A Brand New You 2012 - Guest Lecture (13 August)

Guest Lecture:
A Brand New You
“Brands are built on what people are saying about you,
not what you’re saying about yourself ”
- Guy Kawasaki

Jade Tang © 13 August 2012

Guest Lecture: A Brand New You
AUT Bachelor of Creative Technologies
http://abny.tumblr.com

Abstract:
It doesn’t matter how good you are.
What matters is how good you are at showing it.
- True or false?

Either way, it doesn’t matter, because this statement represents the fundamentals of personal
branding and self-marketing. As designers, we are fortunate that our work is hugely creative
but all too often, we forget our self-branding strategies should be equally as creative.

Whether you’re setting yourself up as a professional freelance designer, getting your portfolio
ready to show potential employers, or just want to create an online personal brand, there’s a
plethora of online tools to assist you with it all. This elective aims to show you how to select
the most appropriate ones to help brand manage your online reputation, promote yourself
effectively across the internet using social platforms, and help shape a brand new you!



Objective:
To create a strong foundation and understanding for a design/creative’s online presence; using
various platforms that can continue to be professionally/personally developed.

Lecture Overview:
Introduction: Abstract, Objective & Overview
Part 1: Branding & Personal Branding
Part 2: Content & Character
Part 3: Profile & Portfolio
Part 4: Social Media & Social Networking
Question & Discussions



A Brand New You:
Branding &
Personal Branding
“ You are what you are seen to be ”
- Erik Spiekermann



Who are you?



Who cares?



You should.
With proper personal-branding, not only will you find out:
- more about who you are, you will
- make the right people care about who you are and
- open up a multitude of opportunities that are right for you.



Top 100 Global Brands

--
http://www.interbrand.com/EN/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2011.aspx



The Brand Called
YOU
“Big companies understand the importance of
brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you
have to be your own brand.”

- Tom Peters

--
Tom Peters: The Brand is the Talent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nfGjVFIw1s



The Brand Called
YOU
Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business
we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance
of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in
business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for
the brand called You.

- It’s that simple, and that hard.
- It’s that inescapable.

--
By: Tom PetersAugust 31, 1997
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html



The importance of
Personal Branding:
Branding yourself keeps you current in your chosen field,
opens doors for you, and creates a lasting impression on clients.
By developing your own brand, you’ll have control over people’s
initial perception. If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will, and
the outcome might not be in your favor.

- A strong brand influences its target audience

--
April 28th, 2010 by Joel Reyes
http://sixrevisions.com/project-management/why-branding-yourself-is-important/



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Easier to Find You
• Build Trust and Recognition
• Stand Above the Rest
• Be a Memorable Force
• Become an Asset
• You’ll be seen as an Expert in Your Field

--



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Easier to Find You (Google Yourself)
• Become an Asset

--



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Build Trust and Recognition (Credibility Check)
• Become an Asset

--



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Stand Above the Rest (Differentiate yourself)
• Become an Asset

--



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Be a Memorable Force (Clever/Catchy name)
• Become an Asset

--



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Become an Asset (What are your strengths?)

--



The importance of
Personal Branding:
• Become an Asset
• You’ll be seen as an Expert in Your Field (One Day...)

--



Make your Personal
Brand a success

--
[ VIDEO ] Entourage: Vinny Chase & Brand Names
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F613dbnA_WE



Branding a business:
• Many restrictions
• Objective
• Inorganic



Branding yourself:
• Little - No restrictions
• Very Subjective
• Organic



Great lover:



A Brand New You:
Branding &
Personal Branding
[ Examples & Excercises ]



Examples:
Megan Burns (Design Student):
- http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/what-you-can-learn-from-well-branded-student-
meagan-burns/

Kyle (Business Sudent):
- http://www.employkyle.com/
- http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/guardian-careers-launches-campaign-to-
employ-kyle



Exercise:
Key Questions
To determine how to brand yourself, first you need to identify:

1. Who is your audience?
2. How do you stand out from your peers?
3. Why do you do what you do?
4. What are your values?



Exercise:
Key Questions

1. Who is your audience? Target Market/Demographic?



Exercise:
Key Questions

2. How do you stand out from your peers? Key-Strengths?



Exercise:
Key Questions

3. Why do you do what you do? What drives the motivation?



Exercise:
Key Questions

4. What are your values? What do you hold true to yourself?



Exercise:
Key Questions

1. Who is your audience? Target Market/Demographic?
2. How do you stand out from your peers? Key-Strengths?
3. Why do you do what you do? What drives the motivation?
4. What are your values? What do you hold true?



A Brand New You:

Content & Character
“ Content is King ”
- Bill Gates



“Content is King”
- Bill Gates

--
Content is King by Bill Gates (1/3/1996)
http://www.craigbailey.net/content-is-king-by-bill-gates/



“Steve Jobs”
- King of Content

--
The Coronation of Steve Jobs, King of Content (26/1/2010)
http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/26/the-coronation-of-steve-jobs-king-of-content/



Content is King:
How can you help your readers know whether your site can really help them?
Do you need a web designer/developer to make it happen?
Why is writing content for the web different?

• Web Design: Scannability
• Practical Application
• Self-Directed Design
• Writing for the Web



Content is King:
• Web Design: Scannability

Would it interest you to know that most web users don’t come to your site to
appreciate the attractiveness of the design? That’s not to say that an attractive
web design isn’t important... It is.

However, the majority of site visits happens because the consumer was motivated to look
at your site. The web is based on small resolution sizes. The words read online aren’t even
as clear as newsprint. The pictures are often low resolution and a computer screen can
often try the best of vision... Even with a Mac.



Content is King:
• Practical Application

One of the most cost effective applications this information can produce is
that you may not need a website filled with all the toys such as Java Script
or Flash design. These tools add spice to your website, but can often detract
or even annoy visitors who are simply looking for information they expect
to find on your website.

A well ordered website can reap incredible rewards. Effective bullet points,
keywords or phrases accented in bold type and an easy to navigate page may
have a greater impact.



Content is King:
• Self-Directed Design

If you know what will help make your site better you can self-direct the development of the
site through template rich designs that allow you total control over the text in an easy to
use environment that does not require the use of complicated code or extended training
seminars to use.

If you can utilise the tools available to make your site user friendly and highly
scannable you will likely find you can achieve your own success in web design.



Content is King:
• Writing for the Web

Content writing for web pages is not the same as writing for any other type of
content. Thoughts must be compact and content must be scannable.

This means when you write for the web you must help your reader find the subject they
are most interested in using a sub-heading or indexing system that allows a quick scan to
determine if your web page contains the information they need.



If content is King,
then what is Design?



Design is
Queen.



“If Content is King, Design is Queen”

• Quality content should be the focus of any website.
• It is necessary for search engines but more especially end users.
• A solid design isn’t complete without content of equal quality.

However, design remains an essential part for any website, which is why:
Content is King, Design is Queen.



“If Content is King, then Design
has to be the shiny robe and
crown that the king wears.”
It’s what makes the king look good and it helps the king portray the
positive image that he is after. If he came out to hold court in house
slippers, a dirty, stained tank top and old shorts, who would really
take him serious? Your website design is the same way and should
be treated like it was the icing on the cake for your king content.

--
If Content is Really King, Then What is Design?
http://designbump.com/originals/if-content-really-king-then-what-design



Never judge a book by its cover
People don’t follow that rule - ever.

So, what are people thinking when they come to your website for the first time? Are they
impressed with the design like people who visit Tutorial91 or Web Designer Wall2 or are they
looking at it like just another run of the mill site?

Standing out, taking your time and getting a design that is worthwhile and high quality will go a
lot longer when you’re making that first impression with your visitors. Attract their attention and
then get them to read your king content.

1 Tutorial9: http://www.tutorial9.net/

2 Web Designer Wall: http://www.webdesignerwall.com/



A Brand New You:
Content & Character




Examples:
Google
http://www.google.com/



Examples:
Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.org/



Examples:
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/



Examples:
A List Apart An Event Apart
http://www.alistapart.com/ http://aneventapart.com/



Examples:
Jason Santa Maria:
http://jasonsantamaria.com/

Jeffrey Zeldman:
http://www.zeldman.com/

Happy Cog:
http://happycog.com/



Exercises:
1. Brand Statement
2. Brand ID/Avatar
3. Content
Portfolio projects (3 minimum)
Introduction post



1. Brand Statement
Your bio, elevator pitch and any other descriptive text about you will
invariably start out with your personal brand statement.

So, before you write blog posts for the masses, before you apply for
those positions, before you even set up your LinkedIn profile there is
one thing you should do

– craft your very own personal brand statement.



What is a personal
Brand Statement?
Your statement is 1-2 sentences answering:
• What you are the best at (value),
• Who you serve (audience) and
• How you do it uniquely (USP).

It sums up your unique promise of value. Your personal brand
statement is distinctive to you and you alone. You could liken it with a
tagline, strapline or even a catchphrase that product brands will have.



... It’s not a Job Title
The personal brand statement is not a job title. A job title is what
others will try to classify you with, what employers and others want you
to be to fit you into a corporate setting. You deserve better than that.

Job Title vs Personal Brand Statement:

Job Title = What corporations want you to be, to fill their organisational hierarchy.
Personal Brand Statement = What you want to be in a single sentence that
answers two questions: what are you the best at and who do you serve (audience)



... It’s not your
Mission Statement
It’s also not your personal mission statement, career
objectives or even life purpose.

These are much more long-term concepts intended to guide
you through life and not aimed at marketing you to anybody.



A personal
Brand Statement is...
A personal brand statement is memorable,
punchy and solution oriented.

As opposed to simply saying “Bob is a boiler man”, why not “Bob
keeps families warm through bespoke heating installations”?



Why do you need a
Brand Statement?
How many times have you been asked what you do? Do you feel like people really
understand what you do or are they just being polite? You can tweak what you say
and leave a lasting impression with that person, an impression that might just lead
to business one day.

When you don’t stand out, you will have to compete against everyone else on
price which isn’t a great situation to be in. To be successful in today’s economy
you have to specialise; you have to choose a topic and master it.

Your statement will clarify exactly what you do, how you do it and for
whom. By communicating this, you and your target audience will know
exactly what you are capable of.



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
Look at your unique values and key attributes and you should
be able to develop a 1-2 sentence brand statement,
answering these questions:

• What value you provide (what problem do you solve)
• How you do it uniquely (your USPs)
• Whom you do it for (your target audience)

Remember to be clear on the value, don’t confuse anyone with any fluffy terms that don’t mean anything.
Furthermore, what makes you unique in one place may not be unique in another, e.g. big cities will have lots of
specialists and experts in certain fields, small towns only one and that makes him or her unique to that location.



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
Remember:
• Target your audience
• Stay authentic
• Make it punchy and memorable
• Keep it reasonably short
• It is not cast in iron



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
• Target your audience

Whom are you aiming your services at?
A particular industry, geography, age demographic?
Try to stay somewhat focused on a sector of the market and don’t spread
yourself too thin.

The reason personal branding has become critical for business and career success is
that nobody wants to buy from the person that does everything for everyone. Look at
what target audience would benefit the most from your services and zero in on this.



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
• Stay authentic

When writing a personal brand statement it’s easy to get carried away and putting down
what you’d like to be one day.

The old “fake it until you make it” approach does carry some merit but don’t overdo it.
Never call yourself a guru, ninja, samurai, expert or even thought leader unless you truly
are one.

Only your audience can determine whether you are an expert and you will know
if that is the case. The aim of your statement is to inform and inspire the reader,
not to scare them off with fancy titles.



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
• Make it punchy and memorable

Using technical or big words could alienate your target audience. You
want a seven year-old to understand and be able to repeat what you do.

Whenever you introduce yourself at a networking event, stay punchy and
memorable. Ideally you will want that person you were talking with to tell other
prospective customers what you do – this will cover a lot of ground, trust me.



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
• Keep it reasonably short

As they say, less is more.

Your ability to describe exactly what you do in one sentence says a lot about your
introspection and professional focus. In some cases you have to take up two sentence
but always aim for one.



How do you write a
Brand Statement?
• It is not cast in iron

You will soon find that you are going to tinker with your statement after it’s written up.

It’s easy to change it but just don’t get carried away and change it every week. On the
flipside, some people will never look at it again. Even though it’s time consuming, your
personal brand statement should be revised at least once a year to reflect changes and
advancements in your professional career.

In order to be effective, it needs to stay current.



2. Brand ID/Avatar

[ VIDEO ] Gravatar: http://en.gravatar.com/



3. Content
Preparing quality content for your personal blog:

• Portfolio projects (3 minimum)
Always showcase the type of work you want to be doing in the future

• Introduction post/ About biography
Personalise your “about” page to tell your story, not just list your past jobs

--
6 Steps To Creating A Knockout Online Portfolio
http://99u.com/tips/7127/6-Steps-To-Creating-A-Knockout-Online-Portfolio



A Brand New You:

Profile & Portfolio
“ Luck is what happens when
preparation meets opportunity ”
- Seneca quotes
(Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)



A personal portfolio
website is all about
promoting you.
You are a brand, and your name is a brand name.

No one is going to know about your brand unless you get it out there; and for
creative professionals, it’s essential that you have a “good portfolio website”.



So, what makes for
a good personal
portfolio website?
[ Top10 tips ]



Top10 tips: #1 Logo
What makes for a good personal portfolio website?

Your logo (Brand ID) is usually the first thing a user sees. In the Western world,
we read from left to right, top to bottom, so it makes sense to put your logo in the top
left of your website so that users can immediately identify who owns the website.



Top10 tips: #2 Tagline

Once the user sees who owns the website, they’ll want to know what it is you do. This is where
you explain what you do with a tagline. Your tagline (Brand Statement) should be short and
snappy, summarizing what you do.



Top10 tips: #3 Portfolio

This is a personal portfolio website after all, so your portfolio will determine whether the
website is interesting or not. People will want to see your previous work to decide whether
you’re good or not and for general interest, to see what you’ve been up to in the past.



Top10 tips: #4 Services

Make it clear, and break it down: Web design, development, video, copywriting, branding, etc.
You may want to be even more specific: corporate branding, church website design, Flash banner
ads and so on. You can’t expect potential clients to guess what you do based on your portfolio,
and you don’t want to leave them wondering whether you offer a particular service or not.



Top10 tips: #5 About

It’s all about you. Let people see the man or woman behind the mask (i.e. website). Share your
background, where you came from, how many years you’ve been in the business, etc. The more
details you give, the better your users can form a bond and build trust with you.



Top10 tips: #6 Contact

This is one of the most important elements of a portfolio website but is often hidden or even
neglected. A potential client has browsed your website, is impressed with your portfolio and can
see who you are. Now they want to hire you. Your contact information should be obvious
and easy to access.



Top10 tips: #7 Blog

A blog is always a good idea. Blog about your area of expertise; show you know what you’re
talking about. It will help promote you and prevent your website from lying static.



Top10 tips: #8 Call-Action

Ask yourself what you want to get out of your personal portfolio website. Do you want to be hired?
Attract more blog readers? Maybe you just want people to know who you are.
Each page should have a call to action, a “Next step.”



Top10 tips: #9 Be Social

Now that people have an interest in you and your work, encourage them to follow you on other
websites. Make it clear that they can follow you on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, etc.
Make the most of social networks and have a group of friends to call on if needed.



Top10 tips: #10 Tone

From language to communication tone, how you conduct yourself is important. Remember, it’s a
personal portfolio website, so be personal. You don’t need to sound like a corporate brand with no
emotion. Be friendly and personal, but also clear and precise; don’t ramble.

NB: Once you write all the text for your website, read it again and see if you can cut it in half.



Tools:
Set up Domain Name URL
(Universal username)

(.com) http://godaddy.com/
(.co.nz) http://freeparking.co.nz/
(e-mail) http://registerdirect.co.nz/
(e-mail) http://iwantmyname.com/



Tools:
Set up Profile
(Blogs, Online Visual Diary, Virtual Scrapbook, etc)

Blogs Micro-blogs
• Wordpress • Tumblr
• Blogger/Blogspot • Posterous



Tools:
Set up Portfolio (Multiple online platforms)

• Behance http://behance.net/
• CarbonMade http://carbonmade.com/
• CargoCollective http://cargocollective.com/
• Coroflot http://coroflot.com/
• Deviant Art http://deviantart.com/
• Dribble http://dribbble.com/
• SquareSpace http://squarespace.com/



A Brand New You:
Profile & Portfolio




Examples:
Single-serving Tumblr blogs:
http://mashable.com/2010/02/09/single-serving-tumblr-blogs/



Examples:
Personal Portfolio Tumblr blogs:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-free-tumblr-themes-create-portfolio/



Examples:
Professional Media Tumblr blogs:
http://mashable.com/2010/10/03/news-media-tumblrs/



Examples:
Tumblr customisations:
http://designinformer.com/impressive-tumblr-customizations/



Exercises:
1. Set up Personal (Tumblr) Blog
2. Integrate Brand ID/Avatar
3. Integrate Brand Statement
4. Write Introduction Post
5. Upload Portfolio* Pieces
6. Customise Theme

*Or relevant material for blog



Tumblr: Intro

[ VIDEO ] Tumblr: http://vimeo.com/2841524



Tumblr: Intro
The Vimeo Blog:
http://vimeo.tumblr.com/



Tumblr: Background
Tumblelogs are the self-proclaimed “easiest way to express
yourself.” Tumblr makes it effortless to share text, photos, quotes,
links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email,
or wherever you happen to be.

--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr



Why Tumblr?
Tumblr v/s WordPress

WordPress is more powerful but more bulky;
Tumblr is more simple but more limited.

--
http://nargaque.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/tumblr-vs-wordpress-simplicity-vs-power/



Why Tumblr?
Tumblr v/s Posterous

One of the more interesting startup battles in recent times has been Tumblr vs.
Posterous, two light blogging services that make it easy for anyone to publish
‘found’ things very quickly and at the click of a button.

--
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/tumblr_leaves_posterous_in_the_dust.php



A Brand New You:

Social Media &
Social Networking
“ Join the conversation ”
- Idealog



Join the Conversation
“So who’s in control
of your brand?
- It’s all of us.

Say goodbye to the mass
message and welcome to...
THE CONVERSATION

- James Hurman

--
The Conversation
http://idealog.co.nz/magazine/22/the-conversation



Join the Conversation
“The Conversation Prism is a living representation
of Social Media and evolves as services and
conversation channels emerge, fuse, and dissipate.”

- Brian Solis

--
The Conversation Prism
http://www.bronsonharrington.com/the-conversation-prism/



Social Media Revolution

[ VIDEO ] Socialnomics09, (Version 3)

http://youtu.be/fpMZbT1tx2o



Social Media &
Designers
Social media networking is a prevailing trend that continues to grow
with increasing awareness. People from all walks of life are prone to
its usage and likewise, with designers.

However, with the growing challenges of the design world, social
media has become more of a necessity for every designer.



Social Media &
Designers
Today, every segment of industry is shifting its focus towards social
media for its publicity and promotion. The design industry is no
exception with more and more designers making use of it.

But like every other technology that has been invented, social media
has its particular pros and cons.



Social Media &
Designers

--
Social Media and Graphic Designers
http://www.dzinepress.com/2010/08/social-media-and-graphic-designers-pros-and-cons/



PRO: Shortest Route to
Publicity and Promotion
Social media marketing is a
known fact that the fastest
way to promote something
to the world. One single
tweet on Twitter and graphic
designers are able to share their
designs with the entire designer
community, rather the world.



PRO: Your Link to the
Design Community
There are millions of designers
all over the world and all of us
share almost the same feelings
and understand each other. By
using social media, designers
share their views and their
designing work and provide
useful feedback to each
other.



PRO: Lower Cost
– Greater Effects
With abundance of Internet
connectivity and its low
cost availability, social
media has become the
most inexpensive of all
promotional mediums.
Also, social mediums provide
the designers an opportunity
to learn from fellow designers
and put that learned thing into
their practice.



PRO: A Magnet
for Opportunities
Social networking and blogging
websites have become a
popular resource for graphic
designers to find potential
clients and business
opportunities from
all around the world.



CON: Going
off-the-track
Too much indulgence in the
social media websites
often leads to waste of the
designers’ precious time.
Social media is a complex web
and one shared link leads a
designer to another and then
another and it goes on. So,
designers often forget their
basic work and go off-the-track
from their main purpose.



CON: An Open Invitation
to Plagiarism
With the prevailing trend of
social media website usage, we
have witnessed an increase in
design plagiarism. This may
prove to be fatal for graphic
designers as there is not much
they can do to protect their
design work on the social
networking websites or their
own online portfolio.



CON: Work Life and
Personal Life Imbalance
Too much social media usage
creates an imbalance between
a designer’s work life and
personal life. It is important for
you to set priorities. A balanced
social media usage requires a
graphic designer to dedicate
reasonable amount of time
to social networking and
fulfill personal duties as well.



CON: Spam and Scam
Unlike other media, social
media is the biggest victim of
spam and scam menace. We
are faced with a constant
bombardment of spamming
from various scam entities
everyday which creates
confusion in the design field.



PROs: CONs:
• Shortest Route to Publicity • Going Off-the-Track
and Promotion • An Open Invitation to Plagiarism
• Your link to the Design Community • Work Life and Personal Life
• Lower Cost – Greater Effects Imbalance
• A Magnet for Opportunities • Spam and Scam



Social Media Basics
Social Media Basics for Creative Freelancers

As a freelancer you’ve probably heard a lot about social media. You’ve probably heard about a
bunch of different social networking websites and, you’ve probably also heard about a number of
different tools that have been recommend for social media too. The simple truth of the matter is
that social media is a very powerful tool for freelancers. Some people have doubled, tripped, or
even created their entire business using social media. But it isn’t all good news — social media
has a number of downfalls as well.

For those of you who are new to using social media, or for anyone who wants to learn
how to use it for freelancing, here is an overview of the social media basics for creative
freelancers.



Barriers to Social Media

Before we get into how to use social media, let’s take a look at some of the top difficulties of
using social media.

Here some barriers to effective use of social media:
• Too many options: Like many freelancers you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of social
media options available.
• Too little time: You may also feel intimidated by the amount of time that it takes to be effective.
• Too many users: Nearly everyone (and their brother) is using social media.

If you recognized your fears in any of the above, these tips are for you. I’d like to present a common sense
approach that nearly every freelancer can use right now to make the most of the social media tools that
are out there.



Finding the right
Websites

Many freelancers make the mistake of taking a shotgun approach to choosing social media
websites to participate in. That is to say, they try to create a profile at as many social media
sites as possible. The problem with this approach is that their social media efforts are
spread far and wide, and there is very little chance of having meaningful interactions and
creating strong profiles on any of the sites.

You need to be focused and make real connections.



Finding the right
Websites

Here are a few tips to find the right social media websites for your freelancing business:
• Look at what you are already using: Choosing a familiar social media tool for your business
increases the chances that you’ll actually use it.
• Look at what your clients and colleagues are using: Ask clients and colleagues that you
have a good relationship with whether or not they would like to be able to contact you through
social media.
• Look at what your industry trendsetters are using: If you find industry trendsetters all have
LinkedIn accounts, then perhaps you should have a LinkedIn page too. Same with Twitter,
Facebook, etc



Effectively using your
Time

Larger industries and corporations can afford to hire social media specialists who are dedicated
to creating and maintaining a social media presence for the company. As a freelancer, though,
most of us can’t afford that option.

Freelancers are used to wearing many hats, however, and most of us can learn to be
our own social media specialists and develop a presence without much outside help.



Effectively using your
Time

Here are some tips to get a maximum impact for a minimum social time investment:
• Focus your presence on two or three social media sites: A focused presence on one
site is always more effective than an unfocused and barely active presence at many sites
• Schedule time for social media interaction each day: By scheduling a small amount of
time each day to interact, you make sure that your account stays active.
• Don’t just promote yourself: Many business owners make the mistake of thinking
that social media is all about them. Their social media participation seems almost like
advertisements. Social media is actually about interaction.
• Use the right tools: The tools you use to manage your different social media accounts can
make a big difference in how easy it is, and how much time it takes.



Connect with the
Right People

There are many articles and blog posts that tell entrepreneurs how to build the biggest community
as quickly as possible, generally without any regard for who is in that community. Personally, I don’t
see any point in that approach. Social interaction isn’t very rewarding unless you actually
can find and create valuable relationships. And that’s not just about numbers.

In contrast to that numbers-based approach, I suggest a more thoughtful and targeted approach. I
believe it is better to have a few hundred social media contacts who are really interested in you and
your business than a few thousand who are just there because of some follower tradeoff scheme.



Connect with the
Right People

Here are a few connections you should consider making through social media:
• Industry leaders: If possible, add industry leaders to your friend list and make an effort to
interact with them. You will learn much about your business from them and by following you may
eventually find other contacts.
• Colleagues: If you are on friendly terms with your industry colleagues, by all means connect
with them through social media.
• Clients: You can connect with clients and potential clients by inviting them directly to contact
you through social media and by including your social media contact information in your
communications with your clients.



A Brand New You:
Social Media &
Social Networking



yMedia
Example case-study:
http://ymedia.co.nz



The Big Idea
Example case-study:
http://thebigidea.co.nz



We Can Create
Example case-study:
http://wecancreate.co.nz



CreativeMornings
Example case-study:
http://creativemornings.com/



Exercises:
1. Set up The Basics (Social Media)
1a. LinkedIn:
- Complete your profile
- Use the search feature
- Join Design/Creative Tech Groups & contribute
- Use apps & features e.g Creative Portfolio Display
- Facilitate introductions
- Show Recommendations

--

http://www.netmagazine.com/features/20-social-networking-tips-web-designers

http://www.linkedin.com/opensocialInstallation/preview?_applicationId=104096&_ch_panel_id=1



Exercises:
1b. Twitter:
- Complete your profile
- Understand the dynamics of Twitter
- Build your followers base
- Balance your followers/following ratio
- Make it worthwhile to follow you

--


http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/social-media/designers-on-twitter/



Exercises:
1c. Facebook:
- Put together a killer profile page
- Create a killer cover photo
- Share videos and images
- Pin to the top
- Hone your About section
- Promote your blog
- Use interest lists
- Utilise milestones
- Check Insights
--


http://speckyboy.com/2010/08/15/40-highly-effective-facebook-business-pages/



Exercises:
2. Set up platform (Social Networking)
• Behance http://www.behance.net/
• CarbonMade http://carbonmade.com/
• CargoCollective http://cargocollective.com/
• Coroflot http://www.coroflot.com/
• Deviant Art http://www.deviantart.com/
• Dribble http://dribbble.com/

--
Social networking sites for creatives and designers
http://www.aaronrussell.co.uk/blog/social-networking-sites-for-creatives/



The Social Network

[ VIDEO ] The Social Network - Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWoUgftTj3Y



References:
• http://www.dzinepress.com/2010/08/social-media-and-graphic-designers-pros-and-cons/
• http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/sm-graphic-designer-construct-destruct/
• http://webhostinghelpguy.inmotionhosting.com/web-design-tips/3-ways-designers-can-use-social-media/
• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/13/social-network-design-examples-and-best-practices/
• http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/design_related.php
• http://www.aaronrussell.co.uk/blog/social-networking-sites-for-creatives/
• http://www.web3mantra.com/2010/03/25/top-10-social-media-digg-like-websites-for-designers-bloggers-
developers/
• http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/graphicsblog/2009/06/29/social-networking-communities-for-graphic-
designers-web-designers/
• http://blog.brand-yourself.com/brand-yourselfcom/social-media-etiquette-for-students/
• http://freelancefolder.com/social-media-basics-for-freelancers/
• http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-devise-the-perfect-freelancing-social-media-strategy-for-you/
• http://www.awwwards.com/10-social-networks-for-web-designers.html



References:
• http://www.digital-web.com/articles/the_perfect_portfolio/
• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/26/10-steps-to-the-perfect-portfolio-website/
• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/04/creating-a-successful-online-portfolio/
• http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-free-tumblr-themes-create-portfolio/
• http://www.heavy-backpack.com/archives/articles/top-10-best-tumblr-designs-themes
• http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/self-publishing/the-top-twelve-tumblr-themes/
• http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/the-best-premium-tumblr-themes/
• http://www.tumblr.com/directory/designers
• http://www.escapeintolife.com/showcase/25-recommended-art-and-design-tumblrs/
• http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2010/03/top_20_tumblr_blogs_you_should_be_following.html
• http://mashable.com/2010/10/03/news-media-tumblrs/
• http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-pick-colors-for-your-personal-brand/
• http://speckyboy.com/2011/11/11/essential-social-networks-for-freelance-graphic-designers/
• http://speckyboy.com/2011/05/10/promoting-your-freelance-design-business-with-social-media/



Guest Lecture:
A Brand New You
[ Questions & Discussion ]
www.jadetang.com
abny@jadetang.com
@jadetang123
#ABNY



A Brand New You 2012 - Guest Lecture (13 August)

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