Have you ever thought about the content you create and share as personal branding tools? You should, because every piece of content that you create, curate and share helps us define you. Our opinions of who you are, what’s important to you and what you stand for are influenced greatly by the content we see you creating and sharing with others.
Last month I talked about the ‘Plant Your Flag‘ approach to creating content on your blog. That same strategy should be applied to the content you curate and share. Define the topics and areas that you want to be known for, and curate and share content focused on those topics.
This is all based in one very simple (and sometimes harsh) truth of life: If you don’t define yourself, then someone else will. And you might not like the labels they give you. From the early days (2006) of social media to now, advisers and consultants like myself have told companies to be aware and active in the conversation happening around their brand. The reason why is simple: Participating in a conversation changes that conversation. If you don’t like the conversation that’s happening online around your brand, then take an active role in changing that conversation and moving it to a place that’s more comfortable to you. You can do this by engaging with your customers and detractors, by changing perceptions, and by creating, curating and sharing content that reflects what you want to be known for.
[Tweet “”Participating in a conversation changes that conversation.””]
Make sure that your content strategy expands further than the content you create on your blog and social media channels to encompass all the content that you curate and share. Define that areas and topics that you want to be known for and Plant Your Flag there so that you define how others view you, instead of letting others dictate how you are viewed.
Pic via Flickr user Darryl Darwent
