One way to know you’re getting older: When you hear the word “branding” and cattle come to mind. But if you’re at all plugged in, you know that today the word is typically used to refer to a product’s – and now a person’s – identity. Who you are. What you’re known for. Your uniqueness. What one writer called your “digital footprint.” Some of the more traditional journalists still shy away from “branding” as applied to individual reporters – they see it as a concept that applies to cereal or soap, not journalists. But actually, many journalists have been branded for years, though they never thought of it in those terms. One reporter might be known as the go-to guy for public records and making sense of data in a way that related to readers. Another might be a word-person – her prose full of voice and the type of writing that made you want to read sentences out loud. But it’s more than that, and this is why you need to read Steve Buttry’s blogpost (Steve is also a consultant to TCCJ). This article will help you think through what your brand is, and what you can make it. And as an added bonus, at the end of the post he also refers you to a number of other postings that will help you to develop your personal brand. This is a must-read, especially for younger journalists.
Category: Facebook
A few years ago, most of us thought of Facebook as something our kids were into. And now, here we are, with a Facebook page for our paper – and lots of us are still trying to figure out how to make the best use of social media in covering the news. If that sounds like you, check out this article in the blog Journalistics. Writer Kim Wilson gives eight ways your newsroom can make better use of Facebook. And it’s practical stuff, like always including a link with your post, posting every two hours, reading and responding to comments, and the like. And do you know what’s the best time of day to post to take advantage of Facebook’s peak times? Check out this article to find out.
The New York Times has hired a “social media editor” who is going to be connecting with users on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. The first link is a blog post from Mashable, a blog about social media trends. The second link is to the new social media editor’s Twitter account.