Personal Branding For Dummies
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You need to measure your online reputation to get a clear picture of what your online presence says about you and your personal brand. According to William Arruda, author of Career Distinction (Wiley), there are five measures of online reputation: volume, relevaZnce, purity, diversity, and validation. Check out each measure and how it impacts your online reputation:

  • Volume speaks to how much content is on the web about you. Lots of content means “This person must have something to say.” A higher amount of volume on the web helps you show up more prominently in a Google or other search.

  • Relevance answers the question “Is this content consistent with who this person says she is or who I need her to be?” If you were touting honesty and integrity as part of your brand but you showed up in a Google search as someone who had cheated others, your words and reputation would be inconsistent, and you’d lose your relevance.

  • Purity focuses on how successful you are in standing out with your content when others share your name. Purity is a big problem if you have a common name. You need to work really hard in establishing your online profile if most of what is written online is about the other John Smith.

  • Diversity addresses the increasing use of multimedia on the web and the blended search results Google reveals. As you work to increase your online presence, you may want to add video, photos, and a SlideShare presentation (an application that allows you to show PowerPoint presentations) to add to your diversity of content.

  • Validation is the newest and perhaps most important measure of your online reputation because it helps build credibility. If your validation score is high, it means you have positive feedback from others visible in your Google results. To increase your validation, it’s helpful to work with charities or have community activities that support your personal brand and help you show up online in a positive and aligned way.

To understand what others are thinking about you when they Google you, use the Online ID Calculator that was developed by Reach Personal Branding. This calculator can give you an understanding of the areas you need to focus on when building your brand on the web.

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Susan Chritton is a Master Personal Brand Strategist, Executive Career Coach, and Master Career Counselor. She guides professionals looking to engage their authentic self in the world through personal branding. Visit her website at www.susanchritton.com.

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