I don’t tend to write a lot of book reviews, but do read a lot of books. Generally, I try to absorb the principles and ideas into my work practices and then reference the books within the context of actual marketing efforts. However, there are a number of excellent books that I have read recently and have yet to share – so over the next couple of weeks, I will attempt to put together some brief thoughts on their relevance for marketers.
One book that has recently come across my desk is Me 2.0 – Dan Schawbel’s new book on achieving career success via a personal brand. What I like about it, is that it is very neatly targeted at those leaving school or college – providing some simple, practical steps that can help those new to the workforce to begin building their profiles. There is obviously a large focus on Web 2.0 and social media – and Dan explains which sites can be used, when, and why.
And while there is plenty of advice of what you CAN do, Dan also provides some great suggestions about what NOT to do – my personal favourite is “get drunk at an event and spill your beer on the person you are trying to connect with”.
The meat of the book (for me) is in the four step process that Dan recommends for building a personal brand – discover, create, communicate and maintain. Again, there are practical tips and recommendations that will prove invaluable for anyone wanting to grow and improve their profile and reputation. Dan continuously reminds the reader to begin personal branding efforts immediately – after all, building a network or a community takes time – and you want it already in place if and when you need it.
But at the end of the day, Me 2.0 is a book about opportunity. It is about communicating your sense of self and using the power of online connections to reach beyond the small personal networks that most of us have. And Dan has provided a nice step-by-step process that will take most people a long way. Does it work? Just search for "Dan Schawbel" or "personal brand" into your favourite search engine and you will know the answer.
Thanks for the book review, this book sounds right up my alley. I am trying to slowly introduce personal branding via the web into an old school management consulting firm. Our talent is our people and thought leaders, yet our firm does a poor job of showcasing our talent. And yes I an a gen y’er who is getting bored of the same old same old!
These kind of books really worry me actually Gavin.
In many ways I wonder if personal branding actually exists – but that is irrelevant. Dan actually has some nice tips that can help you begin building and managing your reputation online.
Perhaps, rather than worrying about this, we should put our minds towards solving some of the big issues. Like planning for good, but less planning and more doing.