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The Importance of Personal Branding in Social Media: Educating Students to Create and Manage their Personal Brand

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of developing, maintaining and promoting one's personal brand. Personal branding is the process by which an individual actively tries to manage others' impressions of their skills, abilities and experiences. Self-awareness and understanding one's strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively present the self is essential to building a personal brand. Students need to understand the concept of personal branding and how actions they engage today, especially in social media, can affect their future. Making students aware of the process of personal branding assists them in regulating their postings and disclosures on social media. Many tools are available on social media to convey one's personal brand such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube and blogs. Providing students with tips on how to best convey their image on social media will help them be successful in building their careers. Examples of class assignments from students use of blogs, Pinterest and LinkedIn will be discussed.
International Journal of Education and Social Science www.ijessnet.com Vol. 4 No. 1; January 2017
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The Importance of Personal Branding in Social Media: Educating Students to
Create and Manage their Personal Brand
Katryna M. Johnson
Professor of Marketing
Metropolitan State University
College of Management
1501 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403-1897
United States of America
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of developing, maintaining and promoting
one’s personal brand. Personal branding is the process by which an individual actively tries to
manage others’ impressions of their skills, abilities and experiences. Self-awareness and
understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively present the self is essential
to building a personal brand. Students need to understand the concept of personal branding and
how actions they engage today, especially in social media, can affect their future. Making
students aware of the process of personal branding assists them in regulating their postings and
disclosures on social media. Many tools are available on social media to convey one’s personal
brand such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube and blogs. Providing
students with tips on how to best convey their image on social media will help them be successful
in building their careers. Examples of class assignments from students use of blogs, Pinterest
and LinkedIn will be discussed.
Keywords: Personal branding, social capital, social networking, self-presentation, social media
1. Introduction
The average person today spends 118 minutes per day on social media (“Daily time spent”, 2016). Teens spend
even more time averaging an amazing nine hours each day (Willet, 2016). This provides ample opportunity for
people to share their personal stories, upload pictures, comment on tweets and “like” posts that they read. While
some individuals maintain professional profiles on sites such as LinkedIn, others continuously upload photos of
themselves partying or engaging in questionable behavior.
At times, young adults do not realize the potential long-term impact that negative information can have on their
future careers (Tufecki, 2008) and seemed surprised to learn that human resource departments do use social media
to review potential candidates (Labreque, Markos & Milne, 2010; Stevens, 2016; Wetsch, 2012). It is incumbent
upon educators to teach students about personal branding.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Personal Branding
Personal branding is the practice of marketing oneself to society (Brooks & Anumudu, 2015; Gehl, 2011; Lair,
Sullivan & Cheney, 2005; Khedher, 2014 & 2015; Kleppinger & Cain, 2015; Peters, 1997; Rampersad, 2001;
Shepherd, 2005). An individual‟s personal brand is a reflection of his or her skills, abilities and lifestyle (Gehl,
2011; Hearn, 2008; Peters, 1997). Developing a personal brand is an ongoing process that involves interactions
with others in face-to-face communication and online (Hearn, 2008, Khedher, 2015; Peters, 1997; Vitberg, 2009).
Students need to understand and deliberately cultivate their digital presence. Educators need to teach students
about the social processes and artifacts that influence perception so that students can better maintain and control
their personal brand (Hearn, 2008; Montoya & Vandehey, 2009).
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2.2 Presentation of the Self
Underpinning the concept of personal branding is self-presentation (Goffman, 1959). Goffman discussed how
each of us may try to influence the manner in which others see us. Self-presentation is the mechanism that allows
an individual to convey information to the world to influence perception (Chen, 2013; Goffman, 1959; Khedher,
2015; Schau & Gilly, 2003). Personal branding in social media is the process of taking control of the impressions
one is making in the virtual world (Schau & Gilly, 2003). Students self-present on a daily basis as they choose
what clothes to wear, which car to drive and how they interact with others (Schau & Gilly, 2003). Online,
students post pictures and videos, make comments and share information. Viewing the Internet as a world stage,
we can clearly see how one has the world at its fingertips for creating impressions.
2.3 Importance of Personal Branding
Understanding the importance of one‟s personal brand has been the subject of much discussion (Brooks &
Anumudu, 2015; Montoya and Vandehey, 2002; Hearn, 2008; Morgan, 2011; Peters, 1997; Wetsch, 2012).
Students need to understand that their behavior online can impact potential employers‟ perceptions of them.
When teaching about personal branding, some students are resistant to the idea that images or information posted
on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter could be used by organizations in the hiring
process (Brooks & Anumudu, 2015; Kleppinger & Cain, 2015; Stevens, 2016; Tufecki, 2012).
Human Resources have used social media sites to observe potential employees for some time (Labreque, Markos
& Milne, 2010; Ward & Yates, 2013; Wetsch, 2012). Career Builder indicated that 60% of employers have used
social networking information to hire candidates (Grasz, 2016). Information on a candidate‟s job qualifications,
skills and perception of ability to fit with an organization positively influence hiring, while inappropriate photos,
use of alcohol or drugs, and discriminatory comments negatively influence hiring. Making students aware of
these concerns assists them in regulating their postings and disclosures on social media.
Social media can be used to increase one‟s social capital (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007; Fieseler & Fleck,
2013; Gehl, 2011; Hearn, 2008; Khedher, 2014 & 2015). Social capital refers to the ability to use resources and
engage in mutually advantageous social cooperation through a social network (Ellison et al., 2007). Research on
social media has indicated that one‟s social capital can be improved or damaged through interactions in one‟s
social network (Ellison et al., 2007; Hampton & Wellman, 2003). Gehl, (2011, p. 4) indicated that personal
branding “essentially offers a technique for individuals to increase their social capital as a means to flexibly adapt
to changing labor markets”.
2.4 Personal S.W.O.T Analysis
Self-awareness is essential to building a personal brand (Brooks & Anumudu, 2015; Gehl, 2011; Morgan, 2011;
Poeppelman & Blacksmith, 2014). Students must understand their skills, abilities, knowledge, talent, personality,
strengths and weaknesses and what others see in them. Conducting a personal S.W.O.T. analysis allows students
to identify internal strengths and weaknesses and evaluate outside opportunities and threats (Brooks & Anumudu,
2015; McCorkle and McCorkle, 2012; Rampersad, 2011). The internal portion of the S.W.O.T. enables students
to assess their current strengths (e.g. education) and weaknesses (e.g. communication skills) so that they can
communicate their strengths and work on the weaknesses. The external analysis allows students to examine
current market trends for job opportunities and consider threats such as other students competing for a job
(McKorkle & McKorkle, 2012).
2.3 Personal Branding Statement
Once the personal S.W.O.T. has been completed, students need to develop a personal branding statement that
highlights their unique value proposition (Brooks & Anumudu, 2015; Clark, 2011; Khedher, 2014 & 2015;
Morgan, 2011; Peters, 1997; Rampersad, 2011; Shepherd, 2005; Stanton & Stanton, 2013). Students should
identify a target market (e.g. potential employer) for their message and highlight their personal skills and
knowledge (Clark, 2011; Harris & Rae, 2011; Hughes, 2013; Peters, 1997).
A personal branding statement gives individuals the ability to differentiate themselves from the crowd (Harris &
Rae, 2011). A personal branding statement identifies what you do, how you do it, why people should care and
what makes you unique (Hughes, 2013). An example of a personal branding statement is as follows “I‟m a
technology entrepreneurial marketer with a passion for building teams of brand advocates by fostering
relationships with customers and users” (Hughes, 2013, para. 8). This statement allows potential employers to
identify the key skills and strengths of a potential candidate.
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3. Tips for Personal Branding
There are many suggestions on the factors that are important in communicating a personal brand. Professionally
it is vital that students emphasize their knowledge, experience and skills. Students should also demonstrate their
abilities, be authentic and reveal their character (Rampersad, 2001, Shah 2017). Individuals should be positive,
professional, interesting and responsive when communicating online (Montoya & Vandehey, 2002; Rampersad,
2001; Schwabel, 2009a, Shah 2017).
Students also need to consider their personal appearance. One‟s appearance should be professional and have a
positive fit with an organization (Schwabel, 2009a; Vara, 2010). Appearance is not limited to one‟s physical
appearance but also to emotional appearance (Vara, 2010). “Your emotional appearance is the words you say and
the actions you take” (Vara, 2010, para. 4). The image people have of us and our personal brand is influenced by
our daily lives and how we interact with others. A person‟s external appearance may portray a professional
image, but it is also important that a person‟s behavior do so as well (Vara, 2010).
Much of the discussion on personal branding suggests that it is important to be consistent in portraying one‟s
brand in social media across professional and personal sites (Montoya & Vandehey, 2002; Schau & Gilly, 2003;
Shah, 2017; Shepherd, 2005). However, in life we often have multiple identities such as colleague, family
member or student (Goffman 1956; Markus & Nurius, 1986). Portrayal of one‟s self on a social media site such
as Facebook may differ from one‟s LinkedIn Profile. In relation to one‟s professional life, it is essential to
maintain a consistent and professional appearance (Labreque, Markos & Milne, 2010; Shah, 2017). Studies have
found that unprofessional behavior and appearance on any type of social media site can hurt a career (Labreque,
Markos & Milne; 2010; Tufecki, 2012).
Shepherd (2005, p. 600) states “the drift of most expert advice seems to be that individuals can no longer afford to
express the multiple personalities they used to have, or to live a life with varying attitudes and contrasting goals”.
A possible solution is to separate these identities for some social media sites such as Facebook or Pinterest by
keeping them private and accessible only to friends and family (Tufecki, 2008
4. Tools for Personal Branding in Social Media
Teaching students about social media tools and the fundamentals of personal branding is essential to one‟s career
(Clark, 2011; Gehl, 2011; Harris and Rae, 2011; Rampersad, 2001; Ward & Yates, 2013). Tools for personal
branding are various and include blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Quora, Slideshare,
podcasts, wikis, and videocasts (Chen, 2013; Clark, 2011; Elmore, 2010; Harris & Rae, 2011; Kleppinger & Cain,
2015; Pace, 2008; Poeppelman & Blacksmith, 2014; Vitberg, 2009). It is important students keep their profiles
current, convey academic and business history, and provide a concise list of accomplishments and career goals
(Clark, 2011; Elmore, 2010; Morgan, 2011).
LinkedIn is the top professional site for demonstrating one‟s professional knowledge and skills (McCorkle &
McCorkle, 2012; Poeppelman & Blacksmith, 2014; Schwabel, 2009b). It is important for students to maintain a
virtual resume where they can showcase their skills and abilities (Elmore, 2010; Marcus, Machilek & Schutz,
2006; McCorkle & McCorkle, 2012; Morgan, 2011; Schau & Gilly, 2003). LinkedIn profiles should include a
recent, professional photo and accurate academic and personal history highlighting personal accomplishments
(Morgan, 2011). Students should provide keywords on their LinkedIn Profile to assist search engines and
recruiters in finding their profile (Schwabel, 2009b).
4.1 Professional Storytelling
The ability to share one‟s stories, knowledge and experiences can be communicated through many social media
sites (Blair, 2015; Brooks & Anumudu, 2015). Creating a narrative (telling one‟s professional story) online
allows students to present their knowledge, skills and work experience to demonstrate how they have progressed
along their career path and why they have chosen this career. This narrative may then also be used in face-to-face
settings such as when a student is interviewed for a job.
YouTube is one option for telling one‟s story and demonstrating one‟s abilities. YouTube allows students the
ability to openly communicate via video and receive feedback (Chen, 2013; Pace, 2008). Personalities, body
language and knowledge can clearly be portrayed in a visual format that might not be observed otherwise.
Presentations can be taped and posted to one‟s LinkedIn site, Vimeo or YouTube (Pace 2008).
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Students can also use their Facebook site for personal branding (Biba, 2011; Schawbel, 2009a). As mentioned
previously, individuals can maintain a private and a public Facebook profile (Kleppinger & Cain, 2015;
Schwabel, 2009a; Tufecki, 2012). Users should understand who their audience is for each profile (family and
friends vs. colleagues). Profiles should be filled out completely and privacy settings should be reviewed to ensure
that certain people do or do not have access to the profile (such as potential employers). Students should keep
their photos and posts professional and update their status frequently (Schwabel, 2009a).
Twitter can also be used to exhibit one‟s personal brand (Claucherty, 2013; Harris and Rae, 2011; Kleppinger &
Cain, 2015; Poeppelman and Blacksmith, 2014). Students should claim their Twitter handle (domain name) that
is reflective of their surname so they can easily be found (Claucherty, 2013). Language and photos should be kept
professional, bios should reflect relevant information on business knowledge and experience, and links should be
provided to other social media sites (Clauchery, 2013).
Visual media platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram allow students the opportunity to use pictures, videos and
image oriented illustrations of themselves and their abilities. Practitioners have suggested that when using visual
platforms for personal branding it is important to optimize one‟s profile, be authentic, engage with followers,
maintain a theme and to post on a consistent schedule (Lacy, 2012).
Blogs can demonstrate one‟s personal voice and command of language by allowing individuals to tell their story
and demonstrate knowledge (Blair, 2015; Clark, 2011; Elmore, 2010; Harris & Rae, 2011). Additionally, in
blogging, video can be used which communicates body language and tone of voice to allow for a more complete
perspective of a person. Students should keep their blogs and online profiles up to date and be responsive to
inquiries (Elmore, 2010; Gehl, 2011; Vitberg, 2009).
4.2 Reputation Management
Web sites such as BrandYourself, Vizify, VizualizeMe and AboutMe are available to assist students with
improving their personal brand (Jackson, 2012). These sites allow students to control how they appear in search
engines (Jackson, 2012). Students can submit the sites they want people to find when searching for them (such as
LinkedIn or Pinterest) and increase the rankings in the search engines so the sites will be more likely to appear.
Some of the sites can track visitors, some help with resumes and other sites allow integrate blogs, videos and
photos.
5. Tracking a Personal Brand
It is imperative to monitor one‟s personal brand (Gehl, 2011; Shah, 2017). NameChk can help students find if
their name is available on a social networking site. Google Alert and SocialMention can be used to track
keywords (such as one‟s name) on the Internet to assess who and how frequently people or companies are
searching for you. Naymz will help measure and manage one‟s social reputation.
Students can monitor their personal brand through tools such as Google Alert (which allows them to know who
has searched for them), Klout (which is a score on influence on Twitter) or Social Mention to determine if their
name is being discussed in social media (Gehl, 2011, p. 7). Social mention is a real-time search engine that
allows one to monitor one‟s named based on four measures: Strength, Sentiment, Passion and Reach (Gehl,
2011). “Strength is the likelihood that your brand is being discussed in social media, Sentiment is a ratio of
positive mentions to negative, Passion is a measure of how often people are discussing the subject, and Reach is a
measure of the diversity of mentions of the topic” (Gehl, 2011, p. 16).
6. Course Assignments
I have used several social media tools to teach personal branding. I use videos from YouTube to explain the
concept of personal branding and discuss how it can be exhibited in social media. When I began teaching
personal branding, I used wikis and blogs to have students demonstrate their knowledge. Students were asked to
post information about the class project and course concepts. I found that many students were posting videos or
photos rather than writing and asked them for feedback as to what social media tool they would prefer to use. The
overwhelming response was to use a microblog such as Twitter or visual social media tools such as Instagram or
Pinterest. Based on information in Forbes that Pinterest was the rising star in social media (Griswold, 2013), I
chose Pinterest. In a different course I have had students create LinkedIN profiles to help them establish a
presence online and to network.
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6.1 Pinterest Assignment. Students were asked to create at least five boards on Pinterest that are related to the
class topics and one for their course project. Some of the questions students have had included:
What type of boards should we have?
What should I name the boards?
What should I pin?
Do I need to create pins?
Who do we follow?
I instruct students to follow me on Pinterest as I have created 43 boards related to my classes and research. This
allows students to see the type of boards that would be appropriate for the assignment. I tell students that board
titles should reflect the content of the board. I also give instruction on whom they should follow by indicating
they can look at those that I follow and also by searching for topic areas. Students are not required to create their
own pins but can re-pin from individuals on Pinterest. Students are required to pin at least five infographics or
images to each board.
6.1.1 Methodology and Data Analysis
Each semester I ask students for an end-of-the semester reflection on concepts or assignments they felt were most
relevant to their lives and work. I then perform a content analysis of the papers to assess common themes in
learning. Student responses have indicated that Pinterest allows them to:
Showcase their work
Network with others in their field
Learn about new concepts
Organize helps students remember the source of where they found information
Collaborate with peers on projects
6.2 LinkedIn Assignment.
In order to help students establish a professional presence online I have had them create LinkedIn profiles and
connect to professional groups. Students are told to include their name, professional looking photo, summary
statement on career goals, information on their skills, work experience, education and resume. They are required
to connect to five other students in the class and to two professional organizations in their major.
6.2.1 Methodology and Data Analysis
I assess student learning on this assignment through a one page paper in which I ask:
At the end of the semester you will write a one to two-page paper on the three
topics/assignments/discussions (any aspect of the course) that were most important to you in the
course. Discuss why the topics were relevant in your life. In addition, please discuss if you find the
LinkedIn assignment helpful and if you currently use or plan to use LinkedIn in the future.
Students have indicated that they greatly appreciate the networking, ability to promote their skills and work
experience and the opportunity for career development through the business-related groups they have joined.
LinkedIn was a great task to take on for that it allows me to build a network of existing contacts, which
allows you to discover outside links.
Creating the LinkedIn was extremely helpful. I have already made several connections and am looking
forward to the opportunities that will come from it. This is probably the best thing I have gotten from this
class. I never knew just how helpful it could be to have one. Hopefully this will open many doors for me
as I move on in the business world.
I perform a content analysis on the papers to assess learning. Students have indicated the following benefits:
Building a network
Connecting to professional associations
Learning new concepts and more about their major (job and career knowledge)
Finding job opportunities
Promoting skills, abilities and work experience
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7.0 Conclusion
Building one‟s personal brand is a continual process. Not only do students need to stay current with social media
and industry trends, they need to be aware of the perceptions they are forming in the minds of others. Students
have indicated that teaching them about personal branding is a valuable experience.
Students need to understand that face-to-face and online interactions impact other people‟s perceptions of their
brand. Having good written and oral communication skills and demonstrating expertise in one‟s field are keys to
developing a strong personal brand. Many tools are available for students to use in social media to exhibit and
monitor their personal brand.
Students should take advantage of multiple platforms to communicate their personal brand. As educators, we
should incorporate assignments into our classes such as developing a personal brand statement or demonstrating
one‟s personal brand on social media to facilitate students‟ transition into their careers.
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... The first step to consider in this process is to create a personal brand. A personal brand determines how a teacher is perceived online, and a positive perception helps them to be seen as a reliable source by both students and colleagues (Johnson, 2017). In order to create a personal brand, teachers should choose a specific theme or area of expertise and produce content in this area. ...
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The increasing availability of mobile technologies has transformed language teaching and learning, particularly in the development of writing skills. These technologies provide collaborative, interactive, and flexible environments that support both synchronous and asynchronous communication, making writing practices more inclusive and accessible. Collaborative writing (CW), a socially and academically valuable practice, has gained prominence with the integration of mobile technologies. Tools such as Google Docs and WhatsApp facilitate real-time collaboration, feedback sharing, and idea development, enhancing writing motivation and outcomes. Although research highlights the benefits of mobile technologies in CW, limited studies have examined their role in academic writing, particularly among graduate students. This study investigates the affordances and challenges of WhatsApp and Google Docs in CW for academic writing. By exploring their impact on collaboration, motivation, and writing quality, the study aims to provide insights into the potential of mobile technologies in improving writing skills and academic success in language learning contexts.
... En la actualidad, el branding personal es un fenómeno que se ha propagado para apoyar al éxito personal y profesional (Khedher, 2014). Y tener buenas habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita; y demostrar experiencia en su campo son claves para desarrollar un branding personal sólido (Johnson, 2017). ...
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The concept of personal branding is fundamental, since some professionals are unaware of its importance, in addition to the fact that the objective is to make individuals and companies aware of concentrating efforts for the work of the personal brand to position themselves with the best employees in each one of them. The present investigation is a systematic review of the literature that constituted the compilation and analysis of different documents with a quantitative and qualitative approach that generated a matrix of particularities; where the results present a guide with key elements to identify the factors that impact personal branding. Keywords: Personal branding, skills, labor markets
... Therefore, the audience determined that social media would be used to communicate, discuss, or seek popularity. (Johnson, 2017) Then, other concerns were how to know the differences between the various roles of these lesbians, such as butch, femme, and andro. Moreover, the results of the three interviews to distinguish or identify lesbians in their roles as butch, femme, and andro could be seen in their physical appearance and the clothes they wore. ...
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Lesbians tend to be introverted, as a result of which lesbians are less well-known and understood than homosexual men. There are still many societies that reject the existence of lesbians and consider taboos in their mindset and sexual order. The purpose of this study is to find out the impression management practices carried out by lesbians on Instagram social media and what obstacles lesbians face in building impressions on Instagram social media. According to Goffman's impression management theory, human behavior, including the clothes we wear, the location where we live, the house we live in, the way we move, and the way we speak, are used to show themselves. This research use descriptive qualitative by conducting interviews with several resource persons. The results found that most of these lesbians still close their identities from the family for fear of rejection. They will be closed when in front of family and public circles, but when in their community they will open up about identity. The impression they display also does not clearly highlight them as part of the Lesbians because they choose to be as comfortable as themselves in terms of appearance, language style and social media style.
... It can be described as an attention-seeking device, or self-marketing, for young professionals to stand out from the crowd (Shepherd, 2005) through image building, selling, appearance and status (Gujarathi & Kulkarni, 2018). It can further be defined as a continuous process by which an individual defines themselves professionally by promoting their strengths, skills, abilities and experiences as well as managing their audience's perception of who they are (Philbrick & Cleveland, 2015;Johnson, 2017;Achmad & Ruhaena, 2021). ...
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Building and maintaining a personal brand is a critical differentiator for the proactive and professional members of society. Branding is a marketing tool, which helps form a mental representation of a product, service, organisation or an individual. Equally important is communicating your personal brand through various networks. The ascent of the Internet and social media has amplified opportunities to build a personal brand virtually through online networking. Social media allows for the sharing of information through virtual networks and communities. The virtual space offers diverse stages or platforms for people to self-brand their own character with the assistance of the Internet. Personal branding is the process of defining and promoting yourself and what you stand for as an individual. In this study, an online survey was used to investigate how social media can be used as a networking platform to build a personal brand. The 209 responses were statistically analysed, including Exploratory Factor Analysis. The majority of the respondents used 5 popular social media platforms, namely WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. The study found that the factor Personal Branding is made up of two components, namely Interpersonal Personal Branding and Intellectual Personal Branding.
... Personal Branding adalah suatu proses ketika seseorang menggunakan dirinya atau karirnya sebagai merek (brand), memasarkan dirinya pada orang lain secara sistematis, sekaligus menarik persepsi publik secara aktif (Johnson, 2017). Menurut cashlez.com ...
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In the era of digitalization, the internet, and social media are not only used for communication but have a big impact in various fields. One of the social media platforms that is currently developing very rapidly is TikTok where users can enjoy and make short videos. Every content creator on social media who wants to create content must have personal branding so that it can adapt to other people's perceptions and build trust with the audience. The purpose of this research is to find out how Erika Richardo's personal branding on Tiktok attracts Brand Awareness By.Painters. The theoretical concepts used are the eight forms of personal branding according to Peter Montoya, namely, specialization, leadership, personality, difference, visibility, unity, steadfastness, and good name. Qualitative research methods were used in this research. Data collection was carried out using observation and interview techniques with 5 research respondents. The research results obtained were that to become a content creator you need to understand the concept of personal branding. From the 8 concepts explained by Peter Montoya, it was found that Erika applied 7 concepts in creating her content. Di era digitalisasi, internet dan media sosial tidak hanya digunakan untuk sebatas berkomunikasi melainkan memiliki dampak besar di berbagai bidang.Salah satu platform media sosial yang saat ini berkembang begitu pesat adalah TikTok dimana penggunanya dapat menikmati dan membuat video singkat. Setiap konten kreator di media sosial yang ingin membuat sebuah konten harus memiliki personal branding agar dapat menyesuaikan persepsi orang lain dan membangun kepercayaan kepada khalayak. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui bagaimana Personal Branding Erika Richardo di Tiktok dalam menarik Brand Awareness by.painters. Konsep teori yang digunakan yaitu delapan pembentuk personal branding menurut Peter Montoya yaitu, spesialisasi, kepemimpinan, kepribadian, perbedaan, terlihat, kesatuan, keteguhan, dan nama baik. Metode penelitian kualitatif digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Pengambilan data dilakukan menggunakan teknik observasi dan wawancara dengan 5 responden penelitian. Hasil penelitian yang didapatkan yaitu menjadi seorang konten kreator perlu memahami adanya konsep personal branding dari 8 konsep yang dipaparkan oleh Peter Montoya ditemukan bahwa Erika menerapkan 7 konsep personal branding di dalam pembuatan kontennya.
... Respons yang positif dari komunitas daring terhadap IPK yang tinggi dari peserta, terutama dari jurusan yang dianggap menantang, mencerminkan penghargaan terhadap prestasi akademik yang signifikan. Ini mencerminkan profesionalisme dan kesesuaian positif terhadap nilai merek Ruangguru (Johnson & Johnson, 2017). ...
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The increased use of the internet, predominantly by Generation Z, provides opportunities for Edutech players to develop marketing strategies through viral marketing on social media. This research explores viral marketing strategies to enhance brand awareness through Edutainment content on Edutech platforms. The case study of Ruangguru and the Clash of Champions program is used to understand the effectiveness of these strategies. A mixed-methods approach combining participatory observation on social media and metric analysis was employed to measure engagement. Results indicate that the Clash of Champions program, adopting the South Korean reality show format "University War," successfully captured the audience's attention. Intensive promotional strategies via social media, particularly Instagram, resulted in a 640% increase in engagement and a 102% rise in conventional media coverage. Key success factors include the high-achieving profiles of participants and the show's relevance to popular culture. This study confirms that viral marketing strategies integrating entertainment elements are effective in enhancing brand image and consumer engagement. These findings provide critical insights for developing viral marketing content strategies within the Edutech industry.
... Marka osobista jest przedmiotem licznych analiz z zakresu różnych dziedzin. Wskazuje się chociażby na stopień aplikowalności pojęć z obszaru zarządzania marką do internetowej działalności jednostek (Walczak-Sałecka, 2018), elementy składające się na proces jej budowania (Niedźwiedziński, Klepacz, Szymańska, 2016), występowanie w rozmaitych kontekstach (Johnson, 2017;Modzelewska-Stalmach, 2018;Staniszewska, Górska, 2021;Wójciak, 2022) czy negatywne aspekty (Grzesiak, 2017). W kontekście prowadzonych w niniejszym tekście rozważań ważne wydaje się przede wszystkim wskazanie, czym jest marka osobista oraz co składa się na proces jej tworzenia, a także próba odpowiedzi na pytanie: czy w kontekście marki osobistej można mówić tylko o ludzkim podmiocie działań? ...
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Pet influencers have been an increasingly important element of the online landscape for some time now. Posts published in their name on social media generate huge attention and develop a high numer of followers. In this context, the question arises whether the current definitions of the terms “influencer”and “personal brand” include non-human entities such as animals or virtual influencers? On the one hand, actions taken, for example, by owners on behalf of their pets are aimed at “giving them a voice”. On the other hand, it is not entirely possible, and ultimately the brand created around pets is a kind of resultant of the beliefs and values of the animal’s guardians and what the animal itself seems to convey through its actions and reactions. Based on the analysis of the content of pet influencers on Instagram, this text attempts to determine the models of the brand appropriate for animal profiles in social media. Five of them are distinguished – animals that create “their own corner”on the Internet, animals as alternative voices of their owners, anthropomorphized animals, involved in the area of fashion and random stars. At the present stage, it seems that although such pets can be called influencers, in terms of personal brand, the current definitions should be extended to include non-human entities. Internet activities do not currently allow pets to emancipate and develop independence from human control combined with care.
... Are they only a distraction in the realm of work (e.g., North, 2010)? Are they a venue of general professional expression (e.g., Johnson, 2017)? Are they a way to make a living (Duffy, 2017)? ...
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This article presents a review of areas in the existing research where social media and work intersect. After delineating the two terms "social media" and "work," the article proceeds to outline 8 conceptualizations describing different types of intersection between these two domains: (1) social media before work, (2) social media instead of work, (3) social media for work, (4) social media about work, (5) social media as work, (6) social media under work, (7) work for social media, and (8) social media after work. The article goes on to discuss how these different conceptualizations might give rise to (empirical) differences in how individuals experience social media and work, and how the two themes provide different analytical foci. The article finishes with a conclusion on how research should be sensitized to a world of post-social media work.
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The purpose of this research is how personal branding can influence personal image with the perceptions of different generations. The development of increasingly sophisticated communication technology has brought major changes to human communication patterns. With the presence of YouTube and the content that is currently busy is culinary world content. Foodvlogger is the name for those who create content in the culinary field on YouTube. Images in the digital world are considered important because they appear to be homogeneous even though they are heterogeneous. Personal image is important for foodvloggers because they appear as individuals who are perceived by their audience. Personal branding that is built is something that can improve your image. The variety of generations that enjoy social media will be a problem in itself, with different generations because there are differences in perceived experiences, there will be differences in perception. This research was designed as a type of survey method where the goal was to test hypotheses. The focus is on explaining the relationships between variables which will ultimately be implemented for two different generations. The results can be discussed as differences in perceptions from generations Y and Z, but because the historical background and social life of the two generations are not too far apart, their assessments are also not too far apart. In other words, the personal branding and personal image of food vloggers are already well embedded in generations Y and Z. Where both generations can accept food vloggers well and see their activities on YouTube well too.
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As early as the late 1990s, Tom Peters started the conversation about personal branding with his book The Brand Called You. This concept is not without its supporters and critics. Often people view personal branding as something negative such as bragging or possible view it as self-promotion. In the world of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it is more important than ever that everyone, but primarily students, understand the implication of their online postings but also consider the importance of crafting, promoting, and defending their personal brand.
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In recent years, society's rapid adoption of social media has made the boundary between professional and private life nearly indistinguishable. The literature provides guidance on how to demonstrate professionalism via social media platforms. Social media policies within health professions education tend to be legalistic in nature, serving primarily to highlight behaviors students should avoid. One missing element in social media literature is the concept of online invisibility. In this paper, we define personal digital branding, discuss the professional implications of choosing to abstain from social media use, and urge educators to recognize that the personal digital branding may be an emerging asset for young professionals in the twenty-first century.
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Personal branding is a relatively new phenomenon related to the marketing effort that one adopts in order to promote oneself in the competitive job market. In recent years personal branding has gained popularity as a trend in popular management and employment consultancy, and within practitioner venues, but less so in the academic arena. This article provides a seminal perspective on what personal branding is, using four main foundations: 1 social and cultural capital drawing on Bourdieu's theory (1984, 1986); 2 a compound of artifactual, non-verbal behaviours, and verbal strategies according to the dramaturgical perspective (Goffman, 1959); 3 an intentional effort at signalling using the signalling theory of Spence (1973); 4 a reflective practice using the 'reflective practitioner' of Schön (1983). Thus, it is predicted that development of these concepts will deepen understanding of personal branding that has important implications for personal and professional development.
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The advertising industry has changed dramatically in the last few years with increasing percentages of marketing expenditures transferring from traditional channels to emerging digital and social channels. Educators need to recognize the changing needs of the marketplace and provide appropriate education to students to prepare them for this exciting new advertising environment. Recent changes to Google search results now incorporate social elements from Google + and other Google properties, introducing the concept of ‘Social Search’. Providing students with assignments that provide for realistic evaluation as well as real world value has been a challenge for educators. Fortunately, the growth of directed pay-per-click advertising through search engines as well as other social channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube has created an opportunity for marketing educators to incorporate direct marketing and advertising skills and assignments to provide an interactive and engaging educational environment. This article describes a personal branding assignment used in undergraduate and MBA classes that focuses on the use of social media.
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Engaging students in a principles of marketing course can prove challenging but also provides instructors with an opportunity to link course concepts using a real-world orientation. This paper describes the use of a personal brand statement assignment as a way to integrate the key marketing concepts of branding and brand positioning into a broader understanding of marketing. The assignment requires the students to successfully apply analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills in a way that expands marketing knowledge and is directly relevant to their career development efforts.
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Developing a personal brand in the social media world is now a rapidly growing trend. Existing literature examines how companies can utilize social media to build their brands. However, the phenomenon of branding online has rarely been examined from a personal perspective, despite its growing importance. This qualitative study seeks to address this peculiar absence and tries to understand how and what personal branding can be formed within the social media consumption (e.g., YouTube). The results reveal areas of potential development for personal branding and consumer-personal brand relationships as a result of consumer empowerment on YouTube. The key managerial implication shows that the dynamics of the business-to-branding and consumer-brand relationships have been transformed from a company perspective and a one-dimensional occurrence to a personal perspective and a bidirectional social bond on YouTube.
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It's a new brand world. That gym outfit you're wearing --one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded [=Nike]. That coffee cup you're carrying --ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the "look-at-me-I-made-it" icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end ... You're branded, branded, branded, branded. It's time for me --and you --to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work. Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You. It's that simple --and that hard. And that inescapable.
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A quick overview – why I have summarised this book As some of you know, I'm in the process of 're-inventing' what I do myself at the moment. (To learn more see my website!) Someone had recommended this book a while ago and so I figured it was time to look at it. To be blunt, it is not a book that I would naturally reach for. It is also of the kind that irritates me! The author is heavily self-promoting. The book is self-published (a sign that no-one with editorial clout has been through it). The thing is SO structured that it is obvious that he wrote it by dictating notes to accompany some Powerpoint presentations. While there are lots of examples (which is great) they too are so structured that they repeat themselves and feel as though reality is being squeezed into a rigid model to prove a point. And several of the people he has endorsing him are from the school of psychology that believes in plastering over cracks (or even denying them completely) and forging ahead regardless, rather than trying to resolve past history and move forward in an integrated fashion.