After just 3 years since its creation, Twitter has taken off as one of
the most popular social media platforms.
Opportunities for personal branding have increased and businesses and individuals
are taking advantage of developing
mainstream status using this tool. With Twitter,
the potential reach of our personal brands is wider, but given its mass use the
world over, it is harder to gain recognition.
Ashton Kutcher has proved the power of Twitter as a personal branding tool – as it stands, he has 2 109 454 followers. He constantly updates his status and gives insight into his and his wife, Demi Moore’s life. He even tweeted a picture of the lovely Ms. Moore in her undies – this subsequently went viral on the net and resulted in an increase in followers. He has since spoken on the topic of Twitter on the Oprah Show and in various TV interviews.
Twitter can be whatever YOU want it to be! In his case, Ashton Kutcher
needed global popularity to increase his pulling power at the box office. You
may, however, want to use Twitter to gain loyal followers who are ready to connect with you, your brand or your
knowledge.
You need to decide what you want
out of social networking – do you want to increase numbers or further your
field of engagement? You then need to decide what kind of presence you would
like to establish - whether you are a personal
connector or a broadcaster.
Personal branding is all about perception
and what people are going to associate with you. Nowadays, with the
emergence of social media platforms, people prefer to connect with other people
rather than with a corporate brand. Branding is a way to make yourself memorable, whether you are an individual or a
company.
When it comes to personal branding on Twitter, there are some things you
should keep in mind.
- Listen to the online
conversation and participate – you
will be able to use tools like Twitter
search to distinguish between the “signal and the noise”. By finding
out what the “signals” are, you will find opportunities to engage in the
conversations. Another way for companies to encourage participation in
this new communication medium is to use Twitter to hold contests.
- Your content shapes your brand – what
you choose to tweet will shape your brand on Twitter. Be aware that once
you tweet, your content will be out there for people to find forever.
- Build a community – just like
Mr. Kutcher who found an audience that is interested in what he had to
offer through his tweets. The chances are, your market is already out
there on Twitter – by building an online presence, you will be able to
engage with your niche market.
- Always look to
expand your visibility – you
will be able to expand your visibility if you make a conscious effort to
make yourself visible to the right group of people and influencers.
Twitter is only one channel of social media, tools like LookupPage and Google
Profiles can further your audience reach and visibility.
- Build and
nurture relationships – as a
broadcasting tool, Twitter is great when it comes to reaching thousands of
people in one swoop. It also makes you and your brand more reachable. Engage and respond to
tweets directed at you, ask questions and answer them.
Twitter is not the only tool that can assist your personal branding
efforts – there are various other channels that can help you establish and monitor your online brand
identity. By enhancing your personal
branding efforts with tools such as LookupPage and Twitter, you will gain a
competitive advantage over others
who offer similar services and encourage more people to talk about you.
It worked for Ashton Kutcher, now make it work for you.
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