How to Pivot Your Personal Brand on Social Media

What do you do when the world changes (hello, Covid-19) and you need to quickly pivot your career direction?

How you show up on social media can help accelerate the shift. It starts with your personal brand and how you bring it to your social media profiles, content, and network.

This week I led a virtual event on this topic for fellow alums of the USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism.

KEY POINTS

Our world is being rapidly re-created with the Covid-19 pandemic. This is like nothing we’ve seen before. Yet if you’re healthy, you can solve any problem you set your mind to. There’s so much we can’t control right now. What you can control is how you show up in the world.

Adversity brings opportunity — and you can re-create yourself. Think about what products and services people will want post-Covid-19. What will people pay for? What are the products and services you want? Thriving industries include health and wellness, sustainability, non-contact grocery deliveries, meal prep services, online education, remote learning, remote work apps, and entertainment from streaming to gaming. The 2008 recession gave us many new companies founded in its aftermath, including WhatsApp, Venmo, Instagram, Uber, Pinterest, and Slack. What innovations will we see coming out of this crisis?

Pivot your personal brand. Ask yourself what you want to be known for. Everyone has a personal brand, or a reputation, whether actively cultivating one or not. Jeff Bezos of Amazon says a personal brand is, “what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” What do you want people to say about you? Now is the time to put together your personal brand statement. Who are the people or organizations you help to achieve what goals?

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

Pick where to play on social media. LinkedIn is a must. Most recruiters use it to find candidates. Have a strong presence, focusing on your headline, summary, and job descriptions. Think about what keywords a recruiter would use to search for someone like you. Make sure those keywords are woven through your profile. In addition, consider one other platform for professional purposes, such as Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. If your Instagram is personal in nature for friends and family, you can make your account private, if it isn’t already.

Choose 2 or 3 content buckets. Pick areas you want to be known for. Create and curate content to support that. Think about what people in your network need. Identify what knowledge and experiences you have that are unique and could help others. As an example, Annenberg Dean Willow Bay recently shared the great work of her team in moving 274 spring classes online, as well as tips everyone can use for Zoom meetings. Her post combined recognition for her team with much-needed helpful information, positioning Annenberg as the leader it is in communication and journalism.

Build a vibrant and diverse network. Always be connecting, be helpful, and be fun to know. You need both bonding and bridging connections, in the view of researcher Robert Putman. That means people who are similar to you (bonding connections) and different from you (bridging connections). Your bridging connections bring more diversity and fresh ideas to your network, along with connections to other networks. Always send a personalized LinkedIn invitation, saying why you want to connect. Many people are more accessible now and open to connecting.

Lean into your alumni network. Help others where you can, whether it’s an introduction, a referral, a recommendation, or encouragement. Ask for help when you need it, whether it’s an introduction, a referral, some feedback, or advice. Randa Hinton is a great example. As a soon-to-be-grad, Randa messaged me recently and we chatted about ideas for her job search. Not only is she asking for help, she’s helping others by sharing her experiences in her LinkedIn articles.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Many of participant questions were universal in this collective challenge we all find ourselves navigating. Here they are, along with my responses.

I just graduated in December and I specialized in travel PR, which is a big problem right now. I would like to stay in the travel industry, but how do I pivot during this difficult time?

Congratulations on completing your degree! What an accomplishment. At the same time, this is a challenging time for new graduates. You could tap into your network and ask how people in various industries, including travel, are focusing or re-focusing their work. Perhaps there are adjacent fields with greater demand where you could start now and pivot later to travel PR. Here are some perspectives from the class of 2008 who started their careers during the great recession. With perseverance and resilience, they found work that led to mostly satisfying outcomes over time. You can achieve your goals and dreams one step at at time.

I’m 55 and changing careers. How do I change from my one brand to a new one?

Congratulations on your new focus and your courage to make a change. The process for pivoting your personal brand is the same at every age. Decide what you want to be known for. Choose two or three “content buckets” for the social media content you share, whether you create it yourself or curate it from others. In addition, a book worth checking out is Reinventing You by Dorie Clark.

On LinkedIn, how much do endorsements matter and how do you ask someone to endorse you for a skill or write about you on your profile?

Skill endorsements are less valuable than recommendations. That said, choose the top 3 skill endorsements that support your personal brand. You can then reorder your skills so those appear on top. You can also hide skill endorsements that aren’t relevant and don’t support your current personal brand.

What about recommendations? Do recruiters actually read them?

Recommendations are a powerful addition to your LinkedIn profile (although I can’t speak for recruiters on this!). Every few months, ask someone for a recommendation. To make it easy for them, you can provide a few bullet points or sentences they can use as a starting point. Who should you ask? Supervisors, clients, colleagues, professors — anyone who knows your work and thinks highly of you. Some may not be able to provide a recommendation due to their organization’s policy. That’s okay. Simply ask someone else. Pro tip: surprise people in your network by recommending them. Maybe you had a great boss or colleague. Sing their praises in a recommendation and make their day!

What kind of info should we put in our “About” section on LinkedIn besides the obvious information about ourselves? Should it be a summary of what we already have on our LinkedIn?

Tell your professional story and let your personality shine through. Share your personal brand statement in some way and go into detail on the narrative around it. What are your values? What have you learned? What have you accomplished? Who do you love to serve? Share the kinds of people and organizations you help through your work, answering the reader’s ever-present question, “What’s in it for me?” Write it in the first person, with “I” and “me.” Look at several “About” sections to see what resonates with you, and incorporate those features with your unique twist.

Will a recruiter or potential employer find it jarring or off-putting if you make a career pivot and your LinkedIn information suddenly shifts? Does this cause confusion? Does it make you look like you don’t know who you are or what type of job you want?

People make more frequent job changes, and the Covid-19 crisis will only accelerate that. Articulate your story about why you’re changing from one field to another. And don’t forget about your transferable skills that apply to any industry. Your LinkedIn “About” summary is an excellent place to share this narrative.

How do you effectively blend parts of your personality with your professional achievements? How do you walk the fine line between making yourself stand out without seeming too casual and framing your achievements in a creative, exciting way without seeming boring or generic?

AND

Where is the line between personal brand and private? I have a blog and I am not an influencer but someone who is a messenger for nonprofits. I have kept personal and blog social separate. Is there a good formula for balance?

Be you in the best way you can. Let your personality come through, in a way that’s appropriate for your industry and field of choice. Observe what others are doing on social media to showcase their professional achievements, and see what resonates. Adopt and tailor some of those strategies. We all have one personal brand, and it’s difficult to maintain a separate presence for each sphere of life. Fellow Annenberg alum Heather Rim says, “Your brand is one. You have one reputation to build and protect. When you’re on social, you can’t compartmentalize. While I’m a fan of using a mix of platforms to tell your story, it’s important to remember that it all ladders up to the brand that is you.” Lastly, strive for a social media trifecta in your posts. Weave in (1) what you did, (2) what your team or colleagues did, and (3) how your organization played a role. This recognizes others, which is the hallmark of a leader, and it makes you a good brand ambassador for your employer.

What are your thoughts on branding for multi-hyphenate roles? For example, I do photography, videography, editing and producing, and also would be interested in managing social media, copy writing, and strategizing digital content.

Creativity is a common thread running through your roles. In the “About” section of your LinkedIn profile, show how your multi-hyphenate roles inter-relate and reinforce each other. If you are applying for specific positions, such as managing social media, update your profile to emphasize those skill sets. View your profile through the lens of a person or an organization who wants to someone in the various roles and make your profile more compelling where you need to. For example, sprinkle samples of your work throughout your profile.

Any suggestions for an introvert? Social media seems so extroverted.

There are advantages to being an introvert on social media. You can take all the time you need to craft content. Or to finesse the ideal comment on someone else’s post. You can observe what content resonates with you and use that as a guiding light for your own content. If you haven’t read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, I highly recommend it. Or check out her TED talk on the power of introverts.

I’m in the final stages of writing a novel and need to pivot my social media to be shared more as an author. Any recommendations?

Congratulations on writing your novel! Consider who you readers will be. Where do they hang out on social media? It may be on Instagram or Facebook. You could start social media accounts for your book and for you as an author. You can also use your existing social media presence to alert your network about the novel-related accounts. In addition, check out book marketing expert Tim Grahl. He has a focused framework for how to effectively market a book.

Do you have any thoughts about the job market and when hiring might “unfreeze.”

Like everyone, I wish I had a crystal ball on this topic! During hiring freezes, you can establish contact and keep in touch with recruiters and potential hiring managers at your organizations of interest. If you create content or see content that might be helpful, share it with them as a way of keeping in touch. Comment on their social media content from time to time, so you stay on their radar. Related to this, approach people with a helpful spirit and with confidence. Here are ways of finding confidence in making asks.

How important is the profile picture on LinkedIn? What should it look like?

A great profile picture is a must. LinkedIn profiles with pictures can get up to 21 times more views. Get a current photo taken, whether by a professional or on your mobile device. Look directly into the camera. Closely crop the shot around your face. More tips are in my article about 12 ways to a great LinkedIn profile photo. In addition, add a background photo that tells your story.

Would you suggest a professional photo for our LinkedIn profiles? Is there a particular look we should lean towards?

If your budget can accommodate a professional photographer, that’s ideal. A shout out here for my favorite photographer, Jessica Sterling. She is amazing! If you’re on a tight budget right now, a photo on your mobile device can work. Dress professionally and look straight at the camera. Check out a variety of profile photos to see what resonates with you.

How effective is it to provide only a very high-level summary on LinkedIn and use a personal website for more details?

On LinkedIn, complete your profile until you see an All-Star profile strength rating. You can provide the link to your personal website in your contact information. If you have portfolio examples on your personal website, it’s advantageous to showcase them in your LinkedIn profile as well, to create a seamless experience for the viewer.

What are your thoughts on reaching out to recruiters directly over LinkedIn? I feel like it can be a great way to find out what an organization needs in its various departments, but am concerned about overwhelming HR when they have a lot going on with Covid-19.

Your care and concern for others comes through in your question, and you can bring that to your LinkedIn interactions. Definitely reach out. Ask how people are doing and be sensitive to the demands on their time. Conversely, in some industries, people have more time on their hands now. Be human, be caring, and be authentic. Some people may respond right away. Some may never respond. Don’t take it personally. Simply keep connecting and putting good vibes and helpful information out there.

As a soon-to-be graduate, I formed some connections, mostly on LinkedIn, pre-Covid-19 who said to reach out to them around my graduation in regards to a job. How do I do that in this climate while remaining sensitive to the fact that they may be ill or have ill family members and being cognizant of hiring freezes.

You can do it exactly as your question expressed. Mention your previous interaction. Give a nod to the current environment. Ask how it’s affecting them personally and their organizations, and express your caring and concern. Do some research about what their current challenges are. Try to relate that to what you could offer in an entry-level job. You have the latest knowledge, from a top university, so play to that strength.

LinkedIn allows you to upload pictures in many of the sections (e.g., summary, jobs, schools, etc.). What’s your opinion on visuals or the maximum number of pictures to include so that one’s profile is not too busy?

As in writing, visuals work well in groups of three. Look at other profiles to see what appeals to you and emulate that on your profile with your unique style. A few times a year, consider updating the pictures, videos, and links on your profile to keep it fresh and current.

I’m a freelancer who balances two professional realms (audio journalism and voice acting). I’m not seeking a full-time position but would like to make sure I’m represented in both those realms for jobs as they come along. What are your recommendations?

Your two professional realms could represent your two “content buckets,” or topics you consistently share content about on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Make sure your social media profiles weave in both realms as keywords.

For building a website, I am a freelance copywriter and currently have my homepage (call to action, blog, email subscription), portfolio, about me, and contact information on there. Is there anything else you would recommend adding?

You have a robust website. Testimonials are something to consider adding. Every time you complete a job and have a happy client, ask if they would be willing to write a short testimonial. It could be a few sentences about the nature of your work together and how it impacted their business for the better. In addition, ask if they’d be willing to write you a LinkedIn recommendation.

As a young professional (a grad student), what can I do to start building a reputation? How do I overcome the nervousness of sharing content on LinkedIn?

Start sharing content regularly about your professional interests, what you’re learning and doing in your studies, and what information you’ve found that might be helpful to your network. Over time, you can evaluate which posts are most valuable to your network, based on the engagement with your post through likes, comments, and shares. Juliana Carbonaro is a great example of this. Juliana and I met this semester when I was a guest speaker in a Digital Social Media class at Annenberg. Recently Juliana has posted on LinkedIn about crisis communications tips, community donations to the LA mission, internship opportunities she’s spotted, and coronavirus webinars on various topics.

Any advice for someone living in one market (say, LA) who wants to make connections and build leads, relationships and awareness in another market (say, for example, Dallas)?

LinkedIn lets you network across the time zones. If you have a target list of companies in Dallas, for example, you can then search for people in relevant roles at those companies and connect with them. Tap into mutual connections, e.g., people in your network who are connected to people in your target city, for warm introductions. As Harvey Kaner noted in the event chat, you can change your geographic location on your profile to your target city. You’re more likely to show up in recruiter searches in that area.

I had an awkward moment in a final interview with a CEO for my ideal industry, food and beverage. But when he looked at my resume, all he saw were my previous industries, which were museums and art. He asked me, “So what is your thing? Art?” I felt like my brand completely fell through in that moment. How can I overcome this situation in the future?

Everything is a learning experience. What can you add to your resume and your social media presence that demonstrates your interest in and knowledge of the food and beverage industry? How can you relate your experience with museums and art to your ideal industry in food and beverage? What is your story and how do you want to tell it? Craft a narrative as if you had a do-over. Practice saying it until it feels natural.

This article, as social distancing timelines increase, working mothers are becoming collateral damage, covers the impact of the current crisis for parents’ careers, especially mothers. Do you have suggestions on how to stay relevant and not become invisible due to the numerous hats that mothers working from home with kids now have?

First, give yourself some slack. You have a lot on your plate. In an ideal world, you have a partner who can share the load with you. Keep your social media presence simple. Maybe it’s a short post or two each week about what you and your team are proud of accomplishing. Or maybe you’ve learned something about being decisive when you have too much on your plate. No need to write long-form articles. Simply share what you’re learning and experiencing that could be helpful to your network. Or maybe you want to advocate for societal change in this area. Consider what fits best with your personal brand and how you want to show up on social media. Above all, take care of yourself!

In closing, thank you to Leticia Lozoya, Jasmine Torres, and the Annenberg community for bringing this event to life.

We will get through this crisis together!

 

How to Conquer Your Fear of Social Media

Photo by Caroline Leach

“Look, talent comes everywhere, but having something to say and a way to say it so that people listen to it, that’s a whole other bag … there’s one reason we’re supposed to be here is to say something so people want to hear.” 

So said the tragic character Jackson Maine, played by Bradley Cooper in the magnificent 2018 take on the timeless story in the film A Star is Born.

These words spoke to me because of what many people have essentially expressed in one way or another as we talk about building their professional reputations in social media. That’s the focus of my blog and my new business.

The theme, the pattern, the refrain … is fear. Fear of doing the wrong thing. Fear of looking silly. Fear of not mattering.

But let me start at the beginning. Needing to replenish my own creative well, I went to an early screening of the movie before it officially opens. I was loosely riffing on author and screenwriter Julia Cameron‘s concept of an artist date.

While I’m religious about Cameron’s practice of morning pages – three pages of longhand writing first thing every morning as a way of clearing the mind’s cobwebs, solving knotty problems and setting the stage for the day – I’m not as dedicated to artist dates.

An artist date is an hour you take by yourself every week to do something that brings you joy. It could be walking through a park, visiting an art supply store, or going to a museum. It could be anything really.

The point is to spend time filling yourself up with new and different experiences. Cameron calls it “restocking the well.” Then you have more to give through your art, whatever form that takes … as a writer, a painter, a singer, a professional, a parent or any role you play in life where you creatively express yourself in some way.

Because I’m so goal oriented, an artist date is tough for me. I don’t always feel like I’m accomplishing something important. I’m not checking something off my never-ending list of things to do.

Yet launching a new business, while over-the-top exciting, also leaves me feeling depleted at moments. Significant creative task after creative task starts to take its toll.

I have to remind myself why people say Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s not possible to do everything at once, as much as I want it all to be done … yesterday. I need some balance. Some new perspective. Some fresh ideas.

So I went to the movies with my husband. And some of the character’s lines crystallized and organized the patterns of what I’d been hearing from several different people. Yes, it’s true that there’s nothing new under the sun, but this powerful film brought a fresh take to a story for the ages.

And it’s really the story of all of our lives. Why are we here? What are we doing? And what do we have to say?

So here’s what I have to say about pushing beyond the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing in social media as you build a career or a company.

Keep your heart in the right place. It’s hard to do something bad or wrong if you truly have good intentions. If you’re coming at social media from the perspective of generosity – sharing what you know and what you believe with the goal of improving people’s lives in some way – you’re on the right track.

If you jump into social media with a spirit of reciprocity, engaging with others in a positive way, you’re not likely to make a misstep. And if for some reason you do, you can listen to feedback and continue a respectful dialogue.

Consider how people might perceive what you have to say. Could it inadvertently cause pain? Could it be misread? Heather Rim, a chief communications and marketing officer, said it well in a recent profile: “Be sure the content of a post can stand alone without being misinterpreted.”

If you have second thoughts after you share something – if you view it in new ways that others might see it – you can always edit it. I’ve done that on occasion with some of my blog posts. After the fact, I realized something I said could possibly be misconstrued. That’s easily changed and updated.

Experiment and try new things. Social media algorithms and functionality are changing all the time. So are we as human beings and as works in progress. Sometimes the social media content we think is our best doesn’t resonate with people the way we hoped. Other times, content we think is just okay becomes among our most popular. The important things are what can be learned from it and what can be done differently the next time.

To experiment freely and effectively, sometimes you have to silence your inner critic. A former colleague Val Vargas shared a brilliant strategy for this in a speech she gave to an employee resource group earlier this year. She said to give your critical inner voice a name, ideally an unflattering one. And tell her to be quiet.

___

Going back to the opening words by the character Jackson Maine, they reminded me of one of my great bosses over the years. I had the privilege of working with Joe Bosch, a consummate chief human resources officer, for five incredible years. His coaching advice to me was often to be more deliberate about sharing my point of view.

That’s why I enjoy blogging so much. More easily than in a face-to-face meeting, I can shape and fine tune my point of view before I share it with people. Real-time feedback comes in the form of comments and conversations. And I can continue to edit and evolve as life does and I do.

If you weren’t afraid, what would you say?

Heather Rim Profile: Brand You

Heather Rim builds great teams to do amazing things.

But we might never know it if she wasn’t such a pro in sharing her professional journey in social media.

Heather is chief marketing and communications officer at AECOM, a global infrastructure firm based in Los Angeles. The $18.2-billion company has appeared on Fortune’s list of Most Admired Companies for the last four years.

Heather’s path began to cross with mine a few years ago through professional associations like the Forum-Group for senior-level communicators.

And we’re both proud alums of the master’s program in communications management at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Heather is a natural for my series of profiles on how professionals are using social media to build and boost their careers.

We talked recently at AECOM’s Century City headquarters, with views of the many projects the firm helped create.

Here’s what she shared …

How do you think about personal branding in social media?

Your brand is one. You have one reputation to build and protect. When you’re on social, you can’t compartmentalize. While I’m a fan of using a mix of platforms to tell your story, it’s important to remember that it all ladders up to the brand that is you.

I also think that for communicators and marketers, your personal brand trumps your resume. We’re expected to maximize social to build brands for our employers and clients, and it’s important that we demonstrate our ability to do that by how we show up online.

What’s your personal brand?

I lead teams to disrupt the status-quo and build transformational brands.

At my core, I’m a builder. Every job throughout my career has involved reimagining what’s possible, and building a powerhouse team to make that happen.

I lead an incredible global communications and marketing organization at AECOM that includes corporate brand and reputation management, public and media relations, thought leadership, employee communications and engagement initiatives, crisis and issues management, social media and digital communications, CSR and strategic marketing.

To give back to the profession, I serve on the Board of Advisors of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations. We explore the future of PR in the annual Relevance Report. I believe the digital age has transformed time from past, present and future into a single flowing now.

Heather Rim speaks on a 2017 Relevance Report panel with fellow professionals at the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations

Why did you first get started in social media?

When my daughter was born 10 years ago and my son after that, I joined Facebook because I wanted to keep our family connected as our kids were growing up. For me, Facebook is personal. It’s for family and friends.

As I’ve made career moves over the years, it’s been fun to see how former bosses soon switch from LinkedIn connections to Facebook friends.

Tell me about your themes in social media.

Each platform has a theme for me. Facebook is largely family life. Instagram is for my favorite pastimes and personal interests. LinkedIn is for professional activity.

I’m most active on Twitter, where I am a brand ambassador for AECOM and advocate to end homelessness in Los Angeles through my work as Board President of the Downtown Women’s Center.

What made you ramp up on Instagram this year?

The tipping point for me was a discussion at AECOM with the National Millennial Community. This is a superstar Millennial group led by Bill Imada.

As chairman of the IW Group, Bill enables organizations to connect effectively with multicultural and cross-generational consumers, business owners and entrepreneurs. He’s a fellow board member at the USC Center for Public Relations.

We had a focus group with a handful of company leaders and a few dozen Millennials. In talking with these students about social media, it was clear that they were less interested in what they might read about me on LinkedIn – a site they viewed as a perfectly curated resume – and more interested in “who I really am.”

They asked why I wasn’t on Instagram, and my response at the time was, “it’s too personal.” And then a lightbulb went off.  Personal is what matters to them.

Soon after, I reluctantly took the leap and jumped into Instagram.

I initially struggled with what to post, and then decided I would create a virtual scrap book of the experiences that bring me joy (outside of my family and career). Everything from the adventures I’m blessed to take, to the excitement of a fabulous pair of shoes or a delicious glass of wine.

People in my industry have started following me, along with the students who prompted my start. One of my most popular posts was one I almost didn’t do. My friend Dawn Soler, @the40plusgirl on Instagram and EVP of Music at ABC Television, got me involved in the #WokeUpThisWay challenge. It was a calling to keep it real in social media – filter and makeup free.

It wasn’t something I was initially eager to participate in. In fact, the thought of a filter-free morning selfie made me cringe. But I did it for my daughter, to show her that beauty comes from within. And I’m glad I did.

Posting a few times a week is easy. It’s become a natural part of my life. And I enjoy Instagram as a source of inspiration and nourishment for the soul. It’s also my version of scrolling through a fun magazine.

Why is Twitter ideal for events?

Events can be so powerful. Live tweeting at an event is my way of sharing the action, documenting the experience and taking notes. It’s also a great tool to make connections, as you become a go-to source for the content shared, and associate your personal brand with that subject.

I’ve found that people appreciate it when you tweet a powerful soundbite they said and amplify it with a great photo. That almost always gets retweets.

I work hard to earn followers by sharing the best content I can. When I’m reading, I’ll often tweet a quote, much like I would at an event or conference.

How do you show up on LinkedIn?

For me, LinkedIn is about leadership. I share about business events I’ve attended as well as my volunteer work at the Downtown Women’s Center. As a result of my activity, I’ve been invited to give presentations and speeches.

The downside of LinkedIn is when people try to use it in an urgent way. You have to invest in your network over time. A sales pitch or job application isn’t effective when you haven’t established a relationship over time.

What “do’s” do you follow for social?

Be authentic. I strive to be true to myself and share the real me.

Be sure the content of a post can stand alone without being misinterpreted. Everything you say is open for interpretation. I put a lot of thought into my tweets and posts.

Be comfortable with the content appearing anywhere. Assume that anything you publish will one day surface for all to see, and share accordingly.

Be true to your brand. Everything I share relates back to my personal brand statement in some way.

Keep connecting. Follow-up right away (while the interaction is still fresh) with a connection on the appropriate platform. Be sure to add a brief note.

How often should professionals interact with others in social?

Think about how the world works offline. How many times would you pop into someone’s workspace to say hi? Let that guide how often you engage with people in social through their content.

Want to learn more about Heather? Start with her Instagram and check out all the rest …

IG: @heather.rim

TW: @heatherrim

LI: linkedin.com/in/heatherrim/

Watch for more profiles coming soon. And if you’d like to be profiled, leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!