MLDP Recap: Using Social Media to Build Your Brand

            Danielle Thompson, Assistant Director at the Rockefeller Center, presented about the growing importance of social media in creating a personal brand. Thompson began with a spoken self-introduction. She described her background, her experience at Dartmouth, and her journey to the Rockefeller Center. She also shared her values with the audience. However, after the spoken introduction she presented a picture of her children and a video about her grandfather’s 60^thmarriage anniversary. She used the image and video in order to connect to the audience and reach out to them. Moreover, she gave the audience a context from which her story developed rather than talking about. In this way, she illustrated how social media aids the formation of a personal brand.

            Thompson emphasized through example and lecture that social media enables one to build a narrative of who you are by describing who you are, what is important to you, and what you can offer to others. Furthermore, social media helps connect you to people depending what you have to offer. Therefore, she emphasized self-reflection. You must know your skills, passions, and goals. This will help distinguish you in a sea of applicants. In addition, one will be able to connect and work with people better because one can convey who they are easily.

            Social media therefore becomes critical because the more people you know, the more you are able to do. Thompson noted that a poll from 2010, indicated that the success of many organizations depended on social media. She stated that social media helps people connect and find a “tribe” or a group of people who share your interests.  She introduced the audience to the use of Google Alert, blogs, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn. She illustrated how the use of each of these social media sites/tools can help one join a “tribe”. These forms of communication enable one to read articles about their interests or simply get information pertaining to their interests. In addition, by getting involved through commenting on blogs or creating blogs and videos, one is then able to join a group and connect with people who share their passions, goals, or interests. Furthermore, using social media in these ways helps create and promote a personal brand by telling a story of who you are and what you do.  It also allows people to remember you, recall you, and recommend you. 

Thompson articulated that social media is the single most important way to establish your credibility, authenticity, and niche.  At the end of the session, she prompted all the member of the audience to find a blog, create a Google Alert, and find a blog pertaining to their interest in Pinterest or Twitter. Lastly, she encouraged members in the audience to get involved in any aspect of social media and create three action steps that will get them closer to using social media as a toll for creating a personal brand. To sum up her presentation, she asked that members of the audience reflect and refine their interests and passions in order to make them a part of their personal brand.