Using WordPress to Craft Your Personal Brand
Benjamin J. Balter web
Ben.Balter.com email
[email protected] twitter
@BenBalter
“ Ben Balter ”
Benjamin J. Balter
• J.D./M.B.A.• New Media Fanatic• First WP login: 2005
Why Brand?
A Brand isNot a Logo
A Brand is aMetaphor for
Perception
You’re Hired!
• Search result management• Networking–Personal–Professional
• Potential Clients / Employers• You have something to say
Why Brand?
Old and Busted
zOMG 56k!
Analog vs. Digital Brand
Andrew Nacin WordPressGuy123
vs.
There is noSuch Thingas Online.
New Hotness• People as a product (PaaP)• Plant a flag on your corner
of the Internet• Take control of your online
identity
For the Developers, that’s:
//establish brand elements$brand = array(
‘name’ => ’Benjamin J. Balter’,
‘photo’ => ’http://cdn.benbalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/suit.jpg’,
‘bio’ => ‘J.D./M.B.A. Candidate, New Media Fanatic, Documentary Junkie’,
);
//loop and add user metaforeach ( $brand as $key => value )
add_user_meta( $id, $key, $value, true );
What’s Your Brand?
Who Sees Your Brand?
Who’s Looking at Your Brand?
WordPress Makes it
Dumb Simpleto Tell Your Story
to the World.
How To1.Grab your Domain2.Describe Yourself3.Start a Blog4.Be Social5.Give Your Resume an
Upgrade
Grab Your DomainThe .Com Route
1. Register for WordPress.com and create a site1
2. In your Dashboard, navigate to Upgrades -> Domains
3. Register your Domain
Cost: $17 / year
The .Org Route
1. Grab some shared hosting space
2. Download WordPress from WordPress.org2
3. Install and Configure
Cost: ~$75 / year1. Free as in beer.2. Free as in speech.
Describe Yourself• What makes you different?• Find the big things that define you• Mind map• Word cloud• Work backwards• Ask your friends• Just sit down and write
Social Network
s
Site Tagline
Social Network
s
Site Tagline
Author Bio
Author Bio
Bio Page
Examples
Examples
Journalist
Geek
Human
Examples
Examples
Add an About Me Widget
Customize Your Menu
Give Your Visitors Background
Give Your Site a Visual Identity
Start a Blog• Express yourself• Add value to the blogosphere• Find topics you are passionate
about• Have a strong opinion• Engage others in your network• Share your work
Blogging Basics• Pretty Permalinks!
• Prune your slugs• Tag, Tag, Tag (and categories)• Hand craft excerpts
The Nuts and Bolts• All in one SEO Pack (Torbert)• Google XML Sitemaps (Brachhold)• Google Analytics for WordPress (Joost)• Simple Facebook Connect (Otto)• Simple Twitter Connect (Otto)• Subscribe to Comments (Jaquith)• For Geeks: Syntax Highlighter• For Journos: Emphasis
Be Social• Be consistent• Be on message• Be tactful in your self-
promotion• Be linking to your fancy new
site• Be contactable
Upgrade Your Resume• Grab a plugin or throw it into a page• Link to relevant content• Same rules apply to resumes online– Concise, easily skimable– Situation, action, result– Use the keywords employers will be
looking for
• Make sure your site is featured prominently on your resume
Next Steps• Calling cards with QR code• Networking (online and off)• Digitize your portfolio• Evaluate and refine• Site’s Look and Feel• Advertise• Vanity URL Shortener• Establish a Board of Directors
Advanced BrandingCrafting Your Personal Marketing Plan
The Four P’s• Product You, your ideas, your
unique skillset
• Place Your site, your social networks
• Price What is the cost of following you?
• Promotion How do you promote yourself?
SWOT Analysis• Strength DC’s best WordPress
coder• Weakness DC’s worst graphic
designer• Opportunity Going to SXSW next
week• Threat Drupal.
Other Considerations• Targeting
Who visits?• Brand Loyalty Do
they care?• Brand Extensions Do I have
Partners?• Promotion Stickiness Am I
Catchy?
Additional Resources• The Brand Called You, Tom
Peters, Fast Company, Aug. 31, 1997• The Brand You 50, Tom Peters• Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi• The WordPress Codex• The Internet
Photo Credits• Product logos courtesy captcreate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27845211@N02/2616906744/
• WordPressGuy123 courtesy d_vdmhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/d_vdm/520785351/
• Generic coffee courtesy librarymanhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/libraryman/109470649/
• Starbucks cup courtesy patrick_qhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_q/250746594/
• Tap water courtesy joeshlabotnikhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/2881872151/
• Bottled water courtesy sskennehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/sskennel/4818299373/
• Coca-Cola can courtesy s0mphohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/s0mpho/2005550103/
All photos used under a Creative Commons License
Photo Credits• Geek Squad courtesy leonarchien
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardchien/3385270752/
• Disneyworld courtesy expressmonorailhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/expressmonorail/4538390020/
• Bieber cortesy danagonazleshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/danagonzales/5480900854/
• Obama poster courtesy anthonybakerhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/anthonybaker/2228158870/
• Modem courtesy markusramhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/markusram/3479962160/
• Anonymous user courtesy stianeikelandhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/stianeikeland/3696386615/
• Mullet courtesy kennyfergusonhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kennyferguson/12404708/
All photos used under a Creative Commons License