Identity (2) – personal marketing

In the blogosphere Darren Rowse (Problogger.net) is one of the prime people that knows how to market his person; and he does it through blogging. In May 2008 his book “ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income” came out and it is a success. I try to follow his tips and tricks, but sometimes I forget them again (darn!). Darren recently got interviewed by Dan Shawbell who is an expert in personal branding.

As the world becomes smaller recognition on the basis of a clear identity (or personal brand if you like, I know it is not exactly the same, maybe I should not call it identity but persona?) and a clear profile is crucial to become more visible. Some of us are really good in personal marketing and we get our names posted everywhere. Others – with equal knowledge in our own field of expertise – are not that good at marketing our own name and expertise. So I have been dabbling with my online professional identity and especially what I can do to make it more visible and stronger (meaning reliable/trustworthy or linked to the expertise I would like to be known for).

Now I know I am not good in personal marketing, but I want to get better at it, keeping ProBlogger in mind, but having to search for my own niche. So help me with any ideas you might have on this topic, I wrote down what I can think off.

So my plan for the next few months is to:

• Write: get some articles out there (magazines both peer-magazines and magazines that are interested to focus on either mobile learning, social media…);
• Get into media in general: I always start thinking from the written media, but there is more media out there (why do I forget this simple fact, I am into social media for crying out loud!);
• Connect whenever possible (and relevant);
• Get my profile up-to-date: adding the latest information and also focussing more clearly on the topics I really want to dive into (especially the focussing is rather difficult for me, I have a tendency to like the holistic approach to eLearning);
• Dive into relevant knowledge exchange sites (more in a later post): so getting the expertise that I think I have out there, for others to comment on and maybe buy;
• Get my stars out there: engaging in advisary boards (reviewing papers/articles for conferences, expert advisary boards…);
• Speaking at peer conferences (online and face-2-face);
• Adding my personal accomplishments to the blog that I have (articles, presentations… I write or I delivered);
• And of course replying with more zest on different blogs, communities or forums that are linked to eLearning;

Any other ideas? Feel free to share. Someone who is getting his stars out is Fred Stutzman (a great Web2.0 researcher), still reading up on his articles.