Personal Branding by Cindy Baldwin

It was a pleasure to welcome Cindy Baldwin to our August meeting to discuss personal branding. With the changing economy, it becomes even more important to know your personal brand and be able to articulate it to others. Below is an excerpt from Monday evenings speech from Cindy.

1. What is Brand YOU? What are your ideas, beliefs, talents? Develop a “two-minute elevator speech” that conveys who YOU are and how YOU want to be perceived.
2. Become an invaluable asset to your colleagues, clients, and peers. Networking is key! Use Linked In, Facebook, professional organizations to stay connected and visible!
3. Position yourself as the “go-to” person with a specific skill or set of skills (i.e. Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access, etc.). Your VALUE is part of your brand.
4. Gain self-confidence and rise to the occasion! Speak in public! Never lose faith in your abilities. Grab the opportunities to shine!
5. Focus on SOCIAL equity rather than monetary equity. Social networking is key! Pick your friends wisely and carefully! Align yourself with QUALITY social networks.
6. Build that contact list NOW! Who can you count on to help you down the road? Business people, church friends, people with similar hobbies, neighbors, etc. Use Twitter, Facebook contacts, too!
7. Make your brand (YOU) visible to all potential clients! Get out there!
8. Become SO REMARKABLE that complete strangers talk about you all the time! Be aware of your presence and your behavior.
9. Be a content PRODUCER and not a consumer. Post remarks on Twitter & Facebook and other media forms. Don’t be a casual observer. Be mindful of the quality of your content and your intentions.
10. Have an “endorsement” mindset! Embrace things that align with your ideals, your values, your beliefs, and your spirit. KNOW WHO YOU ARE and where you want to go!

Cindy Baldwin’s is the Senior Account Executive of 2.0 Group. The excerpts were taken from a presentation given to EWI of Indianapolis on August 10, 2009. 2.0 Group is a proud member of EWI of Indianapolis.

Keeping Up With the Times - Embracing Social Media

Our world is so fast-paced that if you aren't constantly paying attention, you get left in the dust. Take for instance the social media revolution. How many of you have accounts on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.? And, that is just the beginning. Many of you 'Tweet' or at least follow friends and others on Twitter.

Need information? Not a problem! Information is simply a click away...if you don't believe me, watch this YouTube video: Did You Know on how quickly we adapt to the world around us and trust me, it can be overwhelming when you think about it!

If you are interested in learning more about Social Media or in a position to influence how your organization uses Social Media to reach your customers or employees, make sure to subscribe to attend the Blog Indiana 2009 Blogging and Social Media Conference. It is two days filled with sessions, summits and workshops on social media held on the IUPUI campus.

If you are interested in knowing what is going on around Indy, connect with others on IndyTweetUp or the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association blog.

Most organizations are embracing social media as a form of staying connected so don't miss out on your opportunity to stay on top of the latest technology before it is too late! Oh, and by the way, if you are reading this, you are part of the social media revolution - congratulations!

Stay connected with other EWI members through Facebook by becoming a fan of our page. Search for Executive Women International - Indianapolis Chapter. Happy day to you all!