Does your personal brand spook people?

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Are you scaring away your potential?

A little Halloween humor...but, in all seriousness, a badly crafted personal brand is a lot like the ghouls, ghosts, and goblins you may encounter running about your block tonight! A bad personal brand can scare off employers, clients, partners, and others, so make sure you get it right.

Avoid these things to make people run TO you not AWAY from you

Let’s keep the Halloween theme rolling! Here are five things to avoid to maintain a quality personal brand and not become the scary monster on the digital block.

• No Roaring - When you hear a roar, you run, right? That’s what people do (from you) when they hear you roar. By “roar” I mean digitally yelling and screaming online, as in arguing about politics, religion, or whatever other things pop up. Keep it down, maintain your calm, and no roaring!

• Stop Lurking - Nothing is creepier than a slimy creature lurking in the dark, right? Stop being that slimy creature, just lurking in the background, viewing or liking posts but never saying a word. Get involved in conversations, show people you aren’t some slimy creature lurking around, and start making some friends.

• Don’t Be a Ghost - Don’t ignore comments on your content. Whether on your blog, your social media, in replies to emails - never ignore when people try to start conversations around your content. You need to ensure they know you’re listening to build trust and create an audience. Don’t be a ghost!

Wrap it up (not a mummy joke) with some Halloween fun!

Going out on a fun note, I always enjoy a good Halloween-themed bit of marketing. To inspire the werewolf inside you eagerly yearning to get out, here are a few fun Halloween marketing ideas.

• Hold a Pumpkin Carving Content - To bring attention to their facility, The Legacy Assisted Living held a fun pumpkin carving contest and a trunk or treat event.

• User-Generated Content - Starbucks did a wonderful job of promoting their Zombie Frappucino by asking fans to post creative images of the drink using the hashtag #zombiefrappucino, which was used over 30,000 times.

• Halloween-Themed Ads - So many brands have produced creative, fun, Halloween-themed commercials through the years. IKEA’s Shining-themed ad from 2023 (I think…maybe…that was the year, anyway) is one of the best.

Leave the spooking to the monsters

Follow the tips above to avoid spooking away your audience. But, give yourself some room to have fun. Have a blast this Halloween, and maybe work in a little holiday-themed action into your content!

If you have any questions, or you are ready to start working on your personal brand, email me at [email protected] or visit gaenzlemarketing.com.

Oh…and don’t forget to grab your copy of The Business of Branding You: Invest in Your Personal Brand, Grow Your Career, and Gain Influence.

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