subject: Don't Touch That Button—save Your Personal Brand! [print this page] As a young man I was always fascinated by the James Bond movies. I loved the action, the toys and, okay, the girls. But the toys are what really fascinated me. The idea of a watch with a laser in it, a car that could actually be a submarine or a motorbike that could turn into an airplane captivated me. James Bond was definitely one of my childhood heroes.
It seemed that every movie followed the same basic plot and each of the bad guys all had a special button they could push when things seemed a little too bad-the "self destruct button", When it became apparent that the bad guys where going to lose they always went for that button.
Ironically in business we often do the same thing. Instead of looking for a solution and admitting that our course of action may not have been the most effective and making change we push our own "self destruct buttons". By blaming others, denying that there is a problem, changing subjects or just walking away we have pushed the button that will lead to our failure. No matter how tempting it is to ignore the problem, you have to keep you hand off that button! Remember the guy that pushes the button gets blown up and the other guy goes home with the girl! Many business professionals have been frustrated with creating an effective social media strategy and have pushed their marketing self destruct button. Instead of giving up on your social media strategy, revise it and start incorporating proven tactics such as blog marketing and professional networking. These tactics will help you branch out to your potential customers as well as build your credibility within your industry.
Blog marketing is an excellent way to reach out to your potential customers and build their trust in you while also establishing your credibility in your industry. With the way search engines provide results, your customers can search specifically for blog results to find the answers to their questions. Make sure that you are blogging about the subjects which matter most to your customers. Always strive to meet their needs first. Your blog marketing should really be a giving strategy. Never expect to take anything from your readers but always graciously receive anything they would like to provide you with.
Professional networking can help you establish credibility in your industry and it will also help you stay aware of what your competition is doing. Professional Social Networking websites have made it easier than ever to meet other professionals in your industry and stay connected with those you already know quite well. Take advantage of these tools that are already in place for you to use.
With a simple change in strategy you can avoid that self-destruct button altogether and instead create success for your personal brand and your business. Share with us how you changed your social media strategy to create success for your personal brand.
