Recruit and Retain the Best Talent- Why Companies Should Encourage Personal Brands
By Ed Schipul- The Strategist- Winter 2010
In an article I recently read, I was reminded how important PR really is and why I love my job. Corporate branding is now passé and personal branding is in! Working in public relations, we are often helping businesses establish and increase brand recognition. The real fact of the matter is that branding is now reliant upon individuals rather than only corporations. Especially with social media today, it is important for employees to stand out and represent their company and themselves in a positive light.
Here are a few of my favorite points:
Promote the employees on the company website. Many times the company website will feature information about the employees. By using their social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook, the organization automatically becomes more personable. ”Helping employees build their brands makes them feel valued and highlights the unique thinking and experiences that your organization can deliver,” writes Schipul.
Keep them in the loop. It is just as important for the employees of your organization to be in the loop as it is for the clients. The employees are more likely to be involved and singing good praises about the company when they are in the know.
Group participation is key. Everyone should be targeted when making a personal brand, not just the best communicators. Since social media is fairly new, there is a large group of society that is not completely comfortable using it. Everyone in the group has a passion so teach one another how to use Twitter, Facebook, and blog sites so that they can become familiar and share content and build a personal brand. The key is to collaborate!
Implement the best practices. It is best for you and your company to listen to what your publics are saying and what they are most passionate about. Create your brand and publish your story through the best media channels. Express yourself through words, images, video and sound- the possibilities are ENDLESS!
Remember: Each individual employee is an asset to the corporation and they should be treated as such! At the end of the day you are more likely to leave your employees with good things to say and a more personable company.
