Tips and Tricks for building your personal brand; whether you're an individual, work for a company, or just trying to get your name out there, here are some tips and tricks used to be successful

1. Brand-ology
Tips & Tricks for Branding Yourself
from a Chick who Lives it!
Lauren Cooney
GPM, Web Platform & Standards
Microsoft Corporation
Email: lcooney@microsoft.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lcooney
Blog: http://cooney.typepad.com
Tumblr: http://lcooney.tumblr.com

2. Who am I?
31 year old female
Work at Microsoft; Former IBM & BEA
Live in Seattle
Former San Francisco Gal; originally from Upstate New York
Love good friends, good coffee, good technology
Areas of expertise
Web 2.0
Social Media
Web/Platforms
Languages & Tooling
Open Source Software
Developers
Community Building
New and Emerging Technologies
Marketing
80’s Music
Pub Quizzes
Purses, shoes, and anything fashion 

3. Tip #1: Transparency is KEY;
Personality is CRITICAL
 Who are you?
 What is your background?
 What is your purpose here?
 Focus areas of discussion/expertise
 Do you have a picture(s)?
 What are you interested in?
 Have Passion
 Remember… You ARE Your Brand!
The more people that can see your face and hear what you are talking
about feel like they “know” you and trust what you are about – helping
you to gain credibility.

4. Where Can you Find Me?

5. Tip #2: Communicating with
the Community
 Pick your method of communication
– Recommend 3-5 different networking tools
– Facebook/Twitter/Blog is recommended
– Ensure it scales! (people can find you/you do not lock your FB or
Twitter accounts)
– Make sure the user-base is large enough/has enough
members/regular users to make you successful
 Make it easy to remember/access: user names, links, RSS,
ATOM
 Commit to it
– Keep it up-to-date; people don’t read stale content
– Keep it relevant; off topic is okay, but not all the time
 Be Patient
– Usually takes about 3-6 months to really start seeing results if
you are continuously active

6. I like to Talk, But I also Listen/Participate

7. Tip #3: Engage With the Community
 Provide Interesting Facts/Tidbits/Information on
what you’re working on or who with
 What are you doing? People are fascinated with
other people’s lives
 Be polite and respectful
 Take the time to respond to comments on your
blog; comment on others’
blogs, tweets, Facebook comments
 Be relevant; be credible (back up with data if
necessary)
 HAVE PASSION!

8. Make it Fun…

9. …And Interactive
From my Twitter Feed: This is how my last call just went... and I was Ben Stein. Fabulous:
http://tinyurl.com/chpzrf10:19 AM Mar 12th

10. Tip #4: What Are You Doing?
 Engage the community in your life
– What are you doing?
• Travel
• Work Meetings
• Commute Hell
• Parties with Friends
 Make it FUN!
– Take Pictures, Videos
– Provide links to new content (youTube, Flickr, etc)
– Engage with other Users
– Participate in their discussions
 But remember…. Maintain respect for yourself;
some things should remain private – it is on the
web after all – and that affects YOUR brand.

11. Patience is a Virtue

12. Tip #5: Dealing with PITAs
Can happen often working at large companies
Don’t attack your followers – be cordial, be
precise, and follow up with data
Be able to laugh at yourself and take a joke
Know when to step away: pick your battles
wisely
Look at the big picture – how will it affect your
brand?

13. The Web Has No Secrets

14. Tip #6: Push the Boundaries, Safely
Pushing the boundaries can often lead to a
greater audience or community following
Have an opinion, but be prepared to back it up
It is the web – and what you say can be
written down/posted anywhere, anytime, in
any language – and taken out of context
Be respectful of your employer; if it is your
opinion, be sure to state that.
Remember it is YOUR brand you are
representing

15. Take Time For Great Opportunities
Starting something new: Womens’ Bar Camp!

16. Tip #6: Create Your Own Opportunities
• Branding is about consistency, creativity, and
relationships are critical.
• Take the time to build the relationships that
matter; if you turn down opportunities ensure it’s
done in a way where you can always reconnect
later.
• Attend conferences, network with new
people, reach out and volunteer for/start things!
• Always follow through; do not commit to
something you can’t finish – this hurts your
brand.

17. Tip #7: Have Idols & Reach Out
Your brand will change as you grow in your
career
Ensure that you have idols that you reach out
to and keep updated about what you’re
working on (ie, your brand)
– Idols should be relevant to what your brand is
– Good idols take interest/can act as mentors
– Careful research/listening to the community will
provide you with good prospects

18. You Never Know What Will Happen
(I was asked to be on the Advisory Board for Web 2.0 Expo!)

19. The Community Knows Best

20. Tip #8: Ask the Community
Some of the best feedback comes from the
community
Why take a guess when you can ask the
questions?
Different opinions give you different
perspectives on you and your brand
Good way to test how effective your brand is;
what you might need to tweak

21. Tip #9: “Insider Resources”
Who do you follow on Twitter:
– www.crazybob.org/twubble
Advertising your blog:
– http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/0008
93.html
9 Ways to Use Twitter:
– http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343672,
00.asp

22. Tip 10: Follow the Experts
Rob Frankel: http://robfrankel.blogspot.com/
Chris Brogan: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/
Tim O’Reilly: http://radar.oreilly.com/
Dave McClure: http://500hats.typepad.com/
Susan Scrupski: http://itsinsider.com/
Charlene Li: http://blog.altimetergroup.com/

23. Remember…
• It’s not Perfection, It’s Passion.
• Your brand requires:
– Consistency
– Passion
– Honesty & Transparency
– Purpose/Direction
– Personality
• Have fun with it – the joy is in learning.