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6 Steps to Market Yourself as a Professional Online

Advice for those who are struggling with marketing themselves.

One of my customers recently asked me a great question – “How do I market myself effectively on the internet?” My company, Cazarin Interactive, had recently finished a website for Muhamed, a highly educated realtor. His question was a great segue into what would come next.

I believe every professional should know the basics of marketing themselves before working with a marketing agency like ours. We all have a lot of knowledge about our professions and we all come from different backgrounds and opportunities. This blog will provide you with solid background information to improve your personal brand on the internet.

Who Am I?

I am a business professional and entrepreneur who has worked hard to beat the odds. I would like to think that I know a lot, but the truth is that I continue to learn all the time.  Just when I think I know something, it changes or evolves.

My experience includes college education in Computer Science and Management Information Systems and a Masters degree from Carlson School of Business with a concentration in marketing. I am also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 program and have read countless books about sales, marketing, and business development. I use these facts to market myself and have developed my brand based on the experiences and knowledge that I am proud to share.

I can tell you with confidence that this information is extremely valuable. I have gained this information from books, networking with business professionals, personal experience, personal interviews, high-level education, and spiritual principles.  

These are the fundamentals that any professional needs to market themself:

  • We as humans are complex, multidimensional individuals who seek connection with other human beings.
  • We connect with other people in different ways.
    • Physical attributes
    • Personal experiences
    • Sharing time 
    • Speaking the same language
    • Doing the same or similar sport
    • Affinity for activities like chess
  • At the center of the connection is an ability to create an emotional bond. The bonds that last the longest are based on:
    • Trust
    • Integrity
    • Mutual Respect

If you find the ability to CONNECT with others by helping them without expecting anything in return, you will create a great emotional bond and if done right, personal gratification as well.  

It is not until this key fundamental is understood that a professional can truly market his or herself. Now, to answer Muhamed’s question, here are the specific tips for how to do that.

How to Market Yourself Online:

  1. Define for yourself – what knowledge do you have that can help others?
    • How to do x
    • Tips for x
    • Story of how you became a doctor when you tried to be a plumber
  2. Establish a helping mindset. Define what you will share with others. You don’t have to share everything, but what you share should be helpful to another person even if you don’t receive something in return.
  3. Publish Share the information and hope it can benefit others. Try to post an article at least monthly. Weekly is ideal. You can publish this information on your website, a blog, your newsletters, or share it through webinars. You should also publish the information on social media.
    • LinkedIn is the best social media platform to share professional information.
    • Twitter is a helpful tool for building one’s individual brand.
    • Share to Facebook if it is relevant to your friends and family.
  4. Brand yourself: Establish a tagline. Mine is “Vision Architect” – I want to help people and companies to achieve their vision.
  5. Focus – The right people will gravitate towards you and you can offer your services if you are focused on a specific topic or series of related topics.
  6. Create an awesome email signature. This should include the following:
    • Name
    • Title
    • Email address
    • Phone Number
    • Social Media Links
    • Links to something you offer
    • A quote that communicates your character
    • EXAMPLE:

I challenge you to ask yourself this question: What knowledge can I share that will help others?

Let us know if we can help you in any way by emailing Marketing@cazarin.com.

Resources: 

 Goldman Sachs 10,000 program application

Cazarin Interactive – Digital Marketing 

What Is Your Brand Legacy?

Wanted to speak to you about “Personal Brand Legacy” — Let me explain what I mean.

Brand

Particular characteristic that serves to identify a particular product or service. In this case a person’s legacy.

Legacy

“The gift you will leave behind”

Personal Brand Legacy ——> How do you want to be remembered?

“I have come to reflect upon my life and realized that life today is different from what I thought it was or what it would look like. A few years ago, I realized something important and I want to share it with you. I hope it helps you in your own lives, or at least make you think and reflect upon your life. These lessons helped me to create what I want my brand legacy to be.
A few years ago, I was volunteering at our church and helped set-up a room. I did my job and helped, but there was this particular guy by the name of Tom Sweeney. He did the job plus much more and always did the extra effort and it was very noticeable. After a few days of working together I asked Tom, “Hey Tom, why are you so eager to help and work so hard?” He asked me if I had a few minutes to hear an interesting story. I agreed and told me a great story!

He Was Just a Mailman

He said, “Ricardo I have a very good education, a very good job, and I’ve earned a lot of money in the past and I thought I was happy. I had a brother who was just a mailman. I looked down on him because I felt I was more educated and earned more money and had more stuff. Certainly, I loved my brother, but I thought he was just a mailman. Then I attended his funeral in Ohio where we grew up. There were hundreds of people outside the church trying to get in to visit my brother. The church was packed to the max, many people came to pay their respects to my brother. You see … he had taken the time to meet the families in his delivery route. He cared for them, he had helped many people, and people loved my brother. Many of them told me stories after the mass of how kind and nice my brother was.

When I came back to MN I reflected upon my life and decided to help older people. I was inspired by my brother, who was just a mailman. He tried his best and I asked myself how many people would come to my funeral?”

“We ALL have the power to change people lives”

Let me introduce you to Nick. I watch this video when I need some inspiration. Born in Australia, he has inspired millions of people around the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciYk-UwqFKA

Hope you enjoyed this, he is an amazing person. Now married and has a child a very inspiring person!

Your deeds are your monuments!

J. Palacio’s Quote

“…We should be remembered for the things we do. The things we do are the most important things of all. They are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honour heroes after they’ve died. They’re like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honour the Pharaohs. Only instead of being made out of stone, they’re made out of the memories people have of you. That’s why your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of with stone.”

Resources ::::: No Arms, No Legs, No Problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciYk-UwqFKA

Butterfly Circus Movie (20 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98KAEif3bI&t=1210s

One Act of Kindness: www.oneactofkindness.org

Questions:::::

  • What do you think is your brand legacy ?
  • What would you like it to be?
  • What are steps you can take to enhance your personal brand legacy?

You should at least think how you would like to be remembered!

Do you want a few people at the end or a lot of people?