Personal Branding: Navigating the Authenticity-TMI Tension

On the tension of PERSONAL BRANDS:

There’s a real tension here: Do you bring your whole self to work?

• How can we be authentic without sharing TMI (too much information)?
• How can we be transparent without appearing unprofessional?

Read on to learn:

• why navigating this authenticity-TMI tension might be easier for advertisers
• how code-switching and filtering can help
• two LinkedIn “good news” stories!

THE PODCAST: “PERSONAL BRANDING: The  AUTHENTICITY vs T.M.I. Tension”

For this week’s podcast on PERSONAL BRANDING, AUTHENTICITY & T.M.I., I interviewed advertising creative director & messaging strategist Tom Megginson. 

Based on his experience as an advertising copywriter and research on consumer demographics and psychographics, Tom provides many inspiring insights. First and foremost, we need to consider our audience. 

It turns out this “focus on the audience” advice might be easier for advertisers, who do that in their jobs every day:

• the focus group analogy (“Your personal brand is what they say when the moderator leaves the focus group oom…”)
• how product branding and personal branding have come full circle
• a new word for me: “exaptation“
• how code-switching and filtering can help (see below…)

or

?  Click HERE to listen on your favourite podcast player

or

?  Click HERE to read the printable shownotes

How CODE-SWITCHING and FILTERING Can Help with this Tension

We CODE-SWITCH automatically! 

• In a professional context, we talk with our boss differently than we talk with a client. Personally, we talk with our parents differently than we talk with our kids.
• Code-switching means considering the topics we discuss, the formality of our communication, and even the medium.

image: Unsplash @ lucarinigiac

We CODE-SWITCH across generations.

• Based on demographic and psychographic research, there are stereotypes associated with the various generational cohorts:
  • the formal Silent Generation
  • the cooler but conformist Baby Boomers
  • the cynical Gen X’rs
  • the protected Millennials
  • the inspiration- and validation-seeking Gen Zs. 
• There’s no right or wrong culture. In fact, the younger generations are affecting all of us in positive ways, like encouraging us to talk openly about some critical, previously taboo topics, such as mental health.

image: Unsplash @ bostonpubliclibrary

We CODE-SWITCH across media.

• Older folks may prefer the phone or face to face. Younger folks might prefer some media that I haven’t even heard of! 
• We code switch depending on which social media platform we’re on.  We share different things on LinkedIn versus what we share on TikTok.  (Of course!)

image: Unsplash @ natedumlao

We FILTER what parts of our authentic self we choose to share.

• We’re not changing who we are, we’re filtering what part of us to share!
• TMI (TOO MUCH Information) is a misnomer. It’s not about quantity, it’s about the substance or the content of the information. 
• Tom reminds us that we can mend our filter.  When we speak out of turn, when we realize we said something we shouldn’t have, we can mend that filter.  

Two “Good News” LinkedIn Stories!

First: How I met Tom Megginson. 

We met on LinkedIn! Tom posted a very insightful comment on one of my personal branding posts.  So I went to his LinkedIn profile and … I was impressed!

Tom’s gets full points for the 3 most important elements in our LinkedIn Profiles: 

1. Your Headshot – Tom Megginson’s headshot is professional, yet creative.  (Perfect!) 
2. Your Title – Tom Megginson’s title is “Creative Director, messaging strategist, and seasoned storyteller, Freelance consultant.” (This is the guy we need to talk to!)
3. Your Background Image – Tom Megginson’s background is the autographed corner of a print ad he created for the Jane Goodall Institute, with the caption “Cousin, we need to talk.” (“TALK?” I was intrigued!)

Second – just 3 words. 

A few weeks ago I read about then Tokyo Olympics head Yoshiri Mori making derogatory, sexist and FALSE statements about women’s communication styles.  Particularly that if women’s “…speaking time isn’t restricted to a certain extent, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying.”

Research shows that is not true.

What is true?

• Yoshiro Mori used 38 words. I used 3: “Do the research.”
• My LinkedIn post has received more views than any of my previous posts. (currently at >22,000!)
• Yoshiro Mori was finally forced to resign following the international uproar in the media and on social media!

For good reason, social media can sometimes get a bad rap.  But sometimes social media can be a force for good – like connecting with folks such as Tom Megginson, and like when it amplifies outcry against discrimination!

I leave you with that.

Please forward this email to anyone who might appreciate some advice on personal branding and communication skills.  Thank you!