I will most certainly date myself with this post… I didn’t even remember who the company “Nationwide” was or what they did. I do remember their slogan and little jingle, “Nationwide is on your side…” A catchy phrase that I have remembered through the years. A quick Google search and I was able to ascertain and recall that they are an insurance company. The Good Hands’ People, another familiar insurance company, of course it’s Allstate. “You deserve a break today,” McDonald’s catch phrase has pushed more fast food than you can possibly imagine. Even more than “have it your way” or “finger lickin’ good.”

Is having a catch phrase important to the marketability of your company? One company I worked for was continually “redefining the recruitment process one relationship at a time,” another claimed that, “the best way to predict the future is to prevent it.”  If you don’t already have one, have you thought what your catch phrase should or would be? One of my former client’s was always kidding around and would say things like, “Call me, when the last thing you need is a walk in the park.” Silly, but funny and also speaks to the urgency he feels about tag lines: they aren’t really necessary if you provide a good service or a good product.

When in the course of your work day, are you more concerned about getting across the message your company has carefully crafted or fulfilling your end of the business relationship? There is such a push for personal branding these days that maybe we neglect duty just a smidge. Defining, first, what your duty is, as a service or product provider, should probably be the precursor to creating your personal brand. Do you have a niche or are you an unsexy generalist? Are you better at sourcing business than you are at business development? Clarifying what you do well is imperative in order to sell what you do period.

Selling your strengths. Recognizing your weaknesses. Build your house of business / your brand on your ability to combine your skills to create an incredible package every potential client wants and needs. Your catch phrase is just that – your hook, your net, your harpoon… It is how you catch a candidate, entice a client, persuade a hiring manager, get your message across, promote your department, sell your services.

So, should you just do it? For if you fly the friendly skies, don’t leave home without it. Perhaps you’re strong enough for a man but made for a woman. If so, you probably never let them see you sweat, especially at the happiest place on earth. Nothing runs like a deer even if it does taste great, less filling. I try to think outside the box, because I’m worth it. Never forget, you can still do it the old-fashioned way, after all…, it’s not a job, it’s an adventure.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four, happily engaged to Tom, residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a daily contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Like Me!

I sat on my couch munching the contents of a bag of regular Tostitos. Nothing better than hanging with my kids, tortilla chips and some homemade guacamole.  Chips and a movie, this time?  Ghost Ship, a family favorite  - there is a fantastic twist scene when all is revealed, check it out some time.

While snacking, I went to grab the bag of chips and noticed the Facebook button on the bag. Yep, Tostitos expects consumers to login, look up their fan page, and then “like” them.  I think the fact that I am eating right of the bag proves I like them.  But there you have it, Permission Marketing. Bring the consumer to you. Compel the consumer to follow a trail of bread crumbs and convert curiosity into brand loyalty. If you “like” the product, you have consented to contact, you have consented to receipt of future coupons or emails or ads up and down the right-hand side of your Facebook wall.

I have been talking about this exact thing for a few years now, actually advocating for it. But I must admit, it’s kind of scary to see it come to fruition. The potential was undeniable, it was exciting and different. It was new, it was contemporary and Corporate America seemed to shun the possibilities – for awhile. That is until a few took the plunge. I remember just two years ago seeing random companies adding Twitter and Facebook buttons to their advertising. Over three years ago, I consulted smaller companies and convinced them to create fan pages and start engaging. They were eager to learn more, especially when I told them their competition wasn’t doing it. Yet.

Currently, I like over 170 pages – translatable into a brand, product, service, person, or form of art. That’s down about fifty from last Fall, as I recently went through my Facebook likes and deleted those that I didn’t remember even liking, those I no longer liked, or those I saw no need to like and no longer wished to receive messages from. I will filter through my “likes” again soon – Spring Cleaning, as it were.

Facebook is now considered a strong and necessary marketing strategy. With its rate of growth, it will not be long before the number of FB profiles reaches One Billion, predicted to happen this summer or sooner. That is a lot of consumers – all in one place, all in one database.  Most companies get the picture of what that represents. Chance. Opportunity. Growth. Branding. But it also means maintenance. It isn’t easy, it won’t be easy. Make it worth the endeavor, not a wasted effort. The payoff will be a direct result of what is put in. It will require consistent work . That means exertion, which means it isn’t free.

So the old selling point of: Social Media is FREE?  Umm, no longer applies.

Do you think liking a brand, product, service, person, or art form that you don’t really like, that you don’t really use, that you don’t really care about helps that company / person?  Facebook is about YOU.  It is about you getting what you want.  I personally love the ads on Facbook, I love the tech/algorithms that make that happen.  It is incredible where we have come from and the future is intriguing and a bit scary, as well.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Four years ago I saw the writing on the wall. My job as a corporate recruiter was at risk. The trickling fall-in of the recession was taking its toll, seemingly one soul at a time. I surveyed the landscape of my gig and realized that, due to the changes that were taking place within my company and on Wall Street, I needed to prepare. I needed to prepare for the worst. I wasn’t really sure how to do that. My own landscape included a marriage beyond resuscitation, a job that was becoming as endangered as a spotted owl, and escalating bills.

I decided to look for work and once a new position was secured and that first month under my belt, I gave my husband his pink slip. With one less income in the house, the third issue -bills- was not going to go away any time soon. I had begun to write about recruiting and gone back to school to get my business degree, so life was well-rounded between my daytime job and the numerous activities my gut was telling me in which to get involved. Number one activity? Social Media. I had been unable to get enough of it - interestingly enough, I still feel that way today. While I watched the tragedy of the new recession unfold, my online writing increased and with much consternation from those around me, I decided that I needed to focus on new media / social media. I needed to figure it out and use it. I knew I did – I was pulled to it like a moth to flame.

I took a huge chance in making the choice to write more and dive into an unproven area of business. The thing is, the risk paid off. Through my study and writing, new areas opened up to me. I left the software sales recruiting firm at which I had landed and went in-house: my house. I started consulting small businesses about hiring practices and how to use social media to augment their online presence with the hope of increasing revenue as a result. I couldn’t stay away from the computer. I started getting asked to speak at local business meetings and networking events. I developed Bonus Track and presented the idea to Jason Davis at RecruitingBlogs. I worked consistently every day to build my own personal online presence. I created profiles on every network I could get my hands on. I attended networking events as close as two blocks from my home and as far away as 2600 miles. My bank account was non-existent and I was afraid…, but I kept at it.

Why? Why would I keep plugging along, working so hard at something that didn’t come close to paying my living expenses and supporting my family? Because it was work. It was hard work and in my book, hard work always has a pay-off. Always. The risk seemed greater every day. Every day, bills arrived at my door. Every day, I seemed to get further away from my goal. Then, about a year into my quest to survive and thrive, I met someone at a networking event that retained me to help him market his business – using social media. Then I contracted with someone else. Then someone else… It was working, I was working, getting paid a little, and I loved what I was doing. And it was hard work, it was constant work. I worked long hours and tried everything I could to scrounge a few dollars together to buy groceries. My children needed to be fed, I needed to be fed. I will be honest with you, it was extremely difficult. It was the hardest thing I have ever done; I wasn’t sleeping because those hours were filled with worry.

As a result of my involvement and work at RecruitingBlogs, I started getting noticed and my requests for conversations were being granted. One such request was to speak to and have lunch with Kelly Robinson at Broadbean. By the end of our first conversation, Kelly offered me a job. A full-time job – not a contract position – like I had first thought. That was in the summer of 2009. The risk, the macaroni and cheese, the endless hours spent online building relationships and expanding networks, the marketing and business plans written for clients and partners, the late nights spent writing – blogging, the losses, the changes… They were all worth it. Social media proved to bring me significant ROI.  The investment hurt, the ache in my stomach was hunger, and not just for food, but for total sustenance.

A risk that paid off more than my credit cards – a nice side effect, by the way.

** Celebrating my 750th Bonus Track by recalling how I got here **
This is Bonus Track #547 and was picked up for publication as a “war story” (page 43) in Jay Conrad Levinson’s and David Perry‘s 3rd Edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters. 

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

It’s happening and more common than anyone wants to admit.  As the concept and importance of personal branding, social media, and an online presence becomes more common place, companies are becoming more interested in their employee’s personal brand. Their concerns are legitimate. Here’s why. . .

• Risk. Legal risk, perceived risk for the company and its own brand. Things like social media discrimination, misuse of social media, and social media policies. These are a few of the things that concerns bosses, executives, and your company’s legal team.

• Ignorance. Companies are scared and ignorant to how the concept of an employee’s own personal brand can help elevate or benefit the company’s own brand.

• Fear. Similar to ignorance companies are scared. Maybe they or a company they know has been burned before. Unfortunately, companies react and create policies, protocol, and procedures based on past experiences and perceived risk.

• Control. Single handedly, this is your companies biggest fear.  They are fearful of social media and the freedom it gives you to speak your mind while being electronically and publicly stored forever.  Social media gives everyone a platform to clear the air.

While companies and the court look to find a common ground in the world of social media, personal branding, and the concept of microcelebrity, here are some things you can do to ensure your own personal brand doesn’t outshine your employer’s brand.

• Have a Plan. Know your strategy and how you plan on going about developing your brand. What is your goal and what does your brand look like? This will help you clearly define yourself and able to articulate just who you are. Because as your personal brand grows people take note, and articulating it clearly is half the battle.

• Be Upfront. With yourself, your audience, and possibly your current employer. Research your company’s communications, social media, and electronic policies prior to0 developing your personal branding strategy. Keep copies of these documents and policies for yourself to reference just in case.

• Get It In Writing. If and when you do come clean with your employer (and I believe you should), get written evidence the meeting and discussion actually occurred. This could be in the form of an electronic email recap or signed statement. I also recommend that you put your own thoughts onto paper and write a statement that outlines what took place in the discussion. You are able to reference the document, the date, and what your conversation included just in case.

• Sell Yourself. Sell yourself and how your brand can help not hurt the company you work for. Find ways to work together and be an advocate for them. Demonstrate your value and align yourself within the organization as someone who can assist and highlight the company’s brand. Develop relationships with PR and Marketing so their expertise and influence can work in your favor.

Think you are immune to the possibility?  Think again.  Drive conversations, set boundaries with your company and build a bridge.  Don’t let your personal brand outshine your corporate’s brand.

Photo Credit Business Strategy Innovation.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, transparency is defined as (1) : having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly or  (2) : free from pretense or deceit.

Transparency.  The words sounds good.  The concept sounds nice.  As a consumer, I have access to a company’s business, their strategies, financials, and intentions instantly.  Transparency is all about full-disclosure, being open, and honest in everything we do as a business and personally both good and bad.  While I encourage people and businesses to be real, engaged, and interested providing their audiences with conversations, information, and content, no one can provide 100% transparency and full-disclosure.

It just can’t happen.

Because companies who are transparent provide full-disclosure telling me as a consumer, employee, or world citizen like it is.  But the real-world isn’t like that.  Imagine BP taking full responsibility for the oil spill and fully disclosing their plan or lack of one from the beginning.  How would this effect their marketing campaign, their profit margins, or consumer opinions?  Public relations crisis management would cease to exist.   Or personally, you disclosing your financial problems, failed marriage, drug problem, or family income all in the name of personal transparency.

Are you or your business transparent or is it something else?

What I’m talking about is the Transparency Myth.  The concept of transparency is a word that makes executives and consumers sleep better at night but the fact is that as humans we don’t want transparency.  Wives in reality do not want their husbands to tell them that they really do look fat in that dress.

Because a company who is transparent will openly admit to treating me like I’m a dollar figure on their income statement.  And as a employee, I’m nothing more than a sales figure or productivity rating.  I’m here to tell you that the concept of full transparency cannot happen.  Full transparency doesn’t work in marketing and it certainly doesn’t work with your employees.  Because we all know that honesty is not always the best policy in business.  Because if we truly believed in transparency, we’d tell job seekers more than the standard, “You weren’t the best fit for the position.”  We’d tell them, “We like the other guy better,” or “My boss is a jerk and he decided to cut my budget and I can’t fill the position.”

I’m in favor of a new concept I call Controlled Transparency.  You manage your brand, control your content, and monitor your company’s message both internally and externally.  As a business or person, you provide a controlled message, responding when needed, and providing them nuggets of information without overloading your audience.  A successful controlled transparency model involves engagement, interest, a message that is strategically planned free of dishonesty, pretense, or deceit.

So keep that engagement flowing and work to create a controlled and transparent dialogue that satisfies our need to feel open and honest keeping the consumers, candidates, or clients flowing with controlled transparency.

Photo Credit Ideal Gadget.

Hat tip to William Tincup.

XHR Stacked Logo

I’m not shy to admit that blogging has been the single most important and defining career move for me.  Not because I’ve made millions of dollars because of blogging but because of the opportunities I’ve had and the great people and friends I’ve made a long the way.  Blogging has opened up another world for me.  I now think of my relationships and projects in a global context not limited by state boundaries or oceans.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that when I first started my blog, BloggingforJobs almost four years ago did I think that it would lead to me starting my own business and becoming a thought leader in the HR & Recruiting community.  I created the blog as a way to differentiate myself from other Oklahoma Human Resource professionals while also engaging passive job seekers by providing them job search advice and tips. Honestly, I was looking for a cost effective way to fill my candidate pipeline.  The name BloggingforJobs was purely a spur of the moment decision.

I wrote for over two years with a small, regular readership taking the time to build my brand.  Finally, in early 2009 while on maternity leave, things began to change.  Glamour Magazine called me to interview me which led to several other new opportunities.  I had arrived.  Around the same time Twitter began accounting for 30% of my total website traffic and I made the decision to move to my own domain, Blogging4Jobs.  I wanted to be able to better control my content and design especially since my brand was becoming so important in my personal branding and differentiation strategy.  When I finally made the move, I had to shortened my new name to Blogging4Jobs only because the domain, bloggingforjobs.com was not available for purchase.  (I’m glad I did!)

I’ve been feverishly working on new logos for both Blogging4Jobs & Xceptional HR (my consulting company) that is streamlined and helps people identify that the two are really one in the same.  Building and launching a brand that is consistent and covers all your bases and sends a consistent message is a lot of work.  Most companies look to hire an outside agency to help them with this process but being the ambitious budding entrepreneur that I am, I am always up for a challenge especially when it saves me some green.

In addition to creating several new logos that are consistent with my new message and brand, I’ve had to update newsletter templates, twitter profile pages, and three separate websites that I currently manage as part of the Xceptional HR family (Blogging4Jobs, Tweeting my Business, & JessicaMillerMerrell.com).  And although the re-branding process has only just begun, I’m excited to announce the new logos.

In the coming days and months look for other both large and subtle changes to the Blogging4Jobs and Xceptional HR brands.  I’m thankful for your readership and look forward to having you along for the ride.