Blogging

Not everyone enjoys writing, but bloggers write because they find the process exhilarating. Today, we have more blogging platforms than ever before.

WordPress and Blogger offer open platforms where you can blog for free. They host your content and provide a selection of free themes. This is a great option if you don’t want to buy your domain just to catalog your writing.

Though graphical branding in blogging is minimal, sharing your writing openly with the world is a personal decision. It isn’t for everyone as it requires time and commitment. Writing can take a few hours every day or week and may become tiring over time.

Try building a practice blog before committing to full-time blogging. An interesting alternative is Tumblr, a dynamic form of blogging. Tumblr allows you to re-blog posts from the people you follow with the click of a button. Bloggers often share photos and animations instead of long articles, giving the Tumblr community its charm.

Keeping Your Information Engaging

Consistent, reputable information gives your brand credibility on all profiles. When you have fans across multiple social networks, it’s crucial to maintain a consistent image.

Ask yourself what people want to know about you. What type of information do you seek on others’ profiles? How can you best express yourself to someone you’ve never met?

Branding and marketing are long-term efforts that require daily attention. Setting up accounts across social networks is just one step. Real change comes from actively participating in these networks. If you find value in Twitter, keep tweeting. If you enjoy Facebook, connect as often as it feels right.

Memorability is key. Avoid complex usernames, generic profile photos, and lack of data about yourself. Make your profile stand out by being unique and engaging. Keep strong connections with those you value and remember that technology is only a tool. Social networks are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.