Sometimes, just having a day job isn’t enough, especially when competition is tough and it’s hard to stand out in the job market. That’s why many people often turn to personal branding as a supplement – but how exactly can you handle two jobs at once? We have put together these personal branding tips for professionals to help you build your brand and make an impression at your job.
Mila Clarke Buckley, who works as the Assistant Director of Digital Communications at Baker-Ripley and runs a blog known as the Hangry Woman, answered these questions and offered her tips and advice for growing a personal brand while maintaining your day job.
Finding Your Voice on Social Media
After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Buckley realized that there were no articles available on Google that talked about the topic from real people – most were written by organizations. She also realized that she needed something to help her stand out in the job market after she was released from her last job, and crafting a personal brand seemed like the perfect idea.
“When I found out I was a Type 2 diabetic, I came home and googled all I could. Most of the articles came from @AmDiabetesAssn but none were from real people. That inspired me to write about my journey.” @thehangrywoman #SMBhou
— Kelsey Seeker (@KelseySeeker) September 14, 2018
Like Mila, look for a gap in current coverage on a topic that you can bring your own unique point of view. Mila hadn’t been getting much traction in social media until she honed in on her very relatable journey with type 2 diabetes.
6 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand and Keep Your Job
Although her boss was very open to the concept of her creating her personal brand, others may not be so welcoming. Here are the steps that Buckley recommends that you take to start building your personal brand while also working a day job.
Get Your Boss on Board. Explain your idea to your boss and assure him or her that, explaining that it won’t impact your work ethic or job performance, and that it will ultimately help both you and the company. Sometimes, testing certain ideas out with your personal brand can help you realize what works and what doesn’t – and you can use this knowledge to benefit the company.
Once Build Your Following. Focus on your boss is on board, you should start off by focusing on getting building a following on your social media accounts. You can primarily focus on building one social media platform over others, but a certain platform, but neglecting other ones isn’t a good idea – it’s better to have a variety of options and audiences that you can reach out to.
Get Organized. When it comes to maintaining a brand and a day job, it’s essential to focus on planning and organizational tactics. Buckley uses pre-scheduled posts, usually sits down every weekend to write her articles/posts, and then releases them throughout the week.
Writing down your ideas first, then planning them out on Google Drive can help with organization. It can also be helpful to create a monthly content calendar with basic outlines and ideas of what you’re planning to talk about.
.@thehangrywoman mentions using SproutSocial, WordPress, and Todoist. (I LOVE Todoist!! I've been using it for years.) #smbhou
— Sandra Fernandez (@SandraSays) September 14, 2018
Let Data Shape Your Strategy. When maintaining social media accounts, looking at insights (which Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook offer natively) can help you figure out when your followers are the most active and engaged. Buckley finds that she gets the most responses and interaction at night and usually posts around 8 or 9pm, but it’s important to test things out to see what times work best for you.
5. Add the Location. Make sure to add a geotag and tag any accounts related to your Instagram post in the picture.
6. Use Engagement Tactics. Also try to write lively, interesting captions, or ask questions in your caption to encourage comments and responses. Using lots of hashtags can help you segment your content into specific areas and make it more likely for people to discover your posts.
Use all thirty hashtags allowed on Instagram, recommends @thehangrywoman #smbhou
— Sandra Fernandez (@SandraSays) September 14, 2018
Build Meaningful Connections
Posting on social media isn’t all about creating opportunities, it’s also about taking what you’re doing in your daily life and documenting those experiences. Most of Buckley’s pictures are taken from an iPhone camera and she edits them using an app called A Color Story, which allows her to change up her the color of her feed seasonally.
“Document, don’t create. Don’t spend all your time trying to create – just document and you’ll always have something to share.” @thehangrywoman quoting @garyvee on content strategies #SMBhou
— Kelsey Seeker (@KelseySeeker) September 14, 2018
However, online interaction isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to building a personal brand. Meeting and connecting with people in real life can form meaningful connections and lead to a deeper sense of community.
Vlogging your life and what you’re up to, which Buckley does using Instagram stories, can add a personal touch to your account and create a sense of authenticity – so more people are attracted to your account.
“In the beginning, I focused on my content calendar. I now post three times a week.
I really started using Instagram stories, showing the behind-the-scenes and letting people get to know me.” @thehangrywoman on gaining traction when starting out #SMBhou— Kelsey Seeker (@KelseySeeker) September 14, 2018
Watch the entire interview here.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Aarushi Pant is a High School freshman in Houston, Texas, and an Intern at Zeotica Media.