When social distancing measures were put in place, the Internet was the only connection to the outside world for many of us. Social media platforms, in particular, became the go-to outlets for those of us looking for shopping alternatives, news and causes to support. This has emphasised the importance of our social media profiles now more than ever, especially for those in leadership roles.
Developing a personal brand is vital now as people will continue to use the Internet to organise events, work, shop, conduct meetings and even recruit people remotely even after the pandemic. This means it is more likely people will hear about you online before they meet you in person.
Recruiters, potential clients, and even new friends often resort to search engines to learn more about you and what you do. A 2017 survey by global consulting firm Harris Poll found that 70 per cent of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring them. What you put out there, the values you share, and how you communicate these values, constitute your personal brand, and how people, especially your customers, perceive you.
If you are a business owner, chances are your customers will search for you online, and view your pages on social media. A number of my friends feel it important to get to know the person or people behind the brands and to see whether that person’s values are in sync with theirs, especially during times of crisis. Are they giving back to the community? How are they supporting worthy causes?
Here are some key points to keep in mind when building your personal brand:
Define your audience
Before you build your personal brand, determine who your target audience is. Are they your business’s clients? Are they recruiters? Or are they your column readers? The sooner you figure this out, the easier it will be for you to craft the story you want to share, and one that they would relate to. If you are a marketing expert, then your audience may include business owners, marketing enthusiasts, marketing students and even journalists. So, your story might include successful marketing campaigns, forecasting industry trends, and even marketing tips to business owners.
Tone of voice
When representing your brand, think about the value(s) you want to communicate and the tone that resonates best with your audience. Is your tone casual? Is it informative? What are your values?
One of the values that American media mogul Oprah Winfrey espouses is to encourage people to live their best life, and that value is communicated through her messages, talks and books.
When building your personal brand, demonstrate what you stand for and make sure that is relayed through your tone and expressions. This boils down to your choice of words, and the type of content you share, re-tweet, or post on your Instagram page.
So, for example, if you want to encourage people to achieve their dreams, then your page may include success stories of people who have challenged all odds to achieve their dreams. You may share motivational videos, or even write uplifting articles. Your message slowly becomes your trademark, and one that is easy for your customers to identify as yours.
Personal portfolio
If you are a designer, writer, thought leader, or a marketing strategist, then it’s essential to have a personal digital portfolio or website that can highlight your work. This allows potential clients and recruiters to learn more about your work. If your goal is to advance your career and join organisations, then LinkedIn is one online platform recruiters will look up your experiences in.
Your personal brand is not only what you put on social media, but how you carry yourself offline. If you are a business owner, you will be associated with your brand, and your reputation is that of the brand’s. Just like building a brand, personal branding requires patience and consistency. Keeping these elements in mind, however, will ease the process.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur, who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
