Image via Complex Original
Today, online branding is more important and more accessible than ever. In 2014, the Internet and its vast array of tools are available to billions of people around the world, allowing for unprecedented connectivity and exposure. If you have a good idea or a strong voice, the Internet can give you a platform to find an audience. Success is no longer as limited as it once was. However, the knowledge of how to use these tools is crucial to your success, as well as strategies on how to implement them.
Speaking at SXSW Interactive 2014 were two individuals who have know all the tricks of this trade: Nate Silver and Bill Simmons. Each a success story in his own regard, both Silver and Simmons are two of the new millenium's most visible personal brands. With Grantland, Simmons has blended pop culture, sports, and long-form journalism in a way rarely seen before. Likewise, Silver's FiveThirtyEightproject has taken statistical analysis to an entirely new level.
During their panel, both Simmons and Silver outlined their own stories to success, and explained the vast nuances of branding in the Internet age. Taking notes from their speech, we've assembled 10 Ways To Establish a Successful Personal Brand on the Internet. Looking for a way to get your own personal project off the ground? These tips are the help you need to get to the next step.
Experiment with various types of media.
Your brand or website doesn't need to be based around one shtick. In 2014, think about the various types of multimedia that are at your fingertips: Instagram, Vine, videos, podcasts, and print are just a few of the ways that you can create a fanbase. If things aren't working out in one of these avenues, then don't get stuck in your lane. Branch out to other areas, and find ways to make an impact with these devices.
Recognize your limits.
If you start blowing up, it's important to remember the attributes that brought you success in the first place. Stick to your roots, otherwise you'll risk alienating the audience that loved you from the start. You can only get so big before your brand starts to lose its personal identity. Always strive to connect with your audience, and set reasonable goals for your success.
Don't be afraid to give unknown talent a chance to shine.
As the head of your personal brand or website, you have the unique opportunity to hire people who haven't otherwise been given a shot to showcase their talents. If you see raw potential or unsigned talent, make them a member of your team. You're not going to wrangle every big name in the business to join your squad. Instead, cultivate young, fresh voices by giving them a platform for their work.
Base your staff around core values, not set positions.
At the end of the day, it's more important for you to have employees who are adaptable and multidimensional than it is to have people who fit just one specific job. Bill Simmons brought up Grantland's Andy Greenwald as an example of this idea. Initially brought on as a Hollywood writer, Greenwald instead blossomed into one of the best television critics around. Engendering fluidity like this is essential to running a good company. Finding the best fit for your team is a gradual process.
Make sure your direction and image are clear.
During his panel, Nate Silver said that one of the most frustrating aspects of launching The Five Thirty Eight has been his audience's confusion about the site's identity. Many assume that it will be a purely political endeavor, but Silver confirmed that the site would be based around data journalism, not simply politics. Don't let your own project fall into this same trap. Make sure that everyone knows what they're getting from you as soon as they see your website. Uncertainty stunts growth.
Always stay innovating.
The moment you get too comfortable is the moment your brand becomes stale. In the digital age, countless tools are your creative disposal. Use them to expand the reach of your brand, explore new heights in content and design, and find the next trend in your field. Be a leader. Don't let someone else beat you to a big idea just because you think you have it all figured out.
Attach yourself to larger, established brand if you have the opportunity. Otherwise, seek out their guidance.
Financial reasons aside, latching onto a larger entity is a wise move because of the creative and administrative guidance you can receive from them. Despite the turbulent relationship that Bill Simmons has had with ESPN over the years, he still made a point of highlighting how essential their wisdom was to Grantland's success. When you're starting up your own brand, look to people who have been in shoes before. Learn from them.
Don't micromanage your team.
Step back from your employees and don't micromanage them; it goes hand-in-hand with receiving their feedback. You have to let your team members breathe and grow within the project you've entrusted them to join. There's a reason you hired them in first place. Remember that they're also competent individuals who can figure things out for themselves. They don't need you holding their hand every step of the way.
Always pay attention to feedback from your team, especially any negative criticism you receive.
When you're the boss of your personal brand, your employees will often opt to defer to your opinion instead of challenging you on it. However, as both Nate Silver and Bill Simmons remarked during their panel, this isn't because your ideas are suddenly better, it's because you're seen as an authority figure. When someone does decide to call you out, pay attention to them. Their feedback is probably a sign that your idea is awful. Don't privilege your opinion too much.
Hit the ground running. Your brand will never be 100 percent ready from the start.
With The Five Thirty Eight set to launch next week, Nate Silver noted in his panel how unfinished the website still felt, saying that it was basically only 70 percent complete. Bill Simmons reassured him that it was normal to be in this situation, adding that Grantland was at a similar stage during their launch. The lesson here: be ready for a bumpy ride in the beginning of any project you take on.
