Comments on: The Persona and Personal Branding in Social Media

By: SOB Business Cafe 12-11-08 - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once.

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:43:51 +0000

[...] The Persona and Personal Branding in Social Media [...]

By: Sidney F. Parham

Sidney F. Parham — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:52:06 +0000

If I understand Jung we construct our persona both consciously and unconciously. It is both our mask to the world and the way we interact with it. If you’ve read Irving Goffman on role, he stressed the social situation as one of the determining factors. It seems to me that Social Media creates a virtual society in which branding has replaced persona. As I look at twitter’s avatars, I see both shadows and masks. The connotation of “branding” implies a self serving calculation. This may be misreading Brogan, but the notion that I am my brand bothers me–all though that I am, in a social sense, my reputation seems true. I’m not sure if I am disturbed by a difference in words or a dirrerence in things.

By: Matt Searles

Matt Searles — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:45:57 +0000

What I take away from Brogan is not so much that you shouldn’t play a roll as you shouldn’t identify with the roll.. As I say this I’m not 100% sure of myself.. and it would seem to have some strange ramifications but.. I think about it a little more and.. it doesn’t seem so strange.. Like if the police are doing work in the community… they’re uniform isn’t so front and center as when the lights go on as a result of your speeding a little too fast.

And yeah.. a brand is essentially an association complex.

On the subject of my heat… I think its like most people are talking about communications in social media.. and I think what I’m interested in is expression in social media.. so I don’t actually do my personal branding by conscious design.. so much as expression.. which is kind of a different way of working with association complexes.. or at the very least that’s how I conceptualize it… which.. I suppose produces a different kind of heat? LOL, probably a wild knuckle ball…

By: Zoe

Zoe — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:24:34 +0000

The idea of all these snippets forming a brand or reputation is parallel to how we try to define our “selves” every day. Even when it’s not conscious, every story we choose to tell people, every photo we show, etc. — it’s all these snippets that build up to create our persona.

We aren’t capable of knowing our entire selves, let alone explaining it to others, so how people perceive us will always be a bucket of “snippets.” But like you say, we won’t “get” each other through streams of social media. To me, a real conversation will always be more fulfilling than Tweets exchanged, because more facets are revealed and sensed. Also, a good portion of social media is exchanging the content we consume, rather than what we create, which adds a buffer.

I think social media is a building block, but shouldn’t define a relationship.

By: Adriel Hampton

Adriel Hampton — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:54:10 +0000

Hmm, kinda makes me think I need to spell better on the fly!! I think one thing really missing, though, just from your quick summary of Chris’ points, is the fact that most of us use social media to supplement offline activities – either in the real sense, or figurative: we are also meeting people in real space, sending one-to-one messages, and having phone calls. Or we may know folks well already and use these interactions to stay in touch. The true value of social networks is to enhance relationships, not substitute for a fuller experience. So, is the brand people see in my public persona the brand that’s going to get me my next job or close friendship? I think it’s more likely to come from a relationship with many more facets than just a few social streams. I won’t really get Chris Brogan or many others unless I have a chance to really talk to and interact with them – and they won’t get me, is what I’m saying.