There are three keys to achieve successful online personal branding: presentability, credibility and connectivity. Discover great tips about each key from this presentation that I conducted during the JCI Euro-Asian Online Business Conference hosted by JCI Russia on September 17, 2020.

1. Online Personal Branding
for Entrepreneurs
by Mohammad Hijazi
International Communications Consultant & Trainer
JCI Vice President for Africa & Middle East

2. As you take care of your
company’s valuation, it is
also important to improve
your personal valuation as
well!

3. What is personal branding?
A personal brand is the
perception or impression of an
individual based on their
experience, expertise,
competencies, actions and/or
achievements within a
community, industry, or the
marketplace at large.

4. 3 Keys to Successful Personal Branding
Presentability Credibility Connectivity

5. Presentability
Tips to be presentable online

6. Presentable E-mail Address & Website
Invest in a simple one page website
YourName.com.
Domain name and hosting will cost
you around $20 per year.
Create a professional email address
that you use everywhere:
name@startup.com
ab@name.com
public@name.com
connect@startup.com

7. Professional Photos
Invest in a proper studio
photoshoot
Have professional photos of you
taken at events
Take cool and colorful street
photos
Showcase your company brand
in your photos

8. Professional Social Media Profiles
Create social media profiles that look
presentable on all networks, even if you
are not using them for business.
Make sure your name appears the same
on all of them.
Make unprofessional content private; you
can also change your name to a different
spelling so that they are not easily found.
Set-up your about section well (including
location, education, work experience and
links)

9. Position Yourself with a Portfolio
Try to create a unique position for
yourself with specific skills that you
make you stand out
Organize your portfolio and
experience on sites like LinkedIn or
Behance in an impressive manner
that attracts your audience.

10. Improve Your Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is
the process of increasing the visibility
of your name to users on search
engines.
Google yourself to see where you
stand.
Improve keywords on your website
and social platforms.

11. Credibility
Tips to become more credible online

12. Start a Blog
Start a free blog and start publishing
articles relevant to your industry or
your experience, hobbies or lifestyle.
Use free platforms like blogger.com,
wordpress.com or medium.com.
Writing blogs will increase your
credibility as an expert in the field
you are writing in.

13. Contribute to Online Platforms
Ask popular websites,
magazines and blogs in your
industry if you can
contribute an article or guest
blog about a trendy topic or
an op-ed about your
domain.

14. Send Press Releases and Interview Requests
Write exciting press releases about
your activities, start-up launches or
new products/services and send them
to the media to be published.
Email or call media outlets (such as
magazines, TVs, YouTubers,
podcasters…) that are relevant to your
industy requesting interviews in a
professional manner.

15. Become a Speaker
Apply to conferences and
events as a speaker to discuss
trends in your industry or
showcase your knowledge.
This is much easier to do online
in the Zoom era.

16. Host Your Own Workshops
It is increasingly easy to host your
own workshops, training programs
or livestreams to discuss current
topics.
Start with free events to build your
audience.
Use Facebook and Instagram Live to
teach a skill or answer industry
questions.

17. Write an E-book
Write a short e-book sharing your
experience or opinion on a topic
relevant to your industry
E-books can be short guides or
detailed books
Self publish it on Amazon or have it
available for free on your website as
a way to collect leads or connections

18. Connectivity
Tips to make the most of your online connections

19. Understand Your Target Audience
Ask yourself: who am I trying to
engage with my online interactions?
Friends, potential employees,
funders, customers,…
Make sure you create content that
adds value to the lives of the people
that follow you

20. Centralize Your Accounts
Make it easy for people to find you
and connect with you on different
platforms.
Consolidate your accounts on your
website or use linktr.ee to have all
your links in one place and use it in
your bios or email signature.

21. Connect with Relevant Stakeholders
Grow your network by following
experts in your industry, funders,
potential costumers or employees,
then introduce yourself and engage
with their content.
Connect with people you meet in
events and conferences and message
them about how great it was to meet
them.

22. Engage Your Connections
Ask people if you can help them with
anything
Share opportunities to add value to
their lives
Recommended books, videos,
courses and destinations that you like
Ask questions to start discussions
Share resources and quotes

23. Produce Appealing Content
Post content that is well designed
and meaningful
High quality content is proven to get
better engagement
Use tools such as Canva to make your
visuals look more professional

24. Remember the 3 Keys!
Presentability Credibility Connectivity

25. Questions?
Connect with me: www.linktr.ee/mhijazi
Email: Public@mohammadhijazi.com