A better plan is to speak or tweet only when you really have something unique to say. Alexander says that when he's looking to hire, he reads blogs and comments, hoping for signs of original thought. Often he is disappointed.
Some overbranders even leave reality behind by faking or exaggerating credentials and degrees -- not too smart when Google (GOOG) is just a keystroke away. In the past decade, executives at Radio Shack (RSH), Smith & Wesson (SWHC), the U.S. Olympic Committee, Veritas Software, and more either resigned or were forced out after it was discovered that they had lied on or embellished their résumés.
While it's easy to obsess over the number of your Twitter followers or Klout scores (a measure of social-media influence), many people have forgotten that their brands depend on more than pithy opinions on the latest news. Dan Schawbel, managing partner of Millennial Branding and author of Me 2.0, a personal-branding book, says the best strategy is to "be the go-to person for something, even if that something is as simple as Microsoft Excel data sheets." He also favors offering really great advice and free insights. As you help more people, you build word-of-mouth referrals and job security, he says. Your brand becomes ingrained in people's minds as useful.
Another classic trap is alienating your boss with your overzealous self-promotion. As Schawbel was building his reputation as a twenty-something personal-branding czar, he made sure he did it outside work hours and kept his boss in the loop. "Anytime I had a speech," he says, "I would explain to my manager exactly what was going on beforehand."
For Mercedes' Cannon, the key to creating an elite brand is to "actively manage" your reputation. At the German car company, that means the Masters and the U.S. Open -- but not other, more accessible, events. And while Cannon so far has skipped Twitter because he doesn't see it advancing his personal brand, he is helping Mercedes wade in "cautiously" into social media. "Go for quality, not quantity," Cannon says. "It really comes down to curation."
So how should you split your time between the actual work you do and making sure others know all about it? Cannon thinks an 80/20 split is a good ratio, with 80% of your effort going toward the job and the bonds you build with co-workers and your boss. The remaining 20% goes into sharing your work and ideas and being visible through speeches, articles, or blog posts.
Of that outside self-promotion, Kabani suggests a 70/30 split: Most of it should be informative, entertaining, or educational, whereas 30% can be straight brand building. Here, it's good to create a conversation: Instead of saying, "Let us create your next website," post the seven questions one needs to ask before doing so -- and then be sure to provide the answers. "It's all about value," Kabani says. "Social media is simply an amplifier. Doing the right things is crucial as well."
