As we start to mix more with our friends and family, I have been pondering the selfie and its impact on your Personal Brand and image. Here are my thoughts….
The word selfie is now in the dictionary and part of our general vocabulary.
A selfie is described as: “a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often shared on social networking services such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Whatsapp. They are often casual, and are typically taken either with a camera held at arm’s length or in a mirror”.
Selfies are everywhere – get it right and they go viral! They can be playful and they can raise a huge amount of awareness.
Social Media and the Selfie
Twitter loves them. Instagram thrives on them. Facebook adores them. And I think that most people would say that they enjoy the playfulness of posting instantly. You can let others know what you are doing. This could be decision making in the shops or puckering up with a new lipstick. You can get instant feedback and advice.
The men and women that I work with are looking to create the right image for themselves, in whatever industry they are in.
As human beings we believe what we see, therefore it is vital that we think about how we are perceived by others.
Think about the clothes you are wearing – they are your outside packaging. Wearing the right clothes for your position and lifestyle supports your personal brand.
If you were going to brand a product you would think about the branding you put on the outside of the product, clothes do this for a person.
How to take your selfie?
When creating your personal brand consider what you are wearing to ensure that is congruent with how you want to come across…
What to think / ask yourself when you post your next selfie:
- It only takes a few seconds to make a good impression.
- Are you expressing your personal brand AND sharing the real you?
- Would you be happy for your boss or a future employer (or your Mother!) to see it?
- Are there conversations and “likes” springing from your posts?
- Are these selfies getting addictive?!
- Think before you post…..
When you post a selfie you have control over how you look and how you want to be perceived by others, use it well…..
…now where is my phone?!
