2016-10-21

Photo from Davron Marketing

When people think of brands, they think of companies and organizations. They don’t see people, or themselves, as brands.

But that thinking might have to change. Because even if you don’t recognize yourself as a brand, people form and have opinions about you. And that’s your branding. Marketers McNally and Speak define the personal brand as “a perception or emotion, maintained by somebody other than you, that describes the total experience of having a relationship with you.”

If you think you have no control over that, think again. Personal branding can be controlled, changed, and enhanced.

But first, why do you even need to? The Philippines is the social media capital of the world. Over 54% of the population is online, and people spend more time on their phones than watching TV. When we need more information about something (or someone, if you’re in stalking mode), we search for them online. Now, what does your profile say about you?

The best way to control your image is through a blog. A blog allows you to write lengthier pieces compared to other platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Here, you can fully express your thoughts and creativity, and even build a following. If you are successful, you can leverage this to create a personality and even monetize it.

At the recently concluded DigiCon, organized by the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), more than 100 speakers from around the world gathered at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) to talk about digital marketing, from branding to content, creatives, marketing technology, social, e-commerce, data analytics, ad networks, startups, and research and measurement.

WheninManila.com attended the DigiCon, and below are 8 tips we learned to build your brand and your website:

1. Mario Garcia, the CEO of a global media consulting firm, revamped the Philippine Daily Inquirer to have a modern look. He believes that publishers should be a media quintet, where the smartwatch, phone, tablet, desktop, and print, should work together as platforms to form one single unit. This is a response to what he calls the journalism of interruptions, where people are constantly interrupted by social media or real life. He describes two forms of reading: the lean back, or when people are browsing the web while relaxed in bed, and the lean forward, or when people are browsing while walking or doing other things.

(Blogger’s note: Have versions of both: post long-form stories on your blog, and post short updates on social media.)

2. If you work with brands, Garcia says, “don’t sell a product, tell a story.”

(Blogger’s note: Readers are smart. They can tell if a story is branded. But a branded story can still do well if there’s a story to it.)

3. In a similar vein, the product or service should be experiential rather than a sell. Lilit Reyes, a Palanca Award-winning writer, said that you should weave the product into a narrative. He is the writer behind Single/Single, a mini-series starring Matteo Guidicelli and Shaina Magdayao driven by advertisers without looking like a full-length advertisement. Reyes calls it “taming the sell.” According to him, it’s not about the number of intrusions but the quality and fit so that the intrusion doesn’t intrude.

4. Make your story human. Reyes said of Single/Single, “We’re not shooting an ad. We’re shooting a human moment.” He added, “every brand has a story. There are a million ways to brand a story.”

5. Garcia also wonders if it’s already the end of the home page. It makes sense: not a lot of people go to the homepage of a website anymore. Most of the time, they click on articles on social media. The challenge now is how to entice them to click on other stories.

(Blogger’s note: Installing widgets that lead to similar stories are helpful, but having interesting insights will encourage people to read your other stories. Offer an insight that they have not read before. If 10 people have written about a restaurant, offer something readers can’t find anywhere else).

6. Given the staggering amount of content online, how can you make yours stand out? According to Patrick Rona, the chief digital officer of McCann Workgroup’s Asia Pacific division, your content has to be meaningful. It has to do four things: it has to be helpful, entertain, educate, and build a community.

7. Knowing your audience is important. According to Wendy Hogan, the marketing transformation and strategy director for Oracle’s APAC division, people online think, “Know me! Empower me! Wow me!” It’s all about anticipating what they want and giving it to them. Giving them what they want means they will come back to you for more information. Engagement is just as crucial. When they interact with you, they expect you to interact with them, too. Because of this, it’s important to make it personal.

8. Hogan adds that time is of the essence. She said, “make it on time, in the moment it matters.” People who want to know how Madonna’s concert went will want to search about it within 24 hours. She advised, “deliver relevant content at the right time.”

(Blogger’s note: You can write anywhere. Use your phone to write drafts while waiting for your friends, on your way to destination, or eating alone. Writing is a mobile task. Maximizing your time means you get to publish articles on time, too.)

Blogging may sound like a lot of work. It is, but it’s fun because you’re writing your thoughts and experiences down. It’s like keeping a journal for everyone to see, or starring in a talk show where you are the host. Today, so many people are talking. When you’re the topic, what do you want them to say about you? For me, you can find it on my blog, www.kojiarsua.com.

Do you have tips in mind? Share it in the comments section below!

Follow @When in Manila Koji for more stories like this!

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