Today is my last post in this series, which has been going on since November. I’ll do a wrap-up post next week, but I wanted to leave you with one last set of tips for building your personal brand.

If you have ever read this blog, you know how much I love social media. Let me be clear: social media is an amazing tool for building your personal brand. BUT….. you have to use it right.

1. Own your name: as much as possible, make sure that you own your name (the same name) across all of your social media channels. That means, whatever name you decide to use, make sure you can get it on all the social networks you join. You’ll find me as /rebeccacoleman on most of the major networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. As new networks become available, make sure you grab your username on those, even if you aren’t planning on using that account for a while.

2. Post regularly. That means once a day to Facebook (more is okay, as long as they are spaced out), and a minimum 3-5 times per day to Twitter (use Hootsuite to help with scheduling). Share valuable information from your field of expertise. It doesn’t have to be content you’ve created, but it does have to be content you’ve curated.

3. Engage! Don’t just broadcast stuff out all day. It helps to establish you as an expert in your field, yes, but you need to also connect with people and have conversations. People want to connect with real humans, and that is what’s going to make all the difference. Your personal brand needs to be seen as being approachable and friendly.

What social media tools should you use? 

Facebook: Yeah, none of us marketers are very happy with FB right now. Having said that, FB’s population numbers 1.15 Billion people worldwide, and that’s too big to ignore. You have two options, here:  a Facebook page for business, or you can open up your personal account to subscriptions. Remember to be human, personal, but not too personal. I try to keep the overall temperature of all my facebook posts to be quite positive and upbeat.

Twitter: Twitter is your best bet for meeting the coolest people on the interwebz. Get an account, start following people, and start engaging and interacting with people. Post to your account several times a day, and try to have the vast majority of those to be @mentions.

YouTube: YouTube might be one of the most personal networks there is. You may be terrified of the camera, but I want to encourage you to get in front of it and talk to your audience. It’s so much more intimate than the written word or even photos. A video allows you to really speak directly to your audience. Create an introductory video, upload it to YouTube, then use it for your blog or website.

Instagram: I love Instagram for building your personal brand. It allows you to let your followers in on your “slice of life.” What’s a day in the life like in your world? Invite your followers in–a cup of coffee you’re having, a beautiful sunset, an amazing meal, a cute dog you meet. It’s an great tool for really humanizing and showing that you’re a real person. Vine and Instagram video could also be really fun to play with in the same way.

Google +: G+ is gaining in popularity as people are turning away from Facebook. Get a profile. Set it up. Start posting to it, your blog posts if nothing else, or some of the links you might share on FB or Twitter.

LinkedIn: In terms of professional opportunities, you need to be on LIn. It is the place to be to find jobs and to connect with potential clients in a professional manner. Take some time to really fill out your LinkedIn profile, and then go through your email address book and connect with as many people as you can. Share your blog posts here, or other bits of information related to your area of expertise.

There you go! You have your work cut out for you, this week!