Branding Yourself Online: A Guide for Creatives
In today’s world, branding yourself online is essential for creatives to gain exposure, build their careers and connect with their audiences. Whether you are a theatre performer, director or any other creative, establishing an online presence can help you showcase your work, network with other professionals and reach a broader audience. In this guide, we will explore some essential tips to help you build a strong online brand.
Know Your Brand Identity
Before you start building your online presence, you need to understand your brand identity. Ask yourself what you want to be known for and what sets you apart from other creatives. Your brand identity should reflect your personality, skills, values and the type of work you want to create. Once you have a clear understanding of your brand, you can start building a consistent image across all your online platforms.
Create a Professional Website
A professional website is the cornerstone of your online presence. It should be easy to navigate, visually appealing and showcase your work in the best possible way. Make sure to include a bio, resume, portfolio and contact information on your website. Consider hiring a professional web designer if you are not confident in your design skills. A well-designed website can make a big difference in how potential employers and collaborators perceive you.
To get started you can pick up a domain (website address) for as little as $15 from Google Domains and link it to a free simple landing page from Google Sites.
Utilize Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for creatives to connect with their audiences, share their work and build their brands. However, it is important to use social media strategically. Choose the platforms that best suit your brand and target audience. For example, Instagram is an excellent platform for visual artists, while Twitter is great for writers and journalists. Be consistent in your messaging and branding across all your social media platforms.
It is super important to create consistency in your social tag (use the same username across Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Insta, LinkedIn, etc). We recommend using your name where you can @johnsmith but if its taken try adding “the”, “ask”, “official”. A great place to test out availibities is Namecheckr.
Engage with Your Audience
Engaging with your audience is key to building a strong online brand. Respond to comments and messages promptly, ask for feedback and show appreciation for your followers’ support. You can also collaborate with other creatives to reach a wider audience and build valuable connections.
If you are looking to up your social media game you can look to use something like Hootsuite to schedule across a range of platforms; if you’re establishing an email newsletter you could try MailChimp; and if you’re starting a blog Google’s Blogger is simple and easy to use.
Keep Your Brand Fresh
Finally, it is important to keep your online brand fresh and up-to-date. Regularly update your website, post new content on social media and showcase your latest work. Consistency is key to building a strong online presence.
