Here are some ideas to get your creative branding juices flowing.
1. Join a new community
Find a new forum or niche social network and become an active member of the community, participating for at least 15 minutes every single day until you are a recognized expert on the basis of your participation alone.
2. Create a new community
Sometimes creating and building a new community might seem easier than trying to stand out in an older established one, or you might have discovered a part of your industry that is under-served, either online or in the real world.
3. Launch an initiative
In your industry, is there a fight no one is fighting? An issue that you feel isn't getting as much attention as it deserves? Become the motor for change. In 25 Easy Ways To Grow Your Personal Brand in 5 Minutes, I suggested you “start an industry-related petition” but that's just one example. Launching initiatives is also a great way to build a community.
4. Go on a speaking tour
Who would be most interested in hearing you speak?
What kind of audiences have you had in the past?
Where else can you find more such audiences?
With those thoughts in mind, plan a tour. Start small, aiming for 3-5 events in relatively close succession, where you can give the exact same talk, tweaking as you get a feel for the audience response.
As you get comfortable, you'll also have more inspiration about where to speak next. As you impress people, others will come with invitations for where to speak next.
5. Launch a guest post campaign
If you're a blogger, more comfortable in front of a screen than a live audience, prepare 3-5 blog posts and offer them as guest posts to large/leading blogs in your industry. This is a great way to generate exposure for any new initiatives, communities or websites launched (or that you're planning to launch).
6. Become a regular contributor to a newspaper, magazine or group blog
Put yourself in front of a new audience on a regular basis, building your brand as they get to know and trust you. The results aren't as immediate as a guest post campaign, but there's much more potential over time.
7. Explore other forms of media
Writing online? Try creating an audio podcast series. Already doing that? Go into video. Have that covered too? Try offline content, whether contributing to mainstream media, putting out a press release, or other.
8. Launch a new website
If you're not yet blogging, start.
If you are blogging already, considering starting another blog, similar but different in its perspective, such as an “ask the expert” type of blog.
Other types of websites you could start are forums, galleries, social bookmarking networks, e-commerce sites, etc. Just remember that the new website should be industry-related or very close to it. You want to grow your personal brand, not dilute it.
9. Volunteer a service
Look for an entity that has either a large audience or an influential one, and then offer a free project or service. Ideal choice if you can get it- the standards body in your industry.
10. Release a free resource
Have an idea for some sort of content that you know people will find valuable? Perhaps a special report or video? Create and release it for free, encouraging people to share it openly with each other, spreading knowledge of your brand wherever it goes.
Question of the article
Have you tried any of these tactics before? Share your story in the comments.
I originally published this article on the terrific Personal Branding Blog.
Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to brand yourself to a new job.
I would add “start putting together ideas for (or even writing) your first book to establish yourself as an expert”. I think this would further justify the speaking tour, as you’d have something to promote (and sell) at the end of your talk. Coupled with a regular newspaper column and a weekly blog, it’s the surest way to becoming a bonafide “guru”.
george- that’s a great point. Having a product, even a 1st generation product, lends much more credibility than not having one.
I would like to go on a speaking tour of Israel and am going to start looking for sponsors now.
I’ve fallen behind on finding sponsors for my speaking tour of Israel. The kids want to come, but all they want to do is swim with dolphins and soak in the dead sea. They have very expensive tastes.