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Umair Naeem takes a look at the issue with Personal Marketing…

There are a number of concepts that have been brought to the limelight in recent times due to the unceasing insurgence of the web movement in Pakistan. Concepts such as Buzz Marketing, Online Communities and so on, have been the catchphrase of the day. One such concept that has also been brought to the limelight is Personal Branding. Now before I launch into what Personal Branding is all about, a quick refresher as to what we mean when we talk about Brands. Brands are not logos, names or symbols… rather they are all of the mentioned and more. A Brand is an idea and a belief; it’s the envelope of attributes and emotions that surround a product. Apple, for example, is so much more than just a PC manufacturer. Apple users consider themselves to be part of a separate community, because the things that the Brand Apple says, they want to say as well. They want to be associated to the class that the Brand brings.

In the same vein, Personal Branding refers to ensuring that *you* know that you are a Brand, and need to be put out there in the same way. In a congested environment where job applicants are many and good jobs fewer; it is important for *you* to be disassociated with all the others and for you to have a unique identity for yourself. When I talk about having a unique identity, I refer to your presence on the Web: the virtual world.

The reason why this can be quite a kick start for you is that a number of companies look to Google applicants online prior to the interview to get a feeler for the kind of person they are about to meet. Add to that the ubiquitous presence of almost everyone on online communities such as Linked In and Facebook, and it becomes vital to know what the Brand that is *you* is saying. On the other side of the bridge, it is often a good practice to Google the person who you know will be interviewing you to get an idea of what to expect. Someone I know found his interviewer on Orkut and discovered that the interviewer had recently given up smoking. This was something that this applicant had also been trying to do, and instantly the topic became something of a comfort level for him.

The idea of Personal Branding, at the same time, is not a new idea. It is practiced internationally, and as Online Communities and the concept of web presence becomes more understood, the idea is likely to take off even further. A paper recently published on Brand Channel quotes Business Week:

• 87% of headhunters use Google and social networks to make decisions about candidates and 35% of recruiters have eliminated candidates based on what Google revealed.
• Accenture included the total number of relevant Google results as one of three measures they used to develop their list of the Top 50 Business Gurus.

What is important is to know the results that are output when your name is Googled. It is always a great situation when these results match the type of impression that you are trying to give to the people who will be assessing you. For example, if you are someone who is looking at a career in HR, then it would be tremendous if the results brought in a comment or two from you in an HR related Blog, or a book review on some HR related book. It’s always a good idea to be active on the Web with respect to the things that you feel strongly about and the things that you are knowledgeable in. You will be better able to communicate your vision, your goals and your beliefs through the internet. And of course, one of the greatest advantages of the internet is the fact that one person’s speciality, knowledge or expertise can be instantly shared and accessed by another. So by participating in what you believe in, you may be helping out some other person in another part of the world.

The good thing is that having the above is not the toughest thing in the world. It you are a web surfer, then most probably you regularly read certain Blogs. Leave comments on the posts over there and indulge in dialogues with other readers. You can go to websites such as Chowk and interact with those who write there. Maybe if you are a writer yourself, then having a Blog or uploading your articles to websites such as Chowk may also come easy to you. Another potential outlet is browsing websites such as Barnes and Noble, and leaving a book review on something that you have read. It all adds up, trust me!

It’s always important to be aware of whom one is and what one’s skill-set and limitations are. What is the vision, and principles; and who one wants to be thought of as. When you are completely aware and comfortable with the said, then you can truly begin to think of yourself as a Brand.

I will leave this week with a quote from Abraham Maslow: “We can only respect others when we respect ourselves. We can only give, when we give to ourselves. We can only love, when we love ourselves”.

Till next week, take care and beLIEve.

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