YOU Should Be Rich and Famous!

Not Sure What your Passion Is?

If you need help zeroing in on something you could build a brand around, look to the people who know you better than you know yourself. Ask friends, co-workers, family members who adore you which objects, places, experiences, trends, etc. they associate with you. You may be surprised to hear them all mention one thing―revealing a passion you didn’t realise you had.

Think Like a Brand

Now that you have an idea of what you want to do, it’s time to take it one step further. Just like any other brand, whether it’s Prada or Sony, you need a strategy that sets you apart from competition. That’s where this three-part formula (below) comes into play.

Master Your Domain (Literally)

Once you have a game plan, you need a platform (i.e., your own website and/or blog) to showcase what you have. Use this checklist to get the most out of your URL:

Go for a simple yet clear name. A smart pick is (check to make sure it’s available at ). Taken? Try combining your name with whatever topic you’re covering, like .

Get a slick (and free!) blog design by using a platform like (Google “wordpress godaddy” for easy step-by-step instructions on how to install it). A good blog needs smart design and a user-friendly interface.

Create a catchy tagline for your brand that will be displayed prominently on your home page. This will become your core philosophy. It should be a short, memorable phrase that would fit on a bumper sticker. Think―Nike’s ‘Just Do It’.

Include a photo of yourself on your home page. People will be more likely to remember your brand if they link a human face to it. Don’t have a great picture of yourself? Consider hiring a photographer to take a few head shots.

Use the same keywords in all your posts. If you blog about mini cupcakes, you want the words mini cupcakes in each entry. The more you use the right words, the higher up you’ll be in a Google search of the topic and you’ll attract more followers.

Work The Social-media Machine

Once you have your website, set up social media accounts (separate from your personal ones) to engage your new fans. Use the same profile pic for each, link them to your website, then consult this handy cheat sheet.

Facebook

Use it to: Get more personal, like posting pics and asking your followers to comment on open-ended questions.

How often you should post: A few times a day.

When you should post: In the am and pm, when people are checking their feeds.

Witter

Use it to: Spread info, like links to cool articles and videos.

How often you should post: About five times daily.

When you should post: Space it out (morning, noon, mid-afternoon, evening, night-time).

Pinterest

Use it to: Share visuals (like images, recipes, videos and quotes) that are relevant to your brand.

How often you should post: As often as you want, so go pin-crazy.

When you should post: Every few hours. That way, you constantly have a presence.

Get Internet famous

Let’s be real: in the beginning, your main audience will be your boyfriend, BFF, mom/dad, and a handful of randoms. To go big time, you have to make friends with people who are doing something similar to what you’re doing and who already have a large following. If you stroke their egos, they’ll be more likely to help you. Some shamelessly easy tactics:

Comment on blogs that attract a similar audience to the one you’re aiming for, and include a link to your own blog (don’t tell people to check it out―too pushy―just include the link so people see what you do).

Once you’ve com mented on a blog for a month or two, send an e-mail to the author. Tell her that you’re a fan and you’d be thrilled to do a guest post, and pitch a few ideas.

Retweet the bloggers who have large Twitter followings. Give them props for the cool thing they said, so they’ll be more likely to retweet you...and share your Twitter handle with their followers.

Ask to interview the already kinda-famous bloggers for your own site. They’ll usually link back to the post on their blog to promote themselves, which will basically shine a big spotlight on your website.

Steal This Star Strategy

Consider giving your brand a visual signature that is totally unique and embodies what you’re all about (it can be anything from a logo to a hairstyle). Whenever people see it, you want them to automatically think of you. Check out how these music divas do it.

Rihanna’s Fierce First Initial

There’s nothing tame about the singer’s R, which shows up on her Twitter page and album covers.

Katy Perry’s Cat Obsession

A cartoonish cat is incorporated into everything she does, from her perfume bottle to her concert tees to her video for Wide Awake.

Lady Gaga’s Monster Claw

The hand gesture is her (and her fans’) Gaga-fied sign language.