Whether you’re already an active entrepreneur, or you just want to develop a following to support a future project, building your personal brand is essential. In fact, almost every high school student is already building a personal brand for themselves, so there’s plenty of competition. However, making use of today’s most promising PR tools can help you develop your own unique brand.
Self-publish an eBook
One of the most common ways to use PR to build up your brand is to produce a product that people need. This is where the eBook craze comes in. You start by writing a book on a topic related to your business, or expertise, and publishing it in eBook format. This is how James Philip helped himself build a brand and it’s something that has worked for many others. If you can hook your customer base with the topic of the book and it’s well-written, it can work to establish you as an expert in your field.
Participate in events and conferences
In fact, any public speaking opportunity will present a chance for you to get your name out there and build up your brand. Just as is the case with the eBook, you should restrict your lectures to topics within your field of interest. This will help you further establish yourself as an expert, while helping people connect your name with your field of interest. People won’t just see you as an expert, but as the “go-to guy” within your area of interest.
Create custom videos
We all know the importance social media plays in helping to build anyone’s brand. While the focus was once on using images to attract followers, online users are more attracted to video today. By creating custom videos, which share original and interesting content, you can expand your social media following. When it comes to questions about your field of interest, users will refer to your videos and come to you with their concerns. As a side benefit, advertisers may come to you with offers, if your videos generate enough views. This type of subsidizing can help you fund your business and will make your content seem more credible.
Host a podcast
Another great PR move is to either make guest appearances on established podcast shows, or to launch your own podcast show. This is another opportunity for you to talk about topics related to your business and to establish yourself as an expert. Podcasts have taken the place of talk radio and now represent a significant market, attracting advertising dollars and celebrity guests. The trick is to ensure you have something entertaining and interesting to discuss on each show.
Take great pictures
While video is emerging as an important brand-building tool, there’s still value in sharing images. This is especially true, if you have a good eye and can take quality pictures of compelling images. Pictures can be shared on almost every social media site and a great photo can go viral, just as easily as a compelling video. Now that camera phones have advanced and can provide quality photos, you can take photos, whenever you see something of interest. As you share them on social media, be sure to use hashtags to help attract more viewers. This can help you expand your reach without having to spend advertising dollars.
Host a giveaway or contest
People love the chance to get free things and they love playing games, or entering competitions, almost as much. By combining these two features and hosting a social media contest, you’ll attract more users to your page. As users come to your page to enter your contest, they’ll be exposed to your business and your general field of interest. This will help add more credibility to your name and build your brand through developing a following.
Even older PR tactics can be adapted for use in the digital world. While the only restrictions are those within your own imagination, remember that the key to building your brand is establishing a positive online reputation. As long as you can do that, the rest may simply be a process of trial and error. Find out which PR tactics work best for you and use them to build a unique and remarkable brand.
