Using WordPress to Craft Your Personal Brand

Benjamin J. Balter web

Ben.Balter.com email

Ben@Balter.com 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

Benjamin J. Balter web

Ben.Balter.com email

Ben@Balter.comtwitter

@BenBalter