Branding

The importance of branding is something I teach in Social Media, but my branding has been largely absent from the internet for some time. As I try to settle in after years of graduate school and my first professorship, both requiring living in two places, I am beginning to think again about my online presence.

Years ago, I maintained a successful blog that supported my curriculum business. Back then, you could often find me on the first page of searches for certain niche topics within the homeschool community. I don’t intend to try and set a lofty goal of having a first page presence now, but I do intend to have a resource page for those interested in my work, my writing, or interest in booking speaking engagements.

I also intend it to be a place for support. One of the things I often research is well-being and social support. Our well-being relies on effective communication and social interaction. As with my previous homeschool-focused blog, I aim to connect with my readers. I imagine that the articles I write and the things I say will be useful in an informative or inspirational way. It gives me great joy to be an encouragement and resource for others.

So, back to branding: one of the things I ask my social media students to do is pick words they want associated with their brand, their online identity. As I create this new space, these are some of the words I hope will be associated with me, with my brand: positive, encouraging, helpful, informative, real, honest, inspiring, and relatable.