Quora -- New Personal Branding Tool

There are more and more people getting on Quora.

Just like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, Quora allows you to network and engage with other people.

If you’re really serious about personal branding, you might even have your own Facebook Page, Twitter account and LinkedIn Profile. Where else can you build your personal profile and showcase your expertise?

Quora is the online question and answer community that can be added to the list of social media tools you can use.

To use Quora effectively, Mashable has some tips for you to increase your visibility. 12 Ways to Use Quora For Your Job Search

Check it out, it is now getting a lot of attention, and indeed, it can answer a lot of your questions.

-- Robin Low

There will be no need for resume.

With social media and personal branding, I have known so many people who get jobs through online networking, participating on forums or simply having great informative blogs.

With the power of social media, will we reach a point where a resume is no longer required? By the time the resume is needed, the contract will probably already be signed and the resume may simply be a formality for the HR department to file away.

Just like any superstar or movie stars, your portfolio is public, and everything have done is known to everyone. There will be not much need for a resume. You are your brand!

-- Robin Low

Unleash your Brand

In today's digital age, it would be naive to think that it would be enough by just "getting by", doing your job, working for a company. With the financial turmoil, there is no such thing as a stable job, and the old saying of "studying hard and finding a career with a big company" does not hold water anymore.

With tons of mergers and acquisitions, companies going bust, it is no longer true that you can just work for a company for the rest of your life. Even though there are no world statistics on the accumulated number of jobs of the population, there is some information on the US and UK: the book “The Economics of Earnings”, by Solomon W. Polachek and W. Stanley Siebert, presents a study in which the UK population aged between 60 and 64 years had accumulated an average of 6.9 jobs; in the US, this number for the same population equals 10.5. An average between these two figures corresponds to 8.7 jobs in a lifetime. It is safe to say that getting known and branding yourself is becoming more important than ever.

The Brand -- YOU

People have been long searching for a way to one-up the competition. With the world going into the digital age, the process of applying for jobs also have became digital.

HR departments, headhunters, VCs and other stakeholders are using the Internet and their personal networks to find opportunities. Whether it is looking for a job, starting your own business or selling your products and services, the Internet plays a big part in many industries.

Personal branding is not a new thing, for several years now, many people have been sharing good value in the Internet on their blogs. Through other social media channels or search engines, their thoughts and deeds are made known, giving them opportunities to network and even better -- find a job or business opportunity.

I have personally know many individuals who have found jobs by just networking online. How do they do it? By simply making themselves more valuable to the marketplace by showing their skills and competence.

Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint plays a very big role. In job hunting or starting a business, many people do use search engines to find out more information about you. When is the last time you search for yourself online? Is the outcome positive?

Well it is not too late. Personal branding takes time and effort. Building relationship online is the same too. It is never too late to start. Whenever you post good information on forums or blogs, or if you contribute any articles online, remember to use your real name. You will never know the things you write would be picked up somewhere and your brand would be BIG someday.

-- Robin Low

Education and Social Media

A very common excuse given by the education ministries and schools about social media training is "We have social media trainings implemented already." I've talked to many schools and administrators of schools of teenagers aged 14 - 18, and they have replied with the same answer, perfectly in tune. I have however yet to see any results or any physical evidence that the schools are successful, yet they are unwilling to ask for help.

Teaching teenagers how to manage their Digital Footprint

I read a blog by the Innovative educator on "Teaching Kids to Manage their Digital Footprint - 140 Character Conference Panel Discussion"

And I agree with the author about the following:

Teaching kids to manage their Digital Footprint really starts with the adults. Teachers can't teach this effectively if they, themselves have not managed their own digital footprint. It is also important not to confuse managing a digital footprint with being hidden or private. Branding our identities has become more and more important in the digital age and if students and teachers aren't actively managing their digital footprint, then who is? Managing your digital footprint starts with asking questions like: Who are you? What do you stand for? What are your passions and beliefs? The important lesson with managing your digital footprint is that everything we do online should represent who we are and what we stand for and we must have the knowledge that this representation will stick with us potentially forever.

How can we teach students and teachers to celebrate themselves and their beliefs so that their digital footprint represents a picture of someone they are proud to be? I've written about some fun ways to get these conversations going by helping students reflect upon what their digital message says about them. An interesting way to start such a conversation might be with this video which really can get students and their teachers thinking about who they are and what they stand for.

I believe across many countries, this is the same problem. Many teachers who are Gen x (Aged 35 - 45) are themselves not familiar with social media, and they are confused with the terms of digital footprint, social media and web 2.0. Many of these teachers have little concept of blogs and personal branding, and some are even adverse to getting into social media themselves.

How are you going to teach social media safety tips if you do not participate in social media?

I believe pitching social media to the teenagers is one thing, another part of it is to educate the parents. By simply taking responsibility and following your children on Facebook and Twitter, your children would take the little extra steps in monitoring their own language and posts on social media. There are few tools and privacy setting that they previously ignore, and due to parents or teachers following them, they have to start learning how to use them.

This concept of self censorship and monitoring personal online footprints would be ignored by some, as teenagers have yet grasped the benefits of forming networks and learning from people with similar interests. Many of the teenagers will still think they know everything will not care about the things they talk about online.

Role model. I believe studies should be carried out on some of the "Superstars" on social media, and some of the teenager bloggers who have successful leveraged on social media and branded themselves and created a following. Having someone to look up to, teenagers can learn the value and benefits of benefits and how it can elevate one's status.

I personally do not think negative reinforcements work well either. The examples of teenagers getting into trouble with the law after some Facebook comments do not seem to resonate at all, as many of them think "This will not happen to me." There are always laws governing jay-walking, teenage smoking and drinking, however with these laws, it would give these law breaking teenagers a form of excitement and an adrenalin rush, just to "get away with it."

Monitoring social media and Googling your children's name and avatar should be a priority for parents and not just for the schools, and as for the schools, well, everyone should start getting on social media just to be part of this emerging communication channel which would definitely be part of our lives in years to come.

-- Robin Low

Leveraging Social Media as Business Tool

Leveraging Social Media as Business Tool

View more presentations from Robin Low.

This presentation is part of my series of talks in Singapore on Social Media.

This was done on 9 Mar, 2010 at NUS Alumni house.

Special thanks to the Office of Alumni Relations and Lisa Marie Lip Ka Ai for making this talk successful.

-- Robin Low

Personal branding on Facebook

You need to remember, your profile can be search on the Internet and whatever you say will not really be private information. This can be a bane and a boon at the same time. With Facebook now, you may be seen as a thought leader as you share your views.

Joining different groups, sharing ideas and networking on Facebook also brings a lot of opportunities, but your Facebook profile need to be kept “professional” if you are interested to do professional networking or you have professional contacts on your Facebook profile.


Do you need a separate Facebook account for work?

I know of many people with 2 separate Facebook accounts, one for work, and another for private use. I personally feel it rather redundant, however, for some people, it may seem necessary when you feel a strong need to connect to some friends.

However, if you manage your settings correctly, you do not need to have 2 separate accounts.

1) Privacy Settings

Follow the below tips and protect your profile.

a) Personal Info. – it is important to fill up your personal information so that your old friends can connect with you and know it the “real you”
i. Avoid inputting your home address to avoid unnecessary dangers like stalking.
ii. If you don’t want to be called by everyone, make sure you set the privacy settings under “Only friends”, so only people on your friend list can view your phone number.
iii. Set “Photos and Videos of Me” to “Only Me” as you can never tell what photos your friends will tag you in. (Your friends can still see your photo albums.)

2) Add only friends you know.

Though you may play Facebook games and meet a lot of new friends, some of these “Friends” may be spammers, and if you need to add them, add these friends to the “Limited Profile” list on your friend list.

i. Create a “Limited Profile” List. (Under Friends -> Create List)
ii. Add people you don’t know personally into the “Limited Profile” List
iii. Set privacy settings on your Facebook Profile to exclude people you don’t know that well, and hide some information from these people.
(Settings – Privacy Settings – Edit to “Hide this from” -> Limited Profile)
i.e. You can allow friends to comment on your posts, and prevent people from “Limited profile” List to do so.

3) If you play Facebook games, prevent these games from posting on your profile.

You do not want people to see that you are playing games during office hours and you do not have any other Facebook activities besides playing games. (If you want to use it for personal branding)

4) Think before you post.

This may be harder that it seems, as it is common for people to post what they think. However if your manager or professional contacts are your “friends” on Facebook, and think before you post, lest you may regret what you post later.

-- Robin Low

Social Media is for You!

Today, there are more people on the Internet than ever.

Social Media sites are getting mainstream, and like the email, more and more people are savvy enough and comfortable enough to write their own blogs.

Many people decide on their purchases on reviews they find on the Internet. Google is part of everyday life and I personally use Search Engines everyday!

Our lives have changed as a result of the Internet and how web searches work. With Social Media, everyone is empowered to have a voice and as a result, everyone may have a digital footprint.

Have you ever searched yourself on the Internet? Did you find things you previously have written?

The Internet has a "long memory" and it can be of your advantage or disadvantage depending on how you use it.

The following are some tips that can help you leverage on Social Media.

Socialmedia For U

View more presentations from Robin Low.

-- Robin Low