Imagine this scenario: You are a major league pitcher coming off a rough previous year.  In fact, you’ve recently spent time in the minor leagues.  Your career is teetering on the brink.

Then, one magical night, everything comes together.  It is the ninth inning and 26 batters have come to the plate – all have been sent straight back to the dugout.  One more out and you become the 21st pitcher in the 100+ years of baseball history to throw a perfect game.

Grounder to first. You cover the bag, take the throw, runner is out by a mile.  All that remains is the umpire’s “out” call – and HE BLOWS IT. “Safe!”, he utters, inexplicably.  In about a nanosecond, your dream has been shattered.  Literally, stolen away from you.

What would you do?

If it was me, I’d go psychotically ballistic.  I’d kick dirt at the umpire, rip my cap in half, fall to the ground, and sob like an infant.  Kind of like this guy.

But, if you are Armando Galarraga, you smile, head back to the mound, and get the next guy out.  And that is exactly what he did.  How he did so, I will never know.  Even after the game, Galarraga kept cool, saying about the umpire:

“He probably felt more bad than me…Nobody’s perfect.”

To me, this calm, reasoned reaction is utterly flabbergasting – and so amazingly admirable.  Friend and fellow blogger Jake LaCaze pointed out to me the dramatic effect this reaction would have on Armando Galarraga’s personal brand.  And how right he is.  Galarraga will be forever remembered not for his pitching performance, but for the supreme way he handled the worst situation imaginable.

How would you react in a similar situation? What if…

• Your co-worker is given the promotion you deserve?
• Your brilliant guest article is turned down by a prominent blogger?
• Someone takes credit for your idea?
• You are laid off, even though you gave 100% to a company for years?

In each situation, it would be easy to fly off the handle and lose control.  Yet, let’s all learn from Armando Galarraga, and remember his lesson the next time something goes “less than perfect”.

Photo credits, Jose3030 and SgtPepper.

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Remember when “one” used to be so amazingly exciting? Your first car, your first kiss, even your first job.  You’ve probably experienced some pretty thrilling “ones” while building your personal brand as well.  Every one of your early Twitter followers or blog subscribers probably knocked your socks off.  Fast forward to today.  Does every new “one” pump you up like it did before?  If not…why not?

I’ll admit it.  I remember my first few Twitter followers vividly.  I couldn’t believe that each of them wanted to follow ME, and listen to MY silly tweets.  I studied their profiles carefully and pondered how they might have found me.  I also remember my first blog comment, and the proud feelings that surrounded it.  But, unfortunately I must admit that today I sometimes forget to even check my new Twitter followers.  Who are they, what are they about?  I don’t have the slightest clue, because sometimes I forget the value of “one” – and fall into the trap of seeing “just another one”.

If I hadn’t written this article, I never would have noticed that my last few new Twitter followers included:

• Mary Boyle, @CareerExplore, a psychologist with IT, career, and accounting expertise (wow!).
• Matt Javit, @MattJavit, a passionate guy who runs JoeBots.com, helping average Joe’s get “wired and inspired”.
• Todd Schnick, @toddschnick, a radio show co-host and business blogger who is training for a half marathon.

Those three people sound pretty damn interesting, don’t they?  Each one certainly offers something unique that I can learn from.  BUT…I almost missed them.  I almost let my laziness and take-people-for-grantedness prohibit me from seeing the value in paying attention to each of them.  What about you?  Are you missing valuable “ones” every day that simply fade into the crowd?

Technology has made it so we can automate just about everything – especially social media.  Brilliant, right?  We can be “social” without ever lifting a finger or actually paying attention to anyone.  Except for one thing…those kind of actions turn social media into a wasteland of senseless, thoughtless, robotic self-broadcasting.

What can you do about it?  Easy.  Remember what it was like when “one” felt like a million. Make real connections.  Make less connections if you have to – but just make them count.  Did someone retweet you?  Seek them out, and retweet something of theirs.  Get a new blog comment?  Find their best blog post and leave a thoughtful comment of your own.

None of this is rocket science, to be sure.  Just a simple math lesson, and a subtle, self-directed kick in the ass to remind me that “one” is as valuable as ever.

Image credit, John Ayo.

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Personal Branding 101 is proud to present the following guest article by Tim Tyrell-Smith of www.TimsStrategy.com.  Tim clearly has a passion for helping others build careers.  His blog contains a wealth of information to jump start your job search, networking efforts, social media presence, and more  – enjoy!

Yes, I know what you are thinking.  ”Really?  Another article telling me what to do with my resume?”  But until I start seeing a better paper flow, I’ll keep bringing it up.

And, remember that this little two-pager is often the first thing people see from you.  The first flash of your personal brand.  It better be easy to read and worth reading. And while a lot of interesting formats for exposing your brand are now available (LinkedIn, Twitter, Visual CV, Facebook), people still expect a traditional resume prior to and during an interview.  Even if they didn’t find you that way.

So here today I’ll offer 5 reasons your resume makes me sick.  I haven’t left my breakfast on the page yet, but I’m getting a tickle in the back of my throat.  And will soon experience a queasy feeling.  One that compels me to move your information to the “other” pile.

#1.  Poor Or Over-Use Of Formatting

Style does matter in life and in the hiring process.  So if you are bolding, underlining and italicizing everything on the page, you are telling me that everything on the page is important.  Or nothing is.  Hard to read and makes me dizzy. Or maybe you are using multiple fonts or font sizes.  Or you’ve created a resume that looks like the front page of the NY Times.  And I don’t know where to start.  So I don’t.

#2.  “No White Space”

Great print advertising uses the page well.  It places just enough information in the ad to allow the reader to naturally find important content.  There is a flow to it.  And the eye is given room to work.  So when you use a margin of .2 all around to keep your resume to two pages, it leaves no white space.  No place for my eyes to rest as I am scanning to quickly learn where your resume fits against the job requirements.

#3.  Poor Use Of The “Top Third”

You have an opportunity in the top third of your resume to grab people.  To quickly communicate important and unique aspects of your skill and experience that will trigger a decision to keep reading.  I’m not saying that people will not look at last employers, positions and accomplishments if your top third is bad.  But it is kind of a shame.  Because with an enticing positioning statement, a strong career summary, and a short list of key strengths, you can brand yourself up front. Before someone drops you into a mental pile based only on their take on the facts.

#4.  Drowning In Responsibilities

Resumes should be full of relevant and tangible accomplishments.  Relevant in that they will make the hiring manager think “that’s the kind of impact I’m looking for”.  Tangible because it measures the impact and suggests a direct benefit and value.  We all want to interview people who can come in and make a big impact or solve a problem.  If your resume details the role you played for each company without detailing the value you added, you will look like everyone else.  So in two short sentences under each prior position, tell me what you did.  And in 4-6 bullet points tell me what you accomplished while there.

#5.  Who Did You Work For Again?

Maybe I’m not as worldly as I’d like to think, but I see a lot of resumes that include companies I’ve never heard of. Don’t know what they do, how big they are and how influential they might be in their industry.  Are they great at training their employees?  Are they global?  What brand names do they own?  If you are not providing a quick company profile, especially if your company is not well known, you are letting me assume things.  And if I assume that the company is “just OK” you may lose some credibility.  In short, it helps to know where you’ve been and how you’ve been influenced and educated in the world of business.

I don’t like to feel sick.  When I do, it compels me to get rid of the source.  If that source is your resume, then take action to control this aspect of your job search effort.  Make it easy and comfortable for people to learn about you.  And to find key points that create a growing sense that you might just be the one. To help my company grow.

There.  Now I feel better.

Tim Tyrell-Smith is the founder of Tim’s Strategy: Ideas for Job Search Career and Life, a fast growing blog and website.  Tim is also the author of: 30 Ideas. The Ideas of Successful Job Search.  Download the book and other free tools at http://www.timsstrategy.com and follow him on Twitter @TimsStrategy

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Last week, Chris Brogan sent the world into a brief tizzy by revealing his services are worth up to $22,000 per day.  If you are reading this, there is a pretty damn good chance that $22k represents a large chunk of your annual salary.

So, why aren’t you getting offers left and right for a paycheck worthy of armed guards and a Brinks truck?  Let’s go exploring for reasons.

Whether you love him, hate him, or are easily intrigued by unique facial hair, you probably know of Chris Brogan.  He is everywhere.  My Google Reader feed tells me that chrisbrogan.com averages 8.9 posts per week, all free for anyone to read.  In 2008, Chris produced this personal branding e-book, and charged a whopping $0 for it.  The guy sends out this newsletter full of information and charges….you guessed it, nothing.

The result of all this incredible content being pumped out for free?  A lot of folks salivating to take it all in.  48,000 blog subscribers and 126,000 Twitter followers soaking it up 140 characters at a time.  Essentially, Chris has been building brand equity over time, keystroke by keystroke.  Throughout the years, his authority and credibility have grown with every unique idea or person or company helped.

Today, it is easy to recognize Chris’ authority on new media marketing, and realize just how valuable it would be for a company to secure his uninterrupted focus.  Yes, even $22,000-for-a-single-day valuable.  So then…

The secret to becoming filthy rich starting “tomorrow”?

Give great stuff away for free today.  Offer even better stuff tomorrow, for a price.

Chris Brogan isn’t the only one to have perfected this art.  Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV is on episode #827, and all 827 are available for less than a penny.  Guy Kawasaki has been giving away advice across platforms for years.  Problogger Darren Rowse essentially teaches a free course on professional blogging that is in session every single day.

But, if you want 1-on-1 time with one of these three for consulting or speaking – you might want to plan an extra trip to the ATM, it’s going to cost a pretty penny.

Now, on to you.  How do you compare?  What are you giving away for free today that will build a powerful (and lucrative) brand for tomorrow?  Are you…

• Blogging regularly?
• Making certain your tweets/articles/updates add value to your community?
• Engaging in conversation?
• Sharing the work of others as much as you promote your own?
• Building relationships, not empty follower counts?

What about at work?  The same principles apply at the office too, in an even more concentrated way.  Are you…

• Putting in extra time without being asked?
• Working on projects above and beyond your “job title”?
• Helping co-workers without expecting anything in return?

Essentially, Chris Brogan’s $22,000 revelation is the world’s most effective case study on the positive effects of a strong personal brand (no, not a contrived brand built just for appearance’s sake, but an authentic brand built organically over time).

Compile every public tweet, blog post, guest article and keynote speech – and imagine that instead, Chris kept all that “valuable” information to himself.  He’d still be the same brilliant dude today.  But, who would know it?  Without established credibility, what company would want to shell out even $22 for his day of work, let alone $22,000?

No, you won’t really become filthy rich overnight because you gave away great insights and added value today.  Building a brand isn’t a sprint, and it isn’t even a marathon – to do it right, you are going to be running a long, long time.  And don’t expect the path to be paved with riches.  But the destination? It just might be.

What about you?  Are you “adding value for free”, or are you “keeping it for me”?  Either way – why?

Photo credit, Rodrigo Amorim and Koka Sexton.

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The following is a guest article by Mohammed Altaee, one of the most passionate and generous personal branding bloggers out there today.

If you’re looking to build a unique personal brand and an online presence that sets you apart from the competition, then you have to take action and create habits that can you accomplish every day to reach your goal.

Maintaining your presence is your key even if it takes time. Recently, I wrote in Look at Your Brand as an Ongoing Project: “Building your brand is not a one-time deal. Once you create it, you will be required to maintain your brand moving forward and always be consistently assessing and reassessing yourself to make sure you are living up to the promise of the personal brand you have presented.”

Here are 15 particular “chores” from 15 top personal branding experts on Twitter that you can complete every day that should prove beneficial to your personal brand.

1.  Ask yourself this question about your personal brand: “Why should anybody listen to me?” ~ @alhanzal

2.  Continually hone your skill through self improvement. ~ @pathfindernig

3.  Every day ask yourself: How can I communicate my unique value message today? ~ @MegGuiseppi

4.  Post a status message daily on Facebook, something engaging or interesting. ~ @ChrisBrogan

5.  Less time promoting their brand; more time in conversations driving value for their people. ~ @WalterAkana

6.  Follow your lead and build networks through reaching out / giving back. Also, focus on own website daily as personal brand ‘hub’. ~ @EmilyBennington

7.  Find at least 10 things worth retweeting in your home feed and share it to your followers. ~ @MAltaee

8.  Ask good questions; put yourself in the person’s shoes. That way, you ask the question as if you yourself were being asked. ~ @MalcolmLevene

9.  Tweet, Facebook, LinkedIn – relevant information, group discussions, network, promotion of your field of interest. Collaboration is key. ~ @HeatherEColeman

10.  Remember to do something for your brand that is offline. It’s not all about building an online brand. ~ @PaulCopcutt

11.  Don’t react to challenges, but act strategically! If not on-brand activity, then change course. ~ @resumeexpert

12.  Be true to themselves. ~ @JohnAntonios

13.  Send out a Tweet or Status Update with a tip related to their niche and major keywords. ~ @LiveYourBrand

14.  Play your own kind of music. ~ @Nussknackerin

15.   Do something unselfish that helps somebody else or promotes their work. Repeat as often as possible. ~ @RyanRancatore

Mohammed Al-Taee is an ambitious entrepreneur and high technology guy. Mohammed is the founder of BrandMyCareer – IT career services and personal branding strategies for Gen Y. His passion in blogging inspired him to started AltaeeBlog.com where he offer real values and knowledge to his readers. Mohammed offers social media, job search and personal branding workshops and presentations to a variety of audiences. He completed his M.Sc. from Al-Nahrian University in Computer Engineering. Connect with him via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Photo credit, net efekt.

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While engaging in social media, many focus intently on the absolute number of connections they’ve made – and assess progress based purely on the size of their network. Instead, I prefer to review social media efforts on a more granular level, making certain my actions are focused, effective, and received well by others.  Here are 5 uncommon ways to measure social success that can be calculated no matter the size of your network.

Since I only have access to my individual stats, I’ve used myself as an example for each metric below -  help me make this more interesting by providing your results in the comments section.

Twitter “Follower to List Ratio”

Inclusion within a Twitter list is maybe the purest, most sincere form of appreciation in the social media universe today. The fact that one of your followers respects your opinions enough to single you out and closely track your communication is no small gesture.

When Twitter lists first debuted, I surmised that a new metric would replace absolute follower count as the measure of a Tweeter’s worth – the “Follower to List” ratio.  To calculate your ratio, simply divide your follower count by the number of lists you appear within.  (At present, my ratio is 4,529 to 124, or, 36 to 1. What is yours?)

As Twitter lists have matured and become more prevalent, my stance hasn’t changed a bit.  A high follower count is great, but show me how many of those followers care enough to include you within a specific list.

Retweets per Page View (Blog)

New bloggers (including myself at times) tend to judge blogging success based on page views.  The more readers the better, right?  Well – maybe.  Common sense tells us that more articles on a site will equate to more total site visitors – and in turn, more visitors per new post.  How then, can a blogger truly measure the success of new articles?  One metric I calculate is “retweets per page view”.

Simply put – how many people read the article, and how many of those retweeted it?  The beauty of this metric is that it works whether your article has 12 views or 12,000.  For example, my post on 5 Personal Branding Errors You Can Fix in 5 Minutes has received 800 page views and 74 retweets (or, 1 retweet for every 10.8 page views).  Measuring this post against others, I can easily see that it resonated with my audience in a way that others did not.

Comments per Page View (Blog)

Similar to the above, this metric pits page views against unique comments for each individual blog post (not counting your own comments).  For some, building a community and increasing engagement within their blog is the number one goal – if so, this metric is likely to be a huge indicator of success.

Personally, many of my posts rate pretty poorly for this metric, something I definitely need to evaluate.  But, when I compare ratios across articles, I see that it is “thought pieces” that receive more comments per page view, up to a ratio of 1 comment per every 24 page views.

Which posts of yours rate highest for this metric?  Why?

Linkedin Profile Views

I find huge value in the little-referenced “Who’s viewed my profile?” section of a Linkedin profile page.  In this section, Linkedin identifies how many visitors have viewed your profile in the last X days, and identifies these visitors by name, title, and/or industry.

If you are looking to build a solid, reputable network, the number of outside profile views should be of major importance to you.  Essentially, this figure helps signify how much interest folks have to connect with, or learn more about you.  A low number might suggest that your profile is difficult to locate, or that you’ve failed to provide folks reason enough to seek you out.  Make sure to snag a unique URL for your Linkedin profile.

What is your number of Linkedin profile views lately?  Who exactly has viewed your profile – and why do you think they chose to do so?

Linkedin Search Results Appearances

Like the above metric, you can determine the number of times your Linkedin profile has appeared in a search via the “Who’s viewed my profile” section.  For job seekers, this number should be routinely scrutinized.  A low or declining value suggests that your Linkedin profile is lacking the keywords that recruiters are searching for – not good!  The power of keywords in your social media profiles can make the difference between getting found and getting ignored.

Reconfigure your profile to include relevant keywords, and keep an eye on your number of search appearances.  See any difference?

The 5 social media success metrics above are not often quoted, yet I think there is value in each one.  How did you fare for each of the metrics?  Find any gaping holes in your social media presence or strategy – or any huge victories you hadn’t previously identified?  Let me know in the comments section below!

Tape measure by Darren Hester.  Comment Love by miss miah.

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In 2010, building your personal brand via mobile will no longer be a competitive advantage, it will become a necessity.  The ability to respond in real-time to that e-mail, job opening or blog comment will be more important than ever before.  Here are the 33 best iPhone apps for building a personal brand on-the-go.

Note: Links below go straight to iTunes, apologies to the non-iPhone users out there.  My guess is that most of these apps are available via other platforms as well.

Publishing

WordPress 2 (free, pictured)
Did you ever think of an awesome topic for a blog post at the most inconvenient of times?  Now, no matter the time or place, you can start a draft or fully publish your WordPress blog post from your phone.  Also, view and respond to comments, or update pages.

Flickr (free)
Most of your best photos occur while you are away from home.  Why not share them right away?  Or, search for photos from the community to use on your blog.

Photoshop.com Mobile (free)
What makes this one of the best iPhone apps out there?  It is even easier to use than the desktop version of Photoshop!  Really, it couldn’t be simpler.

Dragon Dictation (free)
Say you’re stuck in traffic, you think of the next big idea, and you simply have to get it down on “paper”.  Instead of trying to write and drive, have Dragon Dictation convert your speech to text.  From within the app you can initiate and populate a text or email.

Your Own App (free-ish, pictured)
As Chris Brogan and Dan Schawbel have mentioned recently, via MotherApp you can create your own iPhone app that displays your blog posts and tweets.  The service is free if you allow ads and share revenue 50/50, or you can pay a one-time fee of $99 to avoid ads.

UStream Live Broadcaster (free)
UStream allows you to broadcast yourself in real-time to anyone and everyone.  How cool (and scary) is that?

GoDaddy.com Mobile (free)
Great domain names are hard to come by.  In a “you snooze, you lose” marketplace, the ability to secure a domain name from anywhere is priceless.

Speller – Free Spell Checker (free)
A single typo or misspelled word can kill any email, presentation, or blog post.  Wouldn’t you argee?

Networking

Tweetie 2 ($2.99, pictured)
Are there free Twitter applications out there that are pretty damn good? Yes.  Are there free apps that can match the power of Tweetie 2?  No.  Tweetie 2 is the best iPhone app for Twitter in existence, making tweeting from the road an absolute snap.  Twitter list integration and the ability to view saved searches pushes this app over the top.

Facebook (free)
Admittedly, the app I use the most day in and day out.  Needs no explanation.

Bump (free)
Bump allows you to exchange contact information with other iPhone users by literally “bumping” your phones together.  It makes for a pretty cool ice-breaker with a business contact you’ve just met too.

Skype (free)
Personal branding is a global activity these days.  Maybe your next consulting offer will come from a distant country.  Skype is a way to stay connected to anyone and everyone.

Linkedin (free, pictured)
This well-designed app lets you check your Linkedin inbox, send connection requests, update your profile and status, and more.  A must.

Cisco WebEx Meeting (free)
The next time you have 3 companies fighting over your services, why not schedule a WebEx meeting and have them bid for you in a live auction?  OK, maybe I’m dreaming…but there are lots of real reasons why a quick conference on-the-go might be necessary.  This app can help.

Business Card Reader ($1.99)
To me, business cards are like socks – you can never find the right one when you need it.  This app eliminates that problem.  Simply scan a business card and add the information straight to your contacts.

Job Search/Interviewing

Jobs by Career Builder (free, pictured)
In this market, good jobs go fast.  Real fast.  Don’t miss out on the latest job openings just because you are away from your computer.

Indeed.com Job Search (free)

Did I mention that good jobs are hard to come by in this job market?  It never hurts to have a backup source – and this app is a good one.

Resume PRO ($2.99)

The ability to update and send different versions of resumes from the road make this app an absolute must for job seekers.  If it helps land you a job, it just might be the best $2.99 you’ll ever spend.

vTie Necktie Guide (free)

Mainly for the male Gen Y-ers out there…let’s be honest, we have no idea how to tie a tie.  Until they outlaw this ridiculous piece of business attire, we can rely on this app to get us through.

Reference

Bing (free, pictured)

Sorry Google, for once you’ve been trumped.  The best iPhone app for web search is Bing – it includes voice search, business listings, directions and more.  Plus, you get those cool photos that Bing uses as its background.

Wikipedia Mobile (free)

A world of information at your fingertips.  And as you know, 60% of the time, Wikipedia is right 100% of the time.

Kindle for iPhone (free)

Why spend a few hundred dollars on an actual Kindle, when this app is free?  Provides instant access to literally millions of books.  Amazing, when you think about it.

Quickmark QR Code Reader ($0.99)

QR Codes are becoming more prevalent, thanks in part to Google distributing codes to thousands of small businesses.  Maybe you’ll even include one within your resume?  Either way, this is the best iPhone app for decoding any QR Code you come across.

Any Website You Want (free)

Did you know you can turn any website you visit into an “app”?  Just click the “+” and select “Add to Home Screen”.  If you are viewing this via your iPhone, give it a shot. (Overly sneaky tactic to get you to come back to Personal Branding 101?)

Organization

Google Calendar (free, pictured)
Available via the Google Mobile app – a simple, free way to keep track of appointments and to-do’s.

Google Docs (free, pictured)
Also available via the Google Mobile app.  You might be on the road, but all your documents are stored “in the cloud”.

Evernote (free)
Because fleeting moments of brilliance are just that – fleeting.  Record your every thought via Evernote in a variety of ways, and don’t let those great ideas escape.

Personal Assistant (free)
Let’s face it, who can afford a real personal assistant these days?  Keep track of travel, finances, subscriptions and more.

On The Road

Yelp (free, pictured)
If you’ve yet to explore “Monocle” mode, prepare to be amazed.  Never take your clients to a terrible restaurant again, put the power of peer review to work wherever you are.

Mint.com Personal Finance (free)
If you’re putting in late hours at work and blogging the night away, chances are your personal finances could use a little help.  Let Mint.com pick up the slack.

Kayak Flight and Hotel Search (free)
Whether you are traveling for business, or just getting away, this app will ensure you get the best possible deal.

OpenTable (free)
Your presentation ran long, and you forgot to book reservations for your anniversary dinner?  Never fear, OpenTable will book your table at almost any restaurant you can think of, right on the spot.

That is my list of the 33 best iPhone apps for personal branding.  But, given that there are over 100,000 apps out there, I’m sure I’ve missed a few.  Know of a great app that is absent from the list above?  Let me know in the comments section below – thanks!

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Usually, I’m not one to “sweat the small stuff”. But, when it comes to building a personal brand (especially on the web), sometimes the little details make all the difference. Here are 5 common personal branding errors, and how you can fix each one in under 5 minutes.

1. Not claiming your personal domain name.

This is the easiest error to fix, and far and away the most important.  Whether or not you actually set up a personal website now is irrelevant – you simply must lock down the domain! The $8 you pay each year to keep it in your possession will be well worth it.  Search GoDaddy.com for available domains, trying the variations listed below (for more detail on how to determine the best option, read this ProBlogger post).

First name, last name, .com (TreyPennington.com)
First name, hyphen, last name, .com (Sue-Johnson.com)
First name, last name, .net or .me (TimSmith.me)
First name, middle initial, last name, .com (RyanLGonzalez.com)
First name, middle name, last name, .com (mariaelenaduron.com)
Professional nickname, .com (PRSarahEvans.com)

2. Not modifying your Linkedin headline.

Most Linkedin users enter their precise job title in the “headline” field. But it is highly unlikely that your job title alone does you justice. You might officially be an “Account Executive”, but that title tells me next to nothing about what you actually do. Look to these examples for inspiration on how to beef up your Linkedin headline.

Shauna McLean Tompkins – Online Strategy Goddess for Boxcar Creative / Actress

Marci Reynolds – Sales, Marketing & Operations Leader | Entrepreneur | Social Media Educator & Copywriter

Dan Schawbel – Personal Branding Expert, Bestselling Author, Speaker, Consultant, Columnist, Publisher and Blogger

To make the change, navigate to Linkedin > Edit My Profile > Edit Headline.

3.  Dormant social media accounts.

Social media is continually evolving, and the sites of yesterday are becoming obsolete today (think MySpace).  You used to be active on a particular site, but now you haven’t logged in for 6 months.  This will send an incorrect message that you’ve abandoned your network.  What should you do?  I suggest one of two options:

• Delete your account entirely. The easy option, allowing you to move on and focus your efforts on the relevant networks.

• Or, hook your dormant account up to a service that will allow you to update multiple sites at once. Ping.fm is one popular option.  Take 5 minutes to link your accounts to Ping.fm today, and forever be able to update without any additional effort.

4. Not Completing a Google Profile

A Google Profile takes minutes to complete, and can plop you on the first page of search results for your name. Enough said! To be efficient and consistent, simply copy/paste your information from existing profiles.

Here are a few examples of stellar Google Profiles, for your reference:

Ola Rynge
Pete Kistler
Hajj Flemings

Once your profile is set up, take a few extra minutes to include links to your other social media profiles, your blog, etc.  To really ramp up the search engine optimization of your profile, include as many relevant keywords as possible.

5. Not claiming your social media “Vanity URLs”.

Some social networks, like Twitter, automatically customize your profile’s full URL (twitter.com/ryanrancatore). Others, like Facebook and Linkedin, do not. Search engines value a customized URL with your full name in sequence (and so do humans typing in your profile exactly as they expect it).

Which of these looks better to your eye?

http://linkedin.com/pub/ryan-rancatore/16/6/7abc/7d47
http://linkedin.com/in/ryanrancatore

To update your Linkedin vanity URL, navigate to Linkedin > Edit My Profile > Public Profile [Edit] > Your Public Profile URL [Edit], and enter your desired URL.

To update your Facebook vanity URL, visit Facebook.com/username.

What do you think?  Have I overlooked any other common errors that can be fixed in just a few minutes time?  I hope this post was helpful, let me know in the comments section below.

Oops image by ktpupp. www image by Bull3t.  Google logo by Carlos Luna.

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Gary Vaynerchuk is half man, half legend, and half personal branding machine.  Yes, that adds up to 3 halves – but in this instance, it is still an understatement!  (If you aren’t familiar with Gary V, click here for his bio, or scroll to the bottom of this post to watch him in action.  Better yet, buy his new book, “Crush It!“. Trust me, it is worth the $12.)

Gary V is essentially a walking case study in personal branding success.  Using the tools that worked best for him, Gary transformed himself and his family’s business into a global, digital empire.  How did he do it?  Pretty simple, actually:

He out-worked, out-smarted, and out-networked his competition.

I can assure you of one thing – no matter the business you are in, or want to be in, you can do the same damn thing.  But it isn’t going to be easy.  Here are ten ways you can crush it like Gary Vaynerchuk, and start building your own empire today.

1.  Pursue Your True Passion(s)

In today’s age, there are literally zero reasons why you should do anything but follow your true passion.  Gary V is passionate about people, wine, and business development – he has managed to combine those three passions and make money with every single one of them.  Think you can’t do the same?  Nonsense!

Pick any niche, no matter how off-the-wall it might sound, and there is a community to be built around it.  For proof, check out what Melanie Notkin has done with SavvyAuntie.com.

2.  Listen  (No really…LISTEN)

Building a personal brand involves a lot of talking.  Writing blog posts, tweeting your opinions, giving speeches – talk, talk, talk.  But, how often do we stop to listen?  Gary V stops to listen all the time, spurred by actively encouraging folks to @reply or e-mail him, like here or here.  When was the last time you encouraged your entire set of connections to e-mail you with their opinion (and replied to every last one of them)?

3.  Take a Risk – Experiment With Tomorrow’s Tools

The next big thing?

Gary V had a video blog before most folks even knew what that was, and was crushing Twitter before I could pronounce it.  By getting in on a technology trend early, you can stake a real claim and capitalize on the boom (if it happens).  What’s the next big thing out there today?  Maybe it is FourSquare or Google Wave or one of these 8 Trends for 2010.  I don’t know what it might be, and neither do you.  But listen to your gut and take a risk – you just might strike gold.

4.  Stick to Your Strengths

If you asked Gary V to write your kid’s essay on The Great Gatsby, they’d probably end up with an “F” (and be expelled for the choice language within!).  Gary is no amazing writer, and he really doesn’t care.  He connects with his audience via video – because his passion shines through strongest with that medium.

What about you?  Are you a brilliant writer stuck recording Podcasts, or an amazing graphic artist writing text articles?  Nothing wrong with widening your skill-set, but the majority of your communication should come via your strongest method.

5.  Put the “Personal” in Your Personal Brand

All too often today personal branding is characterized by being a conformist robot (in a power suit) that is all business all the time.  Forget any of that crap right away.  The most successful business brands today are those with a strong, identifiable personality (think Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods, etc).  The same is doubly true for individuals.

Deep down, people care about other people.  I care when Gary V tweets his heart out that the Jets lost.  Don’t believe me?  Try sharing 20 nondescript links in a row, and then send out one update linking to a picture of your family.  People will click!  And the next time you send out a link to your blog, you just might get a few more clicks there as a result.

6.  Work as Hard as You Can…Then Work Even Harder

I thought I was a pretty hard worker until I watched the video at the bottom of this post.  Then I realized – I AM spending too much time “watching F’ing Lost“.  Putting in 45-50 hours a week at your day job is good, and probably better than most.   But if you are reading this, I’m guessing “better than most” is not your goal. “Crushing it” does not involve a magic formula that equates to less work.

(The actual time of the day I finished this post. Inspiration + caffeine will have that effect.)

7. Forget About Pleasing All of the People All the Time

This is a tough one for some – myself included.  Gary V starts each episode of Wine Library TV with a high-energy, over-the-top introduction.  As he states in his book, he loses 12% of viewers right then and there.  But the other 88% totally dig it and keep coming back for more.

When you write blog posts, are you more worried about the 12% or the 88%?  Does one negative comment in a set of hundreds cause you grief?  The key here is to remember that some folks aren’t going to fall in love with your personal brand.  That’s fine.  Take it in stride, and get back to work connecting with the other 6.7 billion people who just might.

8. Find Your Audience Where THEY Live

Gary V is kind of like Visa – he is everywhere you want him to be.  It doesn’t matter if you happen to hang out on Twitter, in Barnes & Noble, on YouTube, in La Guardia Airport, etc…you can find him there.

You don’t like Twitter or Facebook, and think they are a waste of time?  Get over it. Your audience is there, your colleagues are there, your competition is there – can you really afford not to be there too?

9.  Meet People (And Not Just On the Internet)

The social web is beyond incredible for networking and building a personal brand.  But let’s be honest, none of us can fully be summed up in 140 characters or by a static profile image.  The experience of meeting someone in person will never be matched by web interaction.

Gary V recently embarked on a maniacal, certifiably insane journey to meet people in person, during “The Hudson Hustle Tour“.  He flew to 6 airports in one day, just to meet folks along the way.  WOW.  My takeaway?  Even if you have a million Twitter followers and a throng of online connections, there is just no substitute for shaking someone’s hand.

It is easy to turn down those invitations to networking events, trade shows, etc – but is there more value there than you might think?

10. Be Patient

Now for the ugly truth.  You might follow all 9 steps above and still not be “crushing it” in 3, 6, or 12 months.  Neither was Gary V.  His “overnight success” took a few years to materialize.  In the meantime, his passion fueled the fire to keep video blogs flowing every day of the week.

Having patience in a Web 2.0 world is admittedly pretty damn tough. A new blog can be started in 15 minutes, and it is easy to expect an immediate rush of followers and admiration.  Not going to happen.  But I’m with Gary V…find what you love, do it every day, and do it better than anyone else.  In time, you will reap the rewards you deserve.

What do you think – are you “crushing it” today?  Has Gary V, or someone else, inspired you to redirect your focus towards your passion?  Let’s hear about it!

Gary Vee B/W photo by affiliatesummit.  Gary Vee book signing by TheFemGeek.

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The debate over whether or not to return-follow all of one’s Twitter followers has been hotly contested for some time.  Today, this debate should come to an end.  Effective immediately, you should follow every single Twitter user that follows you.

First, some background.  On Twitter, when another user follows you, he or she receives your tweets in their timeline.  Something you did or said piqued curiosity, and this user wants to read more from you.  Whether or not you follow them back is completely up to you.

Personally, I follow everyone back.  Why?  To me, it is a matter of respect.  I liken a new Twitter follower to a cocktail party attendee who walks up to me while I am already speaking.  Not following them back is the equivalent of turning to walk away as they begin to add their thoughts to the conversation.  You wouldn’t be this rude in person, would you? Why should Twitter be any different?

Those who disagree with me have their reasons, and have voiced them publicly (most notably, Robert Scoble).  A few of these reasons:

• Some followers are spammers and bots.
• Following too many users clutters the timeline.
• It is impossible to keep up with x # of users.

I will admit, these were all valid points – until Twitter introduced lists.

Twitter lists are a way to individually segment and categorize users based on any criteria you wish.  Lists can be public or private.  If you want to create a private list of your top 25 Tweeters, the only person that will know about the list or its members is you.  See where I am going with this?

With Twitter lists, you can devote your undivided attention to a small group of Twitter users – all while respectfully return following everyone who has followed you.  Brilliant!

"Follow me and I'll follow back. Except you, Kobe..."

Essentially, now you can have your Twitter cake and eat it too.  If you are Ashton Kutcher or Shaq, you can return follow all 3 million of your followers, while still listening to only a small, specific list of users. (Imagine the excitement some would feel upon receiving an email notifying them that Shaq was following them on Twitter – wow.)

When building your digital personal brand it is easy to lose focus of just how important the human element can be.  Take a millisecond to click a button* and show each follower that you care what they have to say too – whether or not you actually give them your full attention is up to you.  (*Or, use an auto-follower tool, like this one)

Do you still disagree with me? Or, if you’ve been following a select group, have I convinced you to change your tune and bulk-follow everyone right back?  Let me know!

Update: Lots of counter opinions in the comments below, loving the healthy debate!  One quick point I want to add:

Many of my favorite tweeters today I found because they originally followed me (and I followed back).  While sometimes tedious, I sort through my list of “all friends” every day, looking for interesting tweets and the people who write them – hoping to learn from and connect with these folks.  I likely never would have found them otherwise.  There is nothing fake or insincere about this.  Just the opposite, I want to open the lines of communication to anyone and everyone.

Update # 2: You have to appreciate when someone comes along and sums up your argument better than you can – in 140 characters or less!  @TreyPennington follows all his followers, and chimed in by saying, “Just seemed like paying attention to folks paying attention to me was only honorable thing to do.”  And now, Twitter lists allow you to do so, while still keeping most of your attention on the specific tweeters you know and love. 

Crowd image by Matthew Field . Shaq image by Keith Allison.

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