Brand it to Land it

Navigating social landscapes

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5 Steps to Brand IT to Land IT

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TashaTOenophile

Personal Branding Example – Tasha Taylor

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Figuring out my personal brand has been essential to showcasing what I am about, what I represent, and what I have to offer to my audience and prospective employers.

I followed the ‘5 Steps to Brand IT to Land IT’ (link to post) and learned to get creative with thinking of the things that have the ability to set me apart from my peers. I realized from looking my list, that wine has always been somewhat of a passion of mine. There is nothing more inviting than a glass of wine at the end of a long day. The aromas entice the senses to forget any other smells around. The wine coats your whole mouth and rolls down your throat and once it is gone, it leaves its mark on the tip of your tongue, reminding you of the impression it has made.

  Predominantly, my love of wine can be traced back to working at the Wine Rack. You could say I have become somewhat of oenophile. It has encouraged me to learn about the Canadian wine industry and become involved in the landscape of our Wine Country in Niagara.  I soon discovered that the Canadian wine industry is in its infancy stage, and thus, I decided that my journey into the Canadian wine industry was inevitable.

Building my personal brand centered on me being an oenophile, a person who is a lover of all things related to wine. My full name is Natasha Taylor, but growing up, I have always gone by Tasha and I always liked the way ‘Tasha Taylor’ rolled off the tongue, just like a good Merlot- it is memorable in and of itself.

Since I knew that I wanted my name to be part of and represent my personal brand, I started there and played around with my ideas:

Tasha Taylor – Oenophile.

Oenophile – Tasha Taylor

For the Toronto based Oenophile – Tasha Taylor

Finally an idea and a possible combination came to me:

TashaTOenophile - For the Toronto based Oenophile #TOenophile

  The Explanation & Breakdown:

The wine community is known to be pretentious and older hence the term ‘wine snobs’ why not try to break down the barrier. Everyone has the ability to be an oenophile and enjoy wine in Toronto. My thought process is that this makes them a TOenophile – which works perfectly because the ‘o’ in ‘oenophile’ is silent and we are in TO. Also my name is Tasha T so the whole concept just merged creatively as a title.

Then, I reached out to my immediate network to see who could help me with the visuals. I knew that I could pay someone (preferably in wine) to help me with the task of bringing my brand to life. Luckily, my friend Dustin Cordeiro is in Digital Communications at GH and he agreed to help me with my project.  If you don’t immediately know someone who has the skills to help, getting a clear idea of what you want created before hand helps when choosing someone to help you bringing your brand to life. My recommendation is reaching out to your network and asking friends if they know someone who you could pay to help you with this task.

And thus over a glass of inspiration, my personal brand was brought to life (and in my favourite colour of course – pink)

Then I integrated it everywhere: Across all social media platforms and I devised a social media plan to actively engage my target audience with original content from my brand of being ‘TashaTOenophile.’ So far success has seen me steadily building my network.  I have learned that you never know where your next opportunity will come from. Ever since building my personal brand and leveraging social media to do so, I have been able to directly target my efforts from networking with promotional organizations, wineries, professional wine writers, authors and aficionados alike. I have successfully secured a space in the social media landscape by making connections and I now leverage those opportunities by taking these connections with me offline.  I have had responses to my brand from notable professionals and organizations in my industry including but not limited to: Natalie Maclean, Konrad Ejbich, Debbie Trenholm of Savvy Company, Angela Aiello of iYellow Wine Club, Inniskillin Wine, Trius Winery, Pondview Winery, Shawn McCormick of Uncork Ontario, Leanne Laine- Wine Art, and Ken Burford of the Ontario Wine Society. Now, an active volunteer for the Ontario Wine Society where I will complete my internship, a member of the iYellow Wine Club, a contributor for Natalie Maclean Wine Reviews, and a participant in The Great Canadian Wine Challenge, I have been given numerous opportunities to network and build relationships in the industry that I want to be a part of.

Just like a great glass of wine, a personal brand leaves its mark on the tip of your tongue, reminding you of the impression it has made and TashaTOenophile does just this.

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How to be organized:

Organized can mean different things to different people. We all have our own ways of setting out our tasks and accomplishing our goals. For some it is a list for other it is an accumulative pile to accomplish. Here a few methods, tips and tricks you can try to optimize your time. You can: sort, schedule, list, or multitask. Sometimes sorting things out allows you to physically see what you need to do and set your own low. De clutter your work zone, everyone has their own levels and way of functioning. If you need, take the time to have everything where you need it. It may take time away to start, but if you optimize your space, it can save you not only time later but also stress. For some, setting an allotted amount of time for each task can encourage them to work more productively, and avoid distractions as they have a set amount of time. Make sure if you are scheduling your activities, and time that you schedule yourself a treat. Whether that treat is a 15 min break, a meal out, going for a walk, or grabbing a drink with a friend. Treating yourself encourages you to stick to your schedule and avoid feeling left out, dressed or overwhelmed. A list is helpful when you have many things to do and all are on a different time frame. Making a list can allow you to group things based on date, relationship or interests. Seeing all of your tasks together and organized on one piece of paper can help you sort things mentally and plan out your time. Lists come in different forms, it can be a 1,2,3 list, it can be an agenda or a note in your phone, just make sure you write it down! Multitask, for those of us who just can not do one things at a time! While some people feel that working on one project leads to better progress, many feel they accomplish more through multitasking. For many multitasking feels proactive, if you are always working on things they are continually being accomplished.

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E-mail Etiquette

Writing a professional e-mail can really make or break your chances of getting a job.  If you want to come across as a qualified candidate, make sure you write a proper e-mail by following these few simple tips.

 1)   Always put the subject line that is relevant your e-mail.  Never use “hey” as your subject line.  The professional may think that it is spam mail and will never open the e-mail.  If you are writing an e-mail to inquire about a job use a subject line such as “X Job Position at Y Company”

 2)   Address the recipient in the opening in a polite manner. Never say “Hey Mr. Scott,” “Hi Mr. Scott,” or “What’s up Mr. Scott.”  Instead say “Hello Mr. Scott,” or “Dear Mr. Scott.”

 3)   Your first sentence should explain the purpose of your e-mail.  For example, “I am e-mailing you today to inquire about the job opening of x position.”

 4)   The second sentence should go into depth and detail to your first sentence.  For example, “I have a degree in x and have had training and experience in y….”  It is in this part where you can reveal you personal brand and really make yourself stand out.

 5)   Lastly, end the e-mail thanking the recipient for his or her time and make sure you write your name.  For example, “Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my e-mail.  I hope to hear back from you soon.  Sincerely, Rob Jones.”

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Landed It: Success story from Kaitlyn Souch of Miss Kait Online

25 year old Kaitlyn Souch is a creative soul with a passion for design and blogging. Over the years, Kaitlyn has created her own brand through her blog, Miss Kait Online, and has gained a roster of freelance clients for her sleek, whimsical, and stylish graphic design work. We asked Kaitlyn a few questions about getting started and building your own successful freelance career.

1. How did you get your start? What influenced you to start your own brand?

I had my first blog and website at a very young age...I was still in elementary school! When I was in college I was already doing freelance work, but I got a bit lucky with that one; we had a family friend who was starting a company and they used me to create their logo. To this day, I still do all of their graphic work related to their branding. I also had the opportunity to do design work for Brock University as my sister was VP of the students union, and I gained a summer contract position through a placement for school. Those things really beefed up my resume and I had already been working towards establishing myself online. I took a few years off from blogging then got back into it in 2010 after discovering some amazing DIY blogs. It really helped me with getting my freelance career going and shape my brand. Everything kind of fell into place!

2. What do you think represents you?

I like mixing new things with old. I love vintage and I collect teacups. I think these things influence my design style. I like minimal and clean designs with traditional fonts mixed with one whimsical one.

3. How do you network online? Connecting with other bloggers; how do you get your foot in the door?

I read a lot of blogs and try to leave comments when I can to let bloggers know their work is appreciated. It's interesting; there is definitely a bit of high school dynamics to the blogging community, only without all the drama. Everyone kind of becomes a part of a certain group, but everyone still supports one another. It's a very loving community. I've made some incredible friends just by reading each other's blogs and chatting on Twitter with those with similar interests. I think it really comes down to just being nice and being yourself!

4. What are your methods of online promotion? Advertisements? Word of mouth?

As far as online promotion goes, people either see designs I've done for other bloggers or find my blog and just like the way it looks and email me.  Word of mouth is a wondrous thing. A few of my client's have my link posted on their blogs with credit for the design, which I get a lot of traffic from. If someone likes your work, they'll shout it from the rooftops. 

5. How do you get your freelance work?

I have a large chunk of clients I gained throughout student work and from recommendations from previous clients. My sister is also in the creative industry and does freelance work as a writer and digital media specialist, so she sends people my way when they need graphic work. The majority of my projects now a days come from other bloggers and independent business owners who are heavily involved in the online and blogging community themselves. They find my blog either because we have similar interests or they are readers of a blog who I did the design work for. Being a blogger and addicted to Twitter has definitely helped my career.

6. What would you suggest for those who are creating their own brand identity?

Use Twitter to your advantage. It really is pretty amazing all the people you can connect with! Having a blog doesn't hurt either, even if you don't update it very often. You need to show people who you are. A blog is something that can really help establish your voice and style and the content will set you apart from everyone else. People will feel like they know you and will trust you and want to work with you because of that. Networking with other bloggers who share your interests and values can help a great deal as well. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and make sure to be true to yourself and not "what's cool" right now on the internet. If you're trying too hard, it'll come across.

7. What do you think makes you stand out from others?

You can definitely tell what I'm like from reading my blog and I think that has something to do with it. I'm a fan of really clean layouts. I've also been told in comparison to other designers I don't charge as much when it comes to working with bloggers. Bloggers usually are doing it because it's something they love. The price should reflect that; they're not a large corporation. Sometimes designers who aren't bloggers forget that.

Follow Kaitlyn on Twitter, visit her online portfolio, or find her at Miss Kait Online.

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Landed It: Success story from Melanie Morais of Born Lippy

20-something Melanie Morais hails from a small town in Alberta. Originally from Ontario, Melanie has spent the last two years building her own brand through her fashion blog, Born Lippy. Filled with outfit inspiration, tips on trends, and near daily outfit posts, Melanie shows the world a little slice of her personal style and personality. Over the past year, Melanie has been featured in InStyle, been recruited as a member of FASHION magazine’s Style Panel, and became a contributor for Lucky magazine.

We asked Melanie a few questions on how she built her brand, how she networks, and how to get started on successfully navigating the blogging world.

1. How did you get your start building your brand? Did you know what you wanted it to be from the beginning?

In all honesty, when I started my blog I had no idea what I really wanted it to be. I think as a new blogger you just have to go through some trial and error to see what works and what doesn't. I've been blogging for just over two years and I'm happy to see where it is at. I also think to make it in the incredibly difficult world of blogging you have to individualize yourself and not compare yourself to others (as hard as that is).

2. What do you consider the most crucial part about self branding? Networking? Having a vision?

Self-branding to me is all about networking. You really can't get anywhere with blogging unless you put yourself out there. I started to read other blogs and leave comments with my blog name at the bottom. I also reached out to some local bloggers and asked them how they got their start and so on. The Alberta editor of FASHION, Caroline Gault, was so incredibly helpful. I reached out to her and I found out that she actually grew up pretty close to where I am currently living and gave me a list of Alberta bloggers to check out. She also gave me some great advice on how to make myself known in the relatively unknown world of fashion blogging in Alberta.

3. How do you network?

I primarily network through other bloggers; we have this tiny little group in Alberta of fashion bloggers and I love it. We are all different in our own way, but all respect each other immensely, and I love that. I am trying to venture out to events and so on to try to get my name out there as well. It's hard to network when you live in such a tiny town, but I will be moving to a big city in the new year so I'm hoping to get my networking skills polished and ready!

4. You've been featured in publications such as InStyle as of late; is it always thrilling to see yourself in print?

Being featured in InStyle was honestly one of the happiest days ever! I've subscribed to that magazine for years so it was so amazing seeing myself in it. I still get goosebumps when I'm featured on my favourite brands Facebook or Pinterest pages too.

5. You're a contributor for Lucky and FASHION how'd you land such fabulous gigs?

As a blogger, you have to try to get your blog content out there as much as possible. I just got advice from other bloggers to check out the Lucky Community page and join! It's really easy to join and lets you see other bloggers you otherwise may have never seen. The FASHION Style Panel gig was pure luck; I asked to join and I didn't think anything of it for a while, and they got back to me and wanted me to join. I absolutely love doing the challenges we are given and it's fun to be part of such a great group of Canadian bloggers. It's also great that I've met a majority of them as well!I'm representing a very small town in comparison; I think that's why I got it in the first place. Small town's gotta represent as well!

6. Describe your brand in a few words; how do you want people to view it?

I would describe my blog (Born Lippy) as girly, edgy, on-trend, and colourful! I want people to view my blog as something they can go to for inspiration. I love it when I hear a friend or fan say they got an outfit similar or the same to mine because they saw me wear it. It's such a huge compliment, and I've gotten a lot of feedback from readers that they love that I wear brands they can actually afford.

7. What are your tips for those starting out when building their own brand?

For those bloggers just starting out or are thinking of starting a new blog, my advice would be to be yourself. It's very tempting for a blogger to compare herself to others and if you do your blog will never work out. My favourite blogs are those whose personalities shine through and it's really evident. I would also check out other blogs as inspiration and see which ones you gravitate towards and why. Send an email to your favourite blogger and ask her how she started out; you may be surprised at how personable the bloggers are. I asked so many questions like what camera they used, who takes their pictures etc. It is so helpful to get some feedback before you start your blog!

Follow Melanie on Twitter or visit her at Born Lippy.

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Tweet Like a Bird, Sting Like a Bee

Today getting a job is all networking so it’s important that all your social network accounts represent who you really are and your personal brand . Employers can easily find your twitter account and can read through your tweets like any other twitter user. You want to be sure to clean up your twitter account before applying for any jobs or sharing your user name with potential employers.

Go back to the beginning, to that very first “SOS How Do I even use this?” tweet. You want to make sure you have a clean reputation from the very start of your twitter timeline. For those who have thousands upon thousands of tweets, this process may take a while, but will be worth it in the end.

Delete any tweets that have swearing, sexist and racist comments and spelling errors. It was probably funny at the time but now tweets like that will just make you paint an inaccurate and undesirable picture of yourself. Any spelling errors will make you look less credible, so be sure to spell check any tweets from here on out.

Have fun on twitter but always remember anyone can see it if your account is not private. 

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Give Your Facebook A Second Look

Facebook is a great tool and social network for finding people. That being said, potential employers can also easily find you. Like twitter, you want your Facebook account to paint a clear picture of who you are as well.

Start off with your pictures. Go through them all and be sure to delete any of you doing anything illegal. You may want to delete any pictures that are bad in general just because they may not reflect you in a positive way.

Next you want to go through your wall posts. Status updates that have swearing, racial or sexist comments should also be deleted, just to be safe.

Go through your settings and play around with them. You can set up your account so that people who are not your Facebook friend can only see limited information on your profile.  If you really want to be invisible to those you do not know, you can change your settings so that you unsearchable.

To make yourself unsearchable go to Settings , then click privacy settings. Choose the “Friends” option for ‘Who Can Look Me Up.”

Facebook is a great tool and way to communicate, but remember to always use it with caution. 

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How to Write a Great Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter is never something that is easy.  It requires a lot of time, energy, and research to be able to write a cover letter that will make you unforgettable to the recipient.  In your cover letter you want to show off your personality, your experience, and your interest in the company.  To do so, you must follow these eight steps that help you write the perfect cover letter.

 1) If you are writing on a word document, make sure you include a header that includes your name and contact information.

2) Next, add the recipients’ names and the location of the company at the top left corner 3) Address the recipient.  Use the person’s name who is doing the hiring instead of a standard “To: Whom it may concern.”  This makes it less personal and looks like you haven’t done your research on the company. 4) Begin your first sentence explaining the job position you are applying for and how you heard of the job opening. 5) In the body paragraphs, answer these three very important questions in 2-3 paragraphs:     1-Why am I a qualified candidate for this job     2-What work experience do I have that fits the requirements of this job     3-What do you want to gain for this job experience. 6) When talking about your education, illustrate what you have completed using examples.  For example, if you are applying for a fashion company, include what pieces you have completed and how many items you have created. 7) Finish strong.  End your cover letter saying how your experience and personality can benefit the job. 8) Do not forget to sign off politely and formally. For example: “Thank you for your time, I hope to hear back from you soon.”