Mashable

Last week we introduced The 5 B’s of Career Branding, with the first being “Be Visible”.  I was trying to think of popular brands that have seen success because of the brand visibility they created for themselves.  The first company that came to mind was Microsoft. 

On June 3^rd, 2009 Microsoft officially launched their Bing Search product, and since that day they have successfully implemented an in your face branding strategy.  With a marketing budget of 100 million dollars, Microsoft set out to let the world know what Bing was.  Between the radio commercials, TV commercials and roadside billboards, I can’t get away from the name Bing Search.  Even though I feel it’s a bit overkill, the visibility they created for Bing Search helped increase Microsoft’s share of the search market.  Just like Bing, you too can take a stand in your marketplace by increasing the visibility of your career brand.  Here’s how:      

1.  Join professional communities –

Be an active member on any and all online communities and forums that deal with your interests and niche.  The more people you actively network with, the more your name will be known.  Befriend key players in your industry and remember to comment on their postings. 

Facebook and LinkedIn have a feature called groups.  Find a group that interests you and join it.  Be active in the group by answering questions posted by other group members, posting interesting stories that you found on the internet and offering advice to other group members. 

2.  Create professional profiles – 

If you are not on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter get your account immediately.  Those sites are the most popular networking tools out right now, and building a name for yourself using them will increase your visibility.  You should also think about creating a Google profile, which will make it easier for people to find your name and your professional information on Google.  To view other social networking sites, Mashable has a list of over 350 Social Networking Sites, take a look at them and decide what sites would work best for you. 

3.  Show it through writing–

Writing a blog keeps your mind open and moving and challenges you to get your thoughts out in the open.  By writing a blog you are creating a voice for yourself and establishing credibility within your industry.  The most important thing about a blog is that is connects you on a daily basis with your peers, peers you might not have been able to reach out to otherwise.  If keeping up a blog is too much for you, try writing guest post for popular blogs or write technical articles to be published in industry specific publications.  

Another way to be visible is to update Wikipedia and online Encyclopedias.  This shows your knowledge of a particular subject and increases you visibility to a specific community.

4.  Attend events –

Go to every business and career networking event you can attend.  You are opening the doors to new career paths, will be able to find out what skills are currently marketable and are getting the opportunity to keep up to date with industry news.  These websites list upcoming networking events in your area: LaidOffCamp, GarysGuide, Upcoming, Meetup.  You can also find some popular networking events in a recent article we posted on AskBINC.   

5.  Update often –

This is an easy and effective way to stay in people’s hearts and minds.  The easiest place to do this is through Twitter.  If you follow the Twitter Diet, you will grow your personal and professional brand, set yourself apart from others by showing you know what you are talking about, firmly plant yourself in the minds of potential employers and stay in the loop about open positions and company information.