TOP 5 Stupid Topics about Personal Branding

Recently, I was on the phone with a good friend of mine who works as Community Manager. He is one of the few people I know I can talk about self-marketing; so I enjoy every single conversation I have with him.

At certain point last night, we hit something: how many times we find people talking about the most obvious and stupid topics of the Personal Branding. Seems like the most they want to differentiate themselves, the more similar to the others they get.

After that conversation, I came up with this post:

THE TOP 5 IDIOTIC TOPICS ABOUT PERSONAL BRANDING

Here is my favourite top 5. I don't say all these topics below are wrong or stupid, but it is the way to deal with them. It's quite easy to say (and intuitive) that you must be on LinkedIn or Twitter. Even easier to talk about absurd topics like Online Personal Branding, 2.0 or analyse yourself. 

I just don't understand why to talk about something is you are not going to be proactive. Why just copy and paste? How can that be self-marketing?

Now, without further delay, the top 5:

Number 5: Always create a blog: the way to position and make yourself known in your expertise field.

That's true, but NOT if you are going to write about already written things. Forget about it! It's better not to have a blog than having one and look like you are a "copy-paste" mater and commander. A blog is good when you can argue, share new material or give a fresh and different version of something old.

Number 4: Google yourself: Google is our best ally and also our worst enemy

Plan your personal branding strategy. If you are up to what Google says, you are a reactive person, more concern about what they talk about me than what you really have to say. And you are only one step closer to be the kind of person that gives a polite opinion, without taking part. 

Learn this very one dogma: 

"When creating your Personal Branding; if you try to be loved by all, you will be despised and ignored rather than respected"

Number 3: Create a SWOT matrix about yourself
Shut up and take my money! Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats about myself? Right now, and let's use words instead numbers. Come on, the chart is so beautiful!
Analyse yourself, your public, what you want and what you have. Please, do not get sick by remembering and analysing your worst weaknesses, focus on your best skills and all the talent inside you. Share it!

Number 2: Use social networks (like LinkedIn or Twitter).

Well, it's like saying: "how to drive from Boston to California. First step: get a car (followed by put some petrol on it)".

Come on, be original, 

And here we go! Number 1 of the most idiotic topics of Personal Branding!

Number 1: Personal Branding 2.0

Was there a Personal Branding 1.0? Maybe a beta or an alpha version? When did the Release Candidate get away? What the heck are they talking about?

Personal Branding is not a website. A website can be called 2.0, but not a person! Talking about PB 2.0 it's a pig in a poke! If you hear someone using it, run!