Are you a Brand?

You probably don't think of yourself as a brand. Yet even though you don't consciously brand yourself, you are branding yourself nonetheless.

A brand is much more than graphic design, your logo, the colors you like, or your taste in home decor.

Your brand is how you make other people feel.

The brands that you love, whether their products, companies, organizations, or celebrities, make you feel in a particular way.

Good or bad.

This is why you associate or don't associate with these brands.

It does not matter how much money you spend trying to impress people with your fashion, car, house, or lifestyle.

Your brand is how people feel about you.

Like all other people, companies, and organizations, you have to manage your brand.

You want to elevate yourself in one way or another.

Get a job, a better-paying job, or get elected.

Maybe, get a partner and eventually get married.

You may want to start a business or grow your business if you already have one.

The fact is, as you sell yourself to potential partners or customers, they are going to Google you.

They search all social media platforms to find out as much as they can before they associate with you.

Employers nowadays search social platforms to get to know employees better.

People follow your every move online and compare what you are saying to what you are doing especially in politics.

So, have you googled yourself lately?

If you have, what impression do you think you are giving online?

Is it a good impression?

Does your online presence represent what you want people to think of you?

Will it help you get that job you want?

Or get you the customer or client you have been chasing?

Will it get you the votes you need?

Take time to go through all your social media posts and comments and try to form an opinion of how the world sees you.

Not just your friends, but the whole world.

When you comment on Facebook, someone in Timbuktu can see your comment immediately.

Worst of all, all comments and posts are kept online for all eternity.

When your kids grow up, they are going to Google you.

How are they going to feel about what you said or did online?

You also need to teach your kids that they need to be careful of what they say on social media platforms.

One unfortunate comment or picture can compromise their future.

Digital media platforms are a blessing to all of us.

We never stop to think about how they have transformed our lives.

They allow us to keep in touch with our loved ones.

Stay abreast of news and entertainment.

They give us a window into the workings of governments and help us solve problems.

We post job adverts and hire people on social media.

We advertise our business and do good things online.

We pick our favored candidate online.

The whole world has gone digital, so we have to be good digital citizens.

This means that the same laws that guide us offline are applicable online.

The same courtesy and good manners that we have offline should be extended to others online.

So before you share your next post, or comment on a post, think about what you want to tell us about yourself.