branding for journalists: you being you online

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Creating your brand

Robin J. Phillips, Digital Director, Reynolds Center for Business Journalism | March 5, 2013

+What you will learn

n  How to identify what your brand is now.

n  Ways other journalists manage their online images.

n  How to get started: Identify your strengths, know your goals.

n  Understanding your personal brand promise.

n  Practical ways to take charge of your image online.

+Creating your brand

n  Do people really talk like that?

n  Is this just a buzz phrase?

n  Isn’t branding just marketing?

n  I am shy.

n  Isn’t branding just selling out?

n  … and why should you trust me?

+Robin J Phillips | About Me

n  @RobinJP | RobinJPhillips.com | Robin.Phillips@asu.edu

n  Digital Director, The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism

n  Former business editor @ BusinessWeek, Newsday, others

n  Co-founder, #wjchat, weekly online web journalism discussion

n  Co-founder of Perfect Moment Project

n  Journalism professor, Cronkite School, Arizona State University

n  Master’s candidate, ASU

+ Key points about personal branding n  People have an image of you … whether you like it or not.

n  It’s important for you to know who you are.

n  Journalists need to take control of their image.

n  Your brand can be as simple as You Being You… online.

n  Your brand or how you live your life online, good and bad, stays around a long time.

n  … and we’ll look at how some journalists handle their online image.

+Why branding now?

n  Historically, journalists’ reputation were closely aligned with that of their employers.

n  The promotion of our work was left up to our news organizations’ marketing departments as part of the overall branding strategy.

n  In large part, reporters were comfortable letting the work speak for itself.

It’s not selling out

+Why branding now?

n  Historically, journalists’ reputation were closely aligned with that of their employers.

n  The promotion of our work was left up to our news organizations’ marketing departments as part of the overall branding strategy.

n  In large part, reporters were comfortable letting the work speak for itself.

It’s not selling out

That’s all changed.

+So what is branding?

+Differentiate yourself

Brand Commodity

+Personal brand = relationship

Personal brand is a collection of perceptions someone else has which describes the experience of having a relationship with you.

If you are not branding yourself, you can be sure others are doing it for you. You might as well grab hold of the wheel and drive.

+Your brand

1)  If I brought up your name with people who are familiar with you and your work, what would be the first things likely to pop into their heads?

2)  If someone at work suggested including you on a project, what would come to mind for them?

That is your brand

+ Not just about being Googleable

.. but that’s some of it.

+First things first

+To thine own self…

n  Branding is knowing yourself.

n  Know your talents and skills.

n  Know your goals.

n  And knowing this is all flexible.

n  Once you know yourself, you can define your brand.

… please be true!

+

Ask your friends, mentors,

even strangers.

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+Similar, but different

(just add ‘er’)

+Smartypants

+Private

+ Personal and professional

+

+Once more let’s ask…

+What is your brand promise?

n If you … n Hire me n Read my story n Watch my newscast n Buy my photos n Follow me on Twitter

n You will get … n Xxxx

+Not a TASK promise

+Brand promise

n What you stand for

n What you offer

n What people should expect from you

+Brand promise

To inspire moments of optimism and uplift.

To be the premier sports and entertainment brand that brings people together, connecting them socially and emotionally like no other.

To be genuine, fun, contemporary, and different in everything we do at a reasonable price.

+What is your brand promise?

n If you … n Hire me n Read my story n Watch my newscast n Buy my photos n Follow me on Twitter

n You will get … n Xxxx

+So, please, repeat after me:

+So, please, repeat after me:

I promise, today after work, to write a brand promise that expresses:

+So, please, repeat after me:

I promise, today after work, to write a brand promise that expresses:

n  What I stand for.

+So, please, repeat after me:

I promise, today after work, to write a brand promise that expresses:

n  What I stand for.

n  What I offer.

+So, please, repeat after me:

I promise, today after work, to write a brand promise that expresses:

n  What I stand for.

n  What I offer.

n What people can expect from me.

+So, please, repeat after me:

I promise, today after work, to write a brand promise that expresses:

n  What I stand for.

n  What I offer.

n What people can expect from me.

n What differentiates me from others.

+So, please, repeat after me:

“I am not Coca Cola. I am a passionate

journalist with a story to tell.

And I begin with my

own story.”

+Now let’s get started

n Create a website – simple WordPress is just fine

n Begin blogging

n Take a daily photo, film a daily video

n Subscribe to blogs, comment when you have something to say

n Use your name or a consistent username

n Blog responsibly – write, edit, publish, shoot photos

n BUY YOUR DOMAIN NAME … today!

+Do you own your URL? Username?

n  Use your name

n  Everything should be your name

n  If you can’t get your name, use a derivative of your name

+Landgrab!

+Buy your domain name

Register NOW!

For about $12.

Own YOUR name.

+How others do it

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+Brand-a-palooza

+5 rules n  Be diligent

n  Be consistent

n  Be relevant

n  Be interesting

n  Be yourself n  Be simple

n  Be unique

n  Be focused

…. OK, 8 rules

+… back to first things first

+… back to first things first

Please stick around and take our evaluation