Creating your personal brand on social media before crossing 30

Social media is a data backed game that requires strategic placement of axioms to enunciate a brand’s or person’s identity through social channels. Irony is that, in spite this being a static norm, personal branding through social media is a farfetched application in India.

Why personal branding or personal CRM to say so, you might think? The downright simplicity of the answer might baffle you. Firstly, CRM and ORM are no longer curbed to the brand’s page and hence social media team. Ten minutes into the crisis, entire top management has been tagged and your PR team is scurrying around for damage control.

Second and the more important reason is – who are you when you’re not associating to your brand or organisation? The VCs are looking at you first and then the business idea, so are head-hunters and prospective employers; so what is your social media game plan for your personal brand?

Age is no bar to create a personal brand; having said that, starting when you’re on the right side of 30 is a smart option. Achieving this is mighty easy if you understand the fine line between branding for a company and branding your individuality.

A trusted network

Unlike for a brand, your end audience here is industry natives; the kings, queens, and knights, your bosses – all personalities that hold importance in your fraternity. Make sure to have them on your social media profiles; not only LinkedIn, add them on more personal platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and build a personal rapport. Because these are the people who write testimonials and vouch for you during initiatives such as Social Samosa Top 30 Under 30.

Design and look

It might come as a surprise but brand recall is as important for an individual as for a brand. The kind of content you post, or memes or designs should stand for something. For instance, if you support net neutrality and have been actively advocating it, the sudden next article you share can’t be pro free basics. Keep consistency in your thoughts and actions.

Next, as absurd as it might sound – your profile image is a part of your personal brand. Try and keep the same image across different social media profiles; it makes it easier to create a recall and well, recognition.

Informed opinions

This is an add on two what I said earlier – you stand for something, you share your opinion on it. Now, it is very important that you create informed opinions. Read about the topic left, right, and centre. Articulate your opinions and then share them. Lose ended statements or plagiarised opinions could land you in trouble, much worse, create your image as someone who doesn’t know their field. Indeed risky.

Also, do not be a mere content curator. Sharing good content isn’t enough. Create opinions about them which lead to conversations and engagement.

Learn and re-learn

There isn’t one day when a personality isn’t trolled or slammed on Twitter for sharing an ethical or otherwise opinion. Some end up taking their words back, some stand by it, some graduate and become an ultimate example of social CRM faux pas.

You need to decide now, which one will be you? Learn from these instances, analyse, take learnings and apply them. Sometimes it may require unlearning certain basics; don’t be afraid to do that – because in the world of social media no axiom is permanent.

Ace your social media game before you turn 30 and reap its wonders forever. If you need inspiration, stay tuned to our #SS30Under30 initiative; we’re about to reveal names of people who have done a good job so far.