Branding & Modeling Pt III: Know the Basics

You've got a name and you know what you want to do with your modeling career. You've got the ball rolling on this whole "branding" thing.

Now what?

In Part 2 of this mini blog series, I briefly mentioned applying your brand name across your social media platforms.

Unless you hate technology or have been living under a rock somewhere, chances are you have a few or all of the most current social media profiles. But there is method to the madness and it involves a bit more strategy than just posting a bunch of selfies randomly.

First off, let's talk about specific social media sites. There's so many out there but I'm only going to touch on the basic ones to start you out, especially if you're diving into all this for the first time:

Twitter: it's short and sweet and easy to update followers with on a regular basis with little effort.

Instagram: it's a visual-based site, which makes it perfect for models to showcase their day-to-day happenings.

Facebook Page: notice I said "Page." Again, it's about branding and you'll want to have a page that is dedicated to your modeling career that isn't distracted by non-modeling related friends and family events.

Snapchat: it's quirky, it's fun and even though posts are only on there for a short time, it's a very candid way of letting people into your world in a unique way.

LinkedIn: it's a more formal business networking site but if you plan on pursuing modeling seriously, having a profile set up on this platform is great for adding yet another way for people to find you online and can serve as an additional resource for networking, as well as linking visitors back to your other social media sites/profiles.

Modeling Website: it's easier than ever these days to have a website up and running without any need for learning how to do programming or graphic design. Your website should be your home base for establishing everything that has to do with your modeling career.

Why are all these sites essential for branding? The only way for people to know who you are is to have exposure that allows you to be found easily. There is so much on the internet that not putting forth the right content in the right places will park you in the abyss of search engines on page 10 or 20 or farther (when have you ever gone past the 2nd page of an online search result?).

When you have profiles set up across the board on the most popular platforms it increases your chances of popping up on someone's radar. Having an online presence on these sites is also effective for attracting visitors regardless of which sites they use and have a profile on.

Because these are a lot of sites to keep track of, organization is going to be key. It's important to set up a routine of sorts for what days and time frames you'll plan on posting.

So where do you even begin with creating content, posting and organizing such a schedule of branding domination? You'll have to stick around for Part 4!