2000word media work

share download .zip report bug or abuse Buy me a coffeeWebpage Screenshot

Sally PattenSally PattenSally PattenSally PattenSally Patten and Jane Lindhe

May 2, 2018 – 12.15am

Back in the BSM (before social media) days, to land a promotion, an

employee often waited to be asked by senior management. Getting a job

in a different company meant sifting through job advertisements or

staying close to recruitment companies.

“A lot of people have had a full career but have never had to think about

what sets them apart,” says Irene McConnell, who specialises in

executive branding.

The reach of professional networking site LinkedInLinkedInLinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn means that

companies and recruiters have an enormous talent pool from which to

choose. In March 2018, LinkedIn had 4.3 million monthly active users in

Australia, and 467 million registered users worldwide, according to

Vivid SocialVivid SocialVivid SocialVivid SocialVivid Social – Social Media Agency.

Work & Careers Management BOSS Print article

BrandMe: how to take your personal branding to a new level beyond LinkedIn In a series of articles, we look at how business professionals can stand out from the crowd.

Save Share Gift this article

Today's Paper Markets Data Events Lists Log in

Newsfeed

Home Companies Markets Street Talk Politics Policy World Property Technology Opinion Wealth Work & Careers Life & Luxury

1/7

As the recruitment pool expands, the challenge is for executives is to get

themselves noticed, McConnell says. “People find it difficult to stand out.

But you need to stand out and have a value proposition.”

In other words, executives need a personal brand and a strategy for

getting their brand out in an ever-expanding marketplace. It’s all about

creating a BrandMe.

"People find it difficult to stand out. But you need to stand out and have a value proposition," says Irene McConnell, executive branding specialist.

It is not just executives who are looking to develop and market their

personal brand. Companies are getting in on the act too.

Julissa Shrewsbury, a corporate personal brand specialist and director

of New Work Consulting, points to a rise in the number of companies

looking to develop the personal brands of staff, particularly frontline

staff, C-suiters and directors. Staff can be helped to develop a personal

brand in the context of the organisation’s values and purpose.

Value proposition

Another group of businesspeople looking to promote themselves are

those who have traded in corporate life for the big wide world of

consultancy. Invariably they need to establish themselves as thought

leaders in a particular field. In a crowded marketplace, people

increasingly want to know about a person’s values and passions before

they commit to becoming a client or partner.

McConnell says the first task for executives is to pinpoint exactly what

they are trying to achieve with a personal brand and who they are

aiming to target. Executives who are looking for a new job need to be

clear about what that job looks like and think about their value

proposition to a potential employer.

“Our view is that you need to understand why you are doing it. There is

a lot of content out there. Your brand needs to be engaging to your

market,” says McConnell, who is managing director of Arielle Careers.

SPONSORED

31/03/2025, 14:49 BrandMe: how to take your personal branding to a new level beyond LinkedIn

2/7

Shrewsbury says executives looking for, say, company board roles need

to display a well-rounded public profile, which could be enhanced by

volunteer work or sitting on not-for-profit boards. “These will help

demonstrate how you are engaged in the community. If people are

aware of it, it’s a win-win.”

With a target audience in mind, the next step is to create a résumé,

LinkedIn profile and elevator pitch that align.

LinkedIn remains the favourite social media tool for people who are

developing their careers, since most first contacts are in cyberspace

rather than face-to-face. It is also a useful way to expand networks.

Target audience

Academic Ron BurtRon BurtRon BurtRon BurtRon Burt, professor of sociology and strategy at the

University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, has spent his career

studying how networks create competitive advantages. He notes that

while successful people are often more intelligent than average, it is

their networking ability and “social capital” that are the most important

elements of their success. (Social capital loosely refers to the goodwill

and positive reputation that flows to a person through their

relationships.)

But gone are the days when executives could rely on using key words to

get themselves noticed on the networking site, McConnell says. Words

such as “passion” and “leadership” no longer serve as a point of

difference because everyone is using them. According to LinkedIn, the

most overused words in Australian profiles are experienced, specialise,

passionate, skilled, leadership, motivated, expert, strategic, successful

and creative.

McConnell says executives instead need to fashion their public profile in

such a way that it demonstrates they have the skills and experience to

With a target audience in mind, the next step is to create a resume, LinkedIn profile and elevator pitch that align with it. Tanya Lake

31/03/2025, 14:49 BrandMe: how to take your personal branding to a new level beyond LinkedIn

3/7

solve a problem possessed by the target audience, such as recruiters,

future employers or potential clients.

Conference panels

Apart from LinkedIn, other personal branding tools include books,

YouTube videos, podcasts, speaking engagements, appearances on

panels and roundtables, building a personal website and TEDxTEDxTEDxTEDxTEDx talks.

Individuals need to figure out what works best for them. Carolyn Tate

has written five books, including her latest, The Purpose Project, and

says it is possible to make money out of the exercise. But, she warns, it’s

not for everyone. “A book is not the only way to get your voice out there.

People think they should be writing, but they might be better at videos,

podcasts or webinars,” Tate says.

“If you are building a brand, conference panels are a really good way of

doing that,” says Véronique Henrisson, a producer at Informa Australia,

a Sydney-based company that organises conferences for The Australian

Financial Review.

Henrisson says she fields many calls from consultants who want to get

themselves in front of big audiences. Unsurprisingly, she finds a lot of

subject experts for conference panels through LinkedIn. She might

notice that someone has posted an interesting article or blog, or that

one of her LinkedIn followers has shared or liked an interesting article,

and she will contact the author.

“You need to get your ideas out there,” Henrisson says.

Once they have been asked to take part in a panel, it is critical that the

executive shares their expertise and contributes to the conversation,

she says.

As the recruitment pool expands thanks to social media, the challenge is for executives is to get themselves noticed. Erin Jonasson

31/03/2025, 14:49 BrandMe: how to take your personal branding to a new level beyond LinkedIn

4/7

“You have got to add to the dialogue. Don’t be self-promoting. It will go

down like a lead balloon,” she says.

Back in the corporate world, Shrewsbury points to increasing interest

from companies wanting to train customer-facing and senior executives

in how to represent the company, and to work on how they are

perceived by others. Ideally it’s a win-win. Executives should be in a

better position to meet their key performance indicators, while helping

to build their careers.

License article

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION Powered by

‘We don’t‘We don’t‘We don’t‘We don’t‘We don’t want to diewant to diewant to diewant to diewant to die wondering’:wondering’:wondering’:wondering’:wondering’: Jo Horgan onJo Horgan onJo Horgan onJo Horgan onJo Horgan on Mecca’sMecca’sMecca’sMecca’sMecca’s biggest betbiggest betbiggest betbiggest betbiggest bet yetyetyetyetyet Lauren Sams

This BrisbaneThis BrisbaneThis BrisbaneThis BrisbaneThis Brisbane restaurantrestaurantrestaurantrestaurantrestaurant

SPC chief’sSPC chief’sSPC chief’sSPC chief’sSPC chief’s battle tobattle tobattle tobattle tobattle to remake theremake theremake theremake theremake the householdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhousehold brandbrandbrandbrandbrand Patrick Durkin

The hottest newThe hottest newThe hottest newThe hottest newThe hottest new C-suite positionC-suite positionC-suite positionC-suite positionC-suite position is head of AIis head of AIis head of AIis head of AIis head of AI

We visit theWe visit theWe visit theWe visit theWe visit the home of thehome of thehome of thehome of thehome of the most famousmost famousmost famousmost famousmost famous Greek poetGreek poetGreek poetGreek poetGreek poet you’ve neveryou’ve neveryou’ve neveryou’ve neveryou’ve never heard ofheard ofheard ofheard ofheard of John McDonald

How to pack forHow to pack forHow to pack forHow to pack forHow to pack for a work trip –a work trip –a work trip –a work trip –a work trip – fashionablyfashionablyfashionablyfashionablyfashionably

PropertyPropertyPropertyPropertyProperty billionairebillionairebillionairebillionairebillionaire NickNickNickNickNick AndrianakosAndrianakosAndrianakosAndrianakosAndrianakos dies indies indies indies indies in GreeceGreeceGreeceGreeceGreece Yolanda Redrup

Cannon-BrookesCannon-BrookesCannon-BrookesCannon-BrookesCannon-Brookes describes ‘deepdescribes ‘deepdescribes ‘deepdescribes ‘deepdescribes ‘deep internal conflict’internal conflict’internal conflict’internal conflict’internal conflict’

Expert advice for getting ahead in the new world of work left by COVID-19 Sign up to our weekly newsletter.

SIGN UP NOW

Sally PattenSally PattenSally PattenSally PattenSally Patten edits BOSS, and writes about workplace issues. She was the financial services

editor and personal finance editor of the AFR, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. She

edited business news for The Times of London. Connect with Sally on TwitterTwitterTwitterTwitterTwitter. Email Sally at

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

Save Share Gift this article

READ MORE

BOSS

Upskill with AI Short Courses View all courses →

31/03/2025, 14:49 BrandMe: how to take your personal branding to a new level beyond LinkedIn

5/7