When we think of some of the best brands in the present day, we often think of big names such as Amazon, Apple, and Uber. It’s no surprise that these world renowned brands have massive marketing budgets and some of the best marketing and public relations experts in the world making them what they are. Companies use a variety of techniques to market themselves and build their brand, such as, digital advertising and large events, as well as content marketing— curating an authentic style that subtly markets a certain company or product through social media, blog posts, and more. In the digital age, however, branding is no longer being limited to companies and products, it also includes personalities— people.
Jeffree Star
As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, social media cultivates a culture of digital connection and communication.This has led to an increase in the importance of online social status, as well as a general desire to climb the internet social ladder or become "insta famous" by amassing a large number of followers. Online celebrities like Jeffree Star (don’t worry, I linked the wikipedia in case you don’t know who that is) have accumulated a mass following through social media by being incredibly good at marketing themselves and creating publicity through social media. Star now owns his own large cosmetic line and frequently flashes his custom pink Tesla and other rare cars online. Your online persona will impact your life regardless of whether or not you’d like to be the next big Instagram, YouTube, or Snapchat celebrity.
We’re here to talk about YOU as a brand— and not in some sort of pretentious way. As social media becomes more and more prevalent, our lives are becoming more public. That not only includes friends and family, but also potential employers, recruiters, and even university admissions counselors who see your social media posts and other content associated with you on the internet. Just do a simple Google search on yourself and see what all comes up. Is there a lot about you out there? What is the first thing that pops up? Is it something you’d want a potential employer or university to see? What if there’s nothing? Increasingly recruiters and universities are looking for online profiles to better understand how you’d fit into a university or workplace. Company culture is an important facet of the workplace today, and the people that are employed at a company create that culture. Employers want to know how you fit into the puzzle; the same thing goes for college campuses.
This is where we mash you + branding together. Creating a brand for yourself has become increasingly important to stand out from the crowd, especially to employers, universities, and friends alike. This weekly blog will give you insight not only into why building a brand for yourself is important, but also how to do that bit by bit, step by step. As someone who has helped build up brands for many startups, I’ve come to build my own brand as well. I can’t wait to share how I’ve done this so you too can have an incredible brand of your own.
I’m extremely excited about this blog and can’t wait to share more with you all. Go ahead and sign up for email updates below or follow me on instagram @kobywheeler to be updated when a new blog post drops!
