Personal branding: Natasha Puri, Marketing Manager of Juggernaut Books, on how to tell your story

Smartphones and social media have made the world a really small place and given everyone the opportunity to connect online with people from across the world. It has made it possible for people to express their thoughts and views like never before through audio, text, and images. What this converts to is our "personal brands" - who we are and how we want to portray ourselves to the world. Personal branding is the key that helps us continuously reinforce our brand, and its visibility.

In a community chat on HerStory Women on a Mission Community, Natasha Puri, the Marketing Manager of Juggernaut Books, tackled questions on marketing oneself and using content for personal branding.

HerStory: What are the key ways one can build one's personal brand using content?

Natasha Puri: Content in all its forms - blogs, videos, podcasts - is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and help you tell your story.

1. Choose the format that works for you best - do you express yourself best in the written word? Or do you prefer something more engaging like a video or graphics? Or would you like to mix things up!

2. Be consistent. Don't expect one article or one podcast to do wonders. The secret to content marketing is consistency. Keep at it.

3. Watch for trends. Relate your content to what's happening in the world. Timeliness can help you get you a broader audience

HS: Even if you are good, do you still need to market yourself?

NP: I work in book publishing and believe me, a lot of authors think their job ends at writing the book. In a world where there is really no dearth of content and there are so many platforms that you can leverage, I feel it would be wasting your talent if you don't put yourself out there. I mean, who doesn't love this validation that "you are good" from a complete stranger? However, this doesn't mean you have to be overly salesy. Create content that helps people or entertains them. Not content that is all about you; no one wants to read that.

HS: How can I use social media platforms to build my personal brand?

NP: Be authentic, especially if you have a verified account. You need to walk that tightrope of sharing content but not overdoing it so that you don't put off your followers.

Know your niche. what do you want to be known for? This helps give direction to your overall content strategy. Take some time out to think about that strategy and maybe even make a calendar. Use social listening tools to engage with people with your interests.

HS: What are the ways in which we can analyse the growth of our personal brand?

NP: I think the great part about digital is the immediate feedback you can get in terms of likes and comments and followers. If you're an aspiring writer but are getting connection requests from engineers on LinkedIn, then there's some disconnect with your profile. So get into things like that too.

If you see a growth in engagement, followers, the right kind of connections - that's a sign of growth. The most tangible sign is whether you're getting more job offers or opportunities to share your expertise!

HS: How do you suggest I deal with comments that are offensive, trolls?

NP: I don't have a fancy Twitter following to know what getting trolled feels like. But if I did, I'd use humour and memes/GIFs to respond where worth responding. Humorous content gets the most engagement!

For more conversations, follow HerStory Women On A Mission page on Facebook.

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