Talented people are a dime a dozen.  If you’re not effectively leveraging Social Media and the Internet to your advantage you’re going to get left in the dust.  Here’s how to avoid being the greatest act nobody heard of.

Personal branding is the process whereby people and their careers are marked as brands.  The personal branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging. Further defined as the creation of an asset that pertains to a particular person or individual; this includes but is not limited to the body, clothing, appearance and knowledge contained within (something only you can do better than anybody else), leading to an indelible impression that is uniquely distinguishable.

Most performers don’t like to think of themselves as a brand – I understand.  Nobody wants to be compared to a box of cereal.   But branding takes on a much deeper meaning when it’s applied to an individual or group.

Why should you care?  Because word of mouth is crucial and money is no longer the deciding factor in how you get the word out about your brand.

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Branding 101 as described by those who do it best, courtesy of BNet.com

1. David Meerman Scott: Own Your Google Results

Known for his bestseller, The New Rules of Marketing And PR, Scott understood early in his career that he needed to stand out online. If you Google “David Scott,” a US Congressman from Georgia ranks first, and a marketing expert, as popular as he may be, can’t compete with a national pol. Scott’s solution: He branded himself as “David Meerman Scott” instead of just “David Scott.” Google that name, and his content shows up first. [photo credit: CC Chapman]

2. Seth Godin: Stand Out from the Pack

A self-described change agent and the author of several bestsellers, including Linchpin, Godin writes a popular blog and is a sought-after speaker due to his consistently iconoclastic thinking. He argues that in an increasingly competitive global economy, doing good work simply isn’t enough. Professionals need to make themselves “indispensable” by being willing to stand apart from the herd and voice their unexpected insights. [photo: Joi Ito]

3. Tim Ferriss: Get People Talking About You

The 4-Hour Workweek author is the master of creating buzz, using online media as well as traditional mainstream media to turn his book into a bestseller. While Ferris was interviewed on the Today Show, he says that a review by a single influential blogger, Robert Scoble, is what really got his book to the number-one spot on the Amazon bestseller list. In fact, since online content never disappears, a mention on a blog can have a long shelf life, helping you to market your brand long after a book or product’s release. [photo: Tim Ferriss]

4. Steve Rubel : Attach Yourself to a Bigger Brand

As a blogger, Rubel is one of the thought leaders in the social-media space. He’s also a senior vice president for Edelman Digital, the online division of the public relations giant. By working for a well-recognized and respected brand, he gained instant credibility and quickly became a prime media source for wisdom on the industry. [photo: Steve Rubel]

5. John Jantsch: Focus, Focus, Focus

Jantsch has built a successful consulting business, Duct Tape Marketing, helping develop marketing solutions for small businesses. The secret to his success: He focused relentlessly on this niche, came up with a catchy name for his brand, and put the name on his blogs, books, columns, and workshops. [photo: John Jantsch]

6. Gary Vaynerchuk: Be Nice to Everyone

Through his video blog, Wine Library TV, Vaynerchuk expanded his liquor business and became a social media guru, publishing the career book Crush It! Gary’s personal credo — be kind to everyone — infuses his stores, book, and blog, and as a result he’s attracted a large following of devoted fans. [photo: vaynermedia.com]

7. Keith Ferrazzi: Give Before You Receive

If you want to build a strong network — people who passionately support and believe in you — you must be generous, says Ferrazi, a business relationship consultant and the author of the best-selling book about networking Never Eat Alone. Instead of asking people for favors, ask, “What can I do for you?” You’ll be amazed at how many acquaintances will turn into fans. [photo: keithferrazzi.com]

This is a business first and entertainment is a brand, but selling yourself doesn’t mean selling out.  The sooner we grasp the fact that agents, producers, etc. buy our brand and not our soul, the easier it becomes to cope with the ups and down of the business.   Don’t attach your self worth to your talent.  Hope this helps!

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

The window of time right after you leave the stage.  You know, when the adrenaline is still pumping and everything is magnified – that’s when I am at my most vulnerable.  I stand at the door and personally thank each audience member for coming to see the show and this has led to some pretty memorable moments.  The following comments are from major studio execs, book publishers, talent agents, theatre producers, and more.

‘I’m with Harper Collins and I’m offering you a huge book deal.  Now.  Here’s my card.’

‘You will never worry about money for the rest of your life.  I’m an agent at CAA.  Call me.’

‘You will star in every film I make. You’re the next Eddie Murphy and then some.  Let’s meet this week at Sony.’

‘I will personally introduce you to Will Smith and he will LOVE you.  Call my office.  Seriously.’

‘In six months you will need a personal assistant because you’re going to be in high demand and I’m the one who will get you there.’

These comments are usually followed by countless meetings and lots of phone calls that make you feel like you’re dreaming.  My nickname for these meetings is the ‘Evian Tour’ because every meeting begins with the assistant handing you a bottled water.  I spent more time in the bathroom than I did in meetings.

Inevitably the meetings died down and things didn’t move quite as fast as I was led to believe.  After months of unreturned phone calls and dealing with their selective amnesia I was left with an empty feeling.  I kept asking myself: Is everybody in this business fake?  Needless to say it was a discouraging experience.  But I also learned a valuable lesson.

A verbal commitment is only as good as the paper it’s written on.

There is nothing more plentiful in this business than promises. How do you know what’s real and what’s bullshit?

Because if it’s real you’ll have it in written form and you’ll have it soon.

With no accountability you have no leverage.  Broadway/West End producers and Hollywood execs can and will ignore your phone calls in ways you never thought possible.  Unless you stop chasing them.  Once I stopped calling these people four times a week the smoke cleared and I was able to manage my expectations in a productive manner.  It is impossible to make concrete business decisions when emotion is involved and performers are emotional people. Learning to remove emotion from the equation helped me realize that out of the 20 or 30 people who wanted to be ‘in the Kahlil business’ only four of them were willing to put it in writing and commit to finances and a time frame.

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In the International Bestseller Four Hour Work Week Tim Ferriss often refers to the Pareto principle.  The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, or the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.  In other words everything that glitters ain’t gold so stop waiting for it to shine.  Make the best use of your time by concentrating on the ‘promises’ that have accountability attached.  No return call after three tries?  Move on.  Emails not being answered?  Delete.  Time is money.

Be gracious, be thankful but get real.  People are what they do not what they say.  Don’t be afraid to make people put their money where their mouth is when it comes to your career.  You’ve worked so hard to get here and you don’t get what you deserve – you get what you negotiate.  NEVER sign anything on the spot and never sign away all of your rights. Need some legal advice?  Comment on this post and we’ll point you in the right direction.

People in this business can only treat you the way you allow them to treat you.  Stand your ground and find your 80/20.

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com