How to “Brand” Yourself

What does it mean to “brand?” In the commercial world, here is what it  means: “A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers” (American Marketing Association).

In our professional world, branding is a way to publicize who we are and what we do:

 The original notion of a person as brand isn’t new. Tom Peters wrote about it in a seminal essay titled "The Brand Called You" in the late '90s. But as the web grew and matured, along with the birth and rise of social media, it has become paramount for professionals, students, and, yes, professors to push forth their brand value lest they get lost. In a way, it is a version of the old academic mantra of "publish or perish," but instead of the narrow readership of academic journals, the audience is wide and often unknowable. Basically, it’s the world that is online and on the web.

But how to go about publicizing yourself on the internet? In an article on the Chronicle of Higher Education, Professor Scott Talan offers advice (here). Should you brand yourself?

What does all this get you? Visibility and possibility. Also, more influence and control over your presence on the web. Your brand online. This way, others will know you "exist," and that’s worth a lot (online) these days.

(ljs)