Here are examples of a ‘well branded digital presence’ that I found within four different web pages and descriptions about why I think that they are good.

Lizard Vile- http://www.lizard-ville.com/

- Lizard walks across the screen while page loads which is very fun and whimsical. –This shows that she is still a child and gives a hint to her personality.

- There is a clear description of who the author is/ what she does, and why she created the site written on her home page. –This is helpful to understand her brand and get a taste of her personality.

- There are links to her appearance on Ellen, David Letterman as well as a show called Animal Attractions. –This was a very nice way to present her accomplishments but the descriptions under the videos were all the same. It would have been better if they were more diverse.

- There is an “about me” tab and it goes into more detail about who she is and how she began hypnotizing lizards.- This also helps the viewer to understand more about the author and what her brand is.

- There is also an “about the company” tab that describes the different charities they have donated to. –I liked this because it helps the viewer to get a since of how giving the author is making them seem more relatable.

Kim Mance- http://kimmance.com/

- On the front page she has storyteller, writer, traveler written under her name. -Right away you get a since of who she is.

- There is a description of her and her work on the opening page as well as a picture of her on CNN. -This demonstrates a little about her accomplishments.

- There is also a link to her full bio that actually just takes you down to her description at the bottom of the first page. -I was hoping for another, more detailed, bio.

- The page is set up in a really creative way showing a cork board where all her links look like things she has pinned up there. -This helps to get a little feel for her personality. I didn't get the idea that she had branded herself in a unique way though, just that she had put her work together nicely onto a web page.

Communicatrix- http://www.communicatrix.com/

- Picture of herself- not professional but looking relaxed and happy. -It made it easy to relate to her.

- Many ways to connect with her and she makes you feel comfortable to do it because she explains how much she likes to be contacted.- I found this to be a very approachable style.

- A list of her other writings.- They were easy to see and find making it simple to see her accomplishments

- Her social media links.- Also very easy to find and makes her seem approachable.

- There is a link to FAQ’s. - Because she answers them very candidly and you can get a great since of her personality.

- In her answers she also discusses her intentions on social media sites as well as what she will and won’t do. –This was very helpful to anyone visiting her site because it helps you to understand her intentions as well as her limits.

- There is an “About tab” where she gives both a short and long bio that are written with flair and personality. It also describes what her intentions for the site/blog are. -Once again demonstrating her personality and intentions in a relatable way. I was so impressed by her that I began following her on Facebook

Pure Soapbox- http://puresoapbox.com/

- On the front page of her site there is a great picture of her laughing.- I feel that this helps people relate to her.

- She begins by asking you a question about your personality and then giving you a brief description of how your answer describes you and then explains how she can motivate you to become a better person.- I thought this was a unique way to give her readers a taste of her writing and skills.

- There is a link to ‘Kimberly’ (her ‘about me” section) that tells more about her and her book. (written in 3^rd person). - I found it harder to connect with her because of this. I think 1^st person would have been better.

- At the bottom of this page she talks about her brand stating that, “Soapbox is a “trademarked brand that leverages famous quotes to promote living life to its fullest with perspective, optimism, and purpose!” - I found this very helpful to understand what made her brand unique.

- She has her different appearances and accomplishments on this page- They were weaved into the paragraphs though and it wasn't as easy to see them as it had been on some of the other pages I reviewed.

- There were links at the bottom to her resume, her portfolio, and her entertainment profile. -This was very helpful so that you could link to whichever one you were trying to get information about.

Here are some examples of a ‘well branded digital presence’ on two different Likedin accounts.

Mark Beckford- http://www.linkedin.com/in/mbeckford

- He has a profile picture that seems to be classy but not a professional head shot –Because this is a site to show your professional accomplishments I am not sure if this was the best choice but the picture itself seems clean and distraction free with a nice smile.

- He has a background/summary that shows a quick synopsis of his accomplishments.

- - This was nice because it gave you a quick overview to both impress any viewers as well as give a synopsis of the work history and educational background that follow.

- He has a list of his experience which is like a resume with important successful events listed under the titles. - this helps the viewer to see not only the different positions that he has held and how long he held them for but the achievements that he made while he was in the positions as well.

- He has many friends as well as lists of skills that he has. –Obviously he is a very accomplished man but it is because of all the acquaintances that he has on the site that he is able to have the many endorsements for his skills that he does.

Deb Dib-http://www.linkedin.com/in/debdib

- Deb’s profile picture was a professional head shot. - This more professional style is actually a little better for this kind of site that one taken at home would be. It seems more intentional and professional.

- Her summary had basic facts about her but also had fun facts as well. –I feel that this made her more approachable and brought her personality to life along with her successes.

- She has videos of her discussions available discussing personal branding. –These were very helpful to understand her style and to let viewers get a taste of her in action.

- She made a section called ‘Ditch Dare Do’ which was an example of one of her publications with a video attached. – I felt like this was a very creative and professional way for her to show her work on this site that was different from the videos above.

Here is a list of 9 different criteria I feel would be useful for students who are trying to create a ‘well-branded digital presence’.

1. Make your site as personal as you can by writing in 1^st person. –The sites that I found I connected with because they showed personality were written this way. As a college student, being professional and personable is a nice way to begin conforming into the professional world while still bringing your uniqueness into your work.

2. Having two bio’s, (one short, one long) makes it easier for a viewer to get a brief idea about you so they can decide if they would like to spend more time looking further into your site. – As a student this will be a convenient way for potential employers to get an overview of you.

3. Your pictures should be more professional for business sites and a little more laid back on your website or blog. –This is a great way to practice deciphering professional vs. personal pictures for students.

4. Put pictures videos and links to your accomplishments on your page but make sure that you give a brief description of each that is different for each one. –Having links to all the things that you have done as a student gives a visual aspect of your work for potential employers to look at, and makes them seem real. Videos are also a great way for you to show your personality.

5. Put samples of your written work on your page. –This gives your viewers a taste of what you can do.

6. Describing what it is about you (your brand) that you want people to know will help them to understand you (it) better. –As a student, this is your chance to pull ahead in the race by describing what makes you different or what experiences would make you stand out in your desired field of work.

7. Putting up links to your other social media sites with clear descriptions about how you want them to contact you there or how you typically respond. -This will make it easier for future employers to search for you and help them to understand what your intentions are for those sites.

8. First impressions are very important so if you’re creative, show it. -Design your site in a style that fits your personality and organize it in a creative and intentional way.

9. Make a FAQ section that asks and answers questions about you that you want people to know. Make some of them serious and some of them fun in order to set the tone of your page. –This will cut out the guessing game and help you to form an image of you in the viewer’s mind that you want.

I feel that the 9 criteria above can apply to anyone (not just students) so as I develop my WIX site I will try to:

· Design my page in a way that shows my personality and organize it as creatively as I can.

· Write everything that I can in 1^st person to help develop a connection with my viewers.

· Use pictures of myself that look professional but also show my personality.

· Create and ‘about me’ tab that will tell more about my background and future plans as well as what my experiences are that will make me a great employee to help create my ‘brand’.

· Make a FAQ section to intentionally develop my image.

· Combine my accomplishments with pictures and videos to help bring it to life for my viewers.

· Have samples of my written work on my page.

· Link this page to my Linked in account as well as my Facebook with explanations of how I use them.

Nikky's Space

Friday, November 8, 2013

A College Student’s Idea of a ‘Well-Branded’ Digital Image.