If you are completely new to the social media arena and you just poke around on Facebook for fun right now, its time to get a crash course in branding yourself as someone to trust and someone to hire.

In this day and age, thinking about your mission and vision for your brand is just as important as anytime in history.

However, with the power of social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, you can move a lot faster, which can be both exciting and scary. Especially if you have no clue where to begin.

Here are some tips to get started.

WHAT IS YOUR BRAND?

First of all, you need to know who you are so that you know how to sell yourself. For many people, they want to be everything to everyone, increasing their chances of being found by that perfect client who will love them. But instead of trying to be everyone, its time to get more specific.

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You want to find out what you can offer to other that no one else can. What do you possess that will make you someone that others want to follow? This doesnt have to be related to your celebrity at all. You just want to find something which will bring people to you.

Lets start with an example.

If youre a writer, you (and others) might think thats pretty dull. And if thats the only thing that you talk about, then yes, you might be lost in the shuffle of so many other writers in the world and online.

But if you were to talk about how you are a GHOSTWRITER, thats going to get the attention of people.

First of all, it still shows that you are a writer, but it also makes those who are not familiar with ghostwriting want to learn more about what exactly this means to them and to their needs.

It starts a conversation which the other side will want to continue. You want to find one thing that makes you special. Maybe its your crazy obsession with knitting or a need to color your hair every two days.

Whatever it is, you want to find a way to set yourself apart from the rest of the world, even if there are hundreds of others like you.

Tips to get started on building your (or your clients) brand:

1. Make a list of things you love
Taking some time to think about what you really love about yourself and what you might want to spend more time on is where you begin.

2. Research others like you
Once you have an idea of who you are and what you want to promote, see how other successful people online have done it. What do their websites look like? Their blogs? Their Twitter accounts? What do their skins/themes/colors etc, look like. Is it consistent?

3. Find a mentor or example
You will probably find one or two people who you think are close to doing what you wish you were doing right now with your branding. Try to do things similar to what they are doing. However, realize that copying is not the sincerest form of flattery online. It is the sincerest form of plagiarism. Change it around, and make it yours.

YOUR BIO

Ideally, the biography that you have for yourself will be no more than one line. This makes it easy to fit on a business card or in a small profile box. In addition, you will be able to easily remember what you have said before, helping to make your identity congruent and believable.

You will need to spend some time crafting this bio, but if you look around the internet, you will find that there are many examples which can inspire you. Quotes can be a great way to get started, and even include one.

Other things to keep in mind:

A. Include keywords
Just like with Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, find words that you can include in your bio which will be searched by those who you want to have contact you.

B. Be witty
Dont be boring in your bio. Though most people will forget your bio as soon as they read it, getting them to want to learn more is the goal. So long as your bio pulls someone in and makes them want to find out more, thats all you need to do. And wit makes a great first impression.

C. Change it up
Though you might not change, your bio should be updated and fluffed up every few months. This will help you to look expansive and creative, not boring and dull.

BRAND VISIBILITY

Here are some quick ways to ensure your brand shows up in everything linked to your name. Does your facebook fan pages and sidebars reflect a consistent theme and message across multiple platforms?

Have one design theme/set of colors.
Use your one line bio on everything about you online.
Include your bio and your links at the ends of all of your emails and posts.

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