All media is social, and the word is actually the plural form of the word medium. Having many meanings the word medium in this case refers to an intervening agency, means, or instrument by which something is conveyed or accomplished: Words are a medium of expression. Thank you Dictionary.com for that definition. I am getting off topic though.
It was in August of 2008 that I was introduced to David Meerman Scott's concepts of viral marketing. Three guesses where the idea of using my middle name came from, and the first two don't count. Thanks for the idea David!
The timing it would appear is perfect as it was in November of 2008 I joined Twitter. I stumbled and faltered as a got my bearings on Twitter and found my voice. My online persona has turned into one of luxury and fashion as these are the markets my agency Stigmare serves. This persona has extended itself offline as well, and I began to feel that I was always on stage.
I always had to live up to the hype and persona I had created for myself, my company. I have a bit of a compulsive nature that way. I got so caught up in this role that I couldn't turn it off, even around those I was closest to. I set an incredibly unrealistic standard for myself to live up to.
This made me over analyze everything. Every relationship, every acquaintance was scrutinized. How would this individual, group, or organization affect this image I had crafted for myself? I couldn't, no I wouldn't turn it off. A victim of my own zero or 100 mph, all or nothing mind set. This has cost me dearly as of late.
The circles my recent Lady friend ran in did not fit the neatly packaged, fashionable, well manicured little world I had created. They were an eclectic, artistic, creative, bohemian lot. Observing some of their comments on her Facebook page gave me pause as they were shall we say a free spirited and colorful.
I couldn't dare run the risk of friending them, what would they post on my page, and how would that affect my image? What a pompous, judgmental ASS of a thing to think! She considered these people family and I basically said your family isn't good enough for me to give the time of day. Guess how that went, oh wait, I all ready did a post on that.
Once I pulled my cranium from my rectal orifice and attempted to reach out to these sweet, kind, caring people that my Lady loved like family it was met with suspicion and anger. In hind sight I really can't blame her for that. I would have considered it a bit subversive too.
Personal Branding is great when kept in check. Keep your professional and personal lives separate that's the great thing about having Facebook and Twitter. You can compartmentalize your life as easy online as you do off. We all have our work life and our home life, they don't have to and in some cases should not mix.
Be smart in how you develop and manage your personal brand. Don't make the foolish mistakes I've made. The cute part is that I got an email today from a friend that was concerned about my open mourning on Facebook about the loss of my Lady. He was concerned about how it would affect my brand. I love him for that, it was a testimony to his friendship. I've realized quite recently I have far more friends than I accounted for, many of them would actually fall under my Lady's definition of family.
Don't repeat the mistakes I have made when developing your personal brand. Be smart about how you use the tools available, but don't let them consume you. Trust me the price may very well be more than you can bear.
I have to agree with you, as transparent as we all try to be, we must remember there's a time and a place for everything. There was a gentleman by the name of John Raven whom I worked with on a project. One thing I learned from him was "Manage your visibility".
ReplyDeleteIt's a lesson that I'm constantly learning and re-learning when so much of our lives are documented and time stamped online.
Above all else, I've learned to just be me. It's much easier to be real and to show one's true self than to maintain what we think everyone wants to see.
So perhaps I won't get that assignment because I publicly said I was proud of our nation to let go of the past and introduce our first black president. Or perhaps Microsoft won't hire me to photograph their new ad campaign because I publicly addressed the superiority of the MacOs....
One thing is for certain, with me, you know what you're going to get.
Daniel Jenkins | Fashion photographer
http://danieljenkinsphoto.com
It's becoming harder and harder to have split personalities. Just as a judge who has to decide based on law and now personal opinion, we must sometimes do what's best for our business even if it may not be the best for us, or is it quite the opposite? I haven't figured it out.
ReplyDeleteBut what's more costly, our career or love life? There's no right answer.
Dude, you cry at public events, you whine about how the latest lady found out you were a cry baby and dumped you. No one wants to do business with a weak person who will lose all their money. Stop acting like a joke and man up.
ReplyDeleteI love anonymous comments. It takes a great deal of courage to make such remarks from behind a mask. If being human and displaying emotion is a weakness then I am guilty.
ReplyDeleteIf people choose not to do business with me because I openly acknowledge my character flaws that is their right, and I probably don't want to do business with them anyway. After all it is only by acknowledging them that we can begin the process of overcoming them.
I'm sorry you are so filled with hate and spite that you feel the need to lash out at people who are willing to talk about such things. I pray you find the strength of character one day to confront your own demons and in doing so become whole again.
This is so timely, Steven... We're embarking on a time when so many people are dipping their toes into social media. The problem is that most have never thought about their public image and don't have an understanding of the importance of managing their footprint, and the damage that can be done if careless. I'm with Daniel on this one. "Managing your visibility" is wisest... be real, be genuine, but be professional.
ReplyDeleteIncreasingly, savvy employers and clients are relying on the social media footprint over and above a resume. This is great news because that means people being judged on broader criteria. But for the indiscriminate it means they can be misjudged on broader criteria, too.
Thanks for sharing, Steven. I really enjoyed reading your perceptions on this topic. And don't sweat the anonymous comments. Negative words are like a mirror. They reflect more on the commenter than the topic on which they were commented.
-Michelle
I think you could use a personal rebranding.
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteTo a degree I would agree with you, and this blog has become a source of exploration to that end. As my good friend John once told me, "it's ok to go 75 once and a while." He was referring to my zero or 100 mph personality.