Get your “Jessica” on aisle two

We find our selves purchasing things every day from Crest toothpaste and Bounty toilet paper to that Prada handbag. The world we live in is filled with brands. But there is a new item on the shelf, a different kind of brand..the human brand. So I, and many others ask the question of the decade, “Have we become a brand ourselves?”

If more and more people are creating a brand.. what is it that enables this phenomenon? How has our society changed?

The popularity of online social networks is the answer.

With everyone being constantly wired and on the internet, we are expected to keep our presence up 24/7.

Long gone are the days where you could act a certain way at work but then could come home and unwind. Nowadays, pressure is on and people are  either scrolling through Facebook or uploading to Instagram ever minute of the day.

An online presence or brand is extremely important in any business world. Joshua Baker, a financial advisor, is a perfect example of this. Baker has a twitter feed with under a million followers where he combines business facts with his own side of personal quirky and funny comments. This “online brand” that he creates for himself has led him to many clients who search him out due to the “online” side or brand he portrays.

Twitter is an online social network that allows it’s users to upload an image and is largely used to create a brand. In the “bio” section, people write a small introduction to who they are and what they are about. This allows for viewers to decide if they like the person and if they want to follow or “purchase the brand”.

Online networks allow us the opportunity to be whatever and whomever we want to be.

As profile turns into a brand these profiles becomes a self-representation of our selves. For example, people use Instagram to upload pictures of them selves eating a quinoa salad with organic kale while participating in every 5k… a personal brand depicting healthy life styles. Many women create profiles with witty comments and retweets of their favorite comedians and celebrities, a personal brand depicting their personable character. We all know that friend who uploads pictures of every luxury purchase they have ever made to show the world that.. “hey”! They’re a Fashionista.  An aspiring journalist would use facebook to upload articles and content that they have created perhaps with a picture of themselves.

Image, as I just introduced is a very important part of an online brand. It is for this reason that most online platforms are focused on uploading pictures.

Would you even use Facebook if you couldn’t see pictures? The article in the New York Times, “Glamour Photos Replace Selfies” states just how important this image is. There are times, it seems, when an iPhone and an outstretched arm just won’t do. Your average Jane can now call a professional photographer and shoot images that he or she wants to use in terms of self representation. No more college head shots or boring pictures in a suit. Self branding uses images that conjure thoughts of creative strong and sexy people that you want to associate with, that you want to buy into.

Social media makes this all possible.

Indeed, an impact photo is more than just a vanity statement these days, since it’s hard to say where “personal” ends and “professional” begins on Facebook and Twitter, said Sean Behr, a tech entrepreneur in San Francisco.

 

The article in the Wall Street Journal which gives tips on creating a brand in the real and online world,  mentions this fact as well.

How you look is very  important. If you don’t look presentable, no one is going to care enough to continue talking with you.

Appearance is the first box that needs to be ticked off.

The article in The New York Times, “Glamour Photos Replace Selfies” shows us just how important it is to have a professional picture to create a brand for ones self. Having a boring headshot taken or a Selfie from an Iphone, wont create that appeal of a professional image which ultimately won’t Sell well.

 

Then comes consistency.

Consistency is critical- even though it is difficult in our always connected lives. “Presence cant just be there on Monday’s when you are rested”, says Elizabeth Holmes from the Wall Street Journal article. Due to the fact that we are always logged in, society expects us to constantly tweet, upload, and like.

I for one, think that it is very important to create an strong online presence.

I think that people are brands and today’s available social media platforms make it happen.

In a society that is based off of how many instagram followers one has or how many likes one receives,  building online networks solidifies a personal brand. It is also important to create a brand for career prospects. I remember that after my internship for the south African Broadcasting Corporation in South Africa, my supervisor told me that developing a brand was one of the most important things to do as a young journalist. Me? a brand? I left the lunch in utter confusion thinking of different ways I could start.

I didn’t know this yet, but it was actually quite simple.

Social media helps one create this ideal, as it is easier then ever to construct a social identity and presence online.

In fact, it is almost impossible  not to create a brand for ones self if one uses social media.

As soon as you upload a single picture, you begin to attribute images to your persona. Facebook for example, makes it easy to create a brand for your self as you upload images of how you want people to think of you. Do you want a shot of power? A boost of confidence? Are you a fitness junkie who loves animals? Each and every image you upload contributes to the way you position and ultimately sell yourself to the audience. Just like the article in The New York Times states… before social media, creating a self brand was left for celebrities and models or those who had enough social influence to be on the cover of a magazine.

“We’ve been flipping through magazines since we were 5 years old, looking up to these glamorous women,” Ms. DeVee said. “Today, we can create our own magazines through social media.”

The concept of self branding has now been democratized due to the fact that every one can now hire a photographer for a couple hundred dollars and upload them unto various different platforms. One no longer has to wait to be featured in a magazine, creating a self brand starts with the click of a button..and anyone with wifi can create multiple accounts.

Linkedin is another popular site that strongly contributes in cerating a personal brand. You sign in and begin by uploading a picture of yourself.  “People buy you, more so than your exact services or goods,” said a customer of a professional photo-shoot.

“My business is truly and authentically me, so I wanted to make sure that this came out in my social media presence.” she says.

“Social media is a place where real business is actually happening,” said Mr. Behr, 38. “Customers of our business follow me on Twitter, they’re friends on Facebook. If they go see the profiles of this guy in this fake photo, wearing a suit and tie, they’re going to think, ‘Ugh, that’s not who we thought he was.’

How do you establish a personal brand?

Holmes, the author of “How to Develop your Personal Presence on Social media and on Real life” creates a list stating that you can begin by writing down everything that is positive about your self. Then, use the list you create to know what to emphasize when making an online presence.

Don’t try to be someone you aren’t….. but don’t be afraid to brag a little.

Take note on how extroverts move and speak and use those findings to turn heads and ultimately build up social capital at your next cocktail party.

Remember You are the brand and networking is the currency… welcome to the online world.