The best of 2017 in Personal Branding

The year 2017 it's history, so it's time to take stock. The personal branding follows his momentum in recent years, and I particularly emphasize the strength it is gaining in two areas:

The first is Latin America, where Mexico and Brazil remain at the forefront of major events, and where in addition to established countries such as Venezuela, are claiming their position Colombia, Dominican Republic, Peru, and Chile.

The second is the awakening of organizations, at least in Spain. They have taken time to realize the desirability of implementing internal branding programs (personal brand, executive branding, employer branding, employee advocacy…). But they're doing it and they're going to push it even further.

The best of 2017 (at my discretion, Of course) in Personal Branding

As I did in the balance of the year 2016, below I detail the sixteen articles or videos that have influenced me the most (order is not relevant), six recommended books, five must-see events and also the ten most read posts on this blog during 2017. If you want, the best of 2017.

16 highly recommended items in personal brand code

1. Tired society. David Barreda. Although it's actually a bibliographic review (The society of tiredness, Byung-Chul Han, Herder Editorial, 2017), contains elements that invite reflection on a certain overdose of positivism “Free” that transcends kindness and can end up getting tired.
2. Brand Ambassadors, What are they and how do they develop? Does Leadership and Corporate Culture Influence? Ylse Roa. More than just a complete article on needs, strategies and keys to implementing internal brand ambassador programs. Includes three infographics created by Ylse he himself. Post very well documented and with key statistics for any organization that still has doubts about how to launch these programs, with an increasingly obvious rate of return on investment.
3. Today you're what you decided (or not) years ago. Andrés Pérez Ortega. Although it's not from Those Andrew's post with “keys to”, nor surely of those who have had the most success of his blog (relative thing), it's come to me. He says the impact we left on others today, it's something we've been "cooking" from far behind and it's not easy, not even possible, change it overnight. It refers to the Purpose, what those who never talk about are never talking about personal brand 2.0 (the ones in dospuntocerolandia, in Andrew's jargon).
4. Brand ambassadors: his voice, your best guarantee. Eva Collado. Eva says goodbye to 2017 big, with a post about opportunities. Internal brand ambassadors are a treasure not yet discovered by many organizations, and Eva compiles in the article the advantages of an employee advocacy program, how to identify ambassadors and the characteristics of this type of training.
5. Personal brand: of being that we are by being that we project. Professor Vladimir Estrada. We should call it a book., but it doesn't come for little. Its close to 12.000 words make it, at least, in a personal brand master manual. It introduces us to the process of personal branding and its outcome. Then he delys into human needs and connects them to the personal brand: Ambition, Coherence, inner peace, Positioning. In the proposive phase it proposes 7 keys to “Approach” personal brand. Mandatory to read. Take it easy.
6. 8 Easy Tips to Boost Your Personal Brand. Arancha Ruiz. She calls them easyons, but I assure you they're written from experience. They're not topical., they're very valuable, and although it may seem like they're the fruit of logic, many of us failed in some (or many) of them. I like them because they go beyond conventions.
7. Personal branding and social media. Hector Jimenez. In this video, Hector gives sensational guidelines on the things that are destroying our personal brand. I was struck by his phrase “a selfie taken in a bathroom and used as a profile picture in the #RRSS is a real attack on our brand”. It also recommends that if we have an emotional problem, let's not tell it in the networks, let's tell the psychologist.
8. Importance of The Personal Brand. Claudio Inacio. Video collecting the talk given by the author on Google Actívate Talk Madrid. An interesting talk about how to forge a personal brand, told in autobiographical story mode. From footballer to worker, immigrant, hardware worker and a vocational reinvention based on training and a lot of work. Direct language, Of course. Just recommending patience, authenticity and a lot of work.
9. 8 steps for a personal brand communication plan. Paul Adam. As a good connoisseur of marketing and advertising, Paul immerses us in a plan adapted to our personal brand. Infographic included. In the post, insists on a key concept: if you don't socialize your personal brand, loses meaning. And it's just that we're not just what we see of us., but especially what others see.
10. Can you 'reset’ your personal brand and become a new professional? Tino Fernandez. The expansion journalist brought us together in this article Andrés Pérez Ortega, Eva Collado and whom she writes to develop one of the thorniest topics in personal branding. Reborn, Reinventing, Repositioned, relaunching. The verb is the least, the question is whether it's possible, after a pothole, re-emerge like the phoenix.
11. How to destroy your network of contacts on Linkedin. Isabel Iglesias. It seems that humans still do not read the instruction manual. Energetic and illustrative article by Isabel, that denounces bad practices in professional RED and clarifies what is and what is not Linkedin. And, especially, what it is, it's your treasure. From her experience as an expert RR. Hh, gives away valuable guidelines for job seekers or want to improve it.
12. If you doubt, take a soak. Jordi Collell. A good speech about uncertainty, about the paradox of choice. Of those writings by Jordi that force us to look inwards, not to let the fucking uncertainty of achieving the optimal result make us give up the best of options. I like that “You were born to decide, and that's why you have a right to be wrong”, a certain relief for the soul.
13. Vital capital. Fran Segarra. That 1.95m shy thirty-year-old psychologist is going to give a lot to talk about on a personal mark. This post proves it. Fran worked on this concept of Personal Brand's vital capital in one of the Get in Valor, and then I saw it applied live at the Personal Brand event in Avilés organized by Elena Arnaiz. Personal brand life capital is made up of regulatory capital (the experience, the applied and the self-management) and human capital (vital capital, relational and emotional). A smart way to get deep into the introspective part of the personal brand.
14. The future is one of those who learn and undertake. Joan Clotet. An extraordinary and well-told tour of the digital origin and its evolution. Always seen from the good eyes of this digital humanist who prefers to understand what is going on as opportunities, not as threats. I make my words at the end of the post: “I push everyone to learn and unlearn, to be attentive to the environment and anticipate the opportunities to bring value that are sure to always be out there, because this has only just begun and we are privileged contemporaries of an exciting era in which the best is to come”.
15. ¿Who can be a brand ambassador at a company? Cristina Mulero. Good question. Not everyone is prepared to be, and why companies stimulatemployee advocacy, there will always be the reluctant and predisposed. You have to identify them and understand that they are the best spokespersons and carriers of public trust.
16. The bubble filter or how artificial intelligence will dominate our thinking. Blog Cuatrecasas (a pity not knowing who the author is). It's not about personal branding, but it does matter how important it is with the application of the AI (Artificial Intelligence) google's search algorithms. To think. To get scared. To be aware of the change.

Six recommended books

1. Influencers. Carlos Rebate. Active Company 2017. Carlos echoes that with a real community of 1.000 real fans, any of us could live without complications. I didn't remember the interview he gave me.. After a few months, I get the book at home. I didn't understand what a guy like me looked like in that book.. Until I read it.. It's not about digital ephemeral influence, goes from people who influence people through insights and transformative reflections. I've learned a lot by reading the 21 interviews with people I barely knew and left a mark on me. Carlos defines Influencers as a book on digital influence, influence marketing and personal branding. But for me it goes further, talks about disruptive thinking and ability to mobilize. Colleagues such as Raquel Roca appear in the book, Juan Merodio, Natalia Gómez del Pozuelo, Frank Scipio, Andy Stalman… and many more.
2. The social employee. Cheryl And Mark Burguess. Mc Graw Hill, 2014. Although he's three years old, he's three years old., and things have happened, this book is a delight. Explains how big companies work their social media by involving their people and getting unimaginable reaches and returns. The best thing is that it's not just theoretically, but relates the success stories of companies such as Ibm, AT&T, Dell, Cisco, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, Dome, Acxiom along with examples of many other. Mandatory reading to understand the actual functioning of internal brand ambassador programs (employee advocacy).
3. How to monetize social media. Maria Redondo And Pedro Rojas. Editorial Lid, 2017. The verb monetize attracts, recognize it. Many business models fall because they don't see a reasonable return on investment. Maria and Pedro, two great experts from the middle social environment, finally reveal the keys to professional and cost-effective social media management for businesses and professionals. I read it in a tug-of-pull on a Madrid-Mexico City flight and recommend it to those who still believe that this is more tactical than strategic and to those who do not see return or believe that return on investment is a thing of months. An excellent job that can only be done from the experience of hundreds of sectors, companies and cases.
4. Social Selling. Tim Hughes, Matt Reynolds. Kogan Page, 2016. I still have to read my colleague Alex Lopez's books (Digital Client, Digital Seller) and Esmeralda Díaz Aroca (Social Selling) on the same subject. Meanwhile, I have enjoyed this work by Hughes and Reynolds for the excellent contextualization of the figure of the sellers, decision makers and a third figure who has emerged from digital implosion, The Changemakers. The Changemakers are the informal leaders of the organizations, Connected, Formed, Informed, and who end up making key purchasing decisions that previously made the c-suites (great managers).
5. 7* Seven. Several authors, Soymimarca Dec. 2017. Soymimarca's annual event, delivered in ebook format on Christmas Day, arrived once more. But this time with Laura Chica's prologue, one of the greatest believers and evangelists of the personal brand.. With about 300.000 annual readings, this ebook is already a reference with its more than 40 select blog posts Soymimarca. In addition, this year several copies of the previous edition were printed on the occasion of the Personal Branding Lab Day congress (pictured).
6. Your future is today. Francisco Warden And Laura Chica, Alienta, 2014. One of the good things that has happened to me in 2017 has been to know personally Laura and Paco. Not only that., also work with them and share memorable moments. I realized my sin of not knowing his work, so my Christmas tree has brought me all your books (All, what you read). I've started with “Your future is today”. I was encouraged to start here a lapidary phrase:

The future does not exist, it's just a result, the result of what we do every day.

When I'm older I'd like to write truths like this. Reading couldn't be better structured, in the form of 40 keys to creating your destiny. And what I like the most, as advertising and freak of the personal brand, is the insistence on the need for FOCO, whose absence is one of the largest scourges of 21st century professionals. Just the mini-review with the major surprise in a book of this kind: a kind of epilogue with 10 + 1 Verses to take action, by several authors (some anonymous) and final brooch… Laura Chica!. I don't play it., buy the book, Gee.

Five must-see events

1. Personal Branding Lab Day 2017. This event took place last June 2017 its third anniversary (3Edition) with an innovative format: the webinar. It became open, so that they connected in total 1.800 People, an absolute record. Here's a video summary, and if you're interested in seeing any of the 25 presentations 2017 (Including 45 more between 2015 And 2016) you can sign up here. The event was dedicated this year to staff branding in the organizations, and the contributor poster, driven by Alicia Ro and Nilton Navarro, it was very complete:

2. 

   PBEX Personal Branding Experience Brazil. This event, organized for the second year in a row by Daniela Viek and his team from Sao Paulo, was face-to-face (unlike its first edition, it was online). I mean, has experienced the reverse process to PBLabDay. Here's a video summary of the event, who brought together the best branding staff professionals in Brazil, Portugal, and with the intervention of our friend Nancy Vazquez (the Latin touch). I have no doubt that PBEX will continue, and with some surprise. We'll be aware of Daniela's news..

3. #MPAviles Personal Brand Day in Avilés. It was one of the surprises of the year, by Elena Arnaiz and the Training and Employment team of avilés City Council. A day of fast-paced activity, with speakers of the best, and with a crowded living room. Moderated by Nilton Navarro (Infojobs) who also did the same thing on PBLabDay17. The best summary you have here, hand in hand with one's own Elena, one of the HR professionals. HH that is best understanding and spreading the strength of the personal brand.
4. Your brand, your job. This event, March, was another surprise, and it wasn't minor. Look at the billboard, with the best of every house. Back with Nilton and Infojobs collaborating and betting on the personal brand. ;-) In this case, the impetus was that of Silvia Saucedo and their team Silvia Te Orienta, coinciding with the 30 Anniversary of Radio Guadalquivir. As the title promises, focused on the very high market for labour supply and demand in Spain. Let's hope Silvia encourages herself to continue, I'm sure it won't be out of the way.…
5. Start RTVE, With Ami Bondia. It would be a crime to forget about the personal brander Ami Bondía and her drive to personal branding from the TVE and the channel 24h. We lacked a great medium that would cover the personal brand, And that's definitely TV. Congratulations Ami, double (she's just been a mother) and I hope you can continue to be “The voice” of the personal brand on screens beyond the internet.

The 10 most read post in guillemrecolons.com 2017

1. Corporate Personal Branding : Applications, pros and cons. Compendium of the main implementation strategies of branding staff in organizations (executive branding, personal branding, employee advocacy, employer branding…), the main advantages, basic KPIs and the fundamental requirements for successfully carrying out such programs. The post was then published as micro-ebook In Slideshare, achieving close to 70.000 visioned and 2.800 Downloads.
2. 23 reasons to value you in an environment of change. One of the recurring questions of managers and professionals is why is the personal brand relevant in my company or in my employees? The post picks up 23 powerful reasons based on Insights from different authors from leadership environments, Entrepreneurship, personal brand, Marketing, Rr. Hh, Coaching…
3. If you're looking for a job, better go for the 80 and forget about 20. Why a 80% people kill themselves to find the 20% jobs? Access the hidden job market (A 80% offer) it's vital, so in the post-development the keys to wom (word-of-mouth or mouth-ear communication). I also stress the importance of our key partners (business model) and how to get your prescription, protocols to be more effective in that quest.
4. What makes you a unique person in the world. If you ask me about the book that has influenced my life the most, I have no doubts: The little prince of the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. There's a passage the fox tells the little prince “I'm just a fox like a hundred thousand foxes to you.”, and that leads to a personal relationship that will make one and the other unique in the world. A short post, Intimate.
5. Value and Values, the heart of the personal brand. The post highlights the evolution of models, from merit-family-contacts selection to competencies and finally to the combination of value proposition + Values. I also insist that it is not a question of communicating, it's about communicating well. Amplify a bad message is to die. We attach excessive importance to the magnitude of our communities and little to the value we want to generate. The post has been referenced by Francisco Alcaide in his post 75 items to finish 2017.
6. 14 invisible personal brand cases that have changed the world. Following an experiment I made in Linkedin to publish microposts with powerful images and feet of photo, I encouraged myself to compile in this post 14 cases of people who went unnoticed but have achieved major social changes, political and cultural.
7. No corporate vision no employer branding worth. If you take a look at Google Trends, you'll see that the term employer branding Is on fire. But many companies believe they should attract external talent without first having the house tidy and the internal people involved in the project. Corporate vision must be inclusive, inspiring and empathetic (that you can make it yours). I make special mention of the vision and bravery of Hey and his José Luis Risco turbo engine by betting on his people's personal brand with the event #I BuildEY.
8. What's the trigger for your career? Carl Jung said that about “I'm not what happened to me., I'm what I chose to be”, and with that I define the two types of impulses that took us to the place where we are today: the idealistic impulse (we all had childhood dreams) and the channeling impulse, a fuze that detonates the action plan.
9. What is a stakeholder stakeholder and how it affects personal brand management. Known in Spanish as “interest groups”, The stakeholders are a key point in our partnership and communication strategy. And that works both as self-employment professionals and self-employment. The question is, do we know how to identify them? how are we going to get to each group? for what objectives and with what value proposition?
10. The best of 2016 in Personal Branding A year ago, by these dates, I thought of this format “the best of…” always from a very personal point of view. The post had toured to be in the “top 10” this year's, and that has encouraged me to repeat. The truth is that it requires an important effort, but thanks to tools like Pocket, everything has been easier.

I hope you liked this particular vision about the best of 2017 in personal branding. I wish you all the best to 2018. From the heart.

Cover image: Shutterstock.com

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Guillem Recolons

Convinced that everything leaves a mark, I help companies better connect with their stakeholders through personal branding programs (personal brand management) and employee advocacy (programs of branded internal ambassadors).

Socio of Soymimarca's Integra Personal Branding, Brand Directory of Omnia Branding, I also collaborate with Ponte en Valor, Brandergizers, MoreThanLaw, Noema Consulting and Quifer Consultores.

I participate in various programs at IESE, ISDI and EAE, among others. Collegiate advertising, Master in Marketing. Humanities Degree Student.

My advertising DNA comes from 20 years in agencies: Time/BBDO, J.W.T., Bassat Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, Altraforma and TVLowCost among others.

Want to see my TEDx talk?

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