The document discusses building a personal brand as a journalist. It covers identifying your current brand, examining how other journalists manage their online images, and getting started by understanding your strengths and goals. The document provides tips on defining your brand promise, taking control of your online image, and using basic tools like blogs, social media, and websites to start developing your personal brand.

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Building your personal brand
Robin J. Phillips, Digital Director,
Reynolds Center for Business Journalism
April 10, 2013

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What you will learn
 How to identify what your brand is now.
 Ways other journalists manage their online images.
 How to get started: Identify your strengths, know your goals.
 Understanding your personal brand promise.
 Practical ways to take charge of your image online.

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Creating your brand
 Do people really talk like that?
 Is this just a buzz phrase?
 Isn‟t branding just marketing?
 I am shy.
 Isn‟t branding just selling out?
 … and why should you trust me?

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Robin J Phillips | About Me
 @RobinJP | RobinJPhillips.com | Robin.Phillips@asu.edu
 Digital Director, The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism
 Former business editor @ BusinessWeek, Newsday, others
 Co-founder, #wjchat, weekly online web journalism discussion
 Co-founder of Perfect Moment Project
 Journalism professor, Cronkite School, Arizona State University
 Master‟s candidate, ASU

5. + Key points about
personal branding
 People have an image of you
… whether you like it or not.
 It‟s important for you to know who you are.
 Journalists need to take control of their image.
 Your brand can be as simple as You Being You… online.
 Your brand or how you live your life online, good and bad, stays
around a long time.
 … we‟ll look at how some journalists handle their online image.

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Why branding now?
 Historically, journalists‟ reputation were closely aligned with that
of their employers.
 The promotion of our work was left up to our news
It‟s not selling out
organizations‟ marketing departments as part of the overall
branding strategy.
 In large part, reporters were comfortable letting the work
speak for itself.

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Why branding now?
 Historically, journalists‟ reputation were closely aligned with that
of their employers.
 The promotion of our work was left up to our news
It‟s not selling out
organizations‟ marketing departments as part of the overall
branding strategy.

That’s all changed. work
In large part, reporters were comfortable letting the
speak for itself.

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So what is branding?

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Differentiate yourself
Commodity
Brand

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Personal brand = relationship
Personal brand is a collection of
perceptions someone else has which
describes the experience of having a
relationship with you.
If you are not branding yourself, you can be
sure others are doing it for you. You might
as well grab hold of the wheel and drive.

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What is your
personal brand
1) If I brought up your name with people who are
familiar with you and your work, what would be the
first things likely to pop into their heads?
2) If someone at work suggested including you on a
project, what would come to mind for them?
That is your brand

12. + Not just about being Googleable
.. but that‟s
some of it.

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First things first

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To thine own self…
 Branding is knowing yourself.
 Know your talents and skills.
 Know your goals.
 And knowing this is all flexible.
 Once you know yourself, you can define your brand.
… please be true!

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Ask your
friends, mentors,
even strangers.

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Similar, but different
(just add „er‟)

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Smartypants

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Private

25. + Personal and professional

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Once more let‟s ask…

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What is your brand promise?
 If you …
 Hire me
 Read my story
 Watch my newscast
 Buy my photos
 Follow me on Twitter
 You will get …
 Xxxx

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Not a TASK promise

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Brand promise
 What you stand for
 What you offer
 What people should expect from you

32. To be genuine, fun,
+
Brand contemporary, and
different in everything we
promise do at a reasonable price.
To be the premier sports and
entertainment brand that brings
people together, connecting
them socially and emotionally
like no other.
To inspire moments of
optimism and uplift.

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What is your brand promise?
 If you …
 Hire me
 Read my story
 Watch my newscast
 Buy my photos
 Follow me on Twitter
 You will get …
 Xxxx

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Today‟s brand promise
“I am not Coca Cola. I
am a passionate
journalist with a
story to tell.
And I begin with my
own story.”

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Now let‟s get started
 Create a website – simple WordPress is just fine
 Begin blogging
 Take a daily photo, film a daily video
 Subscribe to blogs, comment when you have something to
say
 Use your name or a consistent username
 Blog responsibly – write, edit, publish, shoot photos
 BUY YOUR DOMAIN NAME … today!

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Do you own your URL? Username?
 Use your name
 Everything should be your name
 If you can‟t get your name, use a derivative of your name

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Landgrab!

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Buy your domain name

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Congratulations

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Congratulations

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How others do it

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Brand-a-palooza – social tools

47. + Portfolio sites – pulling it together

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Portfolio sites - Journalists

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5 rules
 Be diligent
 Be consistent
 Be relevant …. OK, 8 rules
 Be interesting
 Be simple
 Be yourself
 Be unique
 Be focused
Hat tip to Kristian Anderson + Associates | Brand You

50. +
… back to first things first
More resources: RobinJPhillips.com | contact: Robin.Phillips@asu.edu